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I’m still in submission mode--querying agents; sending requested partials or fulls; receiving helpful or form rejections; sometimes hearing nothing more than crickets. Along the way, I’ve realized how inefficient the whole darn process can be; as I see it, anyway. Querying multiple agents can be nothing more than a time-sucking duplication of effort for writers like me. And for agents, sending countless rejections is just another royal waste of time and effort. There must be a way to streamline the process, for all involved.
Which got me thinking. Why isn’t there some type of networking site, a la LinkedIn or Facebook, specifically for writers/authors and agents, so they can hook up?
As I see it, every writer could have his or her own page, with a photo. (Heck, if you look like the next top model, it couldn’t hurt your odds of being picked up...by an agent, I mean.) On the rest of your page, you could upload your manuscript’s (or manuscripts’) logline, query letter, first page, partial, and full manuscript, as separate links, for agents to click on as desired.
Agents would find you through a key word search. Suppose Agent X was desperate for a manuscript with the following specs: a high-concept, middle-grade fantasy about a boy protagonist who morphs into a dung beetle at night, but only when his mom attends PTA meetings, and his dad plays bocce ball. He or she would simply type in the search words, et voila, find the lone three writers worldwide--you included, woo hoo!--with the exact same key words on their networking pages.
Agent X would then request a page viewing from you, the writer/author. If granted, Agent X could view as many of your links as desired, and either reject your logline, query, ms., etc., or offer representation--yippee!--by clicking on the appropriate box. Of course, you’d be notified immediately by e-mail, and given the opportunity to accept or reject the offer of representation, say, within two days.
Writers could search for their perfect agents the same way. They could even set up the terms of what types of agents they'd like to include in their search terms, for example, include only agents from New York City. Agents would also have the option to block certain writers or types of writers from contacting them, due to, say, a prior rejection or other mismatch situation.
Of course, a small fee would be required to participate. But it would be well worth the savings in time and effort for writers/authors and agents alike.
So, gentle readers, what do you think? And what other elements would you like to see added to the site?
A wonderful agent from a top New York agency called me the other day.
Nope, it wasn’t “the call.” I’ve never queried this agent. He doesn’t even know I’m shopping a manuscript. In fact, his phone call had absolutely nothing to do with publishing. So why the call?
His young son and mine happen to be budding bff’s and we were simply setting up their next playdate. (Got you to take the jump, though, didn’t I? Heheh.)
This brings me to my quandary. Should I spill the beans? Tell him I’m in the hunt for an agent? Ask him if he’d be willing to take a look at my unbelievably [insert hyperbolic adjective here] manuscript? What if he said, “Sure, send me the full,” then passed? Um, can you spell “awkward”?
Fearing this, should he be off-limits, a Query Don’t? You know, just my kid's friend’s dad; someone to talk Little League with; filed under: Don’t mix business with parenting?
I confess, I tend to shy away from using my industry contacts, this one included. I’m just a whole lot more comfortable cold querying editors and agents—-whatever the outcome. This is why I was heartened to read agent Nathan Bransford’s recent post saying that 62 percent of the first-time authors he polled landed their agents through cold querying. On the other hand, I also know how contacts can open doors in any industry.
So I ask you, gentle readers, am I crazy? Is any potential contact fair game, no matter the relationship? And do you take full advantage of your contacts—-or prefer going cold like me?
I have a friend who has been working on an historical novel for almost six years. Her research took more than a year and then she began writing. During the last five years, she has attended conferences and been awarded a place in numerous competitive writing residencies all over the country. Each experience has given her an editor's or mentor's opinion about her book - sometimes an opinion based on one chapter, a few chapters and a synopsis, or a larger chunk of the manuscript.
What advice has she received?
Conflicting advice. Some said delete the flashbacks. Others liked them. Some said she needed a first person POV. Some said she needed an omniscient POV. She's heard that her structure of chapters that move from one character's POV to another detracts from the narrative tension. She's heard that her changes in POV are compelling. Some wanted more history. Some wanted less history.
