Reactions to Things I Have Heard on the Street

Writers are always wanting to know what genres are hot and what genres are cold right now in the publishing world. I think for many, the hope is they will hear an editor or agent say something is hot right now and the writer is primed to fire off that project they have been holding on to for some time. Unfortunately, this is not how the business works. Sure things run in trends, but we are still looking for great pieces of writing that find a way to defy gravity and stand out amid the piles of other mediocre work.

With that said, during the last week, I have heard several people making many of the same comments I have said for a while now. I always like hearing this because it just confirms I haven't been too far off the track. The comments lately have all dealt with paranormal and YA. Now, I should note, that as I reviewed these comments, I have to say, many are dealing with both at the same time.

Both markets are simply flooded right now and, unfortunately, this flood is really coming from stories that are all doing the exact same thing over and over again. There is just nothing new out there! With the YA market, every writer out there seems to think the only story out there to write is a TWILIGHT knock-off. Somehow these writers seem to think their story is completely different. This is far from the truth!

This should give you a clue. During the last three days, almost every YA I had submitted to me was a paranormal YA. Nothing new! Oh sure, one was demons and angels, but in the end, it was still an angst ridden teen story with paranormal twists to somehow justify this weird behavior. Sorry, but this is just not going to work.

So what else do we have in the YA market? Oh yeah, GOSSIP GIRL knock-offs! Are you getting the idea now?

As far as the paranormal market goes, I have to say, I called this one a while ago. Sure we love those paranormal twists, but there is simply nothing new coming out or being submitted. You've heard me say this over and over again but demons and angels are nothing more than vamps an werewolves with different names. I think others are starting to see that as well.

The thing is, all of us are desperately looking for something new and refreshing, and, at the same time, well written. This is the most frustrating element. I hear great ideas and then the writer blows it with a story that just sits there flat.

I still say you can't predict what will be the next great thing, but I think my approach is a pretty good one. Find out what is not out there and aim for that niche. Don't create something bizarre, but find a way to bring in a bit of what is selling now and spin it into a new genre. What is it really about the TWILIGHT stories that is attractive? Figure that out, dump the paranormal, find a genre and run with it.

As for me, during the last round of submissions, these are things I asked to see more of:

• Paranormals that had alternate world ideas. Really a blend of urban fantasy with that dark gritty side of the vamp and were stories.
• YA's that read like big adult contemporaries.
• Adult Contemporary with real people. Stories had premise of powerful women's fiction but without the stereotypical baggage.

Scott

Question from a Writer - We have two!

I'm curious though to your opinion as an agent. Do agents look beyond the mislabel?

For example, the story is queried as romance, but it's really a suspense with romantic elements or perhaps women's fiction (a love story maybe). In general, if the genre is one an agent represent, do you think he/she forgives the writer for screwing up and considers the work for what it is?

I get submissions like this all of the time from writers and in a simple and short answer - yes.

With that said, I do think that when someone submits a story to me that is mislabled, this is telling me several different things that could potentially reflect upon the writer.

The first stems from a lack of knowledge about the industry. In other words, the writer really doesn't know or understand the sub-genres in the business. He or she simply sat down, wrote a story and called it something. I see this more than anything with writers using my online form and calling their writing category because it fits into a category of romance. In this case, they just don't get it.

The second issue stems from a writer not doing his or her research. At the recent conference, a writer pitched me a story that she called a women's fiction. Another agent had thought the story fit that category since it didn't fit the definition of a romance. While I agreed with that agent on the fact it wasn't a romance, I did not agree with the idea of it being women's fiction. In this case, the story was focused on a guy and we weren't learning more of what it was to be a woman dealing with women issues. Because of this, I labeled it a novel with fiction elements, general fiction, or something in that area.

Now here is where the research comes to play. Before pitching a story to me, the writer needs to review what I think the story would be and pitch the story to that target. That's research.

The final issue stems from a story that really could go multiple directions. In those cases, I tend to be a bit more relaxed about it and will consider the story from both directions. If it is a romance, I think about where I might send it, and if not, I try it as women's fiction or another genre. I will have to admit, in most of those cases, I tend to pass on the story because it simply doesn't fit either.

The deal though is that we aren't going to reject you simply because you mislabel something, but that wording you use in the query tells the potential agent or editor a lot.

Subject: Hero/Heroine First Meeting

I've recently learned a certain publisher has an unwritten law that the hero and heroine must meet in the first five pages. Is this pretty much true for any romance genres except women's fiction?

