Literary Services, Inc.
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Literary Services, Inc., PO Box 888, Barnegat, NJ 08005

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Testimonials...

...unsolicited

...from recently published books and correspondence

For more information or to order a book, click on the title to go to Amazon.com

What I Learned About Investing from Darwin cover"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

*28 Days to Save the World cover"28 Days to Save the World would have gone nowhere without John's vote of confidence and expertise."
—Dan Purvis with Jason Smith, 28 Days to Save the World

The First Counterspy cover"Thank you to our outstanding agent, John, for your wisdom and guidance helping us tell the world this story."
—Walter Pickut and Kay Haas, The First Counterspy

Straight Talk cover"We did it again! Here's to our long collaboration. Thanks for helping to birth this book as a high-integrity, stellar agent."
—Rick Brandon, Straight Talk

Traci Fenton holding book"Thank you to my wonderful literary agent, John, for your integrity, humility, care and calm, everything an agent should be."
—Traci Fenton, Freedom at Work

The Connected Leader cover"Thanks to John, my literary agent and consummate cheerleader for holding the light steady — you are decidedly the best."
—Karen Hardwick, The Connected Leader

Fearless at Work cover"Thank you to my agent, John. You always shoot straight with me and I love it. Thank you!"
—Molly Fletcher, Fearless at Work and
A Winner's Guide to Negotiating

The Human Cloud cover"Our agent, 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. Thanks, John!"
—Matthew Mottola and Matthew Coatney, The Human Cloud

Crisis Ahead cover"I am grateful for the expertise of the many people who helped with various aspects of Crisis Ahead. John, my literary agent, without whose boundless enthusiasm, experience, and expertise this book would not have seen the light of day."
—Edward Segal, Crisis Ahead

Alone Against Hitler cover"I am profoundly grateful to my agent, John, a consummate professional and gentleman, who guided the book to shore with wisdom and assurance."
—Jack Bray, Alone Against Hitler

"John has the perfect balance for a NY literary agent: he accepts and sells the bread and butter titles and he finds the hidden treasures. I can't tell you how many times he kept me on the phone riveted about a project he was offering that was unique in every way. He is an asset to publishing endeavors in every way."
—Jennifer Holder, formerly AMACOM Books

"To our devoted literary agent, John, we thank you for your valuable guidance and persistence. You embody the spirit of Jimmy V. and we are privileged to work with someone with your insights."
—Justin and Robyn Spizman, Don't Give Up ... Don't Ever Give Up: The Inspiration of Jimmy V

*Light After Loss cover"To my stellar agent, John - you have been my wizard for over ten years, conjuring books contracts no matter what is going on in the world. You are an author's dream come true and I am ever grateful for your skills, tenacity and support of my work."
—Ashley Davis Bush, Light After Loss

Chief Joy Officer cover"Your constant support and advisement has allowed me to check off "write a book" on my bucket list. Twice! Thank you for all of your work. You provide such a great haven for authors."
—Richard Sheridan, Chief Joy Officer

>Amazing Stories of the Space Age cover"Kudos to John, agent extraordinaire and friend, who was right where an author needs him to be at every turn. He is, quite simply, the steely-eyed missile man of non-fiction agents (in this genre, that's a huge compliment)."
—Rod Pyle, Amazing Stories of the Space Age and Blueprint for a Battlestar

Major Taylor cover"It takes a prescient individual to see significance in obscure biographies. Our greatest reverence is owed to John, our literary agent, who with great tenacity expertly got us a book deal with one of the fastest growing publishers."
—Conrad and Terry Kerber, Major Taylor: The Inspiring Story of a Black Cyclist and the Men who Helped Him Achieve Worldwide Fame

The 2020 Workplace cover"This journey would have been over quite quickly if John, our agent, had not offered solid feedback on our proposal and used his network to connect us to an interested publisher."
—Jeanne Meister and Karie Willyerd, The 2020 Workplace

The Resilient Leader cover"John guided me to step outside of my own process to create something that might actually benefit my readers and who worked indefatigably to find it's home with Meg Gibbons and Sourcebooks."
—Christine Perakis, Esq., The Resilient Leader

Work Tribes cover"John Willig is a storyteller. He also is my agent. Thank you for your understanding in the many delays in writing this book. Your support was a constant anchor in my distracted mindset."
—Shawn Murphy, Work Tribes

