Yesterday we talked about how slow everything seems to go in traditional publishing, and how it can be tempting to think of “quick” e-book publishing as better simply because it’s faster. I have a couple of things to add today about how this industry is changing.
Shorter Lead Times?
I do think that with new technologies affecting everything from printing to distribution to marketing and sales practices, plus pressures from the marketplace, publishers might be moving toward progressively shorter lead times, even on their books that need to be printed and shipped. Ironically, this change will be slow, as many publishers already have books in the pipeline for release through 2013 and 2014, so it will take a while to turn this ship.
How Timely is Your Book?
In this Internet and digital age, it’s increasingly necessary to think about each potential book in terms of the timeliness of the material and whether it’s more suited to a digital (i.e. immediate) treatment or it’s more timeless. Does the topic really need to be covered in 50,000 to 100,00 words or more, or is it best digested in smaller bits? Some non-fiction topics lend themselves best to being covered on blogs and websites; many how-to and self-help categories are already so well-covered on blogs and websites that consumers have far less demand for books. In considering certain book proposals, a publisher is less likely to say “We’d need to publish this one quickly” and more likely to say ”This looks like it would be a great article or blog post,” or “This should be an e-book.” (Whether or not the publisher wants to do the e-book is another story.) In any case, when you’re trying to sell your non-fiction topic, be aware that agents and editors are assessing whether your book should even be a book.
Legacy Publishing
The great thing about a printed paper-and-ink book is its permanence. The very physicality of an old-fashioned book is something that often gets overlooked in the mad dash to go digital. There’s something undeniably special about the physical presence of a book that you can hold in your hand, and it can’t be matched by being able to show someone how it looks on your Kindle or iPad screen. Seeing the spines of all your favorite books on the bookshelves in your home is somehow much more satisfying to most of us than looking at a list of titles on a screen. This has led many people to start talking about the “legacy” aspect of print publishing—referring to the idea that physical books are collected and treasured by scores of readers.
I think this “legacy” idea helps us to think of printed books in a different way. Rather than being in such a hurry to get our books out there (as we discussed yesterday), we can allow the process to take the time it takes, exercising our patience and cultivating peace in the process. The end result can be a product of excellence and quality, something you can be proud of, something you can hold in your hand for years to come.
Decisions, Decisions
As publishing changes, you’ll be faced with these choices yourself. Is my book “of-the-moment” and timely, or is it more suited to permanence and timelessness? Do I want my book to exist as pixels on a screen or is it important for me to feel the weight and heft of it in my hand? Should my book even be a book, or is it a blog, website, or newsletter?
These are just a few of my random thoughts on how the landscape is changing. What are your thoughts on timeliness vs. permanence?
Tomorrow… we address whether or not publishers really are editing books anymore.
One of the most common complaints about traditional publishing is how long everything seems to take. We’ve heard these grumblings for as long as I’ve been in this business, but it’s certainly increased in this digital age where immediate gratification rules.
To the author it seems like publishers do everything at a glacial pace. The funny thing is, when you work in a publishing house, you’re always moving at top speed, overwhelmed by how much needs to get done in a short amount of time. Things actually move very quickly for the editors, designers, marketing and sales people. The days fly by. Each person has dozens of projects in play at any given time, and it’s crazy managing them. They can’t do much but chuckle and shake their heads when everyone accuses them of being slow.
So why is there such a disconnect between publisher realities and author perceptions? Let’s look at a couple of different aspects.
“Publishers are SO Slow to Make Offers”
To authors, it seems like publishers (and agents) often take forever to make yes/no decisions on acquiring projects. And that makes it seem like publishing “moves slowly.” But the reason it seems slow is because your project is just one amongst dozens or hundreds on each agent/editor’s desk at any given moment. It may be taking a long time to get to yours… but it’s just because of the volume everyone is dealing with. In reality, everyone is making decisions at exactly the speed they need to, in order to fill their lists. Sometimes it’s slow, sometimes it’s fast. But you can be sure that no matter where in the pile your project is, this process isn’t all about you. Don’t take the perceived slowness personally.
“Publishers Have SUCH Long Lead Times”
These days, you can get your book up for sale on Kindle within a matter of days after you finish writing it. So authors have less patience for publisher lead times, which are still often 12 to 18 months from contract to book release. Writers want to know why it’s so slow, and they’re constantly asking why publishers can’t speed it up.
Well, they could speed it up if they wanted to, and for certain (“fast track”) books, they do. But what you’re getting in that longer lead time is an editorial process to help your book shine; professional interior and exterior book design; and obviously your book gets printed and shipped to stores. That all takes time.
However, that’s not even the biggest reason for the long lead times. The fact is that even in this digital age, it’s the sales and marketing aspect that requires long lead times. This is where all those things you get with a traditional publisher that you don’t get with digital self-pub comes into play. There’s a whole marketing team that needs to read some or all of your book and plan their strategy. Even if their marketing efforts aren’t visible to you, they’re still sending your galleys out for review; contacting appropriate media outlets; and placing your book in the right retailer, wholesaler and trade catalogs, all of which require long lead times. Then there’s an entire sales team that also needs to read some or all or your book, and go out on the road to visit their accounts. This is all happening months before your book release.
So because of these very real marketing and sales realities, publishers are usually wary about a contract-to-pub span of less than 12 months.
Take It or Leave It
Of course, sometimes your long lead time is just a matter of scheduling. The publisher may want to acquire your book, but there’s no slot open until 18 months from now. Or 24 months. You have a choice to make. Sign the contract and deal with the long
Thomas Umstattd Jr.
Author Media , owned by Thomas Umstattd, Jr., is the company that built my new site – and all authors should know about them! They do so much more than build websites, and you can benefit from their incredible knowledge for FREE by following the blog, Author Tech Tips, and following them on Twitter (@AuthorTech). You’ll get a constant influx of up-to-the-minute tips, all aimed specifically at authors.
