The Crowd:

“When the bicycle was introduced to society, book publishers at the time felt that people would stop reading in favor of this new form of entertainment,” offered Kelly Sonnack, a literary agent associated with the Andrea Brown Agency.

Sonnack, a young, attractive blond who looks more like a member of the Newport Beach lifeguard squadron than a tough and seasoned agent, had come to Corona del Mar on Saturday evening to address the local intelligentsia. Make no mistake, looks can be deceiving.

Sonnack joined two additional literary agents — Elise Capron, representing the Sandra Dijkstra Agency, and Sally Van Haitsma, representing the Castiglia Agency — for an evening organized by local book promoter and radio celeb Barbara DeMarco-Barrett.

An overflow crowd of both professional writers and those in search of publication came to the weekend round table at the Stellar Scape Gallery on East Coast Highway in Corona del Mar. DeMarco-Barrett appropriately labeled the event “An Evening with the Agents.”

Sonnack’s comment about the bicycle was targeted at those who fear that the Internet will kill book publishing.

“Technology is evolving and there will be new ways to deliver literature. The Internet does not represent the end of the literary world,” Van Haitsma said.

Her recent books sales include “The Leisure Seeker” by Michael Zadoorian, published by HarperCollins, and “Wesley the Owl” by Stacy O’Brien, published by Simon and Schuster. Van Haitsma shared with the audience that she often receives more than 200 inquires a day from writers seeking representation. “I can usually tell if I’m going to like the material from reading the first page of a submission,” she said. “Actually, I can often tell from reading the first paragraph.”

All three agents agreed that it is essential for any writer working in any genre of fiction or nonfiction to present the cleanest and best work possible.

“Competition is tremendous,” said Capron, who represents literary fiction, short story collections and various forms of nonfiction, including memoirs. “It is critical that the writer’s query letter, which accompanies their submission, be creative and well-written and capture the attention of the potential agent.”

DeMarco-Barrett moderated the evening with the agents, attracting a sold-out audience, sharing a glass of Chardonnay and listening to the insiders’ message on the state of the publishing business.

In the crowd were author Allison Johnson, “Entrepreneur Magazine” staff member Jill Amadio, former editor of “Westways Magazine,” Beth Fhaner, who is now working in the music business on the television side of the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, and “Orange Coast Magazine” contributor Ben Peters with his photographer wife, Adele.

Also on hand were Irvine Unified School District administrator Jeannie Fritsche, inspirational speaker Dolley Carlson and Marrie Stone, who co-hosts DeMarco-Barrett’s radio program called “Writers on Writing,” which airs on KUCI-FM. Steller Scape Gallery owners Jeannie Denholm and Diane Nelson were also front and center for the evening with the pros.

Agents are often asked what it takes to break into publishing. The answer is always the same.

“It takes outstanding writing,” Sonnack said. Van Haitsma added, “Good writing is good writing. Sometimes it is important to be topical. The author may relate to very important events of the day, but the quality of the work is and has always been the only true criteria for publication.”

The agents also shared that many novice writers will send in an inquiry requesting a critique of their work. Van Haitsma addressed this subject emphatically, stating, “I love to help writers, but it is not my job to offer criticism. I simply do not have the time. Material must be in the best possible form that that writer can provide.”

Capron chimed in, “That does not mean that any writer’s work will not be edited and re-edited, but in order to be considered, it must be in a polished and professional form.”

The audience was also told that every agent has a different requirement concerning submission and inquiry.

Some want an entire manuscript, while most others only want a sample of several chapters or 50 to 100 pages. If they like the sample, they will ask for more.

They also shared that, given the vast number of unsolicited submissions, it is crucial (if possible) to find a personal connection to the agent that you are submitting material to for consideration.

Capron said, “If you are here tonight at this meeting, let me know in your query letter that you heard me speak. Perhaps we had a chat sometime after the conference, so remind me of that fact in your letter to me inasmuch as a personal connection makes the agent feel like the writer has a specific reason for wanting to be represented by the particular agent or agency.”

All three agents agreed that the investment in a writer’s career is a commitment not to be taken lightly and may indeed be the beginning of a lifelong relationship. Therefore, the agent must be very cautious when making a commitment of representation.

“Who is the book-buying audience these days?” asked a participant.

Answers varied, because the fields of expertise between the three differ. Sonnack represents children’s and young adult fiction and nonfiction, which at this time is an extremely lucrative market for booksellers. Some of her recent titles include “Down Sand Mountain” by Steve Watkins and Marrily Kutner’s “Alphabet Magic.” Overall, however, all three agents agreed that the majority demographic of the book buyer is female in an age range of 35 and older.

Another question on the mind of the crowd was, “With the enormous book advances being paid to celebrity writers, especially for major tell-alls and exposés, is there any money left to support unknown writers?”

The answer was the opposite of what might be expected.

“The books that bring in the big dollars have helped to boost the financial health of publishing houses, enabling them to offer book deals to both lesser and unknown writers,” Sonnack said.

Also taking in the agents’ advice were Mark Axelrod, a faculty member at Chapman University in the writing program, former editor of “Essence Magazine” Pamela Johnson, and former Los Angeles Times writer Larry Christon.

Perhaps the most important opinion shared at this literary meeting in Corona del Mar concerned the role of self-publishing in today’s market.

“If your plan is to be taken seriously as a writer and to eventually be published by a major house, do not self-publish a book,” Sonnack said.

Both Van Haitsma and Capron joined the chorus, adding caution and telling the writers in attendance that the reason self-publishing can be hazardous to a writing career is that Internet sites that sell and distribute books report and save the number of sales made.

If an author’s work is presented to a potential publisher and they check records and they see that that author has sold 30 books on the web, it can be very harmful and potentially kill the opportunity for publication at a major literary house.

Van Haitsma offered, “Yes, there have been exceptions, so this is not a hard and fast rule. There have been books that have sold enormous numbers that have not come from publishing houses. If you want to self-publish a book for your friends and family members, you might be better off to simply Xerox or print 20 to 100 copies of your work and either sell them or give them away rather than putting your work on the Internet as a self-published piece.”

The animated crowd was comprised of men and women ranging in age from 20-something to more than 80 years old.

In addition to many in the writing profession or associated with it in some fashion, there were doctors and dentists, shop keepers and homemakers, financial managers and a waitress in a cocktail bar.

All came to learn more about how to find a path to get their story told. The computer has indeed dramatically changed the way the written word is communicated. It is safe to say, however, that the human need to write and share ideas, experiences and stories will not perish in an electronic world.

As the agents said, good writing will always be good writing, and if the bicycle did not kill reading, then the Internet will not either.

THE CROWD runs Thursdays and Saturdays.