Question From An Author: Finding and editor or agent...

One of the things I believe is a part of the role of being an agent is to also be an educator. Writers out there really do struggle to find the resources and tools they need to be successful in the publishing world. Yes, I know many of you are saying there are a ton of resources, but we all know, many of these resources are people claiming to know what to do. We have people teaching others how to write a novel and have never been published. We have people teaching about contracts who are not lawyers and have never read a contract (including those you "Accept" when you sign up for a new credit card). In any case, I had one author recently who is trying and reached out with this question. 

I am new to all of this.  And honestly have no idea what I’m doing at all.  I’ve written several chapters of many different books all revolving around women’s fiction and romance.  Some even bordering fantasy.  However, through plenty of research.  Finding a simple answer as to, how do I find an editor?  How do I find an agent?  How do I find a publisher?  There never seems to be a direct answer given.  

I felt my best chance at getting an answer would be to ask someone who seems to know the industry itself.  And just see what happens.  

So here goes, how do I find the above mentioned? (Editor, publisher, agent)

First of all, we have to compliment this author for at least asking a question. Too often writers just blunder away, taking guesses as to what to do next, and then wonder why nothing worked out right. As someone who is also in education, I am always so frustrated when students complain about their grades or not understanding a subject, and then never bother to show up to office hours to ask questions, as well as just sitting in the class and never raising a hand. 

Now, to answer this, we need to  break it down into a lot of small pieces.

  I’ve written several chapters of many different books all revolving around women’s fiction and romance

This part is key. This author does not even have a book finished. To be successful and to get that editor or agent, you need to have a book finished. Yes, I know this is frustrating, but it does need to be a complete novel. I would also recommend really sticking to one genre. In this author's case, I see a vague stab in the dark at two genres. Aim for one. Which will lead me to the next part of her question...

 honestly have no idea what I’m doing at all.

This is not a problem at all. Like everything in the world, we need to be trained. For any author in this situation, I would simply argue it is time to "go back to school." Take creative writing course, read books by editors and agents on novel writing. More importantly, read the genre you want to write extensively. Learn the patterns, learn the nuances, learn the voice.

Along the way, take the time to learn the business. By joining fantastic organizations like the RWA, RNA and so forth will at least get you connected to professionals, conferences, and publications. This will take time but it is fine! The publishing world is not going away. 

However, through plenty of research

Many authors are just too eager to get the book published. They stop the research and just get going. Think about our days in school when we just want to get that research paper written so we skip steps. We don't do extensive research but surface level work from cruddy websites like Wikipedia. We don't outline and just write. When we are done, we don't even spell check it but just ship it off to the instructor... And then earn a C- or worse. 

Plenty of research is enough so that you know what to do INSTINCTIVEY. It is like playing an instrument. At some point, you don't have to "Think" about what you are doing. THAT is enough research.

Finding a simple answer as to, how do I find an editor?  How do I find an agent?  How do I find a publisher?  There never seems to be a direct answer given.

Again, we have several things here. First the author notes that there is no direct answer here. Part of this is the assumption that if you are looking for an editor or agent, you have that book finished and you have spent time learning the business. The second is that there is indeed no direct answer. Finding an editor or agent depends on several variables:

• Your genre dictates where you go to and if you even need an agent
• How you want your book published will determine the approach
• What you want out of a career will dictate your approach

Remember, this business is subjective. What works for one person may not work for someone else. 

But let me try to give you the best direct approach I can, while still keeping it "general":

1. Join a writing organization. These organizations help you build a network of support. You can work with other writers in your genre and that will give you guidance. More importantly, these organizations will have lists of editors and agents that they have already verified will be of help to you.
2. Research the editors and agents. Every one of us has information on our websites telling authors what we want, what we don't want, and how to submit. DO NOT just rely on those data bases out there that claim they will help you along. 
3. Figure out what YOU want. This one is the most important. Do you want to just write a book, or do you want a career? What type of career? Take the time to explore.
4. Ask questions. Which is exactly what this author did. Go to those conferences (even virtual conferences) and ask questions.

I know this might seem like a lot of steps and time, but it will be worth it.

Hope that helps!

A Busy Time Of The Season

I know it has been a while since I have posted so my apologies. This is one of those things that I really kick myself over, considering I am always screaming to authors to not do what I did.

I am sure, like all of you, life has been busy with Thanksgiving Breaks, the upcoming holidays and so forth. For those of you with kids, add in those days when the schools decided to give them back to you and now your writing time has been a bit limited. As I have said, over an over again, even with the business of the time, it is crucial that you are always taking time out for YOUR writing career. This is something you have worked hard for and you need to continue to give yourself that time.