There is so much good stuff here that I’m writing this post NOT because they asked me to (they didn’t) but because I totally believe in what they’re providing. The folks at Author Media truly “get” the writer’s struggle to deal with all this marketing and techy stuff on top of writing, and they’re generous in the way they share information. Their blog and Twitter feed has info on:
- Blogging and blog tours
- Author websites
- Social media including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and more
- Book promotion via radio and speaking engagements
- Viral marketing
- Tech how-to’s
- Writing and publishing
My website design package included several tutorial Skype calls with the experts at Author Media, who taught me strategies to increase my blogging effectiveness and build my traffic as well as how to use WordPress. They’re also answering all my questions as we launch this blog and smooth out the kinks. I couldn’t have asked for a more painless experience.
I have to admit – and pardon if it seems like I’m over-the-top with my enthusiasm but I can’t help it – that I’m impressed with how they not only got the entire blog and all the comments (over 900 posts!) over to this new WordPress site, but they also fixed it so that everyone got the new feed seamlessly. This was amazing to me!
A HUGE heartfelt thank-you to Thomas Umstattd, Jr. and his entire amazing team at Author Media, a division of his company Castle Media Group, LLC (which also includes Webroots Media for Political Organizations, and Umstattd Media for Small Businesses). Special thanks to Samantha Fagan and Katherine Seuss who did the bulk of the work and have tirelessly answered my questions.
Start following Author Tech Tips and the @AuthorTech Twitter feed now if you haven’t already!
I found this photo on the Author Media site - Thomas Umstat
It’s been a lot of work but we’re finally putting the finishing touches on the new website. There are a few things that need smoothing out, and I’m still working on some of the pages, so please bear with me as we get this finished. Feel free to let me know if you see anything that should be fixed.
There are a number of reasons I’m excited about the site, the first being that I finally have my own domain name, rachellegardner.com. Easy to remember! And the other most exciting thing is that we will finally—FINALLY!—have threaded comments, meaning you’ll be able to respond directly to someone else’s comment, and they can respond directly to yours. I’ve wanted this for so long—I think it’s going to make the blog so much more fun!
I’m incorporating a few other changes that I hope will make the blog an even better place to visit.
- With the new tabs across the top, the site should be easy to navigate and find the information you need. There is also a search function, as well as the archives and category lists on the sidebar.
- I’ll be posting 6 to 7 days a week now, which will allow me to include some new features.
- You’ll see occasional announcements of my clients’ latest releases, a feature that has been missing from my blog for a while.
- One of these days I’m going to add vlogging (video blogging) as well. Not too often! But occasionally for a change of pace.
- We’ll still have high quality guest posts from authors and other industry professionals. I’ve lined up some knowledgeable folks to talk to us about fun stuff like online techy issues and book marketing and promotion.
- I’ve hired an elite member of the exclamation-point police to try and keep me in check. (Okay, kidding. But I should, right?)
- MOST OF ALL… this is going to be the same old blog. It just has a different look and is much more user-friendly. But if you’re reading this in a Reader or RSS feed, nothing will appear different, in which case, why did you read this post????
Thanks, everyone, for supporting the blog and for being such a terrific community of authors and publishing professionals. Hope we can all continue learning from each other and having fun for a long time to come.
My crack web team is working on my blog so there will be no new posts for the next couple of days. Please bear with me during the downtime and meanwhile, visit me on my Facebook page.
I frequently field phone calls from clients who are going through a rough patch in their frame of mind. It turns out being a contracted and published author doesn’t automatically fill you with self-confidence and unending affection for your own work. Who knew?
The reality is that the publishing journey is fraught with emotional land mines—dealing with the editorial process, reading your reviews, settling on just the right idea for that next book—that can make you feel insecure and like a fraud.
I can’t write! I have everyone fooled. I am an imposter. What made me think I could call myself a writer?This, of course, is a normal part of being a writer. If all goes well, you
will have some moments of loving your WIP and you’ll appreciate your newly published books when they land on your front porch in that UPS box. You’ll even continue to enjoy the process of writing. But you’ll probably also have moments when you’re sure that everything you’ve written is garbage and you’re terrified you’re going to be found out.
And it’s a good thing too. Because it’s that very insecurity that will drive you to keep growing, keep learning, be the best you can be. Lately I’ve been quoting the famous yoga teacher BKS Iyengar to my clients. He said, “The moment you say ‘I have got it,’ you have lost everything you had…The moment you say ‘I am satisfied with that,’ stagnation has come. That is the end of your learning; you have closed the windows of your intellect.”
If you believe that, then you see that we really need to look at writing and publishing as a journey, and take from it what we can while we are in the middle of it. It’s part of our larger process of growing and developing as people; it is not a question of “arriving” but more a discipline of figuring out how to keep going.
Don’t worry about yourself when you’re feeling insecure or even hateful toward your writing. Accept it as part of your journey; ask yourself what it means, how it can spur you on, what it drives you toward.
Let yourself feel satisfied for brief moments, then go back to the natural state of the writer: insecure, frustrated, driven.
It’s a great life, isn’t it?
Tell me about your own insecure moments. How do they help you?If you haven’t yet, drop by my Facebook page and click “Like.”www.facebook.com/agent.rachelle
© 2011 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent
I frequently field phone calls from clients who are going through a rough patch in their frame of mind. It turns out being a contracted and published author doesn’t automatically fill you with self-confidence and unending affection for your own work. Who knew?
The reality is that the publishing journey is fraught with emotional land mines—dealing with the editorial process, reading your reviews, settling on just the right idea for that next book—that can make you feel insecure and like a fraud.
I can’t write! I have everyone fooled. I am an imposter. What made me think I could call myself a writer?
This, of course, is a normal part of being a writer. If all goes well, you will have some moments of loving your WIP and you’ll appreciate your newly published books when they land on your front porch in that UPS box. You’ll even continue to enjoy the process of writing. But you’ll probably also have moments when you’re sure that everything you’ve written is garbage and you’re terrified you’re going to be found out.
And it’s a good thing too. Because it’s that very insecurity that will drive you to keep growing, keep learning, be the best you can be. Lately I’ve been quoting the famous yoga teacher BKS Iyengar to my clients. He said, “The moment you say ‘I have got it,’ you have lost everything you had…The moment you say ‘I am satisfied with that,’ stagnation has come. That is the end of your learning; you have closed the windows of your intellect.”
