KNOW THY GENRE

As a literary agent, I receive anywhere from 400 to 500 submissions each month. In every case, these hopeful writers want me to see potential in their work and help them bring it to market. What they probably don’t know, is that they might be setting themselves up to fail at a very early stage.

Most agents, and most publishers, want to see a query at first contact. That is, a one-page letter that describes both the book and the author. There is no single proper way to write a query, but the right information must be there: Author name, book title, genre, word count, synopsis, target audience, and something about you.

GETTING PAST THE GATEKEEPER

By Ruth Hutson
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I’m usually the “silent” partner for WordWise Media. But today, I’m the guest blogger. My job normally includes helping our fiction clients polish their novels before Steve works his magic pitching them to publishers. However, I’m also a gatekeeper. While Steve always gets the email submissions first (please don’t send them to me; I’ll just forward them to Steve or put them in the virtual round file), he sends interesting fiction to me for further evaluation. Unfortunately, most of those end up getting a thumbs down. Sometimes two thumbs down. There are a lot of reasons for this, but there are some issues I see over and over. Avoiding them will help aspiring writers get past the gatekeeper, whether it is at an agency or publisher.

The most basic thing to remember is that publishing is a business. And like any business, there are rules and standards that you’ll need to follow in order to succeed. You may have written the next Great American Novel; but if you think you don’t have to make sure your manuscript is polished or if you’re not willing to follow submission guidelines, it’s very unlikely your book will ever be read. You need to appear professional. This is the only way to convince someone to take a chance, put up a large amount of money  (or in the case of an agent, a great deal of time) to publish your book and risk not making a profit—or even making back the investment. And that means putting in the work to educate yourself, by avoiding things such as:

OWN IT!

At around the age of eight, I learned to swim at a boys’ club in Hollywood. Then at 16, I enrolled in a course with the American Red Cross and got myself certified as a WSI (Water Safety Instructor). With this credential I could secure gainful employment as a teacher, a lifeguard, or a coach, anywhere in the country. I worked a couple of summers as a lifeguard, and I loved it. I looked forward to a long, rewarding career in or near the water. Or in the immortal words of Kenny Chesney: No shoes, no shirt, no problem.

Then I did a bit of research, and got gobsmacked with a hard dose of reality: The career path for a WSI was very uncertain. By far the majority of these jobs were both part-time and seasonal. The pay rate was lousy. Beach duty paid more, and Baywatch made it look sexy and glamorous; but the work in the hot sun was grueling. After considering all of these factors, the good and the bad, I reached a decision: The job wasn’t for me.

WHY SELF-PUB DOESN'T WORK FOR MOST

Imagine that you go in to work on Monday, and your boss tells you that you're getting a raise. Your pay will be doubled. Great!

On Tuesday, you get a letter from your landlord. Beginning next month, your rent will be doubled.

On Wednesday, you go shopping and discover that a loaf of bread costs twice what it did last week.

On Thursday, you go to buy gas. Turns out, the price at the Shell station is double what it was before. 

THREE REASONS WHY THE PUBLISHING WORLD IS LIKE AN EPISODE OF SHARK TANK

By Michelle Lazurek

Have you ever seen the show Shark Tank? This reality show features five billionaires that hear pitches from entrepreneurs looking to get their big break and have their product released to the masses. It is one of my favorite reality shows, but I have one confession to make:

Their choices often baffle me.

Mr. Wonderful claims there’s nothing proprietary about the product, yet Lori declares the product is a “hero.” Robert chides them on a lack of sales, yet Mark makes an offer, then pressures the entrepreneurs to make a decision fast because “the shot clock is running.”

All the while I scratch my head in disbelief, screaming at the TV: “why are you investing in that?”

DEFINING DIVERSITY

This past weekend, I attended the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. It’s by far the biggest book fair in the country, showcasing the works of wordsmiths from around the USA and the world. For two days each spring, it overtakes the entire campus of the University of Southern California. As a literary agent, I enjoy the networking opportunities there.

This year, for the first time, I also attended the annual book prizes ceremony that takes place the night before. Recent years have seen a growing demand for diversity in our business, and I was delighted at what I found: The field of nominees, and of winners, was about as diverse as anyone could ask: They were male and female, young and old, gay and straight. White, black, Latino, Chinese, and Pakistani. Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and probably more.

HOW TO HANDLE REJECTION

So. You’ve been working on that book for ten years now. You’ve submitted it to dozens or hundreds of agents and publishers, without success. Sometimes they say no, but often they say nothing at all. Or even worse: They ask to read your full manuscript (yippee!!), and then return with a brutal critique and rejection. I know the struggle, the sting, the existential wound.

