Parting Ways

I was directed this morning to Jennifer Crusie's post on her crazy hectic life and most importantly, and shockingly, her firing by her agent. Now I make that sound much more harsh than Jennifer did. And the reason I'm writing about her post is that I was awed and amazed by the poise both Jennifer and her agent Meg maintained while handling what is always a very difficult situation. I'm not sure I could have done it.

Imagine, deciding to let go a bestselling author because you know that you are not the right agent to handle this new direction she wants to take her career. That takes a humble and very wise agent. Someone I respect greatly. I talk all the time about choosing not to represent someone, even with contract in hand, because of a lack of passion for her work. Rarely though do I talk about needing to let a client go for that very same, or similar, reason. Good agents will remind themselves that they are in the business to work for authors and sometimes the best thing you can do is let someone go.

I will use Jen's post as a reminder for the kind of agent I want to be and the kind of relationship I want with my clients. One of honesty and trust.

If you haven't read the post please do so. I can't imagine the fear it puts into the hearts of writers because I know it made my breath catch just a bit.

--Jessica

Feeling Like a Puppy Dog

One agent requested my full, offered suggestions for revisions which I completed in a week and a half, and then proceeded to sit on it for a year. Two follow-up emails were ignored, but the third was acknowledged by the assistant. A year later, I had the opportunity to meet her during an RWA chapter meeting. I arrived, sparklingly clean and with fresh breath. I was enthusiastic. I introduced myself and gave her a thank-you card. I could tell she couldn’t remember the story. I even paid money to do all of this networking. A week later, I received a form rejection.

I agree it’s important to network, but like Reid observed, on the writer’s end, how far do we pursue a relationship? Especially if we can’t meet in person for whatever reason, and follow-up emails to rejections are frowned upon (I’m referring to the personalized ones). I intend to query the agent again from the above scenario, but part of me feels like I’m making a little bit of a fool of myself, like I’m chasing after her like a little puppy dog.

In a recent post on Networking I came across this comment and it made me feel a little sad. I think in this case the author is chasing after the agent like a puppy dog.

The truth is that you can’t successfully network with every person you come across. In this case the agent clearly isn’t all that enthusiastic for the author’s work, and if I were the author, I would take the agent’s lack of enthusiasm, and respect, as a sign that they probably aren’t compatible.

I would only pursue the relationship as far as you think it’s worth your while. If this is clearly not an agent you feel you could work with, then I wouldn’t bother. I wouldn’t call the agent and tell her she’s an idiot, but I would just cross her off your own personal list. It’s obvious it’s not a good fit.

If, however, you’ve gotten a rejection that you liked and appreciated or comments that hit home, it can never hurt to send a nice thank-you or introduce yourself at a conference. It’s true, we might not remember your name or story title, but we might remember you after that nice introduction. Let’s put it this way, it can’t hurt.

Jessica

A Day in the Life... and James Frey (again)

Maybe it’s a sign. Just before giving this one last look I accidentally hit quit and lost the entire post. Luckily it’s been saved, but it makes me wonder whether I should just skip it for today.

Anyway, I’ll brave it out since I have been wanting to do a day in the life post for more than a week now, but have been swamped and barely treading water. I promised though that today I would give myself 15 minutes to share a bit of that swampiness with you.

Since returning from RWA two weeks ago things have been a whirlwind. As you know I took the time in Dallas to meet with each of my clients individually. While I think it's fantastic for all of us, it always leaves me with a to-do list longer than my arm. Since returning I've been struggling to keep up with queries and submissions and I apologize because I'm not even coming close. I've been reading chapters, manuscripts, proposals and plot outlines from clients. I've been phoning editors to ask where's the money, the contract, the offer or my lunch date. And I've been generally acting like an agent. It’s great, but it’s been extremely busy.

In the past two weeks I've had three authors contact me with offers in hand. All are very talented so I need (or needed) to read those proposals and make decisions about whether or not I feel I would be the right fit. And lastly, I need to make sure I have enough blog topics to get me through August.

