Memoir & Narrative Nonfiction Author Reviews of Mark Malatesta
Scroll below to see Reviews About Mark Malatesta provided by nonfiction authors who worked 1-on-1 with Mark as an author coach to secure book deals with publishers such as Berkley Books, Penguin Books, Random House, etc. Former Literary Agent Mark Malatesta is founder and president of The Bestselling Author and Literary Agent Undercover. He works with authors of all genres (fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books), primarily to help them improve their writing projects and pitch materials to get the attention of top literary agents.
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Reviews of Mark Malatesta by Narrative Nonfiction & Memoir Authors
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“Mark, you’re a thoughtful gentleman and a constructive critic. Before we met, I wanted to find a certain type of agent—one who’d understand the value of my work, bring it to life in the mind of readers, and bring it to life on the screen. When I looked online for a coach, your name rose to the top. After we spoke, I knew we’d work well together. I could tell by the questions you asked and your ability to listen. You understood where I was coming from, and you were extremely helpful. I value our friendship.” [click here to see the full review of nonfiction author coach Mark Malatesta]
“I just got an offer from Regnery Publishing! They’ve had more than fifty books on the New York Times bestseller list, including numerous books at #1. My agent has been great. I LOVE her, and I wouldn’t be at this point without your guidance and help. The publishing industry is so complicated and Byzantine. There are a million different ways to do things and it’s hard to know which ones are going to work for you. I’m grateful for your advice, energy, talent, and kindness guiding me through this crazy maze. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!” [click here to see the full review of memoir author coach Mark Malatesta]
“I got the number one agent on my wish list thanks to Mark. He’s done more than 100 deals in just two year and has a long list of accolades, including being talked about in the New York Times. Within 4 minutes of sending out my revised query letter, my literary agent called me on the phone. Less than 30 days later I had three major publishers making offers. And, a few days after that, I signed a deal with Random House. Mark’s query letter did that.” [click here to see the full review of memoir author coach Mark Malatesta]
“Woot!!! I’m so excited I could cry. My agent just sold my memoir to Simon & Schuster/Gallery Books. I spent about three years sending out queries before I found you. I didn’t know what I was doing. It was like I was on a muddy trail crawling through branches and underbrush. I tried to figure it out, but all I got was rejections. Working with you was a big learning curve, but I got a very good response rate, including from A-list agents who were interested. Anyone who has the great fortune to work with you should consider themselves lucky. You were my compass. You didn’t walk for me, but you showed me how to get there. You’re an angel, thank you.” [click here to see the full review of memoir author coach Mark Malatesta]
“I don’t think authors have a clue what it takes to get an agent or publisher. It’s not easy. When I listened to the voicemail I got from Peter Miller offering me representation, in all candor, I was blown away. I sat in my chair for about an hour in disbelief. If I hadn’t have worked with you, Mark, I don’t think I would have gotten an agent this quickly. The proposal we created for agents did much of their work for them. We gave them something they could just hand to publishers. Thank you so much, working with you has been wonderful!” [click here to see the full review of memoir author coach Mark Malatesta]
“When I started sending out the query you wrote for me, I had several agents interested all at once. That made me very, very, very nervous. When I first started my business, somebody told me, ‘You can base your business decisions on money or relationships. Always go with relationships.’ Because of that advice, I’ve never taken a wrong step. And that’s why the greatest gift of our work together, to me, has been our relationship. You’re a good teacher who’s smart and experienced, but you’re also generous and your heart is big. You launch people and their dreams, and you teach them how to fly. I’m happy to be one of your winged clients.” [click here to see the full review of memoir author coach Mark Malatesta]