If you believe that, then you see that we really need to look at writing and publishing as a journey, and take from it what we can while we are in the middle of it. It’s part of our larger process of growing and developing as people; it is not a question of “arriving” but more a discipline of figuring out how to keep going.
Don’t worry about yourself when you’re feeling insecure or even hateful toward your writing. Accept it as part of your journey; ask yourself what it means, how it can spur you on, what it drives you toward.
Let yourself feel satisfied for brief moments, then go back to the natural state of the writer: insecure, frustrated, driven.
It’s a great life, isn’t it?
Tell me about your own insecure moments. How do they help you?
If you haven’t yet, drop by my Facebook page and click “Like.”
www.facebook.com/agent.rachelle
© 2011 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent
By now most of you have read the Wall Street Journal article that appeared on June 4th called “Darkness Too Visible” by Meghan Cox Gurdon, which decried the dark themes in today’s YA literature. After it came out, the Internet erupted with responses, including over 15,000 tweets and many blogs posts and articles from YA authors and others in the writing/publishing community. (Nathan Bransford gave some good links.) All of this happened when I was on vacation and blissfully unaware, but now I’ve read the article, dozens of the tweets and a handful of the posts and I do have something to say.
Let’s cut the “bulldozing” languageI would never presume to jump to the defense of the entire publishing industry, as that’s not my job. Yet I also don’t appreciate sweeping generalizations about a publishing industry that according to Ms. Cox Gurdon, supposedly tries to “bulldoze coarseness or misery” into our children's lives. Nobody is bulldozing anything. Writers are writing, publishers are publishing, and readers are making their choices and buying. Nobody is forcing us to read anything we don’t want to read. There are plenty of choices: thousands of books being currently published, and libraries full of millions of books published in years past. We all have to make our choices and stop acting like publishing is forcing something down our throats.
The roles of art and mass mediaDoes art
reflect the culture? Or does it
create the culture? Same questions with mass media (which includes books). Reflect or create? Obviously there’s a reciprocal relationship, with books, movies and TV shows both reflecting public taste and determining it. So it’s a little disingenuous to only focus on the idea that these “dark” themes in books will infiltrate kids’ minds and create darkness where none existed before. There is a
reason for so much darkness in YA literature and it’s this: our kids are growing up in a world that contains considerable darkness. Writers and publishers are not creating it out of thin air—it’s coming from the hearts and minds of people, real people, many of whom have struggled through dark times themselves. To accuse writers and publishers of doing all of this strictly out of some evil profit motive is to totally deny the reality the exists behind the dark YA books: the darkness in many teens’ lives.
The role of the parentAs the mother of two adolescent girls, I take care to help them choose strong, well-written fiction that suits their interests, taking into account each of their individual needs and personalities. I don’t censor and I’ve never said, “No, you can’t read this book.” When books include dark or difficult themes (some of my daughters’ recent choices have included a novel about cutting and a true account of the Columbine massacre) I use it as an opportunity to engage in conversation, hear their thoughts on these topics, and help them process when necessary.
And yes, like Ms. Cox Gurdon, I’m a little leery of some of the darkest of the YA themes out there—not because I’m afraid the evil publishing lords are trying to bulldoze into my kids’ lives, and not because I think it shouldn’t exist—but because I know my kids. I know their hearts, I’m pretty aware of the kinds of themes they can dea
By now most of you have read the Wall Street Journal article that appeared on June 4th called “Darkness Too Visible” by Meghan Cox Gurdon, which decried the dark themes in today’s YA literature. After it came out, the Internet erupted with responses, including over 15,000 tweets and many blogs posts and articles from YA authors and others in the writing/publishing community. (Nathan Bransford gave some good links.) All of this happened when I was on vacation and blissfully unaware, but now I’ve read the article, dozens of the tweets and a handful of the posts and I do have something to say.
Let’s cut the “bulldozing” language
I would never presume to jump to the defense of the entire publishing industry, as that’s not my job. Yet I also don’t appreciate sweeping generalizations about a publishing industry that according to Ms. Cox Gurdon, supposedly tries to “bulldoze coarseness or misery” into our children’s lives. Nobody is bulldozing anything. Writers are writing, publishers are publishing, and readers are making their choices and buying. Nobody is forcing us to read anything we don’t want to read. There are plenty of choices: thousands of books being currently published, and libraries full of millions of books published in years past. We all have to make our choices and stop acting like publishing is forcing something down our throats.
The roles of art and mass media
Does art reflect the culture? Or does it create the culture? Same questions with mass media (which includes books). Reflect or create? Obviously there’s a reciprocal relationship, with books, movies and TV shows both reflecting public taste and determining it. So it’s a little disingenuous to only focus on the idea that these “dark” themes in books will infiltrate kids’ minds and create darkness where none existed before. There is a reason for so much darkness in YA literature and it’s this: our kids are growing up in a world that contains considerable darkness. Writers and publishers are not creating it out of thin air—it’s coming from the hearts and minds of people, real people, many of whom have struggled through dark times themselves. To accuse writers and publishers of doing all of this strictly out of some evil profit motive is to totally deny the reality the exists behind the dark YA books: the darkness in many teens’ lives.
The role of the parent
As the mother of two adolescent girls, I take care to help them choose strong, well-written fiction that suits their interests, taking into account each of their individual needs and personalities. I don’t censor and I’ve never said, “No, you can’t read this book.” When books include dark or difficult themes (some of my daughters’ recent choices have included a novel about cutting and a true account of the Columbine massacre) I use it as an opportunity to engage in conversation, hear their thoughts on these topics, and help them process when necessary.
And yes, like Ms. Cox Gurdon, I’m a little leery of some of the darkest of the YA themes out there—not because I’m afraid the evil publishing lords are trying to bulldoze into my kids’ lives, and not because I think it shouldn’t exist—but because I know my kids. I know their hearts, I’m pretty aware of the kinds of themes they can deal with and t
It's time for another installment of my kids' favorite car game, in which you get to choose between two hypothetical options.
