Speaker Profile

Jerry Simmons' career in publishing began in the fall of 1977 as a sales rep for Random House, selling paperbacks to booksellers. In 1979 he joined the book division at Warner Communications, where he worked in a number of sales and management positions until his retirement as Vice-President Director Field Sales for The Time Warner Book Group in February 2003.

His positions gave him the exposure to every aspect of major trade publishing including advertising, promotion, and publicity, editorial and of course sales and marketing. This gave him a first hand education in the way decisions are made and the business operates.

Over the years he was fortunate to have worked with such successful authors as James Patterson, Nicholas Sparks, Michael Connelly, Alice Sebold, Sandra Brown, David Baldacci, Nelson DeMille, Scott Turow, Robert James Waller, Alexandra Ripley, and Madonna to name a few.

Now he spends his time writing, teaching, and speaking with writers about the importance of understanding the business of publishing.

WORKSHOP: What Writers Need to Know About Publishing

In this competitive publishing environment, writers and authors need to understand what goes on behind the scenes with the publication of their book. Jerry shares the secrets of the largest publishers and booksellers in the world. From acquisition to the day a book goes on sale, there is a process that authors must be involved with in order to improve their chances of having a book successfully published.

There are so many writers desperate to become authors that it is easy for a publisher to become complacent about authors and their books. This can result in a disastrous launch of a new book and can jeopardize the career of a writer before it even starts. Jerry will explain the following and why it is important:

• The industry, changes taking place, and how to compete for book sales,
• Why it is important for writers to know their genre,
• What writers need to know about marketing,
• The importance of understanding numbers and distribution,
• How to become a participant in the process of publishing.