But beyond all of that I really wanted to write something about Nan Talese's comments regarding James Frey. As published in The Dallas Morning News Nan Talese blasted Oprah for her handling of the James Frey Million Little Pieces memoir situation and defended her own decision and the decision of others at the publishing house for publishing the book. I have a lot of mixed feelings about the situation and about its sudden reemergence in the media. I was disappointed when the issue first came up that Nan didn't speak more strongly for the publishers and extremely uncomfortable watching Oprah attack James Frey. So my question is how much of a responsibility do you expect the publisher to make when it comes to memoirs? After all, a memoir is, by definition, a story told from one person’s perspective therefore we must know that we're getting that person's interpretation of the facts and events. I'm not trying to defend James Frey. I would never do that, but I wonder why Nan Talese didn't act more boldly when on TV the first time? In all honesty, I think Nan Talese is right and given her version of the events I do suspect they were blindsided on the show. I also wonder why Oprah turned the situation into an issue about her and her feelings rather than confronting what would make a man so blatantly lie like that. As you can see I have a lot of questions and not many answers, but I thought it was worth putting out there. Besides contract, client queries and my long to-do list it’s what has me thinking today.

--Jessica

Looking for an Agent . . . with Contract in Hand

Every once in a while it happens. Actually, it happens a lot. A publisher gets in touch with you directly, either through contests, conference pitch appointments, or work you’ve written in a literary journal, and asks to see your work. Of course you submit it, why wouldn’t you? Why would you possibly turn down a request from a publisher to submit your work? So you happily go about your business, writing, editing, and submitting to agents, when bam! that editor calls and offers to buy your book. She likes it! She wants to publish it, and what the heck are you going to do now?!

Well, that’s entirely up to you of course. My suggestion is that if you want an agent to help negotiate your contract and guide your career, you should get one immediately. Don’t accept any offer. Don’t even say okay. Thank the editor (profusely is okay) and let her know that you are going to find an agent to work with, but will be in touch shortly. Then get out that list of dream agents and start emailing immediately.

Calling is okay too, but I think that sometimes emailing is better (and I have no idea why). Either way, get in touch. Give the agent your name, the title of your book, let her know if she has it already and when you sent it. Let her know which house and which editor made the offer and tell her you need to know within two days' time. A really interested agent shouldn’t need any longer than that. And of course let her know all the ways in which she can reach you.

And when the calls start coming in you can start evaluating who would be the best agent for you. Refer to my previous post on what Questions to Ask for more information.

I’ve actually been in this situation a great number of times. A few authors I now call clients, and a few I just didn’t feel that I loved their work enough to take them on, so I wished them well and hope they signed with someone they adore.

Since I don’t remember things that happened yesterday, let alone months ago, I’ll let others comment on how they handled this very situation when it happened to them.

Jessica

BookEnds Talks to Elizabeth Amber

Elizabeth Amber
Nicholas, The Lords of Satyr (first book in a trilogy)
Publisher: Kensington Aphrodisia
Pub date: July 2007
Agent: Jessica Faust



(Click to Buy)


An art historian, Elizabeth Amber has spent many months in Italy and Greece researching Etruscan and Greco-Roman art and visiting vineyards. Her studies of the cult of the wine god known as Bacchus or Dionysus provided the underlying mythology for "The Lords of Satyr" series.

Author Web site: www.elizabethamber.com

BookEnds: Describe your book in 50 words or less.
Elizabeth: To all appearances, Nicholas and his brothers are wealthy heirs to a world-renowned vineyard in Tuscany. But they’re also the last in a fabled line of half-Satyr men who guard ancient secrets. When an ElseWorld king commands him to marry, Nicholas pursues a half-human, half-faerie woman unaware of her heritage.

BookEnds: What other authors do you find inspiration from?
Elizabeth: When I was a teenager, I read Jane Austen, Charlotte and Emily Bronte, Harlequin romances, and biographies. Gone with the Wind was my favorite book back then. I still read romances, both erotic and mainstream. Linda Howard, Jayne Ann Krentz, LaVyrle Spencer, and Susan Andersen are some favorite romance authors because they know how to write intriguing stories while building romantic and sexual tension between a hero and heroine.

BookEnds: What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Elizabeth: 1. Don’t read so many books on how to write that you wind up with no time to actually write. I recommend The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler.