Have I been away and not doing anything. No, I have been hard at work with my authors (as well as all of those holiday things, kids, a trip to New York to watch my son swim and so forth). It is this that I want to bring up for all of you getting ready to send out submissions. 

It is always important to remember that at this time of the year, editors and agents too will want to take breaks from reading manuscripts and submissions. They are madly plowing through piles of projects of their current authors in an attempt to have as many things cleared up BEFORE they take off to drown themselves in eggnog. I know one of my authors said her editor even asked if it was ok to bump a deadline back for a project that was due just to get through the holiday time. (I have to say, the author was very pleased with a few more days to work on the story).

Please note, there is nothing wrong with getting projects sent in during the holidays. Just remember that the response time might be a bit longer so don't panic. Of course, with that said, waiting until January 2nd to fire off the email isn't going to make much more of a difference. The editors and agents will still have a lot to get though.

We all do our best to get responses to you. We will get there. I promise. But also remember that the editors and agents have very similar busy schedules that you are dealing with as a writer. 

Don't Know Something? Did You Bother To Ask?

One of the common things I hear when I attend conferences are authors going on and on about how they are having to "guess as to what the editors and agents want." They will sit around in the hallways saying they just don't know what these people want. What is often funny is that this will be AFTER the editor and agent panels, and after the spotlight sessions or the Q & A sessions.

Now here is an insight. We as editors and agents are often equally as frustrated when we receive submissions that are far from what we are looking for? We open the emails and just shake our heads? For me, I am often saying, "What part of romance and women's fiction are these people missing?"

But this is not something that takes a rocket scientist to solve. All authors need to do is ASK!

Here are some things to consider. It isn't going to take much effort either:

• During those editor and agent panels, ask questions that get to the heart of the issue. "Scott, what do you hate the most about submissions that come across your desk?" or "Scott, what was the last book you fell in love with and why did you like it?"
• Attend those spotlight sessions and ask questions beyond what you can find in FAQ handouts. Too often, writers attend sessions that they can learn the information from out of a book and skip the spotlight sessions. 
• If you are unclear about a genre or what an editor or agent wants in a submission, send the person a quick question. Keep is short, simple and to the point.
• Writing chapters - quit complaining you don't know anything. Ask those editors and agents to talk with your group. Invite them to speak. Invite them to guest blog. Invite them to do a webinar with you. It doesn't take much and it isn't going to break your budget. 

Look, this is just 4 items. Very simple and very easy to do. Seriously, you don't need to flounder out there. We are here to help you because we are all looking for the same thing. To find people who are great writers and to get you published!

You Cannot Always Blame The "Publisher" For Your Bad Sales

I received a query letter yesterday that really hit home, and I think, in my humble opinion, is the thought of a lot of writers out there in the publishing market today. Now, I do have to say two things before I proceed. First, this person is probably really out of the loop because what this author submitted isn't even close to what I represent. Secondly, I do understand that there are indeed authors out there (as well as situations) where the publisher really is to blame. But, in terms of this second one, I do believe you will find the numbers of those situations are relatively small compared to the number of authors who did find success.

Now, on with the query.

This author begins by telling me about his first book that he wrote and how much the publisher really screwed things up for him. You could really hear the frustration in his voice as he typed this letter. According to him, he submitted his book, which was only 38,000 words in length, and about his personal hobby, to XYZ Publisher (obviously I am not going to mention that) who happened to be a POD publisher (print on demand). According to him, this company "only sold two of his books."

Let's discuss a couple of things here.

First of all, the length of the story is closer to that of a novella, so the odds are this could have been a huge factor.

Secondly, I just did a search for the book and it is only available through that company's website. All of the major players showed no price for the book.

Third, and this is a big one, when I did go to the site, the book was for $14.95. This is for a book of only 140 pages in length. Wow!

When I tried to figure out what the book was about, the only thing that was printed there was A) A comment from some random person telling me the author had a realistic and perceptive dialogue" and has "created memorable characters who all figure prominently" in the story. This tells us nothing.

So, what is the real problem? This book is destined to fail from the beginning. We have an over-priced novella with zero marketing. I even tried to track down what he might have done to market the book and my searches for this book and his name only led me to the book sellers who said the product was never available through their site. In other words, if we cannot find the book, how are people to buy it?

In this case, the sales of the book are going to fall 100% on the shoulders of the author. The publisher has it listed in their database so they are taking care of their side of the bargain.

I think what we have to remember is that whether or not you are with a traditional publisher, an independent publisher, a POD publisher or a self-publisher, the author has a responsibility to help out with the marketing. When we move further away from the traditional publisher realm, the responsibility of the author increases significantly.