"John has been a phenomenal agent for me. He goes well beyond any expectations. I've suggested that I put him on a monthly retainer (in addition to my royalty splits) for all the counsel and insight he has into the authoring business. He's been especially good at resolving the inevitable disputes with publishers and has done a great job working with the marketing folks at the publishing houses."
—Jim Underwood, More Than a Pink Cadillac

"To our talented literary agent John, we thank you for your wisdom and helping to make this book a meaningful success. Your generosity and bright ideas are greatly appreciated."
—Edie Fraser and Robyn Spizman, Do Your Giving While You Are Living

"Thank you for all of your help in getting my book published. Your belief in the project was an inspiration, and now I am the proud author of my debut novel, Mistress Suffragette."
—Vicky Oliver (aka Diana Forbes), Mistress Suffragette

"Thank you to John, the literary agent who's always calm, cool, collected and connected. Thank you for your enthusiasm for this topic. From your lips ("it's going to be a bestseller") to God's ears, Mr. Willig."
—Karen Martin, Clarity First, McGraw-Hill

"Heartfelt thanks to you as my trusted agent and wise strategic advisor in helping The Pursuit of Passionate Purpose succeed at rocket speed. You helped me enjoy the journey. It is a pleasure working with such a pro!"
—Theresa Szczurek, The Pursuit of Passionate Purpose
John Willig and Theresa Szczurek

"We wish to heartily thank John for his outstanding efforts in successfully bringing this book into the marketplace and encouraging us to persevere as authors. His wise counsel has been invaluable."
—Edward Gordon and David Ramsay, Divided on D-Day

"Louis Patler made the introduction to John, my agent, and his counsel was valuable in helping me crystallize my message, target audience and key selling points."
—Marion McGovern, Thriving in the Gig Economy

"First, I am indebted to John, my literary agent for nearly 20 years. John was a tireless supporter of this work. Without John's faith, commitment and perserverance this book simply could not come to life."
—Tom Koulopoulos, Revealing the Invisible

"The biggest thank you goes to John, my literary agent, who has been a solid rock in the process. John, thank you for believing in me and introducing me to this complex and fascinating world of publishing."
—Anna Sabino, Your Creative Career

"My amazing agent and friend, John, provided encouragement, feedback and his steadfast presence at every turn. His advise and support have been crucial throughout the process of writing this book."
—Leah Guy, The Fearless Path

"Without the support and guidance of my agent, John, this book would never have gotten off the ground."
—Joshua Z. Rappoport, PhD, The Cell: Discovering the Microscopic World that Determines Our Health, Our Consciousness and Our Future

"John discovered me and introduced me to the world and kept me very focused on how to get it done!"
—Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable

"I want to thank my agent, 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, Dan Ambrosio at Da Capo Lifelong Books who was equally enthusiastic."
—Steven Z. Pantilat, MD, Life After the Diagnosis

"I'd like to give a hearty 'prost!' to my agent, John, who continues to help keep me sane throughout the insanity that is book publishing."
—Jeff Cioletti, Beer FAQ

"Thank you to John, my agent and the one whose patient and steady guidance taught me plenty and brought me here."
—Carlos Hidalgo, Driving Demand

"I want to thank my agent, John, a gem of a man who believed in this project, gave it its title and format, and searched tirelessly for a publisher."
—Jannette Hillis-Jaffe, Everyday Healing

"Thanks to John for your brilliant Sherpa guidance on this journey."
—Tracy Brower, Bring Work to Life by Bringing Life to Work

"Heartfelt gratitude to John, you are a true professional who understands the trials and tribulations of the publishing industry. Thank you for believing in this book and for showing me the classic beauty of Bryant Park."
—Lisa Nirell, The Mindful Marketer

"I am very grateful to my agent, John, who patiently introduced me to the world of book publishing, which I find as least as confusing as the high-tech industry."
—Bernd Schoner, PhD, The Tech Entrepreneurs Survival Guide

"To Tom Miller (executive editor, McGraw-Hill) and John Willig (agent): you became the driving forces behind this effort, which caused me to expand both my vision and my purpose. This book would never have happened without both of you."
—Andrew Thorn, PhD, Leading with Your Legacy in Mind

"Thank you for believing in me and for your wise counsel throughout the process. John made things that seemed complicated quite simple. He is a delight to work with."
—Alice Korngold, A Better World Inc.

