The Danger of Publishing Blogs

I was reading through some of the posts on my own blog as well as those of my colleagues and started to think about some of the dangers to authors that can occur because of these blogs.

Oftentimes we are asked to give advice, guidance, or further explanation as to some of the biggest causes of rejection we see, and certainly there are a number of things that pop up again and again. Some of these include telling and not showing your story, stiff and awkward dialogue, or lack of description. So how can knowing what often sets us off be dangerous to you? It’s dangerous when you try to generalize too much.

Sometimes, for example, a lack of description can be a good thing. Sometimes it can set a certain pace and tone. Have you ever read Robert B. Parker, especially his Spenser series? Parker has a unique style of writing that is clipped, quick, and full of energy. There is just enough description, but not too much.

My fear is that by writing about why we often reject things we are giving authors the impression that it’s just that easy. That there are only three to five reasons for rejection, and if you can get past those you’ll easily sell your book. Nothing is ever that easy, and when reading these agent blogs it’s important to remember that. I also fear that you’re getting the impression that publishing is that formulaic. That there’s a magic guideline out there and that if you find it and follow it you’ll have written a bestseller. Alas, folks, if it were that easy we’d be blogging from the beaches on our own private Agent Island.

Each agent has a unique perspective. We all work differently, we all have different tastes, opinions, and ideas. What I think might make an amazing and dynamic query letter might not work for Agent Kristin or Nathan Bransford. What Nathan sees as an instant rejection might not be the same for me.

So what am I saying? I’m asking you to of course keep reading our blogs. We enjoy writing them and enjoy hearing from you. At the same time, though, I’m asking you to understand that each of these blogs is the opinion of one agent in a sea of many. And it’s one voice, one opinion. I am not a goddess and never pretended to be. I’m just an agent who likes to share my opinion, what I know and what I’ve learned from 15+ years in this business.

So take it all with a grain of salt. Learn what you can, but write your own book and sometimes, just sometimes, forget all of the rules and let yourself go. Those are the books and the queries that really end up being the winners.

Jessica

The Stigma of Changing Agents

I’m often asked how an author should handle the process and logistics of changing agents, but rarely am I asked about the stigma jumping agents can cause, and lucky for you, this is something I’ve never thought of.

A reader recently emailed to ask if leaving an agent makes it more difficult to find another agent and if it labels her as high maintenance and difficult to work with. I’ve never, ever thought that because an author was changing agents she must be difficult, unless of course the previous agent came up to tell me how difficult that author was (but that’s something different entirely). Authors change agents for so many reasons. Some decide to take their careers in a different direction than their current agent represents, some just don’t mesh with the current agent, and some just decide that a career needs a shake-up and everything, including the agent, must go.

The author-agent relationship is extremely personal and so are the reasons for keeping or leaving it. Agents know this and understand this. The only red flags that go up for me is the author who is trying to get me to represent a work that another agent has already shopped. I don’t want someone else’s leftovers (so to speak) or the author who has 2 to 3 agents in 2 to 3 years. I’m looking for long-term relationships, not an agent jumper. And I guess I’d also be concerned about an author who is blaming her previous agent for everything that’s ever gone wrong in her career. While the agent might not be perfect, it’s doubtful she’s at fault for everything.

So of all the things you need to worry about, giving yourself a bad name is not one of them when switching agents.

Jessica

Personalized Rejections from Editors

By popular demand I’m going to address how authors can and should handle personalized rejection letters from editors. Since there was some confusion in an earlier post, let me explain that in this case what I really mean is revision rejection letters, or rejection letters with editorial suggestions. I apologize for the confusion, but I think I’ve used the word “personalized” incorrectly and received some backlash for it so I hope this helps.

So, either you have an agent who has submitted on your behalf or you’ve been asked by an editor to submit your work, and in return you’ve received a very nice letter with lots of great feedback. What next?