I think there is another issue here that also needs to be addressed. While there are a lot of authors out there in the self-publishing and POD market that have great products but need to use this forum because the book is unique, there are far too many other authors out there putting out products that are destined to fail from the start. This can be due to the fact that the writing is bad, the premise is weak, or their never would be a huge market from the start.

Now, let's take this a step further and talk about the money side of things. Obviously we have an over-priced book here and that is going to be a huge factor going against sales. But there is also another issue that just came up recently discussing e-book sales that also say a lot. The article noted that books for $1.99 essentially look cheap. $.99 books are nothing more than "promos" and that books in the $2.99-$5.99 sell the best. (Of course you want the link and now I can't seem to find it. If you happen to remember the link, post it here.). We know the price of a product is going to say a lot about a product and the sales.

Look, there will be times when a publisher does fall down on the job in terms of marketing. Books can be released too far apart so there is no name recognition. Mills and Boon have figured this out and now release authors' books in back to back months and sales are much better. Publishers might mismanage where the books show up. I know of one publisher who put out a catalog that was all alphabetical so historical authors might be wedged between self-help books. Not exactly helpful.

I also had an author that happened to be released the week all of the Borders Stores shut down. That was 50% of the sales.

But, authors cannot simply throw the blame on the publishers shoulders every time something goes wrong.

Just something to chew on for the weekend.

Scott

What An Editor Wants In An Author - Guest Blogger Susan Litman

"What Does an Editor Want in a Writer?"

Seems like a simple question, doesn’t it?  Naturally, my first answer to this is always going to be, “I’m looking for a fresh, exciting voice and unique storytelling!”  But there’s so much more to the author-editor relationship. After all, editors are readers – we got into publishing because we love books.  So our ultimate goal is always to find authors who are interested in delivering great stories, well-told.

In the best possible world, the author-editor relationship is a collaborative one – a partnership.  If revisions and changes are necessary, I’ll discuss them constructively, with an eye towards making changes (sometimes minor, sometimes not-so-minor) that will stay true to the author’s voice and vision while still meeting the needs of the imprint/publishing house, and ultimately making the story the best it can be.  We’re advocates for our authors, so it is part of our job to help make sure their work shines.

It helps if the author has a good understanding of the unpredictable nature of the publishing business, and a strong sense of professionalism.  This might be a creative endeavor, but it is also a business – never forget that. 

Along those lines, it’s important for a writer to meet deadlines, because this keeps the production process rolling smoothly, and enables us to publish your books more strategically and develop your presence in the market.  As well, while we’d never want anyone to write to a trend just for the sake of doing so, in category romance it is important for the author to understand what their targeted series is about – what the audience for Harlequin Special Edition is looking for in a story versus Romantic Suspense or Blaze.  Being able to consistently deliver on the series promise is something we take into account when evaluating a manuscript.

But let’s go back to voice and story – because those are the building blocks of the editor-author relationship. When I start reading a new manuscript, I’m looking to be engaged right away.  And if an author can draw me in to the characters and setup – even if there are flaws throughout (after all, nothing is perfect!) – so much the better.  Because when it comes down to it, it’s easy to teach a new author the ins-and-outs of the business and help them improve the technique of their craft, but if they can’t deliver the most basic element – a great story – then there’s not much to work with.

--Susan Litman

  Editor, Harlequin Special Edition

  Twitter: @susan_litman

  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HarlequinSpecialEdition

Pitching Is A Job Interview

I know, I always blog about this at least once a year, but we are now starting to think about major conferences and it is always a good reminder. This one, however, is going out to not just writers, but also editors and my fellow agents.

Getting to meet face-to-face at conferences is really a rare and, should be treasured, moment for writers, editors and agents. We have the chance to finally see each other as individuals and people and not simply looking at a piece of writing. With that said, far too many individuals blow this chance for this meeting. For some reason, people in the publishing industry (writers, editors and agents) seem to believe that this meeting is somehow different from any real job interview. This is far from the case and we need to make some changes.

WRITERS
Please come to the interview with your game face on and treat this like a serious job interview. You show up looking the part and acting the part.

I don't want to hear the excuse, "oh, I get sooo, nervous..." Give me a break. If you can't handle talking about something you know better than probably yourself, are you really ready to make this jump to professional writing?

• Come prepared.
• Make sure your project is ready to go at that exact moment.
• Dress appropriately
• Act appropriately
• DO NOT read or memorize your pitch. This needs to be natural and not sound scripted.

