I am always asked the question of whether or not e-pubs are the wave of the future. Like most other things in the publishing world, this is something in the future and we have absolutely no way of predicting which way it will go. I do have to say, e-books are something that we have to consider today.
I have seen a lot of major publishers really utilizing the e-book format in ways that I love. These companies have certainly not given up on the traditional print format, and in many cases, have not reduced the size of the print runs for the books due to the e-book format. Instead, they have found a way to make the books work together to increase sales.
Tor books ran for a period of time a month of free online books. This was a great way to bring readers to the site and get them hooked on other authors from Tor. I loved this promotion. We all know that many book buyers love to get "free" stuff and if they are the type to go to the websites, then they are certainly going to be the type to buy more books.
Harlequin has also run the online reads. I love this format because it allows someone, who may not be familiar with a series, the chance to explore the line and see if it is something they are interested in. Harlequin also took it a step further by insring the characters and/or storyline to the online reads connected with another book by the same author. That book was posted right next to the read. They also gave the readers a chance to "blog" with the author while the post was up.
As for going entirely "e-book", I think that time is still a while away. Even though we are in a world with a lot of technology and computers, we are not to the point it is available to everyone. Along the same lines, although the technology is improving greatly, there are still big things that need to be done to make this transition easier. Software needs to be streamlined and certainly the readers need to be something that are a bit cheaper. I still think the $350+ range is still out there for a lot of people.
The E-Publishers are a different story. I see a lot of them really taking strides to produce better and better writing. I have to say, when they first started coming out, there were a lot of them just producing really poor quality writing. It was cheap to produce and needless to say, that was reflected in the quality of the writing. Now we are seeing changes.
I am sitting back and waiting to see where things go from here. We cannot ignore this new wave in publishing, but at the same time, I think it is still too early to see where it will really go.
Scott
Scott Eagan is the literary agent for Greyhaus Literary Agency. Greyhaus Literary Agency focuses exclusively on the traditional romance and women's fiction genres. Scott believes through increased education as well as communication between publishing professionals and authors, these two genres can continue to be a strong force in the publishing world.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
The One on One Pitch
So you have the chance to meet face to face with an editor or agent. You have fought tooth and nail to get that pitch appointment. Now what.
I have heard a lot of solutions for this and frankly a lot of the solutions are a simple piece of garbage. I want to take some time today to go over a couple of things to remember when it comes to those face to face pitches.
1. Be Professional - This one is crucial. Remember that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. When you walk into that pitch session, you have to look like someone who is really going to be a professional writer. This means you dress the part, and you act the part. This is not a time to be cute or funny. This is not the time to "dress like you always do" or "dress in costume." This is a job interview.
2. Be Prepared - Know what you are going to talk about. You should know that they will want to know the genre, word count, title and high concept for your pitch. They will want to know a bit about you. Know this. Be prepared for anything. If they ask for a full make sure to tell them it is ready to go and you can send it to them first thing in the morning (again a benefit for memory sticks or online storage of your manuscript).
3. Be Flexible - Be prepared to make those changes on the spur of the moment if you see they are interested in something else. This does not mean that you should be pitching something that your story isn't. Just be ready. If they believe they have an idea for your story, be ready to make those changes.
4. Be Relaxed - This is a matter of professionalism and confidence. If you walk in looking like you can't handle the public pressure, then guess what, we will have doubts about whether you can handle public books signings or book talks. This is public profession so be ready to be out there.
5. Be Confident - Look. You have been working on this story for a while. You are ready to sell, so show it.
Now for some don't's....
1. Don't pitch to someone that isn't buying your work. I don't know how many times I turn people away because they are pitching stories that I simply do not acquire. There is enough research out there about the editors and agents out there to prevent this. I don't care if it is the "only appointment available" (this one goes out to those of you signing up for RWA appointments), if they don't acquire it, don't pitch it.
2. Don't read your pitch - This is the confidence thing. Frankly, when I see someone reading their card to me, I see someone that has no clue what their own story is about. Along the same lines, cranking out that "memorized version" makes you sound fake. You have to be human.
3. Don't throw your recently printed business card at them. Anyone knowing a thing about the business world knows the business cards are the last item in the appointment. Sitting down and throwing that material at them is just too agressive. Besides, half of the time, the editors and agents already have a list of the authors they are meeting. Your card means nothing to them unless they ask for it.
