Private Membership Area – Audio Library
Listen to Our Audio Training Below
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Welcome!
As a member of The Bestselling Author™ and Literary Agent Undercover™ online community, you now have unlimited access to our audio library.
Scroll below for our best:
* Signature presentations
* Author case studies/success stories
* Sample coaching calls
* Publishing industry expert interviews
* Bestselling author interviews (coming soon)
* Q&A calls
Listen to the audio files below on your computer, or download them and listen to them on your portable electronic device. Listen below now, and enjoy.
And remember, getting published
isn’t luck… it’s a decision.
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
The Bestselling Author, LLC
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Signature Presentations by Mark Malatesta
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7 Insider Secrets to Get a Top Agent, Publisher, and Book Deal (65 minutes)
Former NY Times bestselling literary agent
Mark Malatesta reveals:
* Why you need an agent and how they really work
* 3 types of agents and how to find the right one for you
* The most important thing agents and publishers think about when considering your work
* 5 writer scams that could cost you thousands of dollars
* The difference between good agents and great agents
* Why you have only 8 seconds to get an agent’s attention and what you can do about it
* Why most of the things you’ve learned about query letters are wrong
* And more
Press the play button below now to listen or click here to download
the file (left-click or right-click the link, then select “Save Link As”).
Click here to view and/or download a free PDF transcriptof this audio program!
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Shockingly Stupid Mistakes that Normally Intelligent Entrepreneurs & Business Owners Make… When Writing a Nonfiction Book
Mark reveals how to choose the best book topic and structure; how to write a book most likely to become a legitimate NY Times Bestseller; how to get paid to write your book; how to avoid the stumbling blocks that keep authors from finishing their book; how to avoid unnecessary mistakes that result in wasted time and headaches; what a book can really do for your business; and more (74 minutes). Press the play button below now to listen or click here to download the file (left-click or right-click the link, then select “Save Link As”).
Click here to view and/or download a free PDF transcriptof this audio program!
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Author Case Studies/Success Stories
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Interview with Brad Harper – A Knife in the Fog
(Prometheus/Seventh Street Books)
Mark Malatesta interviews author Brad Harper who got represented by Jill Marr of Sandra Dijkstra & Associates, who then got multiple publishers interested and a two-book deal with Seventh Street Books, an imprint of Prometheus Books in New York, distributed by Penguin Random House.
Press the play button below now to listen or click here to download the file (left-click or right-click the link, then select “Save Link As”). This recording is 72 minutes.
Click here to view and/or download a free PDF transcriptof this audio program!
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Interview with Jeri-Anne Agee
The Life and Times of Birdie Mae Hayes
(Sky Horse Publishing)
Mark Malatesta interviews author Jeri-Anne Agee who got represented by Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. Jeri-Anne then got a book deal with Sky Horse Publishing, a publisher with 41 New York Times bestsellers that Publishers Weekly has called the fastest-growing small publisher in America.
Press the play button below now to listen or click here to download the file (left-click or right-click the link, then select “Save Link As”). This recording is 78 minutes.
Click here to view and/or download a free PDF transcriptof this audio program!
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Interview with Carol Plum-Ucci
The Body of Christopher Creed
(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Mark Malatesta interviews author Carol Plum-Ucci who worked with Mark to get published with Harcourt. She now has more than half a dozen young adult novels with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, in hardcover and paperback, including the award-winning The Body of Christopher Creed.
Press the play button below now to listen or click here to download the file (left-click or right-click the link, then select “Save Link As”). This recording is 68 minutes.
Click here to view and/or download a free PDF transcriptof this audio program! (coming soon)
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Interview with David Hamme
Customer Focused Process Innovation
(McGraw-Hill)
Mark Malatesta interviews author David Hamme who worked with Mark to improve his book and pitch materials, resulting in offers from three major publishers: Amacom, Palgrave Macmillan, and Mc-Graw Hill who recently published David’s book in hardcover.
Press the play button below now to listen or click here to download the file (left-click or right-click the link, then select “Save Link As”). This recording is 60 minutes.