So when is it time to stop collecting conflicting advice and start the submission process with an agent or editor? How do you know when enough is enough?
If you are a writer, odds are at some point you’ve been asked for a synopsis of your work. After months, maybe even years, of crafting a novel, writing a synopsis sounds as easy as making cupcakes for the drama club’s bake sale. Then you sit at the computer and realize that maybe you underestimated the task at hand, feeling as though you’ve just been informed that those cupcakes for the bake sale must be red velvet cake with cream cheese icing and oh yeah, made from scratch, without sugar or gluten and they still have to taste like heaven.
Not so easy.
Writing a synopsis is shrouded in mystery. Ask ten editors and agents and you’ll get ten different answers. One page. Ten pages. Shorter is better. Must include the beginning, middle and end. Should read like jacket flap copy. Shouldn’t read like jacket flap copy. Must see character arc clearly. Best if written with the same flavor as the novel. Is your head spinning yet? Mine is.
I recently had the the much, much, boiled down, then reduced again, 2 page, sound bite of my 65,000 word novel critiqued. The feedback was not all that glowing – the general consensus being the story was underdeveloped.(I can feel you shudder with me) Yes, it was helpful, but the sort of helpful that required going back to the drawing board for more than a ten minute fix. I now have about five different versions of my synopsis. Super-short to way too long. My favorite one stands at a hefty seven pages. The one I will most likely use is five pages. Some of you are probably shaking your heads thinking, “Dear, that’s about four pages too long.” But if an editor wants to see how your story is developed – I mean, really developed not the "a couple of really cool things happen, the character grows and it's all tied up in a big red bow" version – how can that be done in one page?
So I’m opening it up to you – what are your best tips for writing a synopsis? Any good references or definitive answers out there? It would be nice to have a reference point.
Or at least know I’m not the only one driving in the torrential rain with one headlight.
I recently heard back from an agent I had submitted a manuscript to, and even though he passed, he wants to send it on to a colleague. That's the good news. The bad news is that he included a few suggestions in his email of ways the work could be improved. I'm not one to ignore a good piece of criticism, especially from an agent, but one tiny line in an email can mean weeks and weeks of work on a manuscript. The manuscript is out to other agents as well, who may have notes of their own. My critique group has also had their shot at it. And, a few friends have read it. They all have notes too.
So...whose notes do I follow? If I followed them all, I'd not only be writing for years, I would rewrite my book into a whiplashed piece of drivel without a heart and soul. If all the notes were consistent, then of course I'd honor them, but they're not. Some are directly opposed to others. Some fall in between. Some are extreme, some are subtle.
Of course, the real danger here is that I will give in to the temptation to ignore them all, since they kind of cancel each other out. Or, conversely, there's the risk of attaching myself too much to an outsider's idea in the hopes that it will miraculously "fix" my work, clean and simple. Every writer has to learn how to take notes and open themselves up to new ways of looking at their work, but knowing which ideas will improve the work while preserving its essence can be a challenge. I'm not always up to it.
By: Rebecca,
on 7/17/2007
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Exciting news at OUP! James McPherson has won the The Pritzker Military Library Literature Award for Lifetime Achievement in Military Writing. The award recognizes and honors the lifetime contributions of a living author for a body of work dedicated to enriching the understanding of American military history including military affairs.
Echoing all of our feelings Niko Pfund, Vice President and Publisher, Oxford University Press said, “Oxford University Press warmly congratulates Jim McPherson on his receipt of the first Pritzker Military Library Lifetime Achievement in Military Literature Award. Few scholars more consistently combine first-rate scholarship with accessible historical writing, and few authors are more of a pleasure to publish. We are delighted that so richly deserving a writer and thinker has been chosen to inaugurate this prestigious award.”
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Um, yeah, you're crazy!
But onto your post. lol.
You can look at it a lot of ways - my favorite way is that the universe put this person into your life for a reason, the fact that your sons may be bffs, well, that'll work itself out.