4. Don't throw them your full manuscript or other ideas. I recently heard an author state that you should have that full manuscript sitting next to you when you pitch. Sure, that might have been how it was done in the 80's but now, 20 years later, we just don't want to see that manuscript. We have luggage that is already packed and we have no desire to carry how your project. Now you can have it on a memory stick and if they are interested in the project and want it emailed to them, go to the business center and send it. Otherwise, it is a waste of your time to have it. No, it doesn't prove you have finished the project.
5. Don't keep pitching new ideas if you see it isn't working. If you see the pitch session isn't going anywhere, don't just keep throwing out ideas. You should be pitching what you know they are interested in. Not all of your rejects. This is especially true if your other projects aren't in the same genre.
Now, if you hear they state they are interested in a certain type of project and you have it, then you can bring it up, just be careful.
6. Don't lie and fake it. If you story is not done, don't pitch. If it isn't the right word count, don't lie. If it isn't that genre, don't call it something else. Not only will you get a rejection, you will end up with a serious red flag against your name in their database next time you pitch.
Scott
I have heard a lot of solutions for this and frankly a lot of the solutions are a simple piece of garbage. I want to take some time today to go over a couple of things to remember when it comes to those face to face pitches.
1. Be Professional - This one is crucial. Remember that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. When you walk into that pitch session, you have to look like someone who is really going to be a professional writer. This means you dress the part, and you act the part. This is not a time to be cute or funny. This is not the time to "dress like you always do" or "dress in costume." This is a job interview.
2. Be Prepared - Know what you are going to talk about. You should know that they will want to know the genre, word count, title and high concept for your pitch. They will want to know a bit about you. Know this. Be prepared for anything. If they ask for a full make sure to tell them it is ready to go and you can send it to them first thing in the morning (again a benefit for memory sticks or online storage of your manuscript).
3. Be Flexible - Be prepared to make those changes on the spur of the moment if you see they are interested in something else. This does not mean that you should be pitching something that your story isn't. Just be ready. If they believe they have an idea for your story, be ready to make those changes.
4. Be Relaxed - This is a matter of professionalism and confidence. If you walk in looking like you can't handle the public pressure, then guess what, we will have doubts about whether you can handle public books signings or book talks. This is public profession so be ready to be out there.
5. Be Confident - Look. You have been working on this story for a while. You are ready to sell, so show it.
Now for some don't's....
1. Don't pitch to someone that isn't buying your work. I don't know how many times I turn people away because they are pitching stories that I simply do not acquire. There is enough research out there about the editors and agents out there to prevent this. I don't care if it is the "only appointment available" (this one goes out to those of you signing up for RWA appointments), if they don't acquire it, don't pitch it.
2. Don't read your pitch - This is the confidence thing. Frankly, when I see someone reading their card to me, I see someone that has no clue what their own story is about. Along the same lines, cranking out that "memorized version" makes you sound fake. You have to be human.
3. Don't throw your recently printed business card at them. Anyone knowing a thing about the business world knows the business cards are the last item in the appointment. Sitting down and throwing that material at them is just too agressive. Besides, half of the time, the editors and agents already have a list of the authors they are meeting. Your card means nothing to them unless they ask for it.
4. Don't throw them your full manuscript or other ideas. I recently heard an author state that you should have that full manuscript sitting next to you when you pitch. Sure, that might have been how it was done in the 80's but now, 20 years later, we just don't want to see that manuscript. We have luggage that is already packed and we have no desire to carry how your project. Now you can have it on a memory stick and if they are interested in the project and want it emailed to them, go to the business center and send it. Otherwise, it is a waste of your time to have it. No, it doesn't prove you have finished the project.
5. Don't keep pitching new ideas if you see it isn't working. If you see the pitch session isn't going anywhere, don't just keep throwing out ideas. You should be pitching what you know they are interested in. Not all of your rejects. This is especially true if your other projects aren't in the same genre.
Now, if you hear they state they are interested in a certain type of project and you have it, then you can bring it up, just be careful.
6. Don't lie and fake it. If you story is not done, don't pitch. If it isn't the right word count, don't lie. If it isn't that genre, don't call it something else. Not only will you get a rejection, you will end up with a serious red flag against your name in their database next time you pitch.