Click here to view and/or download a free PDF transcriptof this audio program!
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Interview with Amy Jo Goddard – Woman on Fire
(Avery Books, an Imprint of Penguin Books)
Mark Malatesta interviews author Amy Jo Goddard who worked with Mark to improve her book and pitch materials, resulting in multiple offers from top literary agents and a 6-figure book deal. Avery Books, an imprint of Penguin Books, recently published Amy Jo’s book in hardcover.
Press the play button below now to listen or click here to download the file (left-click or right-click the link, then select “Save Link As”). This recording is 76 minutes.
Click here to view and/or download a free PDF transcriptof this audio program!
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Interview with Karen Sargent – Waiting for Butterflies
(Amphorae Publishing Group/Walrus Publishing)
Mark Malatesta interviews author Karen Sargent who worked with Mark to improve her pitch materials, resulting in her book being acquired by a publisher, and her book being named “Book of the Year” after being selected as a finalist in two categories.
Press the play button below now to listen or click here to download the file (left-click or right-click the link, then select “Save Link As”). This recording is 78 minutes.
Click here to view and/or download a free PDF transcriptof this audio program!
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Interview with Jim Brown
Author of 24/7 and Black Valley
(Ballantine Books)
Mark Malatesta interviews Jim Brown, Fox TV news anchor and author of the novels 24/7 and Black Valley (Ballantine). Discover how Jim got multiple offers from publishers (hint: he didn’t sleep with an editor), and how you can sell your own book (or book idea) to a major publisher.
Press the play button below now to listen or click here to download the file (left-click or right-click the link, then select “Save Link As”). This recording is 60 minutes.
Click here to view and/or download a free PDF transcriptof this audio program! (coming soon)
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Interview with Jane Jago – The Wrong Hand
(Penguin Books/Michael Joseph)
Mark Malatesta interviews author Jane Jago who worked with Mark to improve her book and pitch materials. Her book The Wrong Hand is now published by an imprint/division of Penguin Books called Michael Joseph that is ‘principally interested in publishing Top Ten Bestsellers’.
Press the play button below now to listen or click here to download the file (left-click or right-click the link, then select “Save Link As”). This recording is 55 minutes.
Click here to view and/or download a free PDF transcriptof this audio program! (coming soon)
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Interview with Erika Armstrong
A Chick in the Cockpit (Behler Publications)
Find out how Erika Armstrong wrote her book and got six literary agents to request her manuscript in a short amount of time. Within two weeks of her agent starting to pitch her book to publishers, Erika had an offer and a book deal.
Press the play button below now to listen or click here to download the file (left-click or right-click the link, then select “Save Link As”). You can also click here for free instant access to our entire audio library.
Click here to view and/or download a free PDF transcriptof this audio program!
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Interview with Lakshmi Subramani
Lights Out (Random House)
Mark Malatesta interviews author Lakshmi Subramani who worked with Mark to improve his book and pitch materials, resulting in a bidding war between three major publishers. Lakshmi recently signed a publishing contract with Random House and his book Lights Out is now available around the world.
Press the play button below now to listen or click here to download the file (left-click or right-click the link, then select “Save Link As”). This recording is 73 minutes.
Click here to view and/or download a free PDF transcriptof this audio program!
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Interview with Miri Leshem-Pelly – Picture Book Author
(Penguin Random House/Philomel & Kane Miller/EDC)
Miri Leshem-Pelly worked with Mark and she’s now published with Penguin Random House/Philomel (Penny and the Plain Piece of Paper, 2020), and Kane Miller/EDC publishing (Scribble & Author, 2017). Their sales reps sell to all major retail outlets, including bookstores, gift stores, museums, etc. They also have a direct sales division made up of nearly 18,000 independent sales consultants who sell their books to schools and libraries, and at home parties, fundraising events and school book fairs.
Press the play button below now to listen or click here to download the file (left-click or right-click the link, then select “Save Link As”). This recording is 67 minutes.