If you're lucky enough to have played this game with kids, you've probably had to choose between lovely alternatives like: "Would you rather be hairy all over or completely bald?" or, "Would you rather be the most beautiful person ever but really dumb, or the smartest person ever but really ugly?"
My favorite question lately was, "Would you rather play World of Warcraft... or kill yourself?" (That was a tough one.)
But today's question for you is not so hard. Here it is:
Would you rather give up writing for the rest of your life but have all the time you wanted for reading... or give up reading for the rest of your life but have all the time you want for writing?
In other words... give up reading or give up writing?
Mwa ha ha ha ha......
Have a good weekend pondering that one!
If you haven’t yet, drop by my Facebook page and click “Like.”
www.facebook.com/agent.rachelle
© 2011 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent
It’s time for another installment of my kids’ favorite car game, in which you get to choose between two hypothetical options.
If you’re lucky enough to have played this game with kids, you’ve probably had to choose between lovely alternatives like: “Would you rather be hairy all over or completely bald?” or, “Would you rather be the most beautiful person ever but really dumb, or the smartest person ever but really ugly?”
My favorite question lately was, “Would you rather play World of Warcraft… or kill yourself?” (That was a tough one.)
But today’s question for you is not so hard. Here it is:
Would you rather give up writing for the rest of your life but have all the time you wanted for reading… or give up reading for the rest of your life but have all the time you want for writing?
In other words… give up reading or give up writing?
Mwa ha ha ha ha……
Have a good weekend pondering that one!
If you haven’t yet, drop by my Facebook page and click “Like.”
www.facebook.com/agent.rachelle
© 2011 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent
(And Other Annoying Devices)
When I'm editing manuscripts, I somehow turn into the cruel and heartless eliminator of... exclamation points!!! Seriously, I've developed a hatred for them! People tend to WAY overuse them! Not to mention italics and bold, and that oh-so-effective use of ALL CAPS!!!!!!!
Here’s a hint to avoid coming across as amateur: Use the above devices sparingly in any writing intended for publication. (I’m being specific here, because in blogs, emails, social networking and text messaging, you’re free to go crazy.)
If you tend to use a plethora of exclamation points, do a search-and-replace in your manuscript and put a period in place of every single one of them. Yep, every one. Then you can go back and add an exclamation point here and there if you really must. But I’m not kidding: V E R Y . . . S P A R I N G L Y.
Same with other means of artificial emphasis:
italics and ALL CAPS. Your writing should be so effective by itself that the emphasis isn’t necessary.
As for
bold, don’t
ever use it in running text! (It’s
OKAY for headers!)
Isn’t THIS irritating!!!!
If you haven’t yet, drop by my Facebook page and click “Like.”
www.facebook.com/agent.rachelle
© 2011 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent
(And Other Annoying Devices)
When I’m editing manuscripts, I somehow turn into the cruel and heartless eliminator of… exclamation points!!! Seriously, I’ve developed a hatred for them! People tend to WAY overuse them! Not to mention italics and bold, and that oh-so-effective use of ALL CAPS!!!!!!!
Here’s a hint to avoid coming across as amateur: Use the above devices sparingly in any writing intended for publication. (I’m being specific here, because in blogs, emails, social networking and text messaging, you’re free to go crazy.)
If you tend to use a plethora of exclamation points, do a search-and-replace in your manuscript and put a period in place of every single one of them. Yep, every one. Then you can go back and add an exclamation point here and there if you really must. But I’m not kidding: V E R Y . . . S P A R I N G L Y.
Same with other means of artificial emphasis: italics and ALL CAPS. Your writing should be so effective by itself that the emphasis isn’t necessary.
As for bold, don’t ever use it in running text! (It’s OKAY for headers!)
Isn’t THIS irritating!!!!
If you haven’t yet, drop by my Facebook page and click “Like.”
www.facebook.com/agent.rachelle
© 2011 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent
I just returned from my summer vacation and am still trying to re-integrate into normal life so I don't have any profound insights for today's blog post. (My last seven posts were pre-scheduled before I left town. I love modern technology.)
But I do have a couple of observations from my time away, and here they are:
1. People are still reading. Everywhere! And they're reading... books! Paperback books mostly. In the airports, on planes, and during an entire week of observing people on the beach and by the pool (covertly trying to read their book titles) I saw people relaxing with reading material and it was overwhelmingly fiction. The whole week I only saw one Kindle by the pool, and a couple people reading books on their iPhones on the plane. It's certainly not scientific research but I can't help but be heartened and reassured by seeing so many people continuing to enjoy books. So writers, keep writing!
2. Be aware of the moment. I managed to read three great books on my trip, mostly in the early mornings and late at night when the rest of the family was sleeping. But I also realized the importance of having plenty of no-book time in which I stayed fully present and in the moment. Often reading takes you away to a different place and I didn't want too much of that, even when sitting by the pool. I think writers may be tempted to always be either reading or writing, but maybe scheduling plenty of time where you're doing neither will be more beneficial for your writing in the long run. You can't write truth unless you're fully experiencing life, so don't be afraid of putting down the book and engaging with the world around you.
3. Get out of your country, if possible. I've traveled abroad to several countries, but we've never taken our kids out of the U.S., reasoning that there's so much to do and see right here. After this trip to Mexico, I'll never think that way again! Exposing my kids to a different culture is one of the best things I've ever done, and I found it personally enriching as well. There is something invigorating and enlightening about being outside your comfort zone, your own environment, your own language. I can't wait to plan another trip and will start saving my pennies immediately!
I know summer's just beginning, so you may not have taken a vacation yet. But if you want to share some version of "What I Learned on My Summer Vacation," now's your chance!
If you haven’t yet, drop by my Facebook page and click “Like.”
www.facebook.com/agent.rachelle
© 2011 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent
25 Comments on Notes From the Beach, last added: 6/20/2011
I just returned from my summer vacation and am still trying to re-integrate into normal life so I don’t have any profound insights for today’s blog post. (My last seven posts were pre-scheduled before I left town. I love modern technology.)
