As we all know, there are a lot of different approaches to publishing. I always says, "There is no right or wrong way, but there is a wrong way." In other words, you as a writer and your piece of writing will dictate the direction you head. The wrong way that I speak of is when you are doing something that doesn't match your career.
I was thinking about this over the weekend. I had a ton of submissions in the last couple of days where it was very clear, the writer probably did not know which direction he or she needed to go. What they were asking for in the query letter was clearly not a right fit for Greyhaus Literary Agency. As I reflected on this, I have also listened to writers pitching at conferences who clearly were heading in the wrong direction.
Their career choice and their project did not fit with the direction they were going.
Your genre, your piece of writing and your desires as a writer will dictate whether or not you really need to have an agent, and editor, a marketing/PR person or all of the above. I am going to go backwards on this one.
The role of that marketing/PR person is to become your assistant. This person is going to free up some time for you to continue your writing as they get the word out about your book. This means that your book is done. It is on the shelf. But now, it is time to get those sales figures up. This person can work with your current publisher, or, obviously if you are self-publishing, just work with you. Please note that many of the major publishers out there have a marketing department. If you decided you need that marketing person, that individual is going to work in conjunction with that already established program.
So, do agents and editors do this as well? Sort of. We frequently will post things on social media or talk about your story, but that is not our role. We are focused on the creative side of your project.
Now, let's say you are thinking about the editor. What is it that person will do for you? There are two different editors we are going to talk about here. The first is that editor that is working with the publisher. The second is that person you may hire on your own.
When you sign with a publisher, you will be assigned an editor. Yes, your editor may often be the one you talk to first, either through a submission process, or pitching, but, in the end, you will be assigned an editor. (Note: the odds are you may work with several editors). The role of this person is to talk through your proposals for future projects, but more importantly, it is to insure that novel is in line for how the publisher sees their over-all voice, and how to insure that story is going to sell once it hits the bookshelves.
Do these people talk to you about your career? Sort of, but it is always in line for how to maintain your audience and your readership. Your editor is not there to tell you how to approach contracts, how to decide which conferences to attend or anything else. That is up to you as a writer and potentially your agent. They will keep that business side out of the creative process.
The second editor is that contract person. This editor has one job and one job only. To help you through the writing process. If you are someone who is weak when it comes to grammar or word craft. If you don't have a strong critique group, you may go out and hire an external editor to do that work for you. Yes, if you sign with a publisher, that person may be there to do the same thing. It is this editor that many people go to when they want to take the self-publishing approach.
But what if you think you need an agent. What does this person do?
The role of the agent is much more than simply someone who negotiates contracts for you. This person is your shepherd through the publishing world. The agent is there to insure your story is in great shape before sending it out to the publishers. The agent is going to help you decide where to send your story and where to avoid. The agent is there to talk about your career. No, the agent is not going to make decisions for you. This is still something you need to do.
The agent is also that person who has the direct connection with the editors. It is the connection the agent has that will get a writer to the publishers that are not available to you as an unrepresented author. That agent will also get you involved with many of those special projects.
What you need out there is dictated by where you want to go as a writer. Before you start sending out those query letters, stop and think about you, your writing and your career. Make the right decision.
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