Of course you have to know by now that the very first thing I’m going to say is that you absolutely should not make any changes unless those comments resonate with you. Just like a personalized rejection letter from an agent is no guarantee of representation, a personalized rejection from an editor is no guarantee you’ll sell the book. Whether it’s a submission you sent on your end (presumably by request) or through your agent, the editor is rejecting the book because she thinks it needs work, but it’s unlikely that she’s going to be able to tell you everything that didn’t work for her, because that would be a revision letter.

If you have an agent you need to discuss the letter with your agent, and any rejection letters really. There are always options. If the letter does resonate with you and you feel that changes must be made, your agent can always pull all other submissions while you make changes and then resubmit. In many cases, though, editors have as many varying opinions as agents, and you might simply decide to keep moving forward and maybe incorporate those changes into your second work. And in some cases the editor might not be open to a resubmission, that’s something you’ll have to look into.

One reader asked why an author would go through editorial changes without benefit of a contract, while other authors seem to get a contract first and then go through editorial changes. Presumably, every author is going to need to go through a revision process once a publishing contract is in hand. However, as I’ve often said, editors need a book to be perfect or near perfect before they can usually be given the go-ahead to buy it. Sometimes an editor will read a book and think it's really great, but because of this, this, and that she’d never buy it. She’ll write the letter to the author telling her just that, and if the changes are made the rest can be dealt with later.

I suspect that editorial change rejections are less common from editors than they are from agents, however I know that if a client of mine received one from an editor with an offer to resubmit I will certainly put that author to work. Why not? It could mean a sale.

Jessica

You Have an Agent . . . Now What

A reader recently expressed frustration that there is so much information on the Internet about querying and how to do so properly, but so little about what to do next. What happens once the author-agent relationship is established and what can you do if problems arise?

Now, I’ve written a number of posts on how to handle the situation when the agent stops responding and you’re hearing nothing, but what if it hasn’t gotten quite that bad yet. I’m sure a number of you will have specific questions, but I’ve tried to come up with some information here on my own.

When getting that first offer of representation, you have already established a relationship with an agent. It might not be the person you ultimately agree to hire as your agent (because presumably you’re using this fabulous opportunity to shop around for just the right person), but it is the time to begin your relationship. To find out how the agent works and to get a sense for whether or not the two of you will be compatible.

I’ve said it over and over, but I’m not sure I’ve ever said it quite so simply: The key to a successful author-agent relationship is communication. Now, I realize that communication only works if it’s coming from both sides, but someone needs to start somewhere. It’s the rare agent who will make all the initial contact with an author. We have many authors, you have one agent. Because of that I advise all of my clients to contact me as often as they want about whatever they are wondering about. I get emails and phone calls all the time from clients about the status of their submissions, concerns about the direction of their publishing careers, advice on what to write about on the blog, confirmation of gossip and rumors, just to touch base, to tell a funny story, or to make sure I still think they are great. And of course any time I have information or news to share with my clients I pass it along.

Part of what I try to remember to do when signing a client is to get a feel for career goals. Unfortunately, in the excitement of signing a new client and enthusiasm for the project we’re currently working on, sometimes that information gets pushed aside momentarily. Eventually, though, the conversation happens and needs to happen and I think it’s wonderful when it comes from the client. I have a number of clients who actually write up business plans and goal lists for themselves and their careers. If you do that, don’t hesitate to share it with your agent. An agent can work best for you if she knows exactly what you want and what you need. So don’t be afraid to let her know that.

If you have specific ideas of what an agent should be you need to talk to your agent about that before you sign on the dotted line. Do you think an agent should be available 24/7 no matter what? Ask your potential agent how she handles communication. Better yet, get in touch with some of her clients and ask them. Ask the tough questions, not only how the agent handles such things, but also what some of her negatives might be. I know a number of my more recent clients talked with more long-standing clients before signing. They weren’t hard to find, just search our Web site or Publishers Lunch.