Or this - I understand where you're coming from. When I worked in a press office I used to hesitate telling people I could get tickets to any Broadway show because no matter how sincere the asker was for a favor, if it went wrong I would feel reaaalllly bad. And then of course you also don't know who your genuine friends are or if they just want tickets to Phantom.
On the other hand, I don't think this is your case! You're a talented writer and said manuscript ROCKS!
If I was Dear Abby I would say...let the friendship bud. Casually throw in writing references now and then. When the time is right, talk about your manuscript.
Or you could innocently ask for some "pointers" - I think your writing speaks for itself.
Or - you could host a cocktail party for the parents in your neighborhood, get good and snoggered, then spill the beans.
This is how the other 48% get an agent.
J.L. -- How can you not spill? You're a total pro and so is he. Your manuscript is rock-solid-rockin', so the only reason for a no is personal preference. And there is nothing anyone can do about that.
I don't think there is a downside here. If he has any mixed feelings--I'm sure he's heard lots of pitches from people who want to write books--they will disappear as soon as he sees he's got a piece of quality fiction in front of him.
And, oh, my, God. It's only October 15 and it's snowing outside my window!
Oh, what a dilemma! Question: does he know you know he's an agent?
Could you let things ride for a while (hoping the little guys continue to play well together) and then maybe, if the occasion seems natural, say something casually about your writing?
He must get a lot of crazies approaching him at parties, etc., so for sure you don't want to be classed with them.
If the occasion never arises naturally, then I'd say keep mum and continue with the cold queries.
I don't know what I'd do. If I were smart and patient, I would continue to query other agents, knowing that some day, I'd "get" one, and then I could surprise him by mentioning something like, "I had that same conversation with MY agent!"
But I'm rarely smart, and I'm never patient.
I feel the same way. I'd be wary of querying right now. If your son mentions you are a writer (which I'm sure he will at some point), then the bff's father may very well start the conversation with you. You can even ask if you can interview him for your blog. :) But - if it were me - I'd let him be the one to ask for the manuscript. That's not to say you should hide the fact that you are a writer. DON'T hide it! You are a writer...and that's a fact. A great one, I'm sure! He's an agent. A great one, I'm sure. ;) So - when the opportunity presents itself - and the time is right - everything will fall into place.
That's MY opinion, anyway! :)
peace,
Donna
I might wait until conversation 5 or 6 (or something), so you're not springing it on him. He might get that kind of thing more than you think. Whatever you decide to do, if you don't act like you're a cracked nut, you'll probably be fine.
I'm wondering if you can approach the subject sideways--tell him that you're a writer and ask him which agents he might recommend who are actively seeking clients in your genre. That would give him an easy out if he doesn't want the a dual relationship with you, or he might say, "Hey, I'm looking for your genre! Send me your ms!"
awesome!!!!
Oooops...that would be how the other 38% would get an agent. Math is not my strong point! lol.
This is tricky but I think you could weave a little magic and broach the subject like your getting ready to query a manuscript and is he looking for new clients. Chat about what he's looking for and see where it goes. I'd go for it, but with caution. And if it doesn't work out, don't let it stop your relationship, be casual about it.
Thanks for the excellent advice everyone. I think I'll go with a two-step plan, combining tips from all of you.
First, I'll proceed with caution and professionalism, as Gale, Donna, MG, Amber, Aimee, and Christina so wisely suggest.
Then, if I don't get anywhere, I'll move on to step two: Get good and snoggered--LOL, Robin!--and spill the beans, as per J.A.
Either way, I will try my best not to come across as a cracked nut!
Sorry for my delay in commenting - I was away.
Great post JL. I like Donna's advice. Don't hide your writing, but don't put him in an awkward position either. Let it all move naturally.
I'm reminded of the Eli Manning Toyota commercials where the car salesman is so excited Eli Manning is buying a Toyota from him he wants to invite him over for barbecue and Eli's thinking he so happy the salesman ISN'T asking him over for barbecue.