EDITORS AND AGENTS
I know you are trying to be nice and make these people feel relaxed, but in all honesty, do you really want to work with someone who doesn't even know their own story? Along the same lines, I know we are all in the same boat about the number of submissions we get. Why, can I ask you, would you ask to see something from either A) someone who you know will not cut it; or B) someone who has a project that you know really doesn't fit. Don't go giving me that whole "I have to read it first" stuff. We all know what we are looking for and we all know the premise of the story that will work and not work.

I have also talked to far too many authors that have said the same thing. They would rather hear us say, "no, it isn't right" then to hear, "send me a full" and then sit around and wait for the form letter, or in the case with some of you, stick with the "no answer is a no" response.

Maybe, just maybe, if we start to act in a more professional tone at these conferences, we can begin to elevate the level and quality of writing we are putting out there on the shelf. Who knows?

Just something to chew on for a Tuesday.

Scott

Make Your Submissions Impressive

To be honest, it is tough being a first time author looking for an agent or an editor. In simple terms, you have to be beyond amazing with that submission. No, this is not an unfair burden being placed on an author, it is the simple, cold-hard truth about any initial contract you make with someone you want to work with.

As I have said in the past, querying editors and agents is very similar to looking for a job.

• Cover letter = Query letter
• Resume = Manuscript
• Pitch = Initial interview

Writers have to understand that you are essentially in competition with a lot of other authors for that one position in the company (or in this case the agency or publishing house). This means that first impressions say a lot and what you put on the table for that editor or agent has to be not just adequate but impressive enough to make us want to read more.

I do have to stress that agents and editors are not out to "find reasons to reject an author or project. The reality is that authors really do this to themselves. Sloppy projects, rushed query letters, no focus in the query.... You get the idea.

While you might have your story finished, you need to really take the time that everything is in place and representing exactly who you are and what the story is.

One thing to remember is the combination of the number of submissions and agent or editor receives as well as the time they have available to read your project. This is why all of the agents out there have spent so much time on their blogs talking about what makes a great query letter and what falls apart. There isn't one right or wrong way of doing a query, but there are things you can do to enhance the quality of your project. Take the time to really look at what you send.

Scott

Pitching at Conferences - My Point Was Proven!

So, I just got home yesterday from New York and the National RWA Conference and I had to post this as soon as possible. This is, in fact, something I have said over and over again, but the conference certainly proved my point. I'm talking about pitching at conferences.

As you know, one of the biggest reasons agents and editors do not find many authors at conferences stems from how writers sign up for the sessions. As I have pointed out, most writers just grab any appointment slot they can get their hands on to sell their story. There is no ounce of research done. There is not thought to why they would pitch their story to a given agent or editor. They just grab. Needless to say, because their isn't that careful thought, writers will more than likely see a rejection later on. Sure, they may get a request but that doesn't mean anything. Remember, I have told you that many editors and agents will request from everyone regardless of whether they like the story or not.

In any case, I took my pitches on Thursday morning. This was my scheduled 2 hours of pitches. I will have to say, this year was the first when writers came in who actually did their research, read the blog, and knew what I was looking for. I requested from the majority of writers. As you know, if the story doesn't work for me, I have no problem saying no.

Following the session, as I walked out of the room, I saw the numbers of writers trying desperately to get any slot that opened up. So, I offered to come back on Friday morning and take another round of pitches. This is where the point was made. Since these were not scheduled, the only people who would have signed up were people just looking for any slot. They didn't research, they didn't know what they were getting into.

The results?

Out of that 2 hour block, I passed on over 75% of the stories. The simple reason? The authors were pitching stories I didn't even represent.

Do I know this was something happening time and time again? There is no doubt about it. I saw authors pitching up to 3 and 4 times. I also spoke to several authors that told me 2 or 3 editors, from vastly different publishing houses, requested full manuscripts. Knowing what the publishers put out there, and knowing that one story could not be that flexible told me writers were throwing darts again.

The point is, as a writer, you have to do your research. Your story does not fit with anyone. Along the same lines, just because an editor or agent is available does not mean you can pitch. Agents are available 24/7, 365 days out of the year to make a pitch to. And with editors, if the publisher doesn't accept unagented submissions, the odds are, even if you do pitch, they will pass on it because you don't have an agent.

I hate to say this but, "I told you so."

Scott

When Your Characters Do Stupid Things...

This is an issue I see a lot. Writers, in an attempt to create a great conflict in the story or a situation for the hero and heroine to meet, end up having one of the two characters do something completely stupid. Sure, it makes the story line sound funny and unique, but the reality of the situation completely goes away.