"John provided both sage guidance and support as well as the occasional (and needed) tough love as the proposal, title and focus of the book was reshaped to meet what was needed in the market."
—Dan Weinfurter, Second Stage Entrepreneurship

"Highly Recommended went from concept to reality through the passion, insights and efforts of my agent, John and coaches, Melissa G. Wilson and Bobye Midendorf."
—Paul Rand, Highly Recommended

"In a crowded field of literary agents, John is in a class all to himself. Armed with keen insight and an outstanding instinct to focus on what editors really want, he skillfully partners with you to package a powerful proposal and he has the credibility and respect of top publishing executives."
—Joel McPhee, Mastering Strategic Risk

"We thank the people who played an essential role in publishing this book. Carole Sargent, Office of Scholarly Publications at Georgetown Univ who introduced us to our incredible agent John Willig."
—Alan Berson and Richard Stieglitz, Leadership Conversations

"Thanks ever so much too for your own cool and professionalism. You're a rare prince among agents."
—Johanna Vonderling, former VP of Business Development & Publisher at Berret-Koehler Publishers

"My wonderful, persistent and supportive agent, John, has been an unfailing coach, advisor, and fan of Adrenaline Nation since its inception. Thanks John for holding my feet to the fire!"
—Peter McCarthy, Adrenaline Nation

"Thanks to my agent and trusted confidant, John whose buoyant spirit and priceless publishing advise will always be remembered with gratitude."
—Michael Dalton Johnson, Rules of the Hunt

"This book would never exist at all without the efforts of my agent, John. His guidance and belief in this project kept me going through the tougher patches."
—Karol Wasylyshyn, Behind the Executive Door

"I thank my agent, John, for your belief in the project and for not just knowing but explaining to me the nuances of the process."
—Michelle Tillis Lederman, The 11 Laws of Likability

"Many people contributed to this book by sharing their insights, thinking, reactions, and resources: First, my agent, John, for his great effort in placing this book and for his infectious optimism."
—William Helmreich, What Was I Thinking?

"This project would still be on my computer if it weren't for my terrific literary agent, John. His experienced hand has guided me every step of the way. John Willig is simply one of the best in the business."
—Mark Rodgers, Accelerate the Sale

"Special thanks to my agent, John, who 'got' me and the book's message immediately. Thank you for believing in this first-time author."
—Carol Roth, The Entrepreneur Equation, BenBella Books

"In addition, I wish to gratefully acknowledge the critical support of John, my publishing agent. His many ideas and suggestions and faith in me as a writer were essential in making this book happen. Thank you, John"
—Edward Gordon, The 2010 Meltdown

"My agent John gets my highest thanks. He kept me on the 'thought leadership' trail and off all of the interesting side paths. He helped to frame this work and believed in it without flagging. John (all too rare among agents) had this idea that you could actually think. And I think he's right."
—James R. Lucas, Broaden the Vision and Narrow the Focus: Managing in a World of Paradox

"Then there's my amazing agent, John. I met John at a book conference and we just clicked. I had the good sense to seek him out and he had the good sense to listen to me despite my southern accent and cowboy boots. A week later he was my agent and a couple a weeks later we had a book deal. It was a good call on both our parts. John, here's to you."
—Tim Knox, Everything I Know About Business I Learned from My Mama

"First, I would like to thank John, my literary agent, for pairing me up with the exceptional team at Career Press. Your foresight and perseverance helped set in motion the book I wanted to write for many years. You made my dream a reality, for which I am extremely grateful."
—Susan Friedmann, Riches in Niches

"A million thanks for all your guidance and help. It was really a marvel of persistence and dedication on your part going back to the beginning of the proposal process. It's hard to believe that it was only a year or so ago that Tom (Koulopoulos) introduced us."
—Bruce Rosenstein, Living In More Than One World

"I welcome this opportunity to acknowledge a true debt of gratitude first of all to John, my superbly communicative and supportive agent — a rare find. It was he who believed in me and my project and whose keen perception, rich experience and expert guidance kept me on track throughout the proposal process — and always with a buoyant sense of humor"
—Richard M. Harris, The Listening Leader

"Thanks again for sharing your magic with me! For being willing to go beyond the call of duty with me!"
—Thad Green, Motivation Management

