When Might We Take A Chance On You?

I often hear authors say, "If you would just give me a chance...." I hear you! I honestly do! We all do and truthfully, I know a lot of agents and likely some editors wish we could give you that chance. When I first opened Greyhaus many editors and agents did take those risks. They would see those "diamonds in the rough" and gamble. But times have changed.

Let me remind you first of something, and I especially want to focus on agents for this post today. 

When an agent works with a new author, that agent is working for free until that first book is sold. Remember, agents work on commission! It is for that reason that we are often looking for manuscripts and authors who really have something to offer. No, I am not saying we are looking for only the next J.K. Rowling. We are looking for authors who have projects that are marketable and projects that are not likely going to require extensive overhauls. We are certainly not looking for someone who comes to us with simply a passion for writing and nothing to offer but just wanting to be tutored. There are times when we might actually be working with an author for a year getting a project ready to go.

Sure, we do get people who have projects that are amazing from the start! Those are great! We love those!

But now, let's really answer the question from the title of this blog. Are there chances that we might take a chance on you even if it is a gamble? I cannot speak for everyone, but I can say, speaking for myself, I would say yes, I would. BUT... and this is a big one... I would have to really consider a lot of things.

First of all. Do I see the writing with something with some serious potential. What I am talking about here is the quality of the writing, the quality of the plot and certainly the marketability of the story. I have to see it! Sure, you as an author might see it, but I have to see it. That means, SCOTT HAS TO SEE IT!

Secondly, I have to be able to look at the story and see how I would fix it. As I read the full manuscript, if I am actually still reading it, do I see where I would make changes and how much work what I would do to it? Sometimes it might be a complete rewrite of part of the story. Sometimes it is a restructuring of it. I will be honest, if I think it is a trash the whole thing, it will be a pass. I want the structure to remain. Think of it like those house flippers. They want the general structure of the house to be there but just bust out some walls and move some things around. If I have to bulldoze the whole house down and start over, then sorry, I won't take a chance. 

Finally, if I do see all of that, I have to consider who the author is. Is this author someone who would be up to this type of a task. This is not easy to do. Revisions like this are hard to handle because we will be working on a time schedule and we will be working with people's egos. If some author, in their letter told me they have worked on this all year, then I probably will pass. If they are a new author, then I might pass. If, when I talk to them and they sound like making changes will be a challenge, then I will pass. It is easy for an author to say they can adjust, but the reality is, when an editor or agent gives you revision notes, can you make those changes without complaining and make those changes fast? 

I know this sounds like if feels unfair to new authors. You have to be really strong out of the gate. You have to be nearly perfect with that first book. But please know, we are really looking out for you. We are trying to find the best in your writing and not just signing people we like or signing people who will make us millions of dollars. We will take a chance, if we think we can make it work!

Or at least I will 

An Easy Solution For All Of Your Writing

One approach that might help you with your writing, whether it is your story, your query letter, your synopsis, your resume, your cover letter or anything else is actually a fairly easy think anyone can do. No, it does not involve A.I. No, it does not involve learning some advance forms of grammar or writing skills. No it does not involve some amazingly long course that you would have to pay a ton of money for and invest a huge time commitment. It is really VERY easy.

Read it as a reader.

When I teach resume writing, I always remind the participants to look at their resume as if they are an employer. They have no clue who you are. They have never met you. They have no idea how amazing you are (because of course, in your head, your the best thing ever). Look at that resume and ask if you would hire yourself just from what you have on that piece of paper.

The same goes for a query letter. 

This last weekend, I was reading a stack of new submissions. I am wondering what these people would have thought if that came across their email. Let me give you some idea of what I saw.

Dear Mr. Greyhouse...

Dear Scott, I know I am not a great writer but I figured, what the hell, let me take a stab at this anyway.

To whom it may concern [and in the TO portion of the email was a list of 40 other agents it was being sent to]

Emails with no signature, no name and nothing telling me what the project was about.

Dear Scott, Attached is my story. It's good. Read it and sign me.

You might think I am joking but this is just a sample and yes, these are the extreme end of the spectrum. Still, if you were to read your material as if you did not know you, would you hire you?

If you read your first three chapters of your story, which happened to just be laying on a table somewhere, and you had no clue who had written it, would you keep reading?

