I’ve done blog posts before on the reader report, but lately Kim and I have been discussing them more and more and trying to figure out what really makes a great reader report.
For those of you who aren’t aware, a reader report is something every single potential editor will have to do for a job interview; it’s also something interns and assistants do for their bosses, and believe it or not, it’s something all editors do almost every week for other members of their editorial staff. Whether written or verbal, a reader report gives your analysis of a book’s potential.
What I think gets confusing for some people is where your opinion comes into play in a reader report. If you sit in on an editorial meeting at a publishing company, you’ll hear a number of editors, as part of their reports, say things like, “I didn’t like this” or “I didn’t warm to the characters” or “This was absolutely fabulous. I loved it,” which can easily make you think that a reader report is all about your personal opinion. And it is and it isn’t.
Remember, these editors have likely been around for a long time, so when they say something like, “I didn’t like this book,” other editors in the room know that they are saying that based on years of editing. That not liking something means that they don’t see it as commercially viable. And that’s the point of a reader report.
When I get a reader report from a potential new hire, an intern, my assistant, or even Kim, I only really care about your opinion if you’ve been around long enough to show me that you have experience behind your opinion. In other words, when Kim says she doesn’t like something, it’s going to have different weight than if an intern says it. When an intern or a potential new hire says she doesn’t like something, I need to know why, and “because I’m not comfortable with it” isn’t going to fly. I want to know whether or not you feel the book is commercially viable, whether you’re comfortable with it or not.
For example, you might not like that sex scene in the opening chapter, but do you not like it because you are uncomfortable with sex scenes or do you not like it because you don’t feel it works for the book. In other words, does it feel gratuitous and out of place to you. Again, not because you think it’s too abrupt for the book, but because you don’t feel it fits the story. To you it feels like the author slapped it in because she needed an exciting opening.
When interviewing for jobs in publishing, especially with agencies and in editorial, you will often be asked to write a reader report, and I will tell you from experience that a reader report can make or break any possibility of you getting that job. I could interview the sweetest candidate in the world, but if she writes a really awful report I will not offer the job. To me that report is the one thing that shows whether or not she has the editorial eye needed to propel her to a career in this business.
Jessica
Monday, February 14, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
Author Speed Date
The idea of speed dating is that you get 10 minutes to sit down with a prospective date and get to know them. In that spirit, we present Author Speed Date. A quick 10 minutes for you to get to know some of our clients. Today we'd like you to meet Ellery Adams.
BookEnds Author Speed Date
BookEnds Author Speed Date
Name (the one you’re published under): Ellery AdamsAbout Me
Speed date Bio (one or two lines): Likes: the ocean, animals, cupcakes with strawberry frosting, books, traveling, making things grow. Dislikes: caterpillars, ironing, Brussels sprouts, the smell of airplane cabins, discourtesy
Web Link: www.elleryadamsmysteries.com Stop by this month and you could win a new 3G Kindle!
Next Book, pub date: A Deadly Cliché, March 1, 2011
Agent: Uberagent Jessica Faust
About My Writing
Real Name or Pseudonym: Jennifer/J.B. Stanley
Currently Reading: The Likeness by Tana French
Next on Your Reading List: The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
Facebook or Twitter (include account name): ElleryAdams
Three authors living or dead you would want to have dinner with: J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Ellery Queen
Jet-setter or armchair traveler: Both
Glass ½ full or ½ empty: ½ full yet always on the lookout for the waiter
Tea or Coffee: Coffee, vats of it
Live to write or Write to live: Both
When (time of day) I write: original writing in the morning, editing during the afternoon
Writing soundtrack: All over the place. Beethoven one session, Lady Gaga the next, a little Keith Urban for later, and a nightcap with Josh Groban
Character Inspirations: Faulty people with complex pasts, a wry sense of humor, and a desire to see justice served
Plot Inspirations: For readers to get to the end of my books and say, “I didn’t see that coming.”
Setting Inspirations: Small towns with plenty of charm and more than a few killers at large
Plotter (carefully plot books) or Pantser (write from the seat of my pants): A blend of the two. I plot bits at a time and then often chuck the outlines out the window and just wing it. Writing is all about following one’s gut, even if it means a constant supply of coffee and cupcakes.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Bringing an Agent on Board
I am a two time published author and was wondering if you represented work that had all ready been signed by a Publisher. I just need help with promotions and help to get other stuff signed too, so would you be interested in doing something like that?
