SP — I didn’t feel at all hindered by having book rather than a blog. The publisher didn’t choose my topic — I did. The trick of getting a contract is to find a publisher who shares your vision.

I did self-censor some of the dishier things about the contemporary art market, but I wouldn’t put them on my blog either! I think the book will help people more than my blog because collectors can take the book with them when they go shopping for art; each chapter has a checklist of things to look for and look out for (whether you’re buying a painting, print, tribal piece, photograph, or whatever).

SP, to begin with the question of freedom, writing a blog is not as unconstrained as it seems. The readers and their comments do in subtle ways influence what gets written on a day to day basis. When writing a book, one has a longer time for solitary creative work (“writing with the door closed”), which can (perhaps) lead to greater freedom of expression. I think this might be what I am looking for in writing a book. But for a longer effort like this, it is important to have a solid goal. Publishing the work can be such a goal. As for writing and painting, I think they are complementary activities. Of course, there are only 24 hours in a day. Making a good schedule is important. I think that writing about art and doing art will support one another and give more purpose to one another. We shall see . . .

Then you have an outline and a first chapter.

The 50 agents you select from a book. You only really have to seriously analyze the ones that contact you, right?

If this is done properly you get a chance for a contract and an advance on the book. To be honest, that does not sound all that terrible. From the interview, Lisa seems to say that the real challenge comes when “you actually have to write the book”. But if you have the contract, you have some security and motivation.

A long and complex process, but broken into clear stages, especially the beginning.

On a non-downer note (I assume doing all the necessary leg work wouldn’t be the most thrilling part of writing a book), it is clear to me that you (Karl) have the ideas and talent to become a successful writer.

Bon voyage.

The thing to remember is that no one in publishing likes to read much so you have to sell yourself to the agent in a short letter, called a a query letter, that describes your book idea and your qualifications. The query letter is the key to getting noticed by the agent and getting their interest. It has to put your most interesting ideas right up front in an attention catching way. No one will read it past the first or second paragraph unless it says something really interesting right away. No effort should be spared on this query letter. When you have a good one and a chapter and maybe an outline you can pick about 50 agents from the book and do a mass mailing to all of them. There are some slight differences in what they say they want, but it is really the query letter that they will read first. If they like it they will write or call soon and ask for anything more that they want.

If you have got the attention of one reputable agent you will probably hear from a few more, so don’t jump at the first one. Check them out and talk to them and then make your decision.

In the case of The Intrepid Art Collector, my “platform” was that I’d been an art publicist, so I had media contacts and relationships with galleries and museums. But other people do get book contracts from their blogs. For example, my husband’s first book was based on his website (back in pre-blog days), and for his new book, Crafty TV Writing, his blog was definitely part of his platform because it’s widely read by the type of people who would buy his book.