See how easy that was? It was so easy, this post was that short! Now, I am off for a cup of coffee!

 

Tropes Are Not Your Story

So, let's talk about tropes today. First of all, if  you are a literature person, in other words, you graduated from college with a literature major, your brain is thinking a different definition of trope than most of us. So, for this post, I would like to thank my father (who unfortunately is no longer with us for my birthday present for sponsoring this post) for the definition of Trope from the OED.

"A figure of speech which consists in the use or a phrase in a sense other than that which is proper to it"

Now, over the years, we have seen a new use of the word trope in literature which many of you have been using. In this case, I am going to reference an article "What is a Trope" Oregon State University Associate Professor of Medieval Literature who defines it as: 

... is a story telling convention, device or motif; specific tropes might be a characteristic of a particular genre of storytelling. For instance, one trope you see all over the place in folktales is the "rule of three" - where three characters or events create a predictable pattern (usually two failures and a success). We might think of the Three Little Pits, the magic lamp that grants three wishes, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Cinderella and her two stepsisters, and so on.

I bring this up today, especially for you romance authors who seem to now believe the trope is EVERTHING. You all seem to believe the trope is the plot.

The problem with this is that you have now created a story that is not amazing, not unique, and not something editors and agents are going to be excited about. In fact, if you get a reject letter back that says your story is to "trope" (is this even a word)"  or that your story is too "trope heavy" this is what they are referring too. You have literally drowned the reader in the trope. You are barfing trope!

What you have to remember is that a little trope goes a long way. 

There is nothing wrong with throwing a trope in a story. You want a forced marriage. Fine. Toss it in just for kicks. Spend all of 80,000 words on it? TOO MUCH. Secret baby? Sure, surprise the hero at the end of the story. Walk in on page 1 with the little rascal who is now in her second year of college and is $120,000 in debt with college loans and NOW YOU WANT TO BRING IT UP? Ummmm, no. 

Just think of it this way. If you watch those cooking competition shows and they slam the contestants for using too much sesame oil or truffle oil.

The same goes for tropes. Use too much...

And you will be CHOPPED!

Considering Multiple Submissions

Every editor and agent are aware that authors submit their projects to multiple people. You are a fool if you do not do this. It would be a complete waste of time to send it to one person, wait for a response and then send it to the next person after feedback (if you get any feedback at all). However, I do want to address to things every author needs to consider when it comes to those multiple submissions.

First of all, when you send out those submissions, EVERY PERSON you send it to should be someone you want to work with. This means if that editor or agent comes back to you with an offer, you want to take it. This is someone who is at the top of your list! This agent or editor is not a "back up plan" for you!

I want you to reverse the table for a minute and think about something. You are the agent and you just received a manuscript (among all of the other manuscripts from the other eager authors out there). In between developmental editing your own clients' manuscripts, writing proposals, reviewing contracts, sending out proposals, writing blogs such as this, preparing those workshops for the conferences on the weekends, and for many, working other jobs and dealing with your own daily lives, you are taking the time to read these new manuscripts. You requested a full manuscript so you commit to reading the full project. You take notes as you are going because you might think there is some potential.

And then... one of two things happen.

You get an email from the author saying that another agent has made an offer and they now need a decision in 24 hours from you... or...

You reach out to discuss and they come back to you saying that they want to talk to other agents first.

You tell me what is going on in your head as an agent?

I know many of you hear authors out there in the middle of bidding wars with editors over their books, but these people most likely had careers going. They had something big to offer. For most new authors, and I stress new here, you are in the process of launching your career. 

I am very clear when you submit to me that I will get to your project as quickly as I can. I state that I will not go beyond 3 months (personally I think that is too much but I want to give myself some room). For me, I feel guilty if I cross the 1 month block. I read projects in the order the projects arrive. The ONLY time I ever push a project to the top of the list is if it is truly an established author from an established publishing house with a serious rush order.

If you do receive an offer from someone else, please do let that editor or agent know. I always recommend taking that offer. You have something that (if I have not gotten to your story, I cannot promise yet). Take it! You are not going to hurt my feelings. I am cheering you on. Not only that, it is one thing I can take off of my "TO DO LIST!" I note that in my records and should things change in the future, you are still on my "good list."

Just something to think about!!!!!