Once a contract has been signed an agent doesn’t legally, in the eyes of the publisher, represent those books. However, it is possible to bring an agent on board later in your career, before the next contract, to assist in career planning and in the next steps for your career, as well as future book contracts. The trick is that you will still need to have a plan to pitch to the agent.
As for promotions, an agent will typically guide you and help brainstorm ideas when it comes to publicity and promotion, but except for a few larger agencies, most agents don’t directly handle publicity or promotion; that’s something you would hire a publicist for.
Jessica
Once a contract has been signed an agent doesn’t legally, in the eyes of the publisher, represent those books. However, it is possible to bring an agent on board later in your career, before the next contract, to assist in career planning and in the next steps for your career, as well as future book contracts. The trick is that you will still need to have a plan to pitch to the agent.
As for promotions, an agent will typically guide you and help brainstorm ideas when it comes to publicity and promotion, but except for a few larger agencies, most agents don’t directly handle publicity or promotion; that’s something you would hire a publicist for.
Jessica
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
A Holiday Gift List
Back in October I asked you to help me do my holiday shopping. Thank you. I did really well this year and was quite proud of myself. As always, I lost my mind in the bookstore and couldn’t stop buying, desperately trying to find books for everyone on my list. I took some of the advice you gave, buying some books for myself (oops), and I think I used some of your ideas for people on my list.
It’s only fair, now that the packages are unwrapped and the paper cleared away, to share my gift list. So here is a list of the books that I gifted this year.
15-year-old boy: Deadliest Sea by Kalee Thompson. I was really excited to find this book. He has dreams and aspirations of joining the Coast Guard and I think this is the perfect book.
12-year-old girl: I wanted to take the advice of one of my readers and buy The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau. I haven’t read the book yet, which I would like to do, but it sounded terrific. After much thought though I couldn’t decide if it sounded like her (I learned after my post that she’s a fan of 39 Clues). So instead I got her The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke.
10-year-old boy: This was a tougher one for me. I’m not always sure what to get this reader. He loves to cook, but I got him a cookbook last year so that didn’t seem right. Finally I decided on The Mysterious Benedict Society #1 by Trenton Lee Stewart.
Adult male: Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris. I can’t believe I’ve never read this book. Do you know it’s been on my wish list for 10 years? Annoying.
Adult male: The Hunger Games trilogy. I think it’s a must-read for everyone and the box set is a guaranteed classic, plus I just really, really wanted him to read it.
Then there are three children I adore but typically do not buy gifts for. This year though I really wanted to buy the oldest girl, who has just become a reader, my favorite book, and because of that they all get books.
8-year-old girl: Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace. A classic. One of my all-time favorite series as a child and I just had to get this for her.
6-year-old boy: Edward Fudwupper Fibbed Big by Berkeley Breathed. This has become a favorite in our house, as have all of his books, and I thought this little boy would get a kick out of the power of one fib.
3-year-old girl: Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell. Kim has talked about this book a lot. It’s a favorite at her house, so when I was thinking of books I immediately called Kim to get the name and ordered it up. It looks to me like a book every child should have.
Couple: This couple specifically asked for a cookbook. She is on a gluten-free diet and they both work, so getting dinner on the table has been a struggle for them. They wanted primarily gluten-free recipes, but quick and easy so they could get home, easily choose a recipe, and cook it fast. So I did two things. I made a cookbook through Tastebook of family favorites as well as recipes pulled through the website, and I bought them Fresh Flavor Fast by Martha Steward Living Magazine. The recipes are quick and every single one includes a picture, which I think is perfect for those who aren’t cooks.
For myself (from Santa of course): Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. I’ve been dying to read this so slipped it into my order when no one was looking.
For my kids: My Mommy Hung the Moon. Last year I got them Mars Needs Moms, which is one of the greatest books ever, and I wanted something similar. This isn’t quite there, but I do like Jamie Lee Curtis’s books.
In addition to Christmas presents we received an invitation to a 5-year-old girl’s birthday party. After staring mindlessly at a sea of pink in the toy store I suggested to my son that maybe we buy her a “Laura and Mary” book since they’ve been his favorites. He beamed at the suggestion and told me he thought that was “a great idea,” so she got Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I’m not sure about the little girl, but rumor has it the mother liked it.
And you know, for some reason, I still think I didn’t buy enough books.
Jessica
It’s only fair, now that the packages are unwrapped and the paper cleared away, to share my gift list. So here is a list of the books that I gifted this year.
15-year-old boy: Deadliest Sea by Kalee Thompson. I was really excited to find this book. He has dreams and aspirations of joining the Coast Guard and I think this is the perfect book.