2. Find a strong plot hook. Try to focus your writing so that you’re aiming for the goal of a rough draft built around that plot, with a beginning, middle, and an end. Jettison anything that doesn’t serve your story. You can always save the jettisoned material in another file if you’re worried you might decide you want it back in your story later. I find that I never go back and add the jettisoned stuff back in. But I need the safety net of saving it in order to allow myself to release it from my story.

3. Attend a local RWA conference if you want to write romance. You’ll learn a lot about how the business works. Then go back to writing. Butt-in-chair is the only way to get a book written.

BookEnds: Where do you get your ideas?
Elizabeth: My educational background is in art history. Back in college I became fascinated with the black-figure and red-figure terra-cotta amphorae of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Not only were they useful containers for wine and olive oil, but their decoration told rich stories.

Greco-Romans weren’t squeamish about putting erotic scenes on their amphorae, bowls, vases, and urns. I was especially interested in the cult that grew up around the wine grape harvest. There are numerous depictions of the god of the grape—Bacchus (or Dionysus)—and his followers, whose ranks often included lusting satyrs involved in harvest celebrations, mysterious rites, and drunken orgies. Voila! The inspiration for my Kensington Aphrodisia trilogy, "The Lords of Satyr."

BookEnds: Why have you chosen to write in the genre in which you write?
Elizabeth: I didn’t know what genre I was writing from the outset. I got an idea for a 3-book series ("The Lords of Satyr") and I wrote the first book about the eldest satyr brother, Nicholas, not knowing if there was a market for the type of book I was writing or if anyone would publish it. But I was becoming more and more intrigued with the unfolding story of Nicholas and his pursuit of a half-faerie named Jane, so I forged ahead.

Along the way, I wrote bits and pieces for the books about Nicholas’s younger brothers, Raine (book 2) and Lyon (book 3). So by the time Nicholas was in rough draft form, I had a substantial amount written for the other two books as well.

Once Nicholas was completed, I attended two local RWA conferences, where I found out more about the business of romance publishing. I was lucky that sexy romance has recently grown in popularity and that there’s room for many genre combinations within the category. I realized I’d written not just a sexy romance, but a historical-erotic-paranormal romance.

BookEnds: What are your other hobbies or interests?
Elizabeth: I’m an animal rights advocate, and I volunteer at a no-kill pet shelter. It’s hard sometimes because I want to take so many of the animals home. They’re like sponges, soaking up any affection on offer. Make sure your pet wears a collar tag with your current phone number. We’ve reunited many lost dogs and cats with their owners by calling the number on a tag. A computer chip is very helpful, too, though some shelters don’t scan for them.

I’m a museum junkie. Chocolate, iced tea, and yogurt are some of my favorite foods. I figure skate for fun and to stay in shape. I used to quilt and make crafts, but writing has usurped the time I once devoted to that. Shopping with my sister and cooking with my mom are among my favorite, simple pleasures.

Feel free to ask Elizabeth questions in the comments section. She'll pop in during the day to answer them.

The Definition of Platform

We hear the word all the time, but I realized today, while talking with an author, that we don’t always know what it means. As anyone familiar with nonfiction knows, a platform is critical to selling a book. I hear it all the time from publishers: “We’re looking for great new business/health/parenting/finance/spiritual/sex/etc. books, but of course the author has to have a really great platform.”

So what is a platform? And what’s enough and what isn’t?

To put it plainly, a platform means that you have a great deal of media exposure (related to the topic of your book) in national media outlets, including TV, radio, major newspapers. It could mean a Web site or blog with thousands of hits daily and tens of thousands (or hundreds of thousands) of hits yearly. It means speaking tours to hundreds of people every year. Not just one or two at your local library. It also means that you are an expert or the expert in your field. It basically means that you have the ability to sell thousands of books to an already built-in audience before the publisher even gets the book into stores.

But a platform goes beyond just who the author is. The book itself also has to have a platform. You could have a syndicated column in every major newspaper in the country, appear regularly on major television shows, and tour the country speaking to thousands each month and still not sell a book.

