Getting Published
Will
I completed my first novel in 2002, (mainstream. satirical) and then
went the usual find-an-agent route to get it published. After some 100
rejections, I finally landed an agent with a prestigious firm here in
California. Unfortunately she only made a small effort to sell my
novel, contacting only three publishers -- all very large and
prestigious companies in NYC. I don't know why she didn't try some
smaller publishers elsewhere (she's in California) who might have given
me more of a chance. Then after six months she decided thin the ranks
of her clients as she had overbooked herself. I was one of those cut.
I was so deflated by that whole experience I haven't done anything
further to get my novel published, but I (and many others) still think
it could sell well to a wide market, if only given the chance. I was
afraid to approach any new agents, as I figured I would look even worse
than someone who never had had an agent.
So, here are my questions:
1. If you knew I already had had an agent who was unsuccessful at
selling my novel, would that impact your consideration to look at it.
2. Is that something I should disclose?
3. What about smaller publishers - do you recommend any who might
might be interested, but not require an agent?
4. What about the self-publishing route? Any recommendations?
P.S. If you're interested in reading the cover letter, synopsis, and/or
opening chapters let me know.
Thanks.
su...@aboutwords.org
I'll answer your questions from my point of view, and from a more
typical agent's point of view.
Q. If you knew I already had had an agent who was unsuccessful at
selling my novel, would that impact your consideration to look at it?
A. Yes, it would. But since it was only sent to three places, it
probably wouldn't affect it much. You are professional and courteous
in your description of the situation, which counts for a whole lot.
I'd say I'm in line with most other agents on this.
Q. Is that something I should disclose?
A. Yes, definitely! If I were submitting your book to an editor, and
they told me they had seen this one before from another agent, it would
not make me happy if you had not told me this beforehand. It would
also be a red flag to the editor. Again, this is how any agent would
react in this situation. The likelihood that it would be submitted to
the same editor is not as low as you would think, since editors have
preferences, and agents tend to send the same type of book to that
particular editor, as a result.
Q. What about smaller publishers? Do you recommend any who might might
be interested, but not require an agent?
A. There are several good resources available for you to find an
appropriate small publisher, and they usually have a description of
what they are looking for and whether they will work with an unagented
author.
I have sold to smaller publishers, although I try the large publishers
first, then move down to the smaller ones. If I sell it to a small
publisher, the front end will definitely be less for both of us, but
the satisfaction of placing a book, and possibly the royalties and the
back end, will make it worthwhile. I take on a book if I really
believe in it and like it, and if I think I can work with the author to
build their career, regardless of whether I think that particular book
has wide commercial appeal. Although I have to admit I tend to prefer
commercial books.
On the other hand, most agents will not take on a book they don't think
will sell to a larger publisher, because they are in business to make
money, and they spend the same amount of time on each sale. So it
depends on whether that agent thinks it has commercial appeal, and
whether they like the book enough to take it on.
Q. What about the self-publishing route? Any recommendations?
A. I do not recommend self publishing for fiction, ever. If you have a
nonfiction book, and the audience is very small, or you have a regular
speaking tour or other built-in venue to sell your book, I think it
would work just fine. The main problem with self publishing is
distribution, that is, getting it in front of your customers so they
know about it and have access to it. Bookstores will not generally
take self published books. 99% of them are badly edited, including
problems such as: grammar, spelling, punctuation, characterization,
plot, setting, and telling vs. showing. If you do have a book that is
appropriate for the self publishing route, I recommend Dan Poynter's
book, and to find a business like Print1Direct in Atlanta to print your
book in a professional manner. They also will warehouse and ship it
for you.
Whether you sell your book to a publisher, or go the self publishing
route, marketing your book is vital. I recommend "1001 Ways to Market
Your Book" by John Kremer, and "Guerrilla Marketing for Your Book" by
Levinson, et al. I also highly recommend Breakthrough Promotions
<http://www.breakthroughpromotions.com>, a marketing and promotion
company, which is the only one that passed my conditions of doing a
good job while charging reasonable prices. (If you know of another
reasonably priced book promotion company, please let me know. I'm
always on the lookout for more.)
P.S. If you're interested in reading the cover letter, synopsis, and/or
opening chapters let me know.
A: I'm always interested in receiving queries. I'm the only agent
crazy enough to send personalized replies to all queries received.
<smile>