“I wouldn’t be here without Mark! He helped me get two offers for representation and I ended up signing with the agent who represents Cindy Williams, the TV star from Laverne and Shirley. I’m happy to tell other authors to put themselves out there and follow Mark’s advice. It’s not smoke and mirrors. It’s real, quantifiable, and truly helpful. What Mark says is what he does, and he really delivers. Actually, he over delivers. Everything is really well thought out!” [click here to see the full review of memoir author coach Mark Malatesta]
“Egads, Mark’s advice really works! During the two-year period before I worked with him, I made submissions to agents and got nothing but rejection letters—not a single nibble. After Mark helped me with my manuscript, book proposal, and query letter I signed a contract with the Marianne Strong Literary Agency. My agent said my book proposal is great. I’m having trouble believing this is real!” [click here to see the full review of memoir author coach Mark Malatesta]
“Thank you for your support during the nail-biting experience of getting an agent. My book is now being published by Skyhorse Publishing, distributed by Simon & Schuster. They’ve published 52 New York Times bestsellers, and they were named by Publishers Weekly as the fastest-growing small publisher in America. Before I worked with you, I sent out many queries but didn’t get offers. After getting requests for more material and having every agent pass, I knew something wasn’t right. That’s when I started doing research and reached out to you. I appreciate you pushing me.” [click here to see the full review of memoir author coach Mark Malatesta]
“Good news, Mark…my two books have been picked up. Two Among the Righteous Few: A Story of Courage in the Holocaust and Woman of Valor: A Story of Resistance, Leadership & Courage are being released through Square One Publishers. An audio version for Two Among the Righteous Few is also in the works. Thanks for always checking in. I much appreciate your thoughtful responses and support.” [click here to see the full review of narrative nonfiction author coach Mark Malatesta]
“Two weeks after you helped me get representation, my agent starting pitching my story to publishers and 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! If it weren’t for you I’d still be floundering, sending out queries.” [click here to see the full review of memoir author coach Mark Malatesta]
“I thought landing an agent would be a piece of cake. I got a list of agents off the Internet, confidently hit every single one of them up…and it was a colossal fail. Zero responses. I got frustrated, found you on the web, and you seemed to know what you were talking about. As a result of your program, I promptly got multiple agents offering to represent me, and a top agent who promptly sold my book. I had the luxury of picking and went with #7 on your list of most influential agents: Richard Curtis in New York. Without you, I never would have gotten a book deal.” [click here to see the full review of memoir author coach Mark Malatesta]
“Mark helped me get nearly a dozen literary agents to ask for sample chapters or my complete manuscript. He also helped coordinate everything so I was able to get different agents on the phone to figure out which one would do the best job for me. I then signed with Susan Schulman in New York City and now my book is in bookstores!” [click here to see the full review of memoir author coach Mark Malatesta]
“I just signed with the Donald Maass Agency! Mark, I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for your support, guidance, and faith in me. I was so surprised and shocked when my agent called me on the phone and told me the news. She’s a great agent, a top agent, and I’m very lucky. Everything came together so beautifully. Thank you so much!!!” [click here to see the full review of memoir author coach Mark Malatesta]
“When an agent sent me an email offering to represent me, I wanted to jump for joy. But I didn’t allow myself to get too excited until you called me. At the time the offer came in, there were three other agents looking at my book. You told me how to follow up with them to get them responding quickly, since I didn’t want to make the first agent wait too long. I appreciate all your time. I appreciate you. And I’ve started recommending you to other writers.” [click here to see the full review of memoir author coach Mark Malatesta]
“I got an offer to publish my book! I’d changed my query many times and gotten a lot of coaching on my query and proposal. I’d managed to get some agents initially interested, but it never went anywhere. Finally, I said, “Hmm, is something wrong with my query, proposal, or manuscript?”