But I do have a couple of observations from my time away, and here they are:
1. People are still reading. Everywhere! And they’re reading… books! Paperback books mostly. In the airports, on planes, and during an entire week of observing people on the beach and by the pool (covertly trying to read their book titles) I saw people relaxing with reading material and it was overwhelmingly fiction. The whole week I only saw one Kindle by the pool, and a couple people reading books on their iPhones on the plane. It’s certainly not scientific research but I can’t help but be heartened and reassured by seeing so many people continuing to enjoy books. So writers, keep writing!
2. Be aware of the moment. I managed to read three great books on my trip, mostly in the early mornings and late at night when the rest of the family was sleeping. But I also realized the importance of having plenty of no-book time in which I stayed fully present and in the moment. Often reading takes you away to a different place and I didn’t want too much of that, even when sitting by the pool. I think writers may be tempted to always be either reading or writing, but maybe scheduling plenty of time where you’re doing neither will be more beneficial for your writing in the long run. You can’t write truth unless you’re fully experiencing life, so don’t be afraid of putting down the book and engaging with the world around you.
3. Get out of your country, if possible. I’ve traveled abroad to several countries, but we’ve never taken our kids out of the U.S., reasoning that there’s so much to do and see right here. After this trip to Mexico, I’ll never think that way again! Exposing my kids to a different culture is one of the best things I’ve ever done, and I found it personally enriching as well. There is something invigorating and enlightening about being outside your comfort zone, your own environment, your own language. I can’t wait to plan another trip and will start saving my pennies immediately!
I know summer’s just beginning, so you may not have taken a vacation yet. But if you want to share some version of “What I Learned on My Summer Vacation,” now’s your chance!
If you haven’t yet, drop by my Facebook page and click “Like.”
www.facebook.com/agent
Dear Rachelle: You've blogged about how to write a good query letter, but what about the stage after a successful query, when several agents have requested partials or fulls? How many requested partials or fulls become clients? Could a dozen agents be interested enough to take a look, but none of them love it enough to take it on? What are the odds of getting an agent if you have a strong query?
Here are my thoughts: I don't know the percentage of requested partials and fulls that become clients, but I also think it's irrelevant information. You can't apply a generalized statistic to an individual, so stats would be meaningless. Plus, this is not a game based on "odds" because all the players are not equal. For example: about zero percent of writers with uninteresting queries become clients. 100% of writers with queries that knock my socks off will get a request for a partial or full. So you can't learn much from trying to calculate the odds.
But the question addresses an important point: What if a dozen agents request a partial or full, but nobody goes the next step and offers representation? Then you have a problem. Your query is good, and possibly your first few pages (if they were included with the query) were also promising. But the book itself is failing to deliver. Pay attention to this! It may be time to get some help evaluating your manuscript and try to determine what you can improve.
You could just doggedly keep submitting to agents and that might do the trick. But if numerous agents are reading your manuscript (not just your query) and you still have no agent, seriously consider whether you need to stop submitting and fix your book or write a new one.
It's easy to focus on the query, because it's the first step in grabbing the attention of someone who can help get your book published. But don't forget, the process can easily
end with the query if the book isn't carrying the reader all the way through. Like I've said many times before, most of your focus should be on your book. Continually be open to learning how to improve your writing. Even writers with multiple published books are still learning.
So where are you in this process? Have you received requests for a partial or full? Got an agent yet? If not, how are you planning to proceed?
If you haven’t yet, drop by my Facebook page and click “Like.”
www.facebook.com/agent.rachelle
© 2011 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent
Dear Rachelle: You’ve blogged about how to write a good query letter, but what about the stage after a successful query, when several agents have requested partials or fulls? How many requested partials or fulls become clients? Could a dozen agents be interested enough to take a look, but none of them love it enough to take it on? What are the odds of getting an agent if you have a strong query?
Here are my thoughts: I don’t know the percentage of requested partials and fulls that become clients, but I also think it’s irrelevant information. You can’t apply a generalized statistic to an individual, so stats would be meaningless. Plus, this is not a game based on “odds” because all the players are not equal. For example: about zero percent of writers with uninteresting queries become clients. 100% of writers with queries that knock my socks off will get a request for a partial or full. So you can’t learn much from trying to calculate the odds.
But the question addresses an important point: What if a dozen agents request a partial or full, but nobody goes the next step and offers representation? Then you have a problem. Your query is good, and possibly your first few pages (if they were included with the query) were also promising. But the book itself is failing to deliver. Pay attention to this! It may be time to get some help evaluating your manuscript and try to determine what you can improve.
You could just doggedly keep submitting to agents and that might do the trick. But if numerous agents are reading your manuscript (not just your query) and you still have no agent, seriously consider whether you need to stop submitting and fix your book or write a new one.
It’s easy to focus on the query, because it’s the first step in grabbing the attention of someone who can help get your book published. But don’t forget, the process can easily end with the query if the book isn’t carrying the reader all the way through. Like I’ve said many times before, most of your focus should be on your book. Continually be open to learning how to improve your writing. Even writers with multiple published books are still learning.
So where are you in this process? Have you received requests for a partial or full? Got an agent yet? If not, how are you planning to proceed?
If you haven’t yet, drop by my Facebook page and click “Like.”
www.facebook.com/agent.rachelle
© 2011 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent
I’m taking a blogging break this week. Hope you enjoy this post from my archives.
As I go through queries and partials, I'm often thinking about the two elements of a good novel:
craft and
story.
Craft refers to all the mechanics of fiction: plot, characterization, dialogue, pacing, flow, scene-crafting, dramatic structure, point-of-view, etc.
Story refers to the page-turning factor: how compelling is your story, how unique or original, does it connect with the reader, is there that certain spark that makes it jump off the page? Is it sufficiently suspenseful or romantic? Is the
author's voice distinct and compelling? It's much harder to quantify than craft, and harder to teach.
Of course, the two elements are intertwined, but it's helpful to artificially separate them, in order to understand why a book is either working—or not.
Lately I've noticed amongst my stacks of rejected queries an increasing number of projects that show strong technique, but no originality or heart. In a way, this is
good because it shows that writers are paying attention to their craft. They're taking the time and making the effort to learn to write, which is fantastic.
