Wednesday
Dec022009
And Now...Ask My Agent!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009 Hey guys,
So I'm planning ahead a bit here: I'm heading out on vacation in a few weeks and don't want to leave you hanging with no content. To that end, I've asked my agent, the AMAZING Elisabeth Weed, if she'd be game to tackle a few of your questions...you know, to get a really, really insider-y view of the industry. It's no surprise that she is indeed game.
So.
Now's your chance to ask an agent anything. Post your questions below and she'll choose a few to answer while I'm out of town. Be sure to post it by Monday, as that's when she and I will be filtering through your questions.
Yay!
Reader Comments (22)
Elisabeth, First of all, I personally know what a class act you are and I thank you for that. Secondly, my question is this: Is Allison as uber-amazing as she appears to be, or is it all a front?
Can a self published author actually get a regular publisher to publish them or take them seriously? Just how impossible is it. I ended up self publishing my very personal story although many told me to go the mainstream route...I had no idea how.
Can you address the issue please?
thanks!
LOL, Debra!!!! I FORBID her from answering that. :) I'm all smoke and mirrors over here!!!!!!
I'm looking for representation. In this, the 21st century, what do you feel is necessary to see from me in order to consider it? Everything can be done online, so, what's changed, if anything?
I guess that's two questions...
What is the best piece of advice you have for query virgins?
Thanks!
For emerging writers -- how does one go about finding an agent, and at what point in the process should one start the search for representation? Say, with a first novel?
How important is the synopsis? I'm a good writer but, despite at least two classes on how to write a synopsis, still can't seem to manage one that is interesting and representative of the book. The query letter is daunting, but the synopsis is Mount Everest for me.
First, thank you for this wonderful opportunity!
My agent was unable to sell my mystery novel to a major publisher and we parted ways. I'm thinking about approaching a certain small-ish publisher on my own. (Books are trade paperbacks, regularly reviewed by PM and Kirkus.) My burning question: Is starting small really a foot in the door if my goal is to be published with a major publisher? Or will the smaller print run--and subsequently, smaller sales--affect my chances down the road? I've heard from a few sources that oftentimes, publishers and bookstores will look only at the sales figure without taking into account that the book came from a smaller publisher.
Travel safely, Allison! Elisabeth, one of my writer's groups has been discussing romantic suspense. Can you talk about what defines it as a genre? (The other one that seems even more slippery to define is Dark Fiction. If you've got ideas about that as well, I'd be glad to send everyone over to read your thoughts.)
I have a few questions... Feel free to pick & choose! :)
• What are you looking for now? (Like, to round out your list.)
• What trends or movements do you see in publishing? What should we writers be doing to stay on top of things?
• Is it OK to re-query an agent with a new project if they rejected an earlier one?
I'm also curious to see how you answer KW, Cindy A, and Joy's questions. (For Joy, I would think that nowadays it's becoming increasingly common for people to either impatiently or unknowingly go the self-publishing route and then either change their mind or write another book, and that major publishers wouldn't really care about those earlier efforts as long as the book they're interested in could sell. Yes, no?)
Thanks so much for doing this, Elizabeth and Allison!
My question is...we read articles that say now-famous authors with best-sellers were rejected by ten, fifty, a hundred agents before the one who say yes. I'm wondering if persistence is the key or if there's a time that you think it's clear the book is a no-go. I guess it would be the same for agents submitting to publishers -- what's the cutoff? Is there one? I'm jumping ahead since I'm not there yet --- but I am always relieved when I hear that someone queried 100 times before finding an agent. I believe I have that in me too.
So, just curious!
I wrote a book.
I created a query letter.
I sent it to 68 publishers.
As you can tell by my writing, I was heavily influenced by Dr. Seuss.
I was told as a first time writer to be happy if two of these publishers responded. Thirty-three asked me to send the first three chapters; one asked me if I would send him a lock of hair.
After a few months, all thirty-three had rejected my work. Rejections came in the form of phone calls, emails, and form letters. The bottom line was that they all enjoyed my book, but felt there was no audience for it.
The consensus was to build up my writing credentials, start a website, or simply get used to the drive-thru window.
What would you recommend for building a readership?
Thank you,
SM
Wow! So many good questions already. And SM, I'm not surprised you had so many requests. Your style is inviting.