But what if you did all of that and still there are problems: suddenly the agent is not following through on what you felt she had promised, or you just don’t feel you’re connecting. What next?

Not Keeping Promises Agent: You’ve been told repeatedly that she’ll get back to you in a week and that was four months ago. You know that your submission is on hold, because she has promised revisions, and it’s beyond frustrating. What do you do? You have a very frank talk. Assuming she is returning phone calls and emails, you get in touch and tell her that you have some concerns with the length of time it’s taking to get your book out on submission. And then you need to judge whether her reaction was the right one or not. A good agent will explain what happened, apologize, and follow through finally on getting back to you in that week, or at least in a realistic time. If she’s not receptive, maybe it’s time to consider getting out before you’ve wasted more time.

Not Following-Up Agent: Your work has been on submission, you’ve heard from three of the five publishers, but for some reason your agent refuses to follow up with the other two publishers. What is going on? Following up is an uncomfortable business. No one wants to be a nag. Unfortunately, that’s part of an agent’s job. Again, you need to pick up the phone and possibly get very firm with your agent. You need to explain that one of the reasons you need an agent is to do those things you don’t like to do, including nag editors.

Making Decisions Agent: You have an offer from a publisher! Yippeee! What next? Well, it seems that your agent is going along without talking to you and making all of the decisions without you. Some authors are fine with this, others aren’t. When your agent calls to tell you an offer is on the table, your job is to find out what’s next. What is her plan and what do you need to do? Ask pointed questions: How is she going to negotiate this? What are her thoughts on the other publishers who still have the material? And you need to share: What are your thoughts?

Not Following-Through Agent: All of those promises that were made before signing on the dotted line seem to have been nothing but words. None of those things are now happening. Again, it’s time for a conversation. If the answers aren’t satisfactory, you need to determine what’s next for you and your career.

These examples are obviously extreme. In the grand scheme of things most of you should have wonderful experiences. You hopefully found an agent you really connect and feel comfortable with. The two of you have devised a plan for what’s next—maybe revisions on your manuscript, a discussion of where and who to submit to, and a submission plan—and you are either in the middle of revisions or happily writing your next book, one you’ve discussed with your agent.

I hope that helps answer some questions and concerns.

Jessica

Stages of Editing

Once the publishing contract is finalized, one of the first questions debut authors ask is what’s next. A very valid question and one I’m afraid I often forget to explain. After all, editing and publishing has been my life for 15 years; it’s sometimes hard to remember what others might not know.

This explanation of the editing process comes from my own experience as an editor at Berkley Publishing and can obviously differ from house to house or even editor to editor. However, these are the basics of what you should expect your book to go through once you turn in that completed manuscript.

Step One, Revisions: Once you’ve turned in your manuscript you should expect to hear back from your editor in about 6 to 8 weeks. I know that seems like a long time and, frankly, it is, but editors are busy and we need to be realistic about how long it can be. Unfortunately, I’ve had some editors take upwards of six months and others never give revisions at all. Again, every editor has her own technique. When you do hear back from your editor it’s going to, hopefully, be with revisions. And these can be all over the place. I’ve had editors ask that the book be completely rewritten, while others simply requested some touch-up work. My hint to you: the longer the revision letter the fewer the changes. Short revision letters tend to include things like “the protagonist is too mean and I don’t like her” or “there’s just not enough suspense here.” While long revisions letters can say things like “on page three the color of her eyes change from blue to brown” or “the dialogue on page 25 feels forced, not like the characters I was reading earlier.” Letters can be one short paragraph (the scary ones) or twenty-some pages. I think my longest was 15 pages.

Revisions are the most critical piece of the editing process. These are the changes that will make your book as strong as you can possibly make it.