Click here to view and/or download a free PDF transcriptof this audio program! (coming soon)
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Interview with Daniel Cohen – Single Handed
(Penguin Random Group/Berkley Books)
Mark Malatesta interviews author Daniel Cohen who worked with Mark to improve his book and pitch materials, resulting in representation with Trident Media and a publishing contract with Berkley Books who recently published Daniel’s book in hardcover.
Press the play button below now to listen or click here to download the file (left-click or right-click the link, then select “Save Link As”). This recording is 76 minutes.
Click here to view and/or download a free PDF transcript
of this audio program!
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Interview with S.E. Smith – NY Times/USA Today Bestseller
(More Than a Million Books Sold)
Mark Malatesta interviews NY Times & USA Today bestselling fiction author S.E. Smith about how she wrote and published more than 30 books in just a few years and sold more than a million copies… without a traditional publisher like Random House. Who should seek a traditional publisher and who should self-publish? Find out during this interview.
Press the play button below now to listen or click here to download the file (left-click or right-click the link, then select “Save Link As”). This recording is 64 minutes.
Click here to view and/or download a free PDF transcriptof this audio program! (coming soon)
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Interview with Scott LeRette – The Unbreakable Boy
(Harper Collins/Thomas Nelson
Mark Malatesta interviews author Scott LeRette who worked with Mark to improve his book and pitch materials, resulting in a bidding war between publishers. Scott recently signed a publishing contract with Harper Collins/Thomas Nelson and his book The Unbreakable Boy is now available in hardcover.
Press the play button below now to listen or click here to download the file (left-click or right-click the link, then select “Save Link As”). This recording is 60 minutes.
Click here to view and/or download a free PDF transcriptof this audio program! (coming soon)
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Interview with Mardell Hill – Intestinal Health
(Rowman & Littlefield)
Mark Malatesta interviews nonfiction author Mardell Hill who worked with Mark to improve her book and pitch materials, resulting in offers from two well-known publishers including Rowman & Littlefield, which published her book in hardcover.
Press the play button below now to listen or click here to download the file (left-click or right-click the link, then select “Save Link As”). This recording is 64 minutes.
Click here to view and/or download a free PDF transcriptof this audio program! (coming soon)
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Interview with Laura Moe – Breakfast with Neruda
(Adams Media/F+W/Merit Press)
Mark Malatesta interviews author Laura Moe who worked with Mark and immediately started getting multiple requests (one of them in just a few hours) to send sample chapters or the complete manuscript. Adams Media / F+W / Merit Press has now published her book in hardcover.
Press the play button below now to listen or click here to download the file (left-click or right-click the link, then select “Save Link As”). This recording is 73 minutes.
Click here to view and/or download a free PDF transcriptof this audio program! (coming soon)
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Sample Coaching Calls
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This Introductory Coaching Call with NONFICTION Author
Scott LeRette Reveals the Steps He Took to
Get a Top Literary Agent, Publisher, and Book Deal
During this insider audio recording (60 minutes) Mark Malatesta coaches author Scott LeRette during a one-hour introductory coaching session, helping him see how to improve his book and pitch materials. After this coaching call, Scott continued working with Mark, resulting in multiple agents being interested in his book. Scott then signed with Fine Print Lit in NYC who pitched his book to major publishers, created a bidding war, and got Scott (previously unpublished) a book deal with Thomas Nelson (a division of Harper Collins). Scott’s book The Unbreakable Boy is now available around the world. Press the play button below now to listen or click here to download the file (left-click or right-click the link, then select “Save Link As”). Make sure you also listen to Part 2 of this interview (above) to find out what else Scott did to get his deal.
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Introductory Coaching Call with a FICTION Author
During this insider audio recording (60 minutes) Mark Malatesta coaches author Matson Sewell during a one-hour introductory coaching session, helping her see how to improve her book and pitch materials. This “case study” will help demystify the book development and pitching process. After this introductory session, Matson signed up to continue working with Mark in one of his longer-term coaching programs to get a literary agent. Stay tuned for updates (60 minutes). Press the play button below now to listen or click here to download the file (left-click or right-click the link, then select “Save Link As”).