"Thanks to my literary agent, John, who taught me so much about the world of publishing through his quiet, patient manner. I thank him for being the yin to my yang."
—Kristen Magnacca, Love and Infertility

"When I met John, he saw my vision, believed in me, became my literary agent and fortunately agreed to take a chance on a first-time author."
—William M. Francavilla CFP, The Madoffs Among Us

"A big thank you to our literary agent, John for believing in our message and our ability to express it on the written page. We appreciate the counsel he gave us along the way to help make this project a success."
—Jennifer Polimino and Carolyn Warren, Praying Through Your Pregnancy

"This project would never have been completed without the enthusiasm and support of my agent, 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. For his representation and encouragement, I am grateful."
—Bob Wall, Working Relationships

"As for the special souls who have worked directly on this project, I have to begin with my agent, John, who flawlessly cautioned and counseled until a great name in business publishing expressed enthusiasm for the project."
—Steven Weiss, Signs of Success: The Remarkable Power of Business Astrology

"I wish to thank the people that made this project possible, and above all my agent, John, for his faith and hard work."
—Susan Cragin, Nuclear Nebraska

"Much gratitude and appreciation to my wonderful agent, John, who is always ready with a sympathetic ear, helpful encouragement and a great sense of humor. I can't believe you've worked with me through seven books!"
—Lynn Robinson, Divine Intuition, Revised and Updated Edition
Lynn Robinson and John Willig
Lynn Robinson and John Willig

"I am thrilled to be working with you and look forward to a long and prosperous relationship! Don't ever change! Thanks so very much for your diligence, kindness, and unwavering support. You are truly a gem!"
—Michael Gerrish, The Mind-Body Makeover Project

"Working with my publishing team has been a delight! Jim Collins introduced me to my agent, John, who successfully placed our proposal to publish this book in the right hands."
—Matthew Hayward, Ego Check: Why Executive Hubris is Wrecking Companies and Careers

"Thanks to our agent, John, who is the real 'Jerry Maguire'."
—Eric Taylor and David Riklan, Mastering the World of Selling

"John, my agent, believed in me and in this book without hesitation. His wisdom and generosity with both time and insight gave me an emotional boost more than once."
—Louis Patler, TrendSmart: The Power of Knowing What's Coming...and What's Here to Stay!

"My encourager and the calming voice in my life throughout this project has been my agent John of Literary Services Inc. This book would not exist has it not been for John."
—Gillian Hennessy-Ortega, Mary Kay National Sales Director, It's Not Where You Start, It's Where You Finish!

"Without John of Literary Services Inc. who immediately recognized the timeliness of the story, and his son Josh who championed the project, we would not have had the privilege of seeing this book in print."
—Jeffrey Manber, Neil Dahlstrom, Lincoln's Wrath: Fierce Mobs, Brilliant Scoundrels and a President's Mission to Destroy the Press

"John was always — always — there when the project seemed to be sagging. His optimism, buoyancy, confidence and overall guidance have been immeasurably important."
—Tom Brown, The Anatomy of Fire (one of the first business online e-books)

"Special thanks go to John, our agent who somehow knew that despite the proliferation of books on "teams", this one would fill a unique marketplace. He also found us a very special editor and publisher."
—Lynda McDermott, World Class Teams

"This book would not be in your hands without a great deal of support and encouragement from many people including my amazing agent: John Willig."
—Whitney Keyes, Propel

"Considering the turbulence of contemporary publishing, I doubt there's a better guide and source of support than John."
—Robert Tomasko, Go for Growth

"First, my thanks and gratitude go to my literary agent, John, the consummate optimist and professional. His singular dedication husbanded this project from its inception with encouragement and constant attention to detail"
—Don Wetmore, The Productivity Handbook

"With profound gratitude I would like to thank my agent, John, for seeing the impact that one person, who hears the voice of inner inspiration and acts on it, can have in the world."
—Lauren E. Miller, 5 Minutes to Stress Relief

"Through Mike Moser, we met our agent, John, who gently managed our budding expectations and patiently arranged our book proposal. We were overjoyed when we landed the Carnegie Hall of the industry, Simon & Schuster's Free Press."
—Rick Brandon and Marty Seldman, Survival of the Savvy