But it's heartbreaking to me at the same time. I hate that lifeless feeling of a boring (or derivative or unoriginal) story, perfectly executed. I get the feeling many people are so saturated with media (books, TV, movies) that they are writing not from life but from their
perception of life as shown in media. They're writing stories I've seen and heard a hundred times before.
In fact, just this week I read some sample chapters from a newbie writer, and I was impressed with the technical excellence. Nice dialogue, perfect POVs, showing not telling... the craft elements were all there. But the story itself involved a hackneyed plot, a totally uninteresting protagonist, and major predictability. It felt like it was written by a computer program, and it made me sad. I want to teach writers to
not only learn the craft, but to also write from their heart. Write with authenticity, write from the depths of personal experience.
I think some writers find
craft easier, and others find
story comes more naturally. It's up to you to understand where you stand as a writer, where your strengths and weaknesses are, and make the effort to keep working on both sides of the equation.
And when you read published books that don't seem to "follow the rules" of craft that you've worked so hard to learn, try to determine if maybe that book got published because of the story, rather than technical perfection. (Or it might just be that the author has established a loyal following who enjoys their particular style of storytelling.)
If your storytelling is powerful enough, readers will forgive an awful lot of flaws in technique... and so will agents and editors. On the other hand, all the perfect "craft" in the world can't make an unimaginative book shine.
If editors and agents are looking at your samples and immediately criticizing your craft, be aware this means they aren't able to see a fabulous story in there. Either it doesn't exist to begin with, or it's camouflaged by your lack of expertise in fiction technique.
So writers, speak up. Where do you stand? Which is harder for you? How do you approach both sides of this craft/story equation?
If you haven’t yet, drop by my Facebook page and click “Like.”
www.facebook.com/agent.rachelle
© 2011 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent
You've read Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass, right? But if you're unpublished, it's too soon to have a breakout novel.
You need a break-in novel.
As an unpublished novelist, you're in the position of not just having to write good books. You have to write a BREAK-IN book. It's going to require a mysterious combination of your writing reaching a certain level, the right agent reading it at the right time, the right editor receiving it on a good day, and some magic fairy dust.
Some writers have several completed books, and wonder which one to start submitting first. It's easy: the one that has the best chance of breaking you in. The one that presents the fewest obstacles to publication. The one in which your writing shines the brightest. The one in which the genre and subject matter are closest to what seems to be selling right now.
Perhaps you've got other projects that are closer to your heart, the ones you really want to see published. But they're not selling for whatever reason. Don't fret. Once you've broken in, there may be opportunity down the road to get those published, especially if you revise and rewrite with your improved writing skills (because the more you write, and work with editors, the better writer you'll be).
Let's say you have one project that you feel is your literary masterpiece, and another that's a historical romance. Which do you think has a better chance of being your break-in novel? Save the literary masterpiece for later when you've earned the luxury of a little more freedom.
I have one client who has two completed novels that are simply amazing. They showcase her awesome talent like nobody's business, and she loves them more than anything she's ever written. But publishers have concerns about the subject matter and the time period of the novels. The author might end up getting a couple of other novels published first, the ones she's not as passionate about. Now I'm sure you're thinking, What a great problem to have. And you're right, it is a good problem. But it's been a bit hard emotionally, because she's so attached to those two novels. However, I keep telling her, the important thing is breaking in. Once she has an established readership, I think we'll be able to sell those novels no problem.
Writing the break-in novel is similar to writing the breakout novel. You can still use all the information in Donald Maass's books. If you're shooting for commercial success, then you'll need the best writing possible and the fewest obstacles possible. And don't forget the fairy dust.
So what are you doing to break in?
If you haven’t yet, drop by my Facebook page and click “Like.”
www.facebook.com/agent.rachelle
© 2011 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent
I’m taking a blogging break this week. Hope you enjoy this post from my archives.
I received a letter from a writer who said that one of the great joys of his life was creating ideas and playing around with characters in fantastic worlds. But when he decided to try transferring these thoughts into stories, the joy disappeared. The struggle to pin down ideas and images into words and sentences was simply not any fun.
He was wondering if he was the only one with this problem. Does he simply need more practice? Should he just write, even if it's not fun?
I thought this was a great question and I want you all to answer, but first (of course) I’ll offer my two cents.
I heard an interview with Nicholas Sparks that seems relevant. He might not be everyone’s favorite author but he’s successful and prolific, so I think he’s worth listening to. I was surprised that when the interviewer asked him if he enjoys writing, he said “No.” He said it’s difficult work and it’s not fun while he’s doing it. When he goes in his office and closes the door, he has the mindset of “going to work” and doesn’t think of it as enjoyable.
I’m sure, like many successful authors before him, that he enjoys
having written even if he doesn’t enjoy the process of writing. He likes the results—as do most writers.
Personally, I don’t enjoy the process of writing, but I do enjoy the results of what I write. However, I know many of my clients, fiction authors especially, love their writing time. For them, that creative flow is energizing. They love being in their made-up worlds and hanging out with their fictional characters, and find it enjoyable.
The conundrum most novelists face is that there’s a big difference between imagining those worlds within the freedom of your own mind, and wrangling them to fit into the severely limiting structure of written language. It’s hard work.
Coming to this realization can be a defining moment. You’re going to eventually figure out, once and for all, if you’re committed to writing a novel or not. If you decide you really want to go for it, then you’ll be ready to accept and deal with the truth that writing a novel is hard. You’ll be able to commit to the work, hoping eventually there’ll be a payoff meaning that you’ll enjoy the results of your labor. That doesn’t necessarily mean being published, but simply enjoying your story on the page, and enjoying the feeling of accomplishment.
If you get to a point where the writing feels more difficult than fun, I think you should give it some more time,
accepting that writing is hard work rather than being surprised by it or fighting against it. Listen to your gut and see where it leads you. After six months or so, you'll probably know whether the novelist life is for you or not.
So, readers, what do you think? Is writing fun? Is it supposed to be?