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Bestselling Author Interviews
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Nelson DeMille – #1 NY Times Bestselling Author
Nelson DeMille is a #1 NY Times bestselling author. His novels include By the Rivers of Babylon, Cathedral, The Talbot Odyssey, Word of Honor, The Charm School, The Gold Coast, The General’s Daughter, Spencerville, Plum Island, The Lion’s Game, Up Country, Night Fall, Wild Fire, The Gate House, The Lion, The Panther, The Quest, and his new novel, Radiant Angel, the 7th novel in the popular John Corey series. Press the play button below now to listen or click here to download the file (left-click or right-click the link, then select “Save Link As”). This audio recording is 30 minutes.
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Publishing Expert Interviews
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Rick Killian – Professional Ghostwriter
Former NY Times bestselling literary agent Mark Malatesta interviews Rick Killian. Rick is a professional ghostwriter who (with the help of his wife and business partner, Melissa) has been helping authors and publishers create bestselling books since 1999. The Killians, founders of Killian Creative, have helped produce nearly 75 titles that, combined, have sold over 3 million copies, including 2 NYT’s bestsellers. Press the play button below now to listen or click here to download the file (left-click or right-click the link, then select “Save Link As”). This audio recording is 79 minutes.
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Julie Schoerke – Founder Of A Top Book Publicity Firm
Former NY Times bestselling literary agent Mark Malatesta interviews Julie Schoerke, founder of JKSCommunications, specializing in book publicity campaigns for authors and publishers. Julie has more than 25 years experience in publicity and her company has represented authors with publishers like Harper Collins, Random House, and Thomas Nelson. Press the play button below now to listen or click here to download the file (left-click or right-click the link, then select “Save Link As”). This audio recording is 60 minutes.
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Beth Barany – Author Blogging & “Blog Tour” Expert
Former NY Times bestselling literary agent Mark Malatesta interviews Beth Barany, blogging expert and creator of “How To Run A Successful Blog Tour for Authors Video Course”. Over 100 students have taken Beth’s course and it has an average 5-star review rating! Press the play button below now to listen or click here to download the file (left-click or right-click the link, then select “Save Link As”). This audio recording is 65 minutes.
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Special Presentations by
Mark Malatesta with Ingrid Elfver
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The Power of “Mastermind” – Mark Malatesta with Ingrid Elfver
Imagine what it would be like to be part of a small group of like-minded authors, meeting once a month to help each other achieve their goals. I’m not talking about a support group or therapy session. But a group where people gather to focus on the “business” of writing, publishing, and promoting their work. Would you be interested? If you don’t know what a “Mastermind Group” is, you’re not sure, or if you already think you know, listen to this special audio training that explains “The Secret Power of Mastermind.” It reveals: what a mastermind group really is, what it isn’t, and what it can do for you; how different mastermind groups are structured and set up, along with the pros and cons of each way of doing it; where the idea of mastermind groups came from (it’s not Napoleon Hill); how to find the best mastermind group for you; some of our best (and worst) experiences with mastermind groups we’ve participated in (and others from groups we’ve actually run); tips to help you get more out of your time in a mastermind group; information about our new upcoming mastermind groups. Press the play button below now to listen or click here to download the file (left-click or right-click the link, then select “Save Link As”). This audio recording is 60 minutes.
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Q&A Calls
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These interactive calls take place every month. They are for authors of all genres (fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books), at all stages of development. Authors all around the world participate every month by phone and the Internet. During each show you can ask Mark Malatesta (and sometimes his wife and business partner, Ingrid Elfver, who frequently co-hosts the show) questions about how to write, publish, and/or market your books. Click here now to find out when our next episode of the Bestselling Author Radio Show is going to air. Save the date. And then listen to our radio show archives below.
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(79 minutes)
Press the play button above now to listen or click here to download the file (left-click or right-click the link, then select “Save Link As”).