12-year-old girl: I wanted to take the advice of one of my readers and buy The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau. I haven’t read the book yet, which I would like to do, but it sounded terrific. After much thought though I couldn’t decide if it sounded like her (I learned after my post that she’s a fan of 39 Clues). So instead I got her The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke.
10-year-old boy: This was a tougher one for me. I’m not always sure what to get this reader. He loves to cook, but I got him a cookbook last year so that didn’t seem right. Finally I decided on The Mysterious Benedict Society #1 by Trenton Lee Stewart.
Adult male: Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris. I can’t believe I’ve never read this book. Do you know it’s been on my wish list for 10 years? Annoying.
Adult male: The Hunger Games trilogy. I think it’s a must-read for everyone and the box set is a guaranteed classic, plus I just really, really wanted him to read it.
Then there are three children I adore but typically do not buy gifts for. This year though I really wanted to buy the oldest girl, who has just become a reader, my favorite book, and because of that they all get books.
8-year-old girl: Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace. A classic. One of my all-time favorite series as a child and I just had to get this for her.
6-year-old boy: Edward Fudwupper Fibbed Big by Berkeley Breathed. This has become a favorite in our house, as have all of his books, and I thought this little boy would get a kick out of the power of one fib.
3-year-old girl: Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell. Kim has talked about this book a lot. It’s a favorite at her house, so when I was thinking of books I immediately called Kim to get the name and ordered it up. It looks to me like a book every child should have.
Couple: This couple specifically asked for a cookbook. She is on a gluten-free diet and they both work, so getting dinner on the table has been a struggle for them. They wanted primarily gluten-free recipes, but quick and easy so they could get home, easily choose a recipe, and cook it fast. So I did two things. I made a cookbook through Tastebook of family favorites as well as recipes pulled through the website, and I bought them Fresh Flavor Fast by Martha Steward Living Magazine. The recipes are quick and every single one includes a picture, which I think is perfect for those who aren’t cooks.
For myself (from Santa of course): Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. I’ve been dying to read this so slipped it into my order when no one was looking.
For my kids: My Mommy Hung the Moon. Last year I got them Mars Needs Moms, which is one of the greatest books ever, and I wanted something similar. This isn’t quite there, but I do like Jamie Lee Curtis’s books.
In addition to Christmas presents we received an invitation to a 5-year-old girl’s birthday party. After staring mindlessly at a sea of pink in the toy store I suggested to my son that maybe we buy her a “Laura and Mary” book since they’ve been his favorites. He beamed at the suggestion and told me he thought that was “a great idea,” so she got Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I’m not sure about the little girl, but rumor has it the mother liked it.
And you know, for some reason, I still think I didn’t buy enough books.
Jessica
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
It's All Subjective . . . to a Point
We talk a lot about how subjective this business is, about how an agent could be rejecting your book simply because she doesn’t like dogs and you have a dog as a sidekick, or because she doesn’t like characters named Sara. And this is true, but not to the extreme I think some of you like to think or agents like to use as examples. Certainly there are times when we reject books or queries simply because it’s not the type of thing we represent or are interested in representing. For example, I won’t even bother to read Tom Clancy-esque military thrillers because I have no interest in them. They are not my forte, so in that case it is entirely personal preference.
When reading in a genre I do represent, however, there’s more that goes into a request for more or a rejection, more than just the fact that I love dogs or am entranced with Steampunk. My subjectivity is often also based on the market or how well the concept is working for me (which of course is subjective). For example, I love all things food. Query me with a chef or restaurateur and you’ve immediately piqued my interest. That doesn’t mean that just because you’ve included a chef or restaurateur in your book I’m going to offer representation. There’s so much more to it than that, so much more to it than just my personal preference.
When judging a manuscript, whether I’m reading it for myself or for someone else, my subjectivity comes into play in how the book works for me, not that I don’t like dogs. In other words, I might not like dogs, but does the dog in your manuscript work? Does it have a role, does it feel like it belongs, is the purpose of the dog realistic? That’s the trick. A good author will make the book work for just about anyone. If it’s not working, that’s the problem, and that’s when I’ll remember that I don’t like dogs.
Jessica
When reading in a genre I do represent, however, there’s more that goes into a request for more or a rejection, more than just the fact that I love dogs or am entranced with Steampunk. My subjectivity is often also based on the market or how well the concept is working for me (which of course is subjective). For example, I love all things food. Query me with a chef or restaurateur and you’ve immediately piqued my interest. That doesn’t mean that just because you’ve included a chef or restaurateur in your book I’m going to offer representation. There’s so much more to it than that, so much more to it than just my personal preference.