Scott
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Dealing with Rejection
We all hate that word, but in the publishing industry, this is something we have to learn to deal with, as much as we hate to. When you receive a rejection, either in person during a pitch session, or via email or snail mail, don't panic. Unless the person sending the letter or giving you the bad news openly tells you that you are the worst writer ever and have no business near a computer, just take it all in stride.
Follow a few short rules:
1) Do not get on the internet or start calling your friends to tell them what a jerk that person was. I will tell you, the information will get back to that agent or editor soon enough and if you did have something of quality later that might work, you have just shot your own foot. It will never happen.
2) Read the letter or listen to the comment. Take a few minutes to really think about what that person has said and work from that. In some cases you will find that it might be a subjective reason for the rejection. They just didn't like it. - Fair enough. Remember, we have to love it to want to pursue it. Maybe it was a matter of sending it to the wrong person, or was something they just weren't interested in. So learn from that. Take more time the next time to do some better research.
If they did give you some great feedback, learn from it. Go back to the manuscript before you start sending it to other places and consider those revision ideas. There is a pretty good chance if the problem is with the manuscript, it will show up in other rejection letters. If you have other manuscripts, check those to see if you are making the same mistakes.
3) If it is a form letter then make a paper airplane out of it. No, not really. There is a better solution here.
Turn the paper over, and start jotting down ideas for your next book. The thing to remember is that we can learn from the rejections.
We can grow as a writer and we can start with that feedback in that letter we once called ugly.
Scott
Follow a few short rules:
1) Do not get on the internet or start calling your friends to tell them what a jerk that person was. I will tell you, the information will get back to that agent or editor soon enough and if you did have something of quality later that might work, you have just shot your own foot. It will never happen.
2) Read the letter or listen to the comment. Take a few minutes to really think about what that person has said and work from that. In some cases you will find that it might be a subjective reason for the rejection. They just didn't like it. - Fair enough. Remember, we have to love it to want to pursue it. Maybe it was a matter of sending it to the wrong person, or was something they just weren't interested in. So learn from that. Take more time the next time to do some better research.
If they did give you some great feedback, learn from it. Go back to the manuscript before you start sending it to other places and consider those revision ideas. There is a pretty good chance if the problem is with the manuscript, it will show up in other rejection letters. If you have other manuscripts, check those to see if you are making the same mistakes.
3) If it is a form letter then make a paper airplane out of it. No, not really. There is a better solution here.
Turn the paper over, and start jotting down ideas for your next book. The thing to remember is that we can learn from the rejections.
We can grow as a writer and we can start with that feedback in that letter we once called ugly.
Scott
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Just keep marketing it?
What are people thinking? I have heard this comment time and time again and I really wonder who has been feeding these filthy little lies.
You have sent your manuscript out to a ton of editors and agents and gotten rejections, and yet you are told to keep marketing it? Nooooooo! This is a message to you that you need to change course and try something new.
I am sure you have heard that joke about the guy that is caught in the middle of a huge flood? Somehow he has made it to the roof of his garage and his hunkered down waiting for help. The rain is still coming down and the wind is really whipping him a round. Suddenly he looks down and sees a guy in a row boat come by and offer to help. The guy yells down and says he is waiting for God to save him.
A little while later another boat comes by and he does the same thing. He says he is waiting for God to save him.
Again it happens and again he passes with the same excuse.
Finally, the elements are too much, he falls off the roof, into the flood and dies.
As he is standing in front of the Pearly Gates he asks God. What happened? He had faith in him.
God's only response is "You are an idiot. I sent you three life boats. What type of message do you really need?"
Now, the same thing applies to your writing. Just sending out that manuscript to a ton of places is not necessarily going to get your manuscript sold. Your manuscript only belongs at certain houses. Your voice only fits with certain places. And yes, your manuscript might not be good. That means you have to keep trying with ANOTHER manuscript.
Quit wasting your time on the same story. Move on.
Scott
You have sent your manuscript out to a ton of editors and agents and gotten rejections, and yet you are told to keep marketing it? Nooooooo! This is a message to you that you need to change course and try something new.
I am sure you have heard that joke about the guy that is caught in the middle of a huge flood? Somehow he has made it to the roof of his garage and his hunkered down waiting for help. The rain is still coming down and the wind is really whipping him a round. Suddenly he looks down and sees a guy in a row boat come by and offer to help. The guy yells down and says he is waiting for God to save him.
