Experience Authors & Editors Trust

Founded in 1991 by John Willig, our purpose has remained steadfast - to work honestly and creatively with writers to enhance the value of their book ideas, proposals and manuscripts.

To achieve significant results for clients, we offer a variety of editorial and consulting services. We have worked with many award-winning authors and global content experts from countries including  Japan, Singapore, Denmark, Germany, Canada, U.K.  and Argentina.

Our services include:

  • Proposal Evaluation & Recommendations

  • Strategic Content and Book Coaching

  • Manuscript Development and Editing

  • Contract Reviews & Negotiation Guidance

There's an abundance of misinformation, myths and costly miscalculations in the book publishing maze. Here's your opportunity to work with an experienced expert and not make the mistakes costing writers thousands of dollars, learn vital strategies to make your writing commercially successful and learn how you can become an admired author.

"For anyone faced with the daunting challenge of publishing a book, ignore John's sage advice at your peril.  John's extensive experience in the publishing business allows him to cut through the clutter and get to the crux of the matter in very short order. The pearls of wisdom and stories he shares along the way are priceless. You learn a lot from John and he accelerates you up the learning curve effortlessly."

Dr. Tony O'Driscoll, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University

"John has a deep understanding of  writers, readers, and  publishers and is attuned to the vibrations of the market. He is in a perfect position to help you create your best book. I am grateful to him for helping me become a best selling author and eventually write 9 books. However what I appreciate the most is that he brought out  the hidden potential in my ideas and knowledge. This ultimately added to my impact, contribution and legacy. Thanks John, keep going."

Marty Seldman,  author of Executive Stamina, Customer Tells, and the upcoming Everybody Gets A Coach


My Services

Based on 47 years of sales, marketing and executive editorial experience working with major publishers such as HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster and representing over 500 authors as their literary agent and advocate. Our most recent award-winning authors include: 

Proposal Evaluation & Recommendations


Publishers are investors. Is your proposal highlighting key features and benefits, the book's unique value proposition reflected (hopefully) in the subtitle, how your professional work is aligned with your book and various content formats to help generate revenue and promote worldwide sales? These and other critical factors will be evaluated with recommendations on how to make your proposal a great business plan and investment opportunity for publishers.

"Working with John has completely revolutionized how I was pitching my book and myself to publishers. When he explained to me that a book proposal is really a business plan and publishers are similar to venture capitalists, it made so much sense and gave me a clear idea of how to focus the proposal." Janette Hillis-Jaffe, Everyday Healing

Fee Range: $600-$750

Strategic Content & Book Coaching 


Words matter even in your first sentence. You may not be Stephen King and be able to "grab the reader by the throat and drag them into your story" but you do need to be engaging and quickly! Attention 'spans' no longer exist. Whether you are self-publishing or going 'traditional', your manuscript needs strategies and features to connect with distracted readers in a chaotic marketplace. Is the work structured well? Is your ending the best beginning?

"Any author that has the opportunity to work with John is very lucky. John helped me evolve my writing style to be infinitely more effective. Instead of dwelling on nit-picky little details, he helped me get the overall shape and content right. John exhibited numerous strengths that helped to make the book far more successful than it would have been otherwise." Jim Collins, Built to Last, Beyond Entrepreneurship and  From Good to Great 

Fee Range: $750-$1,500+ includes Zoom meetings


Contract Reviews & Negotiation Guidance


Publishing agreements are oftentimes open-ended, intentionally obtuse and complex per all the potential formats for your work. Your rights as an author can be compromised with language intended to protect publishers (and not you) from unexpected outcomes  With over 850 publishing agreements successfully completed, John will guide you through the legal matrix with all of its challenges and costly ramifications.

"I cannot put into words the invaluable service that John Willig offers. With great alacrity, he reviewed my book contract and offered great suggestions which the publisher accepted. I could not have navigated this brave new world without John's keen eye and vast experience. I look forward to working with him again! "Darlene Corbett, Stop Depriving The World Of You

Fee Range: $750-$1,500 includes Zoom meetings


Testimonials

"The greatness of all nations arises from its authors." 
Samuel Johnson



"All of us need some luck in our lives — mine came in the form of my insightful agent John. With his deep reserve of patience and persistence, he helped me prepare a book proposal that I could never have done on my own."

Pulak Prasad, What I Learned About Investing From Darwin



" John took a chance on two first-time authors and saw something great in the kernel that led to this book. Thank goodness for the human cloud to help us find such a consummate expert and bang-up good guy."

Matthew Mottola and Matthew Coatney, The Human Cloud


"I want to thank John whose enthusiasm and excitement about my book reignited my own. John helped to shape the proposal into one that captured the content and purpose of my book and he found a publisher"

Steven Z. Pantilat, MD, Life After the Diagnosis


"This project would never have been completed without the  support of  John. From my very first contact with him, I knew I had found someone who understood what I was up to and who would not be satisfied until my book was ready for prime time."

Bob Wall, Working Relationships


About John Willig

Celebrating 47 years working in publishing, John often says to friends that his career actually began as a Newsday paperboy growing up on Long Island, New York.

After graduating from Brown University, his first job was as a sales representative in academic publishing. He soon began work as a marketing manager and then editor for HarperCollins where he published in 1984 one of the first books on AI Artificial Intelligence: Tools, Techniques and Applications by Tim O'Shea and Marc Eisenstadt. As his interests moved to trade publishing, he became an executive editor at Prentice Hall for business books. While at P-Hall, John enjoyed working with such authors as Henry Mintzberg, Philip Kotler and Jim Collins. He acquired and edited Jim's first book Beyond Entrepreneurship which now has a new edition B.E. 2.0. In 1991 he decided to become a literary agent to work more closely with writers. Throughout his career as an editor and agent, John has successfully negotiated over 850 publishing agreements. John participates at many industry events including the Writer's Digest and ASJA conferences

Listen to John's recent podcast interview with with Tanya Hall, CEO of Greenleaf Publishers on

 'How to Get a Literary Agent for Your Book', Part I

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Listen to John's recent podcast interview with Tanya Hall, CEO of Greenleaf Publishers on 

'How Agents Find the Best Publisher for You With John Willig', Part II


John will continue to represent/agent/advise his current group of talented authors/clients like Ashley Davis Bush, author of The Art & Power of Acceptance and The Little Book of Inner Peace. Upon completion of one of his services, unpublished and aspiring authors can receive John's recommendations for agents and editors most likely to be interested in your new book.



Contact John

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