If you haven’t yet, drop by my Facebook page and click “Like.”
www.facebook.com/agent.rachelle
© 2011 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent
I’m taking a blogging break this week. Hope you enjoy this post from my archives.
One of the biggest challenges for novelists—new and seasoned alike—is avoiding too much
backstory in the opening of the book. A lot of people ask me questions about backstory, and often argue with me about it. So I wanted to give you some tips here.
Backstory usually refers to narrative that tells something about a character's past. It's given in an informational style without real-time action or dialogue. Backstory doesn't show, it tells, thereby risking losing the reader's interest.
Here's an example:
Stacy Clarke rounded the end of the canned food aisle and brought her cart to a halt, barely avoiding slamming into the six-foot hottie organizing the Cheez-Its display. He glanced at her and smiled, shaking his longish bangs away from his eyes. She lowered her eyes and mumbled as she maneuvered around him. Ugh. Another opportunity blown. Why was she always such a dork?Stacy had worked at this supermarket for two years before she'd quit to take her current job as a receptionist. She'd always been shy, and the guys had stopped trying to get her attention once they realized she wasn't responding. It had been five long years since she'd had a boyfriend, and she was tired of being lonely.Obviously I made this up, but it's a close approximation of something I see all the time. Look at the second paragraph. It took us totally away from the current place and time. It took us away from the action - in fact, it stopped the action in its tracks. It's backstory.
Usually when backstory isn't working, it's because it isn't artfully done, and there's too much of it in one place. When there's a whole paragraph, or a page or more of backstory, we call this an info-dump.
A hundred years ago, or even fifty or thirty years ago, it wasn't uncommon for authors to spend pages on backstory. Books (like life) moved at a slower pace. Characters could be introduced slowly and the story could take several chapters to get started. But that was then, and this is now. Today we have little tolerance for anything that slows down the forward momentum of the story. This is one of the biggest reasons that too much backstory is perceived as a negative in novels of today.
When you're bringing your reader into the world of your novel, you're trying to engage their senses and their emotions right away to get them involved in the story. You need to make an emotional connection with the reader as quickly as possible. The way to do that is in the
here and now, the action and dialogue taking place in the present time. It's highly unlikely you'll make an emotional connection through backstory.
If you look at the bad-writing example above, it becomes clear that all the information in that second paragraph could easily be integrated into the story in a way that
shows us Stacy's background. As written, we learn information but we don't engage with her. If we were at all interested in her after the first paragraph, it's likely our interest has faded by the end of the second.
There are ways to bring the backstory into the book, and the key is to do it slowly. Think about giving just enough information to illuminate one tiny aspect of your character at a time. Place your characters in situations, let them react, and let your reader wonder how they got there and why they reacted that way. You want to be strategic, almost cunning, in the way that you let little bits of information from the past appear on the page. Use those pieces of backstory to slowly and carefully flesh out that character, never giving away too much, always leaving the
You’ve read Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass, right? But if you’re unpublished, it’s too soon to have a breakout novel.
You need a break-in novel.
As an unpublished novelist, you’re in the position of not just having to write good books. You have to write a BREAK-IN book. It’s going to require a mysterious combination of your writing reaching a certain level, the right agent reading it at the right time, the right editor receiving it on a good day, and some magic fairy dust.
Some writers have several completed books, and wonder which one to start submitting first. It’s easy: the one that has the best chance of breaking you in. The one that presents the fewest obstacles to publication. The one in which your writing shines the brightest. The one in which the genre and subject matter are closest to what seems to be selling right now.
Perhaps you’ve got other projects that are closer to your heart, the ones you really want to see published. But they’re not selling for whatever reason. Don’t fret. Once you’ve broken in, there may be opportunity down the road to get those published, especially if you revise and rewrite with your improved writing skills (because the more you write, and work with editors, the better writer you’ll be).
Let’s say you have one project that you feel is your literary masterpiece, and another that’s a historical romance. Which do you think has a better chance of being your break-in novel? Save the literary masterpiece for later when you’ve earned the luxury of a little more freedom.
I have one client who has two completed novels that are simply amazing. They showcase her awesome talent like nobody’s business, and she loves them more than anything she’s ever written. But publishers have concerns about the subject matter and the time period of the novels. The author might end up getting a couple of other novels published first, the ones she’s not as passionate about. Now I’m sure you’re thinking, What a great problem to have. And you’re right, it is a good problem. But it’s been a bit hard emotionally, because she’s so attached to those two novels. However, I keep telling her, the important thing is breaking in. Once she has an established readership, I think we’ll be able to sell those novels no problem.
Writing the break-in novel is similar to writing the breakout novel. You can still use all the information in Donald Maass’s books. If you’re shooting for commercial success, then you’ll need the best writing possible and the fewest obstacles possible. And don’t forget the fairy dust.
So what are you doing to break in?
If you haven’t yet, drop by my Facebook page and click “Like.”
www.facebook.com/agent.rachelle
© 2011 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent
I’m taking a blogging break this week. Hope you enjoy this post from my archives.
I received a letter from a writer who said that one of the great joys of his life was creating ideas and playing around with characters in fantastic worlds. But when he decided to try transferring these thoughts into stories, the joy disappeared. The struggle to pin down ideas and images into words and sentences was simply not any fun.
He was wondering if he was the only one with this problem. Does he simply need more practice? Should he just write, even if it’s not fun?
I thought this was a great question and I want you all to answer, but first (of course) I’ll offer my two cents.
I heard an interview with Nicholas Sparks that seems relevant. He might not be everyone’s favorite author but he’s successful and prolific, so I think he’s worth listening to. I was surprised that when the interviewer asked him if he enjoys writing, he said “No.” He said it’s difficult work and it’s not fun while he’s doing it. When he goes in his office and closes the door, he has the mindset of “going to work” and doesn’t think of it as enjoyable.
I’m sure, like many successful authors before him, that he enjoys having written even if he doesn’t enjoy the process of writing. He likes the results—as do most writers.
Personally, I don’t enjoy the process of writing, but I do enjoy the results of what I write. However, I know many of my clients, fiction authors especially, love their writing time. For them, that creative flow is energizing. They love being in their made-up worlds and hanging out with their fictional characters, and find it enjoyable.