A little while later another boat comes by and he does the same thing. He says he is waiting for God to save him.
Again it happens and again he passes with the same excuse.
Finally, the elements are too much, he falls off the roof, into the flood and dies.
As he is standing in front of the Pearly Gates he asks God. What happened? He had faith in him.
God's only response is "You are an idiot. I sent you three life boats. What type of message do you really need?"
Now, the same thing applies to your writing. Just sending out that manuscript to a ton of places is not necessarily going to get your manuscript sold. Your manuscript only belongs at certain houses. Your voice only fits with certain places. And yes, your manuscript might not be good. That means you have to keep trying with ANOTHER manuscript.
Quit wasting your time on the same story. Move on.
Scott
Monday, May 4, 2009
Agents aren't all bad
There has been a lot of gossip lately (as well as talk at conferences) about how many agents out there are "really only out for the money." I should note this is coming from published writers.
When I heard this, I almost choked. Sure, there are writers out there that might be scum of the Earth, but for the most part, many agents really are trying very hard to sell their authors books. Remember, this is the only way we make money too!
Most of the comments have come from the low finances coming to the writers from contracts sold to publishers. In the writers eyes (again, I am referring to those that make these comments) the low money is due to the agents being really selfish. WRONG!
There are a lot of factors working against us as agents right now:
The economy.
The publishers not buying.
The writers sending poor quality writing.
The fast turn over of writers resulting in lower contracts.
I am sure I can go on for some time with this. I think the biggest thing I want to stress is that all agents are not bad. The majority have good hearts. The majority really do want to see their authors successfull. They are not simply in it to become the next "CEO of their agency."
For you writers out there, the key is to find an agent that is best for you. Find someone that truly fits.
Scott
When I heard this, I almost choked. Sure, there are writers out there that might be scum of the Earth, but for the most part, many agents really are trying very hard to sell their authors books. Remember, this is the only way we make money too!
Most of the comments have come from the low finances coming to the writers from contracts sold to publishers. In the writers eyes (again, I am referring to those that make these comments) the low money is due to the agents being really selfish. WRONG!
There are a lot of factors working against us as agents right now:
The economy.
The publishers not buying.
The writers sending poor quality writing.
The fast turn over of writers resulting in lower contracts.
I am sure I can go on for some time with this. I think the biggest thing I want to stress is that all agents are not bad. The majority have good hearts. The majority really do want to see their authors successfull. They are not simply in it to become the next "CEO of their agency."
For you writers out there, the key is to find an agent that is best for you. Find someone that truly fits.
Scott
Friday, May 1, 2009
Pitch Contest - Final thoughts
This was a tough excercise but I compliment those of you that tried this.
The biggest thing that makes this tough is determining what is really important and what isn't. Again, just as a reminder, you have a short amount of time and space to get the point across. Waste it on pointless facts or just re-telling the story does nothing to convince me the story is great.
I guess I also want to say that this is a reason why you really need to sit down BEFORE you start your story and figure out what makes it really unique. For some of you writers out there, you finish a story and then try to figure out what makes it special. Too often, there isn't anything and you just can't fix it after the fact.
Keep workingon this skill everyone. Will it sell your story? Nope. But it does increase your chance that we will want to read more of your story and not just pass on it with a simple, "seen it done it" response.
Off to California for the Silicon Valley RWA Conference. Will write more next week.
Oh, and don't forget to check out the Brenda Novak Auction begining May 1.
Scott
The biggest thing that makes this tough is determining what is really important and what isn't. Again, just as a reminder, you have a short amount of time and space to get the point across. Waste it on pointless facts or just re-telling the story does nothing to convince me the story is great.
I guess I also want to say that this is a reason why you really need to sit down BEFORE you start your story and figure out what makes it really unique. For some of you writers out there, you finish a story and then try to figure out what makes it special. Too often, there isn't anything and you just can't fix it after the fact.
Keep workingon this skill everyone. Will it sell your story? Nope. But it does increase your chance that we will want to read more of your story and not just pass on it with a simple, "seen it done it" response.
Off to California for the Silicon Valley RWA Conference. Will write more next week.
Oh, and don't forget to check out the Brenda Novak Auction begining May 1.
Scott
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