Step Two, Line Edits: Once the revisions are complete and the editor is happy with what you’ve done (and by the way, some revisions can go multiple rounds), it’s time for line edits. These are the little inconsistencies the editor wants to make sure aren’t missed. Things like eye color changing, poor word choices, stiff dialogue, or awkward writing, etc. Minor things that can usually be fixed with a word change or two. Often and usually the editor does line edits on the manuscript itself and sends the entire package off to the copy editor without you seeing them. That’s fine, line edits and copy edits really go hand-in-hand.

Step Three, Copy Edits: Copy edits are typically done by hand (although that is beginning to change) on the original manuscript pages. Most copy editing is done by a freelance copy editor outside of the publishing house, although managed by someone in the copy editing department. The copy editor is someone I greatly admire because it’s certainly not a job I could ever do. The copy editor looks for things like typos, grammar errors, punctuation errors. The copy editor makes us all look good. That’s her job.

After copy edits are completed the entire manuscript is sent back to you for review. Here you can stet changes (maintain your original wording rather than the editors’), answer any questions or concerns and make any necessary changes. This is really it. Your last big chance to fix the book and add or subtract anything you might have missed.

Step Four, Page Proofs: Once you have reviewed, fixed or corrected the errors from the copy edits the book typically goes to the typesetter, and again, this is still amazingly done by hand. The typesetter takes the design given to them by the publisher’s design team and makes sample book pages. These are often call page proofs. They are printed on regular 8.5 x 11 paper, but designed to give you an idea of what the book will look like. If the book is a trade paperback you will usually get one book page per printed page. If it’s a mass market paperback you’ll get side-by-side pages on each printout.

These page proofs are then sent to you for one final review. These are not meant for major edits, but primarily to make sure all of the changes from the copy edited manuscript got into the final edition and to correct any new or missed typos. The page proofs are what are referred to in your contract when you are not allowed to make changes that affect more than 10% of the manuscript, otherwise you are charged for the changes. This of course does not refer to any errors that were caused by the typesetter.

Note: the page proof stage is also when copies are sent out for review. The publisher and reviewers know that some mistakes might be found, but the essence of the book is there and ready for review.

And once you send those page proofs back you have officially signed off on the book. The next thing you’ll see is a beautiful finished product with a shiny new cover and your name on top.

Jessica

Are You Too Explicit

I received a question from a writer of women’s fiction asking if she needed to tell agents up front, in the query, that she has a few explicit sex scenes in her book. She had a couple of concerns: one was what was the line between “hot” and “explicit,” and the other was that her readers/critique partners said she needed to be up front about this.

I don’t think so. I don’t think you need to tell readers in your query letter or cover copy that your book might have explicit sex, violence, or anything else. Unlike movies, books aren’t yet rated (although give it time), and do you really want an agent judging your book by what might be rather than what it is? Like readers, agents have different tolerances for different things. I represent erotic romance, so clearly my tolerance and what I might deem “hot” versus “explicit” is probably very different from the agent who not only doesn’t represent erotic romance, but focuses her list primarily to the Christian market.

I don’t think you should ever feel that you need to warn readers (whether they are book buyers, agents, or editors) about your book. Let the book speak for itself. Write a strong query that entices, intrigues, and grabs our attention and then let us judge the book on its merits, not on our own fears or preconceived notions.

But I’m curious how readers feel about this. Have you ever picked up a book only to become upset because it was too explicit for your tastes? Did you wish you had been warned? And if you had, then do you support a rating system for books much like the movies?

Jessica

Until You Walk a Mile in My Shoes

One of the things I try to do on this blog is give you an honest look at the agent’s side of things, including why I often reject some of the many queries I receive. Unfortunately, while I can be as honest with you as possible, there is no way for you to really know why I’m rejecting the queries or what I mean when I say certain things unless I do one of two things: (1) start posting the 70 queries I comment on, or (2) invite all of you over to go through my queries with me. Unfortunately, or fortunately, neither is ever going to happen.