"John is unfailingly upbeat, encouraging, helpful, responsive and polite. One often encounters people or professionals whose manifestation of these qualities rings false. Not so with John; he is the genuine article. It is a pleasure and an advantage to have him as an agent."
—Ron Lipsman, Ph.D, You Can Do The Math: Overcoming Your Math Phobia for Successful Investing

"Special Thanks to our agent, John, whose thoughtful probing brought out the best in Priceless."
—Diana LaSalle and Terry Britton, Priceless

"I would like to thank John, a literary agent who reflects the best in negotiating style."
—Catherine Lee, The New Rules of International Negotiation

"We are deeply grateful to the very best of literary agents, John."
—Gerald Benjamin and Joel Margulis, Angel Financing

"Thank you John for nudging my literary career along its sometimes ambiguous path."
—Dick Richards, Artful Work and Setting Your Genius Free

"Thank you once again for all of your help and hard work securing a fantastic book deal! It's comforting to be in such capable hands."
—Karen Martin, The Outstanding Organization

"Others to whom I owe a debt of gratitude include John, my agent, who from his first involvement believed in the book and did a bravura job of communicating its message to the often inscrutable world of publishing."
—Carl Frankel, In Earth's Company

"We are indebted to John for seeing the potential in this book long before any of the chapters were written. John gave us the confidence to write with bold conviction. He gave us helpful insight and guidance at crucial turning points during the writing of the manuscript. Any author who has the opportunity to work with John is very lucky."
—James Collins and Williams Lazier, Beyond Entrepreneurship

"John, my agent, educated me about the book publishing business and saved us a great deal of time."
—Naras Eechambadi, High Performance Marketing

"There are not many people in this world that embody in mind and spirit what they choose as an occupation. You my friend, are a natural."
—Jonathan Levison, President, Environmental Information Services

"To John, praise for your gentle application of the shepherd's crook as the book wended its way from conception to realization."
—Arthur Rosenbloom and David BenDaniel, International M&A, Joint Ventures & Beyond

"Thanks as always to super agent, John, who so wisely judges our book ideas and unfailingly finds the right publishers for them."
—Ted Kinni and Donna Greiner, 1001 Ways to Keep Customers Coming Back

"I would also like to express my appreciation to my agent, John, for not only steering the book rapidly to publication, but doing so with grace."
—Denis Hauptly, Something Really New

"Thank you for remembering my speech. Receiving your call was wonderful and just one other example of what you give and why. Literary Services Inc. stands distinctly in a crowded, confused marketplace. In your mind there is no confusion. You give to others the trust that is indelibly you and enjoy in your own life."
—Cliff Hakim, We Are All Self-Employed

"Please accept my sincere appreciation for your time and talent at Mark Victor Hansen's Mega Book Marketing University. Your information was great! You gave our attendees a presentation with great value. Thank you for helping to make this a wonderful event."
—Michelle Adams-Statti, MegaBMU Event Coordinator


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"From earliest childhood I was charmed by the materials of my craft...to condense from one's memories and fantasies and small discoveries dark marks on paper which become handsomely reproducible many times over still seems to me, a magical act and a delighted technical process."
 — In memory with admiration ... John Updike (1932-2009)




"You were a highlight for me at the Author 101 Conference. The combination of what you said, what I heard between the lines, and the person you seem to be inspired me to make my book even better."
 — Margaret Shepherd, Arlington, VA




"Life can't defeat a writer who is in love with writing, for life itself is a writer's lover until death."
 — Edna Ferber




"Writing is nothing more than a guided dream."
Jorge Lois Borga




Did You Know? "Incunabulum" first appeared in English in the 19th century, referring retroactively to books produced in the first decades of printing press technology (before 1501). In Latin, incunabulum translates literally as "swaddling clothes" or "bands holding a baby in a cradle". The "baby" in this case is a figurative one, referring to a book that was produced when the art of printing was still in its infancy.




"My instincts are archaeological. I favor the god Janus, who faces backward and forward at once. Without a vivid link to the past, the present is chaos and the future unreadable. In our culture books form such a link, perhaps the main link, certainly an indispensable one."
 — Jason Epstein, former editorial director of Random House writing in Book Business: Publishing Past, Present and Future (Norton)




"Sometimes...money costs too much."
 — Fortune Cookie Wisdom


 

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