For the calendar year 2017, the American book industry produced about a million titles. That’s right: ONE MILLION! That’s an all-time high, which means that the market is more competitive than it has ever been. And you need to work harder than ever, to score that coveted publishing contract

Where do you go from here? How do you stay motivated? If you want to turn those lemons into lemonade, you can gain a fresh perspective by starting here:

THREE REASONS WHY EVERY WRITER NEEDS A WRITERS’ GROUP

With this entry, we welcome our new associate agent Michelle S. Lazurek. She will bring a fresh perspective, with an occasional contribution to this blog.

When I began my writing career in 2009, I felt like a fish swimming upstream in a lake of mature writers. They were all so much farther along in their careers than me. I thought I’d never catch up! But then something happened that placed me on the trajectory for success: I joined a writers’ group. I’ve been in groups where every attendee was a novice, and other groups where multi-published authors intermingled with newbie writers. In every experience, I have grown and stretched as a result. Here are three reasons why a writers’ critique group is so important to your success as a writer:

PLUS ÇA CHANGE, PLUS C'EST LA MÊME CHOSE

So. The publishing business has undergone a sea change. You can get published without a publishing company. You can buy or sell books without a bookstore. Literary agents are going the way of the dodo. New business models have turned the business upside-down, and old-fashioned publishing is dead. Right?

Not even close. The business has not changed as much as you think. And the things that have changed, have little to do with what you need to know and do to succeed as a writer. 

Here’s what is truly new: Ebooks, POD, and online sales. That’s about it. Yes, they’re huge. Yes, they move a lot of books. No doubt, your buyers have more options for how to buy and read what you’ve written. But it's just that: it's about consumer choices. The real impact for you as a writer, is far less than you may think. In fact, these things can make your task harder, not easier. We'll get back to that in a moment.

ASK THE AGENT, AGAIN

This morning, I received an email from a frustrated writer who I met at a conference last year. Her story wasn’t right for me, but she did eventually sign with an agent. And this agent recently found her a decent deal with a major publisher. Normally this would be cause for rejoicing, but today she’s feeling overwhelmed. Her question:

I wanted to self-publish my book, but you told me that I should wait to find an agent and a traditional publisher. Now that I’ve done so, my agent and editor have given me a to-do list a mile long. They want me to rewrite my book, build a website, get onto social media, form a marketing plan, solicit endorsements, and a dozen other things. If I had self-published my book, it would already be on the market by now. What have I gained by following your advice?

Well, first, I don’t tell anyone what they should do. If you ask my advice (and only if you ask), I will review options with you and discuss the good and bad of each. Based on your situation, I might suggest a specific course. But only you can decide what you will do.

DO YOU REALLY HAVE SOMETHING BETTER TO DO?

This morning I found a long rant in a LinkedIn group, about a national magazine that doesn't pay all of its writers. How evil! I suggested an easy solution to this problem: If they won't pay, you don't submit there. Problem solved.

Of course, this answer won't satisfy many aspiring authors. They want the byline, to be sure, but they also want the validation that only a paycheck can bring. I get it. But there's a bigger picture here that most won't even consider.

Me, I've worked for free many times over the past 12 years. Every free gig has gained me recognition. Followed by multiple paid gigs. I've also had my blog posts lifted more than a dozen times (once by a national news magazine), without permission or payment. And in every case, those rotten thieves left my name on it, and a link back to my blog. With this, I gained tens of thousands of new viewers. (Google Analytics tells me so.) Some of them called me to offer paid work. Among that humber, some became repeat customers who then sent me referrals. 

YOUR FATE LIES IN YOUR OWN CHOICES

At the age of eight, I learned to swim at a Boys’ Club in Hollywood. My instructor, Ron Friscia, continued to be my mentor for several years. At sixteen, I took a class with the Red Cross to be certified as a WSI (Water Safety Instructor.) With this credential, I could secure gainful employment as a teacher, lifeguard, or coach. It seemed like a dream, to spend my days around a pool. Or a beach. And legions of pretty girls in skimpy suits. And get paid for it! What more could a young man ask for?

But then I did my research, and a hard dose of reality hit me: The career path for a WSI is very uncertain. The pay is lousy, and most jobs are part-time and seasonal. Beach duty pays more, and Baywatch made it look easy, glamorous, and sexy. But the work is grueling, and brings with it an elevated risk of skin cancer. Any long-term advancement would likely require extensive travel or even outright relocation.

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS

Last year, I attended sixteen writers’ events. After six years as a literary agent, this is my all-time high. Some were across town (Los Angeles), while others were across the country (Kansas City). Two weeks ago I was in New York City, and soon I will be in Orange County. 

I’ve come to expect at least one strange conversation with a writer in attendance, at each event. His language might be subtle or explicit, but one way or another, he accuses me of a crime. Not necessarily because of anything I’ve actually done, but because he has heard a horror story or three about agents. Surely we’re all the same, right?

DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!

Every time I speak at a writer's conference, I teach my students how to submit their work to an agent or publisher. I have a list of DOs, and a list of DONTs. Many of them think it's unfair that I might reject those who don't conform to the prescribed process. After all, the book might be good, and a less-legalistic (and presumably more virtous) agent might snap it up and I will miss out on a great opportunity.

Sure, that could happen. But I still need to follow a screening process, and I can't help everyone.

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MANAGING YOUR TIME

When I correspond with writers, and speak at conferences, one of the most common laments I hear is this:

“I pitched my book to 400 agents, and no one wants it!”

Yes, 400; that seems to be the magic number where many writers give up. They get frustrated, angry, resentful toward those rotten agents who wouldn’t give them a chance. As an author myself, I feel their pain. Yeah I know it sounds trite, but I’ve been there. Now that I’ve worked as an agent for a few years, I can view the situation from a different perspective.

Here's the part you don’t want to hear: You probably set yourself up to fail.

Let me explain.

HOW TO QUERY AN AGENT

Recently, on a respected publishing blog, a reader asked, “Is it permissible to query an agent by phone?” The expert answered no. I couldn’t agree more, and I am confident that you will get that same answer from most agents and editors.

The expert went on to give a long and convoluted reason for that policy, and I agree with most of it. But in my view, he severely overthunk it. I have a better reason:

Because I said so, and that should be enough. 

Here’s the thing: every agent has a process for evaluating submissions. Some want a one-page query, period. Some want a query and sample chapters. Some want a proposal and sample chapters. Still others are content to start with a Tweet. Some want a package by postal mail, others email. Attachments, or no atttachments? Whatever the case, this is how we roll. Almost every agency has a website with instructions on how to submit your work. If you want to catch our attention and maximize your chances, the best thing you can do is to follow instructions.

WANT AN AGENT? DON'T WASTE TIME WITH SILLY QUESTIONS

I am often intrigued by the writing/publishing advice that I see online these days. I’ve been working in this biz for almost 12 years now, and some of this stuff seems counterintuitive. Some silly and terribly misinformed. And some just seems…well…paranoid. You see a devil behind every door and distrust anyone who tries to help. Let's get past the defensiveness and find some real answers.

According to the blogs I’ve consulted in recent weeks, these are some of the questions you should ask an agent who agrees to rep your work:

What books have you sold recently, and to what publishers?

This info is probably available on the agency website; almost every agency has one. We agents love to boast of our sales one way or another, so it's hard to miss. You’ll find deal reports in Publisher’s Weekly and Publishers Marketplace. If this is important to you, respect your own time and look it up before you call me.

A NEW DAY FOR SELF-PUBLISHED BOOKS? I DON'T THINK SO

It’s official: For each of the past couple of years, the U.S. book market has surpassed one million new releases. That’s right: a million. (That’s over 2,700 new releases per day!) Further, self-published books now outnumber their traditionally published brethren by a factor of more than 2-1. Clearly, self-pub is on the march.

The latest news? Libraries and brick-and-mortar stores are warming up to self-pub books. (I refuse to call them “indie,” because it just sounds so pretentious.) Any minute now, store and library shelves will be bursting with titles from Author House, CreateSpace, Book Baby, and all the rest. The old is gone; the new has come. It’s a new day!

WHY WON'T BOOKSTORES STOCK MY SELF-PUBLISHED BOOK?

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before:

You pitched your book to traditional publishers, far and wide. You spent years chasing that brass ring, without success. After a while, you heard that self-pub was the way to go: You can retain control of your book, and keep more money for yourself. It all seemed so easy, and so promising. Sound familiar?

But after the first year, the book only sold a few dozen copies. You were stunned to learn that brick-and-mortar stores wouldn’t stock it. What went wrong? There are many reasons why bookstores don’t (generally) handle self-pub books.

Let’s consider the example of a typical 80,000-word romance novel:

Trends in Publishing

Everywhere I travel, and every time I speak, someone asks me about trends in publishing. What’s hot, and what’s not? What’s up, and what’s down? Frankly, I don’t follow such things very closely. And even if I knew the answers, I probably wouldn’t tell you. Not because I rejoice in thinking I know something you don’t know! (OK, maybe just a little), but because I wouldn’t want you to misuse the information.

Let’s say that you have a gift for writing adult thrillers, but YA fantasy is all the rage this quarter. Should you now start writing YA fantasy? This commentator votes no. Chances are that once you identify a trend, it has probably passed you by. Dozens or hundreds of titles are now in the pipeline, and the publishers are in no hurry to sign more. I say, write what you feel led to write, but be realistic about your prospects. Adult thrillers will come around again.