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(56 minutes)
Press the play button above now to listen or click here to download the file (left-click or right-click the link, then select “Save Link As”).
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(60 minutes)
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(90 minutes)
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(89 minutes)
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Coaching Success Stories
“Mark, finding you has been both a treat and a treasure—I just signed a contract with my new literary agent!
My career has spanned publishing, TV, and feature film. I’ve served as Creative Dir. for the Magazine Group, TIME Inc.; Dir. of Time World News Service, a Founding Dir. of TIME-Life Films; Exec. Prod. for both the CBS and NBC TV Networks; Prod./Dir.: Movies of the Week: CBS Cinema Center Films and Universal MCA.
In today’s publishing marketplace, agents come and go. They also very often seem to just want an easy pathway to make a buck. Many authors are let go by their agents because their last book didn’t do well enough and the agent doesn’t want to devote the time to help the author. That’s not what you’re about Mark. Even established authors need this type of support in today’s marketplace."
Nathaniel Lande
Author of ten fiction and nonfiction books
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“I’m psyched to have this be official. After getting five different offers for representation from top literary agents, I signed with Stephanie Tade who got me a 6-figure book deal with Penguin!
Getting multiple agents interested in my work was really important to me. I’ve dealt with agents before and gotten screwed on things contractually so I wanted to do it differently this time. I wanted choices.
Having you help me create that, and navigate my options, was really helpful. I heard other authors talk about their great relationships with their agents and it made me want the same thing. Now I have that."
Amy Jo Goddard
Author of Woman on Fire (Penguin Books)
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“After sending out the query Mark revised for me, I had the opportunity to speak with literary agents from top agencies such as Janklow & Nesbit, Trident Media, Anderson Lit, and Folio. I signed with Don Fehr at Trident and, a short time later I had a publishing contract with Berkley Books, which recently published my book in hardcover.
Before that, I sent my query letter out on my own to 30 or 40 agents and got a lot of rejections. I then found Mark online while I was researching agents. I was surprised that he offered so much during his initial consultation—for a very modest amount of money.
I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t worked with Mark. I can’t even imagine that now though, because of the grief and detours I experienced before we worked together. It was a time-consuming pain in the neck. If you want to get the attention of top literary agents and publishers, there is no substitute for working with an insider. You can’t beat experience. And having Mark on your side is incredibly valuable."
Daniel Cohen
Author of Single Handed (Berkley Books, a Division of Penguin Random House)
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“AHHH! OMG, it happened! I got three offers of representation for my children’s picture book in the United States, even though I live abroad! When I woke up and found the first offer for representation in my email in box, I wanted to scream. But my family was still asleep so I couldn’t. 🙂
Just 8 minutes after I sent a query letter to one of my favorite agents, she replied and asked to see my manuscript. A short time later we had a lovely conversation. She was interested in representing me and sounded very positive and enthusiastic about my book. Since I also got offers from two other agents, I had to turn two of them down. One of them was upset and it felt like I was breaking her heart, but you just have to do it. I kept reminding myself that this is a good problem to have!"
Miri Leshem-Pelley
Author/Illustrator of Lon-Lon’s Big Night and many other children’s books
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“Mark, after you helped me land a top literary agent, I got publishing offers from THREE well-known publishers: Amacom, Palgrave Macmillan, and McGraw-Hill (they’re publishing my book in hardcover)!
I was at Disneyworld with my family, in the Haunted Mansion, when I got the call. I went outside and listened to the voicemail message from my agent. A huge smile came over my face. It was a fantastic feeling. For a moment I felt like life was perfect and the angels were singing.
You’re filling an important need so I’ll say this to every other author reading this testimonial. Mark showed me that getting a top literary agent is a science. If you’ve written a book, or you’re in the process, you’ve already invested a lot—a lot more than money. Don’t stop yourself from getting out there to fulfill your purpose and dreams. Thank you so, so much, Mark!!!"