If your book sounds just like every other business/health/parenting/finance/spiritual/etc. that’s already been published or, even worse, sounds like every other business/health/parenting/finance/spiritual/etc. that’s already been published unsuccessfully, then you don’t have a shot at selling it to a major publisher. You need to make sure that you are going at what’s already been done (because let’s face it, almost everything has already been done) from a new direction. How can you make a book on parenting twins different? What’s your take on corporate hiring and firing that makes your book so special? Sometimes it’s in your delivery and sometimes it’s the material itself. Either way it has to be distinctly different from everything else that’s already out there. And let me tell you now, one chapter does not make a book distinct.

Now, to discredit all of what I just said. Books sell all the time by authors who have some platform, but not everything I described above. Usually they sell because the book itself is such a great idea, such a great new look at something that the publisher knows it will get the attention it needs to sell itself. In that case, though, the trick is that it can’t be too general, and it can’t be too much of a niche. It has to be a little of both.

So, next time you’re told that your platform isn’t big enough, hopefully you’ll have a better understanding of what that means.

Jessica

The Anatomy of a Submission—to Publishers

I recently did a post on the Evolution of the Rejection and was asked if I could talk from the publisher’s perspective. Well, I can. Having spent six years as an editor I have a pretty good idea of the travels your submission makes once it’s shipped off to the publisher.

Keep in mind that this little lesson is based on my own experiences. Every editor and every publisher works differently. To confuse you even more, every project is handled a little differently. But this should give you a general idea of what happens.

1. The proposal package or manuscript arrives in the mailroom (if emailed, skip to step #3).
2. Mail is sorted and eventually reaches the desk of the editor’s assistant (assuming it wasn’t submitted to the assistant herself).
3. The package is opened and logged in to a master submission log. Some companies use a log that all editors can access, but usually each editor (assistant, actually) tracks her own mail.
4. The proposal lands on the editor’s desk.
5. When the editor has a brief minute or two she scans through the stack of mail on her desk and pulls out those submissions that appeal to her the most.
6. All submissions are placed in (a) a pile on the floor closest to the editor’s desk, or (b) a designated shelf on her overstuffed bookshelves, or (c) used as a doorstop.
7. The editor reads the proposal. This could happen in a matter of hours, days, months, or even years, depending on how enthusiastic the editor was, her relationship with your agent, and her schedule.
8. The editor makes a decision to either pass or move forward.
9. If the editor was still enthusiastic after reading the material she will likely ask for second reads. Again, this can depend on the editor, the house, or the type of book. In some instances the editor might just go to her superior and ask to make an offer. At which point you’re about ready to start floating on cloud nine.
10. The editor may or may not contact the agent to ask a few questions and let her know of her interest. At this point there are still no guarantees, but the editor wants to make sure that she’s got her foot in the door should anyone else jump on the project.
11. Second reads can be done in a variety of ways. The editor may go to a few trusted colleagues and ask them to take a look. Once she has their opinions she could either (a) reject the work, or (b) go to her superior and ask to make an offer, or (c) present the project at the Editorial Board meeting.
12. The Editorial Board meeting . . . some projects will be presented here without second reads. The editor will verbally pitch the book, often using much of the same material from the agent’s cover letter (which might have been taken from your own query letter), and if her superior thinks that it sounds like a viable project she’ll ask other editors to do second reads. Other editors and houses might not present the book until a second read or two has already been done.
13. Wait until second reads are completed. Second reads usually take another week. If they were done through the Editorial Board meeting, readers will give their opinions during the meeting. If not, they will give their opinions when they have the chance.
14. If all goes well the editor’s superior will probably give her the go-ahead to make an offer. At this point she will need to run “numbers.” Basically a profit-and-loss statement to give her an idea of what they should be offering in terms of an advance and royalties.
15. Voila! Numbers are run, approvals have been given, and an offer is made.

Again, each house and each editor is different, but this should give you an idea of why things take so dang long and what’s really going on behind closed doors.

Jessica

More Five Word Pitches

Wow! Last week’s post on What I Learned at RWA certainly had people talking. And I loved it! Believe it or not I read through all of your posts and was really impressed. Some of you nailed the five word pitch making me very confident that you’ll be able to nail the book as well. Others will need some work. Keep in mind that pitching the book in five words not only sells it to an agent, but is also the way the agent will sell to the editor, the editor to the publisher and eventually the publisher to the readers. Those five words can make a big difference and just to prove my point I have another little exercise for you. Pitch your favorite book. Not one that you’ve written, but one that you read and loved. If you don’t have a favorite pitch the most recent book you’ve read. In five words, no more than one sentence, I want you to make our other blog readers hungry to pick this book up. And to keep in challenging don’t reveal the title just yet. Let those commenting guess for a while before making the reveal.