My question is about the authors that eventually become your clients. How many of them are debut novelists? I've heard very few "first" novels do well, if they even get published. How many debut novels are actually the first novel the author wrote? I'm currently writing my third novel (fourth if you count the one I've set aside for the moment). I see my writing improve with each one, but that first one was my first love, and the thought of it never getting into print is a little heartbreaking. Like it was just the practice child. Do you ever ask your clients about past projects to see if they're worth pursuing?
Thanks! And have a wonderful vacation, Allison. You will be missed!
Hi there.
Do you think eBooks are going to have a massive effect on the publishing landscape and will the rise of Ebooks change anything, from a writer-trying to-get-an-agent point of view?
Thanks,
Mark.
Writers aren't the only ones who deal with rejection. As an agent, you also get rejected by publishers. Not all the manuscripts you love and believe in have been snapped up by publishers. Do you have any tips about dealing with rejection? How do you stay on top of your game when things don't go right? As a writer, I've been struggling to stay optimistic these days. I'm sure many of us could use a little pep talk :)
Ditto on Sarah's question. I've only sent five queries. Three rejections, two not heard from yet. But I find my mind dwelling on the rejections. As you know, agents are rarely specific. There's nothing in it for them in telling you why they rejected your work -- you might fix it up for the agent who does want to rep you. So writers are left to ponder exactly what it was that caused the rejection.
Was it the wrong project for that agent? Or maybe the agent is overbooked and isn't taking on new clients?
Or, OH GAWD, DOES MY WRITING TOTALLY SUCK AND NO ONE SHOULD EVER, EVER SEE IT AGAIN? AM I A FREAKING EMBARRASSMENT TO WRITERS EVERYWHERE?
Or, is the premise of the book not fresh enough?
At any rate, the one thing we really, really want to know -- and it could help us a lot -- is something agents are rarely going to give up. How does one handle the generic rejections that offer no explanation? It's worse than teenage dating.
Thanks for doing this Elisabeth! I have read both of Allison's books and have Afterbirth and He Love Me He Loves Me Not on my to-read list...you rep some great authors.
I recently came across an interview with Trish Ryan on WOW's website. In the interview Trish said, "Fortunately, memoirs sell on proposal...".
I was under the impression that memoirs should be treated like fiction in that you should complete the entire thing before you start querying. Does this vary by agent? Would you rather see a memoir completed first or would you look at a proposal?
Thanks so much!
Jenna
Hi Allison and Elisabeth,
I'm not yet published, however I finished a novel earlier this year and now keep an offbeat short fiction blog. I sent my novel out to a whole heap of agents and am still un-agented and un-published. Do you think that sticking with my blog, writing 1,000-2,000 word fiction posts, and trying to build a readership (clutching at straws here?) is a viable method to build an author platform i.e. if I should somehow gain thousands of readers to my blog, does that give me a platform to approach agents and/or publishers for my short stories and future novels in the style of my blog writing?
Appreciate any help!
Regards,
James Bent
How is a query letter for a memoir different from one for fiction -- if
any difference at all?
Thanks -- Becky
Hi Elisabeth - First how can I get you to rep me?! (I had to ask, right?)
How can a newbie, like me, get an agent's attention and interest? Is it strictly a great proposal or does personality play a lot into it? I don't have a completed manuscript, but an outline of two books. I have credits as a Technical Editor and a Development Editor for software books, but want to break into "Mommy Fiction" (not sure if that is real category, but it should be!) and would love any advice you have to give!
Thanks so much for your time!
Elisabeth,
What's the funniest place someone's ever tried to pitch you a book? What's the oddest book someone has ever tried to pitch you? If you could go back, what's the one that got away that you would publish? If a ninja, pirate, robot, or clone were in a fight in your living room, how would you respond? Why would you not pick one of these quesitons not to answer?
However, if you answer the last one only...I'll be (sad face emoticon).
Good Morning Elisabeth and Allison,
I'm scraping my question in at the last minute! I just read your Twitter post, Allison, so thank you for tweeting!
When I was querying my novel 'Theatricks' last year, I was referred to Weed Literary, by Jonathan at Lyons Literary Agency. Both you and he were very amiable in your correspondence and I truly appreciated your swift requests and helpful responses.
I am currently on retainer, for 'Theatricks,' but am itching to get started on my next novel. I would be very interested to know what YOU are looking for in contemporary women's fiction. What hot trends would you like those smart heroines you represent partaking in?
Kind regards,
Eleanor Gwyn - Jones