LJWC Author Profile:
Q & A with Renowned Literary Agent,
Author, and Club of Budapest trustee,
William Gladstone
Sometimes accomplished people can be so understated that
we often don’t know who really lives in our own backyard. Bill Gladstone is just such a person. A Yale
and Harvard trained cultural anthropologist who traveled the world in search of
mysteries, Gladstone is considered an international expert on indigenous
cultures and the true meaning behind 2012 and its rippling impact on our world
moving forward. Co-producer of the highly-acclaimed film, TAPPING THE SOURCE, as
a literary agent, Mr. Gladstone has represented some of the most respected and
influential authors of our time, including Eckhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra, and
Barbara Marx Hubbard. As a trustee for the prestigious Club of Budapest,
Gladstone collaborates with some of the greatest thought leaders of our
time. And as an author, Bill’s newest
novel, The
Power of Twelve (sequel to his bestselling Novel, The Twelve), hits stores October 1st.
The Power of Twelve is a Dan Brown meets Michael Crichton
meets Steve Berry.
The
year 2012 didn’t mark the end of civilization as many had mistakenly predicted.
Rather, it marked a turning point in human consciousness, a shift toward a more
humanistic, less violent existence. But
not if Arnold Wheeler can help it.
In
The Power
of Twelve, William Gladstone takes readers on a roller coaster
adventure featuring alternate earths, characters with whom we can all relate,
and a fact-based examination of the real meaning of the upcoming Mayan
cycle. Part science-fiction, yet steeped
in reality, part philosophical exploration, and all adventure, The Power of
Twelve will keep readers turning the pages while its provocative
subtext will leave them thinking a bit differently about the future.
We
recently had the pleasure of interviewing with one of the literary world’s most
influential members.
1.
You have been an
agent, publisher, author, and an innovator in the publishing industry. What is
it
about publishing that draws you?
I was born into this industry; my father founded Arco
Publishing in New York City in 1936. I
have always loved reading books and have enjoyed writing even more. My mother
was a devoted reader who read the entire Wizard of Oz series to me as a young
child. She collected of what she referred to as second rate Victorian writers;
her collection was gifted to Columbia University. My mom loved books; my dad
saw books as a commercial product. The combination of seeing books as both a
way to make a living and a way to experience the world and impact others
through writing has made me a devoted agent, writer and publisher.
2.
What is the most
profound change you have seen in publishing in the past decade?
The last decade has been all about ebooks and print on
demand. About fifteen years ago I helped launch the first ebook and first
print-on-demand book companies. Clearly those have been the two most important
new revenue-generating developments of the last decade. What do you expect to remain the same? We will still have the five major book publishers publishing the
majority of bestselling books. There will still be book stores. But the percentage of revenue from print book
sales will continue to decline.
3.
As an agent, what do
you look for in an author and a book? I like to represent courageous and talented
people who are dedicated to making a positive difference
in the world. I have represented many first-time authors but with rare
exception must now limit myself to working with authors with large established
fan bases.
4.
You live here in
north county San Diego. As an agent,
does it matter that you are not in New York?
When I first moved to North County in 1979, it was a long
shot that I would survive as a literary agent.
All the major publisher and agents were in New York, and my chances of
success were quite small. But I lucked into representing books about
technology, and it became an advantage that I was in California where all the
technology experts were living and writing. Now, with email and other
technology it is no longer essential that
major literary agents be based in New York. One or two trips a year to New York is now
sufficient to enjoy the same access to editors that New York agents have.
5.
How difficult is it
for you to change professional hats from agent to author? And which role do you
prefer and why?
I like the variety of being both an agent and an author.
As an agent. I never know what author or publisher is going to call me and what
new project I will be representing or which title I represent has just won a
major book award or appeared on a bestseller list. As a writer there is nothing
better than writing words that inspire not just your readers but yourself as an
author. This is why I will continue to both write and agent for many years to
come.
6.
You write both fiction and
non-fiction. For purposes of process,
what do you find to be the
commonality
between the two; and what is the biggest difference?
Good writing is good writing, and both
require focus and the ability to communicate ideas. It is far easier and faster
to write non-fiction than fiction. Fiction requires greater planning and
delicacy. With non-fiction you create an outline and follow it. With fiction
there are unexpected events that can dramatically change your initial writing
plans. Characters can come alive in unexpected ways requiring, in some
instances, major alterations in plot.
7.
You have co-authored and authored
independently. What is the major
difference, and which do you
prefer?
Much
easier to write on my own. I like my co-authors and enjoy working with them,
but my own pace of writing is very fast, so just easier to work alone. Even
when working alone I work closely with an editor, so on one level I am never
working alone. The collaborative nature
of writing should never be underestimated. One of the unique aspects of
co-authoring is the chance to learn from other writers. I learned a great deal
working with Jack Canfield as his co-author
on The Golden Motorcycle Gang and look forward to future collaborations
with other authors should the opportunity arise.
8.
Is there a thread that runs through
all your books, and if so, what is it?
The
basic thread that runs through all of my writing is that to be alive is a
magical experience. There are fundamental laws and truths that govern the
universe and in all my writing I explore these truths.
9.
How does your training in cultural anthropology
play into your new book, The Power of
Twelve and its
prequel,
The Twelve?
I
have lived with indigenous peoples on multiple continents. As an anthropologist
I learned to ask questions first and only offer judgments after careful
analysis of all data. I also learned that there is wisdom among all peoples and
that fundamental human characteristics are shared universally. I explored the
works of the French structural anthropologist Claude Levi Strauss and came to
the conclusion that there are aspects of the human mind and the human
experience which are fundamental to all peoples and perhaps fundamental to the
essential purpose and meaning of all of life and the evolution of
consciousness.
10.
What do you want your readers to take
away from The Power of Twelve?
Bottom
line is I want them to enjoy the book and
be entertained. In addition, I believe that The Power of Twelve will
accelerate the dialogue that must happen if we are to alter the current course
of human history. I love this planet and appreciate so much what our present
world cultures have created. There is real danger of losing the essence of
nobility and greatness as the world continues to overemphasize material values.
It is time for each one of us to demonstrate courage in our daily lives and to
put an end to wrong-headed thinking and fear-based action which have put our
entire world at risk.