When judging a manuscript, whether I’m reading it for myself or for someone else, my subjectivity comes into play in how the book works for me, not that I don’t like dogs. In other words, I might not like dogs, but does the dog in your manuscript work? Does it have a role, does it feel like it belongs, is the purpose of the dog realistic? That’s the trick. A good author will make the book work for just about anyone. If it’s not working, that’s the problem, and that’s when I’ll remember that I don’t like dogs.
Jessica
Monday, February 07, 2011
An Unhappy Client
1) I have an agent
2) I'm published
3) I'm unhappy with my agent due to (a) lack of communication (b) she can't stay connected with the internet or phone service because she lives in the middle of somewhere (c) updates on the four (4) new proposals she has are being treated as non-existent (d) legal issues with my publisher have been neglected
I'm at a literary standstill.
Any ideas?
Am I wrong for being professionally needy but impatient?
First of all, it doesn’t sound like you are being needy or impatient, professionally or otherwise. The fact that you are still with this agent says to me that you have already shown a great deal of patience, and as for being needy, having expectations that your business partner will do her job is not needy.
I could be wrong, but unless your agent lives in a third world nation or maybe the Canadian Wilderness, it seems to me she should be able to stay connected with phone or Internet. Are you telling me that her services go down so frequently that she never has a chance to send an email or make a phone call? C’mon! I’m not buying that. On days when my Internet goes down I still have plenty of time to write emails. They’ll just have to wait to be sent until the Internet clicks back on.
The truth is, the only excuse your agent has is, maybe, laziness. Or I guess lack of interest. Whatever it is, she’s not doing her job. She’s not communicating with you, she’s not helping you with legal issues; let me repeat, she’s not doing her job.
It’s time to cut and run. Do whatever your contract requires to get out of this agent, take control of your literary career, and find a new agent.
Jessica
2) I'm published
3) I'm unhappy with my agent due to (a) lack of communication (b) she can't stay connected with the internet or phone service because she lives in the middle of somewhere (c) updates on the four (4) new proposals she has are being treated as non-existent (d) legal issues with my publisher have been neglected
I'm at a literary standstill.
Any ideas?
Am I wrong for being professionally needy but impatient?
First of all, it doesn’t sound like you are being needy or impatient, professionally or otherwise. The fact that you are still with this agent says to me that you have already shown a great deal of patience, and as for being needy, having expectations that your business partner will do her job is not needy.
I could be wrong, but unless your agent lives in a third world nation or maybe the Canadian Wilderness, it seems to me she should be able to stay connected with phone or Internet. Are you telling me that her services go down so frequently that she never has a chance to send an email or make a phone call? C’mon! I’m not buying that. On days when my Internet goes down I still have plenty of time to write emails. They’ll just have to wait to be sent until the Internet clicks back on.
The truth is, the only excuse your agent has is, maybe, laziness. Or I guess lack of interest. Whatever it is, she’s not doing her job. She’s not communicating with you, she’s not helping you with legal issues; let me repeat, she’s not doing her job.
It’s time to cut and run. Do whatever your contract requires to get out of this agent, take control of your literary career, and find a new agent.
Jessica
Friday, February 04, 2011
Thursday, February 03, 2011
The Email Thread
When you reply to an email you typically have the option, through your email program, to include the email thread with each reply. The email thread is the exchange of emails between you and the person you are replying to. If you don't have this turned on, please turn it on.
I don't know about you, but I rely on this email thread. With clients it helps me to see what we've been discussing, with editors the email thread can include each step of a discussion or negotiation, and with queries it helps me to see exactly what you're sending, that I really did request it, and whether or not I want to read it right this minute or if it's something that can wait until next month. If there's no thread it typically waits until next month.
Please always include the email thread in your replies to everyone.
Jessica
Jessica
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
The Synopsis
Lately I’ve received a number of submissions that did not include the synopsis I requested. In some cases, the author sent the entire manuscript claiming the synopsis was too hard to write so it was skipped. In other cases the authors sent sample chapters and simply ignored my request for the synopsis.
I know a synopsis is a pain to write; I do realize that, and many times I don’t even read the synopsis. That being said, it’s still a very important piece of your submission package. There are times when I’m reading a submission and concerned that the book is heading off in the wrong direction, in a way that doesn’t make sense, and checking the synopsis can clarify that for me; it can also clarify whether or not I should continue reading. Maybe I see that the book needs extensive edits, but reading the synopsis can confirm that overall it’s going in the right direction.