I think that, for me anyway, it’s really hard to explain what I mean by “it’s been done too many times before” unless I can show you the queries that all start to sound the same and run together. And certainly it’s hard to explain why “first novel” might be a turn-off until you see some of the partials that I see. Does that necessarily mean that I’m punishing all authors for the mistakes of a few. I really don’t think so. In fact, I think that I am always more than willing to give authors a chance. In fact, I frequently request first novels because the idea is so compelling that I don’t care, and I also frequently see the same general stories again and again, but the twist is what makes it new and different. That’s the hook, folks.

You also need to consider that oftentimes my rejections are coming from talks I’m having with editors or experiences I’m having with my own clients. I might be rejecting your work because, believe it or not, I tried to sell something similar with no luck or because editors are telling me that there’s no way they can buy anything like that.

I’ve often heard authors say, after judging contests or talking with authors, that suddenly they get what my job must be like. Why it can be hard to say no, or sometimes, so very easy.

So when you start criticizing agents for turning down projects that have been done before or calling us names because we don’t really want original ideas, I think you need to think a little bit about our side of things. You sit down and try to read 70 to 100 queries in one weekend and the 10 or so proposals that you request that will follow. And then I want you to find five books that you absolutely love and adore. That you think are the greatest things you’ve ever seen and try to sell them. And find that no one will bite . . . oh, wait, it seems our jobs are not that different at times.

Jessica

Writer Beware, BookEnds Style

I just had a very interesting experience with a submission. After reading over the query and determining that there were many reasons the book wasn’t right for me, I sent along my standard email rejection. One I hope is kind, yet honest. The author, in a clear fit of anger, sent back a reply stating that after reviewing our web site he was pleased I had rejected the work since what we represent is “boring and insipid.” Clearly he decided we weren’t a good match anyway.

Kim likes to point out that while sometimes she gets back angry responses, no one gets insulting emails as much as I do. It must be something about my charming personality. And before you start guessing why (although I’d love to know your theories), I should point out that Kim and I have almost identical rejection letters.

Well, I must have been in a mood, because I decided to respond. I know, I know, don’t feed the trolls. But I couldn’t resist. I was lounging on the couch, “relaxing” after a day in the office, and I was in a pretty good mood, a mood to have a little fun. My response was to suggest that the author read agent Web sites before querying. In fact, I think my exact wording was, “In the future then you might want to consider actually researching agents before querying so that you only seek representation from those you deem worthy of your work.” I also suggested maybe the author consider proofreading all queries before sending them out since there were a number of spelling and grammar errors. Okay, okay. I know. Why did I stoop to this author’s level. Because I just couldn’t resist.

And then I decided to hit Google and do a little research on my own. Lo and behold, Mr. Angry Author has a business in which he calls himself a publishing consultant. Now I’m not about to name names or link to Web sites, but I did alert Writer Beware of their existence. My concern: this is a “consultant” who clearly knows nothing about the publishing business (it was also suggested to me that I’m ignorant because I base my submission decisions on queries without reading the manuscript) and is making money off authors who will depend on him and his company to guide their careers.

So the moral of this little story . . . don’t insult agents because we will fight back. No, no, that’s not really the moral. The moral is that you need to carefully research anyone who you plan to hire as part of your publishing team. Consultants (which you shouldn’t need), editors, agents, and even publishers should be researched and questioned. Review Web sites like Writer Beware and talk to other authors. Get referrals and listen to your gut. If it sounds too good to be true it probably is, and if it costs you money up front, run like the wind.

There are a lot of people in this world looking to take advantage of others. I’m not sure if Angry Author is someone looking to take advantage or simply ill-informed, but either way, my warning flags were raised.

Jessica

Saturday's Report from the RWA Front

Yesterday started out as one miss after another for me and for those of you who I put out I am deeply, deeply sorry.