Dave Hamme
Author of Customer Focused Process Innovation (McGraw Hill)
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“I got a book deal! After I started sending out my new query letter I had 6 literary agents request my manuscript in a short amount of time, which is awesome. Then, within 2 weeks of my agent starting to pitch my story to publishers, we had an offer. I signed a book contract yesterday. A little while later my agent told me that a TV co-producer asked for more info about my book.
By the way, the acquiring editor that fell in love with the manuscript jumped in with both feet and we just worked out our timeline for publication. She’s as passionate about getting my book out as I am, and that means everything. She read the manuscript in two days and said she couldn’t put it down. And the book is going to be published as a hardcover!"
Erika Armstrong
Author of A Chick in the Cockpit (Behler Publications)
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“Thank you Mark! After you helped me get a well-known agent with Hartline Literary Agency (for my previously self-published murder mystery), he got me a deal with an American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) approved publisher. I’m hard-pressed to find anything that I had an expectation for that you didn’t deliver on.
Before I worked with you I sent out queries, but no one ever requested my complete manuscript. Comparing your new version of my query to the one I wrote before, I can see a vast difference.
I’ve been in business for 35 years so I’m not just saying this… what you’re doing is phenomenal. There are other people offering similar services, but the difference is your success. Others might say they do similar things but, if you research them, they don’t have your background or track record."
Michael Thompson
Author of The Rector
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“Mark, you’re a miracle worker. Thanks to your help with my book, query letter, and synopsis… I now have a legitimate publisher who described my book as ‘Powerful Magic’ and it’s now available in bookstores and online!
I’m a lifelong academic writer who one day found myself writing inspired short stories that came to me in dreams and I began thinking of them as novels. That’s when I had a momentous conversation, an introductory coaching call with Mark Malatesta, the American creative writing coach, or rather, to be precise, a how-to-sell-yourself-and-your-work adviser. It was the best-spent money of my life apart (possibly) for my wedding ring."
Professor Ruth Finnegan FBA
Author of The Black Inked Pearl
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“Within 4 minutes of sending out my query letter, a top literary called me on the phone (the #1 agent on my wish list). Less than 30 days later I had three major publishers making offers. A few days after that, I signed a deal with Random House. Mark, your query letter did that.
My agent talked about the query letter you helped me create for a long, long time. When he first called me on the phone, he hadn’t seen any of my sample chapters. It was just the query letter that did it. Communicating the right thing is so important. You are a wonderful medium helping authors find their voice and elevate their writing from just a hobby to a real business… a source from which they can both learn and earn."
Lakshmi Subramani
Author of Lights Out (Random House) Bangalore, India
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“MARK, MARK, MARK!!!!!!! Holy smokes… I just signed my book deal. First, two well-known literary agents asked to represent me. One of them responded to my query letter in less than 4 minutes!!
Then THREE different publishers wanted my book and started talking about making offers. The publisher I chose is perfect for me because they produce titles for the trade, educational, and scientific markets. And they agreed to publish my book as a hardcover!!!
When I met you, Mark, it was a pivotal time. I was under the belief that I could self-publish my book with a vanity press and then seek a publisher. I didn’t know what a literary agent was, why I needed one, or how to get one. I was wandering in the dark. You guided me in the right direction and gave me a solid plan."
Mardell Hill
Author of Intestinal Health (Rowman & Littlefield)
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“Boom!!! I just signed a contract with Thomas Nelson/Harper Collins for (what I’ve been told by several people) is a very large advance for a first-time author.
Before working with Mark I submitted my book to agents but didn’t get any interest. This time around I got a top NY literary agency (Fine Print Lit). What cloud is higher than 9?
I had several agencies interested before deciding to go with Fine Print. And, to be honest, all of the attention didn’t surprise me. The query letter and proposal that Mark helped me develop were incredible. Agents actually said things to me like: ‘Scott, I read your proposal and I’m just blown away by it!' Mark is extremely talented at what he does. If you have the opportunity to work with him, take advantage of it."
Scott LeRette
Author of The Unbreakable Boy (Harper Collins/Thomas Nelson)