Writer Wednesdays: Jeff Herman

Jeff Herman is a godsend. He writes helpful books for writers about how to succeed in the industry with specific, useful information. I ordered his Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, & Literary Agents 2011 and it felt like Christmas morning. It's huge (1,094 pages!), and I have only read through the "Literary Agents" section, but just from that I already have several agents that I am going to contact that I think would be wonderful to work with AND would like my screenplay because Herman provides an interview with each that helps reveal their likes, dislikes, interests, and you get a feel for their personality just by their tone and how seriously they take his "So, how would you describe your job to entities from another planet?" question (one agent actually seemed angry about this question, which tells me that I do NOT want to work with someone with no sense of humor).
Not only is it informative, it is actually entertaining because Herman asks insightful and at times, slightly silly, questions so it doesn't read like a textbook or manual. I will tackle the other sections this week (Publishers, Independent Presses, University Presses, Canadian Book Publishers, Advice for Writers (definitely reading this one next!), and Independent Editors) but even if I didn't read another page, I feel like I already got my money's worth because I have a behind-the-curtain glimpse of hundreds of literary agents.
If (I should say WHEN, right?!) I find an agent to take on my screenplay and future projects, I feel I will owe Jeff Herman a huge thank you. Also, I will thank Skirt! magazine, Emily Giffin, and Claire Cook for emphasizing how helpful this book really is. If you have any writing aspirations, get it! It is more than worth the small price tag, and I intend to buy every edition for as long as I write (which will be forever I dare dream!).