Here are some examples:

• A city doctor decides after a mistake in the operating room to give it all up, return to a small town and start up a business of selling antiques because his great grandfather did. He figures he will learn on the job.
• A city business woman, who has only prepared meals by eating out at restaurants or using take-out, decides to open a sushi restaurant in Bodfish, California (yes there is a place called Bodfish and there is no insult here. I really like the place!)
• Opening up a sex apparal and toy shop in a retirement community.
• You get the idea...

Sure, the writer might want the person to fail and have the other person save them, but give me a break. Reality says this would never happen.

In all of these cases, you also see a situation of people with poor market research skills. Before opening any business and launching a career, you take the time to do the research to make sure the placement is the right thing. No banks will give you loans to do this (of course all of the above examples are coming from an inheritance by Crazy Aunt Myrtle), and in some cases, you would never get a business license.

I bring this up because this situation is the same for writers. You don't just send projects out to every agent and editor and hope for the best. You do your market research. I am assuming you want to succeed, right? Then do that market research. Find that editor and/or agent that is best for you. Don't just pick everyone, or the first name you find on Agent Query.

That should give you something to chew on today - both for writing your stories and for those of you in the query process.

I'll be off until Monday hanging with the writers in Kentucky. See you then!

Scott

Revisions Happen, Now Prove You Can Execute

If you are a fortunate, unpublished writer, you have received a revision letter from an editor or an agent. The question is, now what?

For the most part, editors and agents won't send out revision letters for new submissions. Doing that for every submission would really swamp all of us. When we look at a submission, we have to really see something that jumps out at us, has a great story, great characters and awesome writing.

Now, with that said, there are times when we stumble across a story and writer with something that isn't right, but for some reason, we can't put the story down. In those cases, we will often recommend revisions. I should stress, don't get your hopes up yet. You have far from sold the story to the editor or agent. At some level, you have to simply see this as the editor and agent needing to see a bit more before a better decision can be made.

This is a test for you. Yes, the nay sayers will claim this is just another hoop we are making the writers have to hop through, but I am sorry to say, this is far from the truth.

We need to see if you can execute the revisions. We liked something in your story, but changes need to be made. So, we give you some things that we would want to see before we can do anything. At some level, you have just been given a second life.

For many writers, they would all claim you should jump on those revisions. But, before you do that, you need to stop and really think. I would have to say, if this is an editor a writer WANTS to work for, then I would go for those revisions. If the editor took the time, to write the revision, it would be well worth it.

If, however, an agent has suggested the revisions, you have to really stop and think. Again, is this an agent you really want to work for? How far to the top of your "wish list" is this agent? Since this business is subjective, what doesn't work for one agent might be perfection for someone else.

Since you know my approach to submissions, I would only submit to people I want to work with. If one of those people said to revise, I would take the gamble. There are no promises, but it might be worth the effort.

Good luck everyone.

Scott

Sometimes It Is Simply A Matter Of Timing

I am sure I am not the only agent who has faced this before. We sign an amazing author, only to find that a day or two later we find a submission from another author with a similar story.

Does this mean we reject the story immediately? No. But it does mean that we will take a lot more time to really think about the project and decide if we want to take it on.

At Greyhaus, I never want my authors to be in competition with each other. I try to find niches for each of them so an editor is never forced with having to make the decision of one or the other. For this reason, we all look at those projects that come in with the same idea in the back of our head.

I know also that editors are sometimes faced with that same situation. I called an editor once with a project and she loved it. The problem was that another editor beat me to the project by 2 days. This was no ones's fault. It was simply a matter of timing.

Again, just one more case of the way this business can seem so unfair at times. Not a reason to give up though.

Scott

Clients Will Come First!

"I don't understand why it took that agent so long to get back to me on my submission," I heard a writer complain one day at the National RWA conference. Clearly, this person, as well as many other authors, are missing out on some key information about the business. They simply don't understand where their unpublished story falls on the hierarchy of things.

One thing to remember is that the agents (and editors too) are seriously trying to get to those stories. None of us like to see piles of submissions in our offices, or pages of email submissions just taunting us everytime we log into the computer. But, you have to remember that you are still not our client, and, for that reason, you will take the second place to our current writers.

When it comes down to it, the current clients' stories will always be at the top of our reading list. This can become daunting at times if you have writers that are all sending in projects that need edits at the same time. In fact, at the time I am writing this, I have 5 full projects from current writers that need attention.

Even then, the clients all know that their work will get shuffled around a bit. If a deadline for one project is changed, I don't care if I am currently working with one client, it will get put down for the moment so we can deal with the other situation.

The point of this is simply to remind you that in this business, there will be delays. We will get to your work when we get to it. In the meantime, keep writing and move on to a new project.

Scott