The conundrum most novelists face is that there’s a big difference between imagining those worlds within the freedom of your own mind, and wrangling them to fit into the severely limiting structure of written language. It’s hard work.
Coming to this realization can be a defining moment. You’re going to eventually figure out, once and for all, if you’re committed to writing a novel or not. If you decide you really want to go for it, then you’ll be ready to accept and deal with the truth that writing a novel is hard. You’ll be able to commit to the work, hoping eventually there’ll be a payoff meaning that you’ll enjoy the results of your labor. That doesn’t necessarily mean being published, but simply enjoying your story on the page, and enjoying the feeling of accomplishment.
If you get to a point where the writing feels more difficult than fun, I think you should give it some more time, accepting that writing is hard work rather than being surprised by it or fighting against it. Listen to your gut and see where it leads you. After six months or so, you’ll probably know whether the novelist life is for you or not.
So, readers, what do you think? Is writing fun? Is it supposed to be?
If you haven’t yet, drop by my Facebook page and click “Like.”
www.facebook.com/agent.rachelle
© 2011 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent
I’m taking a blogging break this week. Hope you enjoy this post from my archives.
One of the biggest challenges for novelists—new and seasoned alike—is avoiding too much backstory in the opening of the book. A lot of people ask me questions about backstory, and often argue with me about it. So I wanted to give you some tips here.
Backstory usually refers to narrative that tells something about a character’s past. It’s given in an informational style without real-time action or dialogue. Backstory doesn’t show, it tells, thereby risking losing the reader’s interest.
Here’s an example:
Stacy Clarke rounded the end of the canned food aisle and brought her cart to a halt, barely avoiding slamming into the six-foot hottie organizing the Cheez-Its display. He glanced at her and smiled, shaking his longish bangs away from his eyes. She lowered her eyes and mumbled as she maneuvered around him. Ugh. Another opportunity blown. Why was she always such a dork?
Stacy had worked at this supermarket for two years before she’d quit to take her current job as a receptionist. She’d always been shy, and the guys had stopped trying to get her attention once they realized she wasn’t responding. It had been five long years since she’d had a boyfriend, and she was tired of being lonely.
Obviously I made this up, but it’s a close approximation of something I see all the time. Look at the second paragraph. It took us totally away from the current place and time. It took us away from the action – in fact, it stopped the action in its tracks. It’s backstory.
Usually when backstory isn’t working, it’s because it isn’t artfully done, and there’s too much of it in one place. When there’s a whole paragraph, or a page or more of backstory, we call this an info-dump.
A hundred years ago, or even fifty or thirty years ago, it wasn’t uncommon for authors to spend pages on backstory. Books (like life) moved at a slower pace. Characters could be introduced slowly and the story could take several chapters to get started. But that was then, and this is now. Today we have little tolerance for anything that slows down the forward momentum of the story. This is one of the biggest reasons that too much backstory is perceived as a negative in novels of today.
When you’re bringing your reader into the world of your novel, you’re trying to engage their senses and their emotions right away to get them involved in the story. You need to make an emotional connection with the reader as quickly as possible. The way to do that is in the here and now, the action and dialogue taking place in the present time. It’s highly unlikely you’ll make an emotional connection through backstory.
If you look at the bad-writing example above, it becomes clear that all the information in that second paragraph could easily be integrated into the story in a way that shows us Stacy’s background. As written, we learn information but we don’t engage with her. If we were at all interested in her after the first paragraph, it’s likely our interest has faded by the end of the second.
There are ways to bring the backstory into the book, and the key is to do it slowly. Think about giving just enough information to illuminate one tiny aspect of your character at a time. Place your characters in situations, let them react, and let your reader wonder how they got there and why they reacted that way. You want to be strategic, almost cunning, in the way that you let little bits of information from the past appear on the page. Use those pieces of
View Next 25 Posts
Yesterday we talked about how slow everything seems to go in traditional publishing, and how it can be tempting to think of “quick” e-book publishing as better simply because it’s faster. I have a couple of things to add today about how this industry is changing.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/435927
</p>
<div class="post-comments">
13 Comments on <em>Story vs. Craft</em>, last added: 6/2/2011</div> <!-- end post-comments -->
<a class = "displaycomment" href="javascript:toggleLayer( "View comments for this post"){kind=small}
Display Comments
Rachelle withdrawal! Oh no!
I'll have to drink extra coffee or something, to get a fix.
Really, I just had to be the first one to comment, for a change, instead of the last.
"crack web team" - You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
Haha, I had to look twice at that too. I'm beginning to think you enjoyed that vacation a bit too much, Rachelle. We shall all hold our breath and wait for the unveiling of the brand new blog! Any excuse to party, right?
Breathless. . . in Ohio.
sweet!!!!
Look forward to seeing the new digs! :)
Y'all haven't heard the term "crack ___" before? Used as an adjective it means: first-rate; excellent: as in "a crack shot." Not sure where it first originated, but it's a perfectly valid term. I wonder if it is more of a British saying? I grew up in Africa, so perhaps that's where I've heard the term before. Anyhow, I know you were mostly teasing her. :)
Can't wait to see the new blog, Rachelle!
Changed from the "c" word to "stellar." Considering all the sequritie aghencies that use robots to troll the internet for certain words, probably a good move.
Looks very tasty. Richard from the Amish settlement of Lebanon,Pa
This is fantastic post! Your photos are very nice the pic looks so delicious..
Did what you said and looked at your Facebook page. Interesting.
Just put up a blog post on Exposure. Necessary and our goal, but oh so scary (unless you're Snookie or a Kardashian!)
I'm sure you don't have time to read it, but I wanted to thank you & your bloggie friends (and FB friends). Because I think some recent Rachelle discussions helped generate this post.
Waiting with bated breath for your new format. Hope you use Intense Debate, as someone suggested. I want to see how it works!
Can't wait to see the results! {and kind of jealous that you have a "blog team"}
To quote ...
"Ten years ago, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire... The A-Team"
Sing it with me now, people ...