I'm an early riser, always have been, so when at conference I like to get going as early as possible. My first appointment was for breakfast with a client. I had scheduled about an hour. Well throw in things like slow service and great conversation and the next thing you know I was late for my pitch appointments. And, of course it took 10 minutes for the server to get our bill to us. So I was really late and mortified. I missed my first two appointments and, frankly, there's no one to blame but me. So for those two who I missed appointments with and for the writer whose appointment I was late for and for the RWA organizers I can't apologize enough. The organizers however, brilliant as they are, did get the phone numbers of those two missed appointments for me and I did reschedule. I already met with one and am waiting for the other to return my call. I hope she isn't too offended to do so.

And...it gets worse. While dashing to my pitch appointments I was grabbed in the hall by a distraught client. Something had happened to upset her and she needed to talk to me before noon. Well I was booked solid with pitch appointments from 9-11am and a workshop from 11-noon. The workshop was a group workshop with Christie Craig and friends (see an earlier post for more information) and I knew Christie would cover for me, of course I also know I'll owe her for that, so I told my client to meet me at 11 outside of the pitch appointments. Clients come first and for clients in crisis everything is dropped.  

We got things worked out and I made it to the workshop of course, 10 minutes late. Christie had covered for me, but for those who were in the workshop again, I apologize.

So after a morning of doing nothing but chase myself I had no choice but to spend the afternoon sight-seeing in San Francisco. It was wonderful. I have never, ever played hooky on a conference to have fun, but I think I need to do it more often. I feel refreshed, rejuvenated and looking forward to another day. Much better than the exhaustion I usually feel by Saturday. I took a cable car, walked the wharf and had more cupcakes then I dare tell you about at Kara's Cupcakes. Holy Cow!! I am a cupcake aficionado and when friends and I travel that's the first thing we do, is find the local cupcakes. Well Kara's is definitely ranking as one of our top choices.

Tonight is the Golden Heart and Rita awards and I'll be cheering on client Shelley Coriell.

Report from the Front--Friday

Yesterday was by far my busiest day of the conference with back-to-back appointments from 8am-8pm. I tried to take notes as I was going along but honestly I hardly had time to think let alone pull out my notebook. And I apologize ahead of time if the blog is incoherent. Conference brain is settling in and I'm having a very difficult time piecing words together this morning.

In addition to numerous appointments with clients yesterday, one of my most informative meetings was with Harlequin where I learned more about the changes they are making to their series contracts. For those writing series books you should probably expect to see the new contract in 2009. From what I was told, it sounds like their goal is to streamline, simplify and make a few changes that will be to the author's advantage including a better rate on remaindered books and easier access to using material from your book for promotional purposes.  

The plan is to have the contract ready to send out to agents in August for feedback and hopefully finalized in December. I think it's fantastic that they are including agent feedback early on in the process. Of course by doing so it only makes their lives easier. For those who haven't worked for Harlequin you probably don't know that their contract is practically non-negotiable. It's a reasonably fair contract, but by sending it out to agents for feedback they are, in a sense, giving us all a chance at negotiation. 

I also, by request, asked about changes to their electronic rights. In other words, will we be getting a better percentage? They are talking about it. Well that's something I guess. So keep your fingers crossed. They definitely have the lowest rate in the industry.

In other conference news I really, really want to commend everyone who swallowed your nerves to approach and talk to me in the lobby. I know for some of you it was a little scary. After all, writers are not often known for being extroverts. It's great though to put faces to some of the names I see on the blog and frankly always wonderful to meet someone new. So keep it up. I've got two more days and I'm looking forward to meeting many more people.

Ok, so the news is a little scant today. I'm feeling brain dead. If you're reading this from SF and have something to add grab me in the lobby and let me know, or comment. If you have any questions let me know. Unfortunately I don't typically attend any workshops or panels so you'll have to rely on other blogs for that sort of news. From me, you're going to get tales of cupcakes and champagne. Both delicious by the way. I'm going to need to hit the post-conference diet on Monday. 

I'm off today to present a workshop and take two hours of pitch appointments and hopefully, a little SF sight seeing. Oh, and I'm in desperate search of a cookie that's decorated to look like a baseball. Any suggestions?