What We Offer:

• Idea development
• Contract review and negotiation
• Production
• Competitive Research and Analysis
• Sales forecasting
• Marketing plan development
• Distribution management
• And more!

How to Get Started:

First - prepare your sixty second verbal pitch.  You must be able to clearly explain and convey your project, goal or what you want to us via phone.    You would be surprised at how many authors claim to be working on the next great American novel, or on thought provoking works of non-fiction, but when asked to tell us about their project, they ramble on for over ten minutes trying to explain what it is that they are writing.  Now 10 minutes may not seem like a long time, but to an industry professional, that is like watching twenty, 30 second commercials, one right after the other, for the same product, that we probably won't ever want to buy...get it?

Second - write out your sixty second pitch in no more than 2 paragraphs.  Be sure to include the proposed title and subtitle of the work including your full contact information such as email, phone and fax number.

Third - prepare your written bio, and make sure it is written to illustrate how your life or professional experiences qualify you to write the book that you are working on.  Here, we are looking for what you have done recently, in your adult years...please omit references to your first poem that you wrote at age six, or your spiritual awakening at 26!

Finally - email all of the above to us using our on-line contact form.  If you are ready to deliver your sixty second pitch right now, you can call 877-Earl Cox (327-5269) and dial extension 89.  Start by leaving your name, phone number and email address, then go for it...deliver your pitch!

Then What?

We will, at no charge, evaluate your project, and determine whether or not it is something we are able to help you with. If we can't help you, we may recommend others who can.  

If we can help you we will usually schedule a free 30 minute phone call with you to consult with you on your project. 

We will end the phone call with an action plan of next steps. We can help you with these next steps, you can proceed on your own (checking in occasionally if you like) or we can divide up the actions to take.   We will normally request additional materials from you such as your full manuscript, press clippings, articles that you have written or that were written about you, and any additional information that will help us meet your goals.  At this point, you will be required to pay a retainer in exchange for our service. 

How Much Will It Cost?

That depends upon the scope of your project, the amount of work and services that we deliver to you, and special circumstances unique to your situation. For self-published and mainstream authors, we now offer a low cost, beginner-to-advanced book coaching package, which includes the following

• Mentoring -  Offering constructive criticism and positive feedback
• Identifying opportunities that will help you grow both in visibility and as a writer
• Help in making critical career choices related to your book contracts, publicity initiatives, and sales efforts
• Weekly, monthly, annual and lifetime sales to date for your books
• A demographic breakdown by city and state of where your books sell
• Recommendations for ongoing improvements to all areas of your literary career
• Discounts on advertising, mailing lists and other industry services and tools
   

The retainer is what you will pay upfront for our company to maintain a direct relationship with you and help you reach your goals.  The retainer entitles you to a specific number of telephone consultations.  Please refer to the chart below:

 

For in person meetings, our rate is $250 per hour.
Publishers and Small Presses should contact us at 877-Earl-Cox, ext. 89 for immediate assistance.

What Payment Methods Do You Accept?

We accept all major credit cards, checks and money orders.  We prefer Paypal.


Highlights of a Few Success Stories

Randal Pinkett, the most recent winner of 'The Apprentice' retained Earl Cox & Associates to find him a book deal. We crafted a one-of-a-kind business book proposal specially tailored for Randall's unique background as an academic standout and a successful entrepreneur. The result was a winning book proposal for The Campus CEO, which got multiple offers and strong interest from major publishers. Ultimately, Randal signed a deal with Kaplan, based on their strength in selling in the college market. Look for The Campus CEO to be a bestseller in 2007.

When author Wahida Clark received bad checks in lieu of royalty payments from her former Brooklyn-based publisher, she turned to Earl Cox & Associates for help. We successfully terminated her previous contract, recovered a percentage of the money due her, and found her a far better deal with Kensington Publishing. Readers of urban fiction know Wahida's popular books, Thugs and the Women Who Love Them, and Every Thug Needs a Lady. Her new book, Revenge is a Mutha, just landed in bookstores nationwide.

After Lynnette Khalfani hired Earl Cox & Associates to help her promote her first book, Investing Success, we told her it was a good book, but that the real action in personal finance books would be in teaching people how to get out of debt. Turns out we were right. Lynnette later wrote Zero Debt, and it hit the bestsellers' lists of the New York Times, BusinessWeek, and Essence magazine. A year-and-a-half later, Zero Debt remains a book with strong sales legs and massive cross-over appeal. After the success of Zero Debt, our agency negotiated a six-figure one-book deal for Lynnette with McGraw Hill.  Lynnette's latest book is called Getting to Your First Million, and it will be on bookshelves in late summer 2006.

One of our earliest successes came in 2002, after we published Brenda Thomas' instant smash hit, Threesome: Where Seduction, Power and Basketball Collide. Over 60,000 copies sold. The author -- an original "Chick Lit" novelist who writes with flair and spice -- appeared in national print, as well as on many radio and TV interviews. Subsequently, re-print rights for Threesome were sold to Pocket Books, along with a four-book deal for our client.

Previous Clients

Agenting - Earl Cox & Associates

• Lynnette Khalfani - Zero Debt, Investing Success, Getting to Your First Million
• Randal Pinkett - The Campus CEO
• Nikki Turner - A Hustler's Wife, Project Chick, The Glamorous Life
• Wahida Clark- Thugs and the Women Who Love Them, Every Thug Needs A Lady
• Cheryl Robinson - If It Ain't One Thing, Memories of Yesterday, When I Get Free

Book promotion and/or consulting

• Fox Searchlight
• St. Martin's Press
• Doubleday
• Riverhead
• One World
• Judson Press
• Black Issues Book Review
• Advantage World Press
• Black Classics Press
• National Geographic
• Hue-Man Bookstore
• Relentless Content
• The African American Literature Book Club - aalbc.com
• Mosaicbooks.com

Publishing - http://www.writersandpoets.com

• Andrea Blackstone - Schemin': Confessions of a Gold Digger
• Sybil Barkley Staples - She'll Learn
• Wanda Toby - Drama Factor
• Brandon McCalla - The Diamond Series
• Johnny Archer - Born to Lust
• Robert Waite - Daddy Big Bucks
• Reginald L. Hall - Memoir Delaware County Prison, Smoking Cigarettes
• Brenda L. Thomas - Threesome
• Eastwood Harris Pty. http://www.eastwoodharrisbooks.com