When you send things out to agents and don’t get an offer, you start changing things, not knowing if you’re making them better or worse. That’s when I decided I needed an expert. The way you had me rewrite my proposal was probably the biggest change for me. My publisher offered me a contract based on it. Afterward, I was like, whoa, wait a minute. They didn’t even ask for the manuscript.” [click here to see the full review of memoir author coach Mark Malatesta]
“After following your advice, [Mark], my book was acquired by Pegasus Books, the prestigious PW gave it a great review, and Time Magazine asked for an excerpt. As a writing consultant who crafts query letters as part of my business, I know how to hook an agent. But your expertise was invaluable in agent-related decisions that followed. I learned critical things, including how to best communicate with my agent, how to get her re-engaged, how to make a decision about staying with her or leaving, how to help her sell the project, and how to get to the point where she ended up calling me a “dream client.” Thank you for believing in my book, and for helping me share the surprising truth about women’s most popular body part!” [click here to see the full review of memoir author coach Mark Malatesta]
“Original, thought-provoking, and with an elegant sense of humor, A Boob’s Life is a must-read.” – Salma Hayek
“Mark is a guy you can pay to talk to, a dynamo full of ideas and energy, and his advice is sound. Bob Hope had a famous line, ‘Except for my USO tours, I will never perform in front of an audience for nothing, because they don’t appreciate it.’ He had a basis to say something like that. It’s true. You were very helpful, Mark, I want you to know that. You’ve got great reviews and it’s obvious you love what you do. It’s all over you. I remember looking at you having a picture taken with an author, thinking, ‘I’d like to do that. I want that experience.’ Thank you for everything, and I appreciate your continued interest in my success.” [click here to see the full review of memoir author coach Mark Malatesta]
“[M]y book, even though it just came out, has hundreds of reviews with a 4.5-star rating [and it] was a #1 Amazon bestseller for more than 2 weeks. I queried agents before working with you, but always heard a “no thank you” or nothing—even with a referral from a successful author. I then followed your site and saw online that you’re very well-respected within the industry. Your suggestions have been incredible. THANK YOU SO MUCH for your amazing insight and guidance!!!” [click here to see the full review of nonfiction author coach Mark Malatesta]
“I’m in shock. I have an agent! Karen Canton with Canton Literary Management. Timing and a great query letter are everything. Making a decision to work with someone like Mark is sort of a come to Jesus moment. How badly do you want to get published, and why? Are you really committed? If the answer is yes, then you should do it. Talk to the man.” [click here to see the full review of nonfiction author coach Mark Malatesta]
“I just signed with the literary agent I wanted to work with the most, Steve Ross. He’s the former President & Group Publisher for HarperCollins, and he’s the former Sr. VP and Publisher for Random House’s Crown Division. I’ve loved having you as an advocate I trust to run things by, someone in my corner who purely has had me and my story’s best interest at heart, without an alternate agenda.” [click here to see the full review of memoir author coach Mark Malatesta]
“YAHOO! Adrienne Rosado with Stonesong Literary just offered to represent me. Within an hour of sending her my query, she said my book was precisely the kind of project she’s been looking for. She said my book proposal was exceptional—very powerful. Your coaching is excellent, everything unfolded perfectly. My heart is now rejoicing because the hope of securing a top agent was realized. It’s nuts, finally being at this point. So many people in our lives have been rooting for us for decades. Literally, decades. This is fun, you’re awesome. Thank you so much!!!” [click here to see the full review of memoir author coach Mark Malatesta]
“I’ll be 83 years old in October, I’ve never written a book before, and I’ve never taken a class in writing. But, I learned so much from you, Mark, in such a short time. You showed me what to do and said, ‘Now you’re getting the hang of it.’ You were a beacon to follow. Then, while I was cleaning out my kitty pan one day in December, the phone rang and Joseph Vallely from Swagger Literary wanted to represent me. I cannot repeat it often enough, Mark, this wouldn’t have happened without you.” [click here to see the full review of nonfiction author coach Mark Malatesta]
“Yes, yes, yes! I have an agent. She even asked if I would write a screenplay for my book because she thinks I am the only one who can do it justice! If someone is well known, like a movie star or big general or this or that, they can write a trashy book and publishers will print it. But if you’re someone like me, you need to do something to get recognized! I feel very proud of my book, and what I’ve accomplished getting an agent. I’m happy I found you, Mark. Thank you!” [click here to see the full review of memoir author coach Mark Malatesta]
View More Reviews of Mark Malatesta and Get Support
The reviews listed above by memoir and narrative nonfiction book authors are only some of the reviews about Mark Malatesta on this website. To see additional comments and reviews about Mark’s websites, author newsletter, articles, training, speaking, events, etc. click here to view General Reviews of Mark Malatesta. Also, if you want 1-on-1 support to help you get your memoir or narrative nonfiction book published with a publisher like Berkley Books or Random House, click here to access all of the Free Resources on our websites for authors. And click here to find out how you can Schedule an Introductory Coaching Call with Author Coach Mark Malatesta.