I can’t wait to see what you have to say and just to start things off...

Can an Earl’s daughter save her servant from murder charges while preventing herself from falling in love?

--Jessica

Idea versus Execution

Recently I had the strangest experience while reading a book.

I was reading an ARC (advance reading copy) of a book scheduled to be published later this year and I couldn’t shake the sneaking suspicion that I had read it before. Not only couldn’t I shake the feeling, but I knew when I had read it, the title, and what had happened. It was a manuscript I had requested and was looking forward to reading but eventually rejected because I thought it still needed a lot of work.

While I’m positive this is not the same author or the same book in a new package, I was amazed at how much the ideas matched. The settings were similar, the hero’s background was almost identical, his profession was the same, and I even wondered, but couldn’t remember, if the hero’s name was the same. The truth though is that there were enough differences, enough things that I doubt the author would have changed in a rewrite, to make the books different. I know the heroine’s profession had changed, as well as her personality. I also know that there were more characters in this book and some of the back story of each of the protagonists had been altered enough that I knew it couldn’t be the same author. And more important, the execution of each book was completely different.

No, I don’t think anyone plagiarized or stole an idea. What I think is that there are very few amazing and original ideas out there. The truth is that most of you are writing from a box of ideas, and what really matters when writing your book is the execution. I’ve seen a thousand different cozy mysteries and hundreds of vampire submissions. None of these are really new ideas. What makes a book dance for me (and for editors) is the execution. Sure we’re intrigued and initially pick up the book based on an idea, but in the end, when we offer representation or buy the book for the publisher, we’re making that decision based on how well you executed the idea and how much you made it your own at that time.

So when you hear that someone else is writing your idea, don’t sweat it, just make your execution that much stronger.

Jessica

Multi-Book Contracts

Let's say a new author signs a two or three book deal. Are books two and three for the exact same terms (advance, print run, percentages, etc.) or is everything renegotiated upon acceptance of the second MS.

I would like to think if the first novel sold well that at the very least there would be a larger print run for the second. Or maybe even a tiny bit of the elusive marketing dollar would go to promote book two or three.

What a great question! It’s been a while since I’ve gotten something that I was really excited to answer.

The answer . . . they are on the same terms. For the most part a multi-book contract will be three books (or two or six or whatever) on one contract. Which means that they usually have the same royalties, the same subsidiary rights, the same everything. The only thing that frequently differs in this case is the advances. Oftentimes you’ll see an advance escalation—Book #1 might be for $5,000; Book #2 for $7,500; and Book #3 for $10,000, for example.

Print runs are not a contractual issue. Sometimes an agent will negotiate bonus money based on a print run, but at this stage of the game (sometimes one, two, or even three years before a book is published) a print run and marketing dollars can’t be determined. And yes, absolutely, if the first book sells well then you will get a larger print run for the second book. Conversely, if the first book doesn’t sell well at all you will likely see a smaller print run for books two and three. Print runs and marketing dollars are based on a book’s sales performance and (with a first book) estimates of its sales performance. The final decision on print runs is usually made by the booksellers. If they don’t order the books it’s unlikely your publisher is going to have them printed.

So what are the pros and cons of a multi-book deal?

Pros

You get a little more cash up front (you’ll have a higher payment when you sign the contract) and you’re guaranteed that more than one book will be published.

Cons

If your first book does phenomenally well you’ve likely been underpaid. Granted, you’ll still get the money owed to you in royalties, but you might regret needing to wait for the money to come through.

When a multi-book deal is offered I often discuss these pros and cons with my clients. If we were hoping for more money, for example, we might want to accept a contract with fewer books. If, however, the author likes the security net of knowing exactly what her schedule is for the next one to two years, then I say go for the multi-book contract. Remember, in the end you will get the money you’re owed in royalties. If they underpaid you, you’ll just have more to negotiate the next time around.

I hope that answers your great question.

Jessica