Along with that question, I'd like to ask, is it all right to have short scenes where you introduce the H&H to the reader doing their thing but they don't actually come face to face for say 12 pages or Chapter Two? I'd be interested in your thoughts on this.

These are two interesting questions and, unfortunately, there is no correct answer to this one.

As far as the first goes, this is far from a rule that goes from one publisher to the next. I would have to say, the odds are, without knowing the publisher you speak of, that the books are relatively small in size. In other words, we have to get the story moving quickly so introduce the characters fast. Obviously, the longer the book, the more chance we have depth of character development so we might not meet the characters until much later in.

That, of course, ties into the second question of when we see the two characters together. Again, this deals with the publisher and the size of the book.

In either of these cases, it is up to you as a writer to do a little bit of research and really see how the publisher you are targeting deals with these situations in general. Find those trends within that publisher and write toward that.

Scott

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So sorry people but I am not doing this! If you sent me a submission, you should have put me on the safe list! If you sent me a submission on
Tuesday, June 01, 2010 5:32 PM via my form page, and it was a project of 40,000 words, you might want to check your spam folder!

Submisison Update

Read 30 e-queries today. 18 partials requested.

Scott

NEWSFLASH - In a romance, the romance must be the central story!

I know this comes as a surprise to many of you, but romance novels do have romance in them. What's more shocking, is that the romance actually takes the central focus on of the story. Weird, huh?

I figured I would bring up that interesting fact since I am back open to submissions here at Greyhaus and since this is what I am looking for, I might want to remind some of you.

I know there are all of these sub-genres out there, paranormal, romantic suspense, historical and the like, but if you are are writing a romance, it is that relationship that has to take the central stage. The romance is not a sub-plot to the bigger picture, but it should be the reverse. It is that sub-genre that is the stage for the romance.

Along the same lines, remember that we are talking about romance novels, not stories simply with sex. The key element we are looking for in the story is to see the growth of the relationship through the story toward that ultimate "happily ever after." Just watching the characters hop into bed time and time again, waking up in the morning with the conflict of "we shouldn't have done that" is far from a relationship.

Romance is a specific genre with specific demands, and don't get me wrong, it is tough to write. I mean, consider the fact that keeping a real relationship in a normal world is tough, adding in all of the other plot elements writers add to their stories makes this a huge task.

So, if you are sending something to me, or for that matter, any other agent that represents romance, ask yourself what is the central story you are telling. As for me, if your answer isn't the romance, then don't send it.

Scott

Don't Give Up and Sell Out

Publishing is a tough business. There is simply no easy way to say this. People often get frustrated when I tell them the odds of winning a lottery are better than the odds of getting published. This is really a business you have to love. With that said, there is a lot to be said about those people that don't give up.

Now before you all go and think Scott has gone nice-nice here and lost his edge, let me preface this post by saying "just sticking around will not get you published." Sorry to say it people, but despite the impression some writers give to those unpublished writers, it isn't a matter of just continually submitting manuscripts and something will stick. There is a lot to be said about determination, but you have to learn as you go.

I want to talk about two things today. The first is that "stick around" factor and the second is "selling out."

As I said, this is a business that takes time. It may be your 8th novel that finally sells, but it can be done. It is the patience it will take to get you there as well as the learning that takes place. Each manuscript you write should be an improvement from the last. The characters are stronger, the plot is richer, the voice is more your own - the list is endless. Still, you should be improving. Unfortunately, there are many of you out there that seem to believe it is just a waiting game. "Some day my prince will come and some day, an editor will call me." Yeah... I don't think so. This is a proactive activity and it is up to you to improve that craft.

With that said, let's move to the second, and, I believe the more important point. Can you be published today? Yes. Along the way to your goal of being published, there are a ton of places that will offer you a chance to be published; and, I am sorry to say, many writers out there "sell out" and take those options. I am not going to get into a discussion of good and bad publishers. I am not going to get into a discussion about the type of publisher. I am just talking about the idea of selling out. Taking these options is not a "stepping stone" to something bigger. These are time sucks and, in some cases money sucks.

You will now be spending your time working for something that isn't your dream. You will think the money you are promised to make is wll worth it. But what about that goal you had of being a single title author? Where did that go?

I don't care how much you "justify" these companies and the decisions you made, you are selling out. You had a dream to write professionally and you blew it.

If you wnat to know the type of writer I want at Greyhaus, I am looking for those people who know their goal and are willing to go for it. We might not sell your first book. It may be book 8, but we will get there. I don't want to hear someone, half way through the process call me and say, "you know, I could always send my book here, just to have it published." That is selling out and that is something I am not going to do.

Scott