If I look to a synopsis for clarification and it’s not there, often I will decide that if the book needs work it’s probably just easier to reject. A synopsis could have changed my mind. A synopsis also could have given me better understanding of the book, so if I am rejecting maybe I’ll be able to give feedback that relates more to the entire book instead of just the chapters I read.
Write the synopsis. You’re going to need it. If it’s not for me, you’ll need it for your editor, your copy writers, your cover artists, etc. You will need a synopsis.
Jessica
I know a synopsis is a pain to write; I do realize that, and many times I don’t even read the synopsis. That being said, it’s still a very important piece of your submission package. There are times when I’m reading a submission and concerned that the book is heading off in the wrong direction, in a way that doesn’t make sense, and checking the synopsis can clarify that for me; it can also clarify whether or not I should continue reading. Maybe I see that the book needs extensive edits, but reading the synopsis can confirm that overall it’s going in the right direction.
If I look to a synopsis for clarification and it’s not there, often I will decide that if the book needs work it’s probably just easier to reject. A synopsis could have changed my mind. A synopsis also could have given me better understanding of the book, so if I am rejecting maybe I’ll be able to give feedback that relates more to the entire book instead of just the chapters I read.
Write the synopsis. You’re going to need it. If it’s not for me, you’ll need it for your editor, your copy writers, your cover artists, etc. You will need a synopsis.
Jessica
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Writing Novellas by Sally MacKenzie
An Invitation to SinPublisher: Kensington Zebra
Pub date: February 2011
Agent: Jessica Faust
(Click to Buy)
My second novella, “The Naked Prince,” releases today. I’m excited to be in an anthology headlined by New York Times bestseller and romance icon Jo Beverley. I’m hoping her fans—and those of the other authors, Vanessa Kelly and Kaitlin O’Riley—will enjoy my story, too, and be motivated to seek out my backlist—and to snap up my next book, The Naked King, when it comes out in June. And I’m happy to have another release out in the world, especially since I write only one book a year.
Wait a minute! Only one book a year, you say? Isn’t that sacrilege in romance land? If I can’t write two—or three—books a year, of course I should be knocking out a novella. Writing a shorter story—my novellas are 25,000 to 30,000 words, about a quarter the length of my novels—should be a snap, right?
Not exactly, at least not for me. Some writers are bristling with ideas and can write wonderful stories quickly and consistently. Sadly, I am not one of them. I agonize over every word, often to a fault. And short definitely doesn’t mean easy, IMHO. I find it quite a challenge to create three-dimensional characters, a coherent plot, humor, and a believable happily-ever-after ending in a style my core readers expect in only 100 rather than 400 manuscript pages.
How do I write a novella? My first step is choosing a suitable plot and main characters. The plot can’t be very convoluted, and the characters can’t have an elaborate backstory—or at least a backstory I feel compelled to explore in depth. Actually, I discover my novella heroes and heroines in my novels. I didn’t know Lord and Lady Kenderly’s story when they appeared in the The Naked King, but I knew they were going to be the stars of “The Naked Prince.” (This was a bit tricky, as I wrote the King first and then had to go back on copyedits and revise the novel to make it consistent with the “Prince.” Time is often a little out of sync in publishing.)
Once I have my characters and plot, I try a variety of things, probably concepts familiar to you, to tell a complete story in a relatively small amount of space. I’ve limited the setting—“The Naked Prince” happens on one country estate. I’ve limited the story’s duration—the "Prince" takes place over a couple of days. I still have a fair number of secondary characters, but I don’t spend as much time with them as I would in a novel, and I limit point of view to only the hero’s and the heroine’s. If I have any subplots, they are minor. As I say, my novellas and novels are all loosely connected; this is fun for me—and I hope fun for my readers as well—but I have to constantly guard against getting carried away with that, especially in a novella. There just isn’t room for extraneous stuff.
But no matter how long or short the tale, I want to leave my readers sighing and smiling and wishing the story wasn’t over when they reach the last page. I want to make them happy—and, of course, I want them eagerly coming back for more!
USA Today bestselling author Sally MacKenzie writes funny, hot Regency-set historicals for Kensington’s Zebra line, and her books have been translated into Czech, Japanese, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Russian. An Invitation to Sin arrives on bookstore shelves today. A native of Washington, D.C., Sally still lives in suburban Maryland with her husband and whichever of her four sons are stopping back in the nest. To find out more about Sally and her books, visit her website at www.sallymackenzie.net.
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