When editors and agents say they want «the same, but different» this is what they mean: they want something fresh, that still fulfills the same visceral emotional needs the readers expect from tried - and - true genre, tropes, and archetypes.
We wonder if it is possible that in the coming years there will be other mechanisms put in place to ensure this separation, ironically to become a force that creates a massive subclass of titles, becoming virtually like the «bad old days»
when editors and agents were the thrashers.
Not exact matches
These aren't the best pictures of people's outfits, but they do give a lot of different examples of how various authors dress
when meeting with
agents and editors.
The era
when book publishing was in firm hands of publishing companies,
editors and agents are gone.
Danielle Lazarin, who won Glimmer Train's Fall 2013 Family Matters Contest says, «
When I won,
and in the time since, I've received emails from multiple
agents and editors,
and they've all come via the contest win.»
Here are some of the questions that a writer should ask before starting a book, since they are the questions
agents and editors will ask
when evaluating its potential:
That means you could be getting a list of required revisions from an
agent,
and then
when an
editor agrees to buy it, the
editor will send you another list of their own desired revisions.
When it comes to novel openings, there are common problems that
agents and editors seem to notice often.
The romance market is constantly changing, so how then, are you to know what
and when to submit to
editors and agents?
When my
agent or an
editor makes suggestions for revision, I'm always energized
and excited to get the novel back on track.
The term first came from fan fiction,
and it means a person who reads your work - in - progress (or «WIP»)
when you, the writer or «alpha,» are ready for feedback — before it goes into final draft to be sent to your fanfic page,
editor, or
agent.
When an
agent or
editor take to social media
and make fun of an author, especially someone trying to break into the business, they are no better than the prima donna author.
Both as an
agent and back
when I was an
editor at Bethany House.
Bizarrely, 3 of my 4
agents also balked at sending my work to
editors who had specifically told — me - they wanted to see it (
and who usually did indeed make me offers
when I sent the work there myself).
And if you want to traditionally publish, you'll be disappointed
when agents or acquisitions
editors reject your project because they feel the time is not yet right.
We think about how sick we get of our stories
when we're working on them
and agents and editors deal with the same problem.
And that difference is the obstacle we face
when we want to find an
agent or
editor.
But
when agents and editors are swamped with manuscripts, you may only have one shot to make a professional impression.
Someone writing for that market might be rejected time
and again by
editors and agents (
and I know a few)
when their work was just fine.
From a business perspective, that's a pretty risky model, especially
when you consider the fact that most
agents and editors admit they have no idea why some books make a splash while others sink to the bottom of the bargain bin.
Sometimes it's enough to make you pull out your hair, especially
when you find an
agent (or publisher or
editor) who represents what you write
and is looking to build his or her list.
When you are preparing to submit to publishers we recommend you join www.writing.ie as an Emerging Writer Member (only $ 35 per year)-- this gives you a webpage to link to in your submissions, it demonstrates how serious you are about writing
and it gives you exposure to the
editors and agents who regularly visit the site.
Does it really make sense for authors to go through the grueling process of querying
agents and editors when that time could be spent getting their books to market
and building the foundation of a long - term career?
When my
agent set out to sell my first book, Charming the Highlander, I asked her to please tell the
editors she submitted it to that this time - travel gig was a one - time thing, as I really wrote contemporary romance
and didn't want them to expect more magical stories from me.
Bridget McKenna presents The Golden Age of Big Publishing (Not a Fairy Tale) posted at Points of View, saying, «There was once a golden age
when editors edited,
agents agented,
and publishing companies thought beyond this quarter.
Editors and agents are exposed to thousands of projects every year, so they have a sense for
when something special or different comes through.
Take it from us here at Web Design Relief — literary
agents,
editors, readers,
and fans will love your author blog
when you begin incorporating these blog posts ideas!
Tips for success
when writing a proposal * When you write your proposal, always keep agents and editors in m
when writing a proposal *
When you write your proposal, always keep agents and editors in m
When you write your proposal, always keep
agents and editors in mind.
When readers,
editors, or
agents want to learn more about you
and your writing, they're going to do an Internet search.
So, you now have better access to
editors for selling books, better access to overseas publishers, no need for
agents on contracts
and negotiations,
and a way to get your books directly to readers
when you decide that's a good way to go with a project.
As for the gatekeeper, the acquisition
editors and the
agents, that model imploded a long time ago
when the publishers basically outsourced the slush pile to the
agents, thus turning them into freelance employees of the publisher
and away from being the advocate for writers
and their work.
Then,
when the time comes for you to query literary
agents or submit your writing to literary journals, you'll have a substantial author platform built for
agents and editors to look at
and admire.
I pitched a project to one of the visiting
agents or
editors,
and I remember being so thrilled
when he asked to see the first three chapters.
As a side note, I should mention that nonfiction authors do not need to have a full manuscript ready
when it comes time to pitch
agents and editors.
Use literary agency websites
and social sites like LinkedIn will help you research the
agents and editors who are most likely to respond to your work for
when you send out that brilliant query or bulletproof proposal.
When I was querying my epic, I had a lot of
agents and editors scratching their hands.
From the days
when authors had their works transcribed by hand, to authors publishing their works serially in periodicals, to the current traditional model of finding a literary
agent who would in turn market the book to
editors and publishers, the concept of writing
and publishing a book has adapted exponentially.
When I started writing A Promise of Fire over five years ago now, there was a good chance this manuscript would end up like my other works of fiction: perhaps unfinished, never seen by anyone but me, definitely never presented to
agents or
editors and using up space on my hard drive in a folder with a misleading enough name that hopefully no one would ever open it
and stumble upon my first (
and sometimes hilarious) attempts at writing a novel.
Their support
and interest kept her writing, even in the years
when agents and editors sent back nothing but rejections.
In fact, having a platform (
and website) already in place
when you query or submit to an
agent or
editor is a vital part of gaining acceptance.
When researching
agents or publishers, always, always check Preditors &
Editors and Writer Beware.
A forerunner of the modern
agent / impresario, he secured Spencer a New York publisher, Appleton
and Co.; pressed for -
and won - royalties on a par with native authors» at a time
when most American houses ignored international copyrights; churned out scores of reviews
and notices with publication of each new volume, which he placed in newspapers
and magazines across the country; pressed other reviewers into service; helped Spencer organize
and popularize his most arcane thoughts;
and cultivated literary clubs, college professors,
editors, ministers, politicians, tycoons,
and labor councils.
Want to save money
and time
when using a professional
editor (which every author should do) or before you send a manuscript to an
agent or publisher?
A bonus hardly anyone thinks about
when faced with big - time
agents and editors and the possibility of publication.
Literary journal
editors and literary
agents often search for authors on Google
and visit author websites
and social media profiles
when reviewing submissions, so a strong author platform is key to an author's success.
My first book is called «Dead
and Buryd»,
and when I was writing it
and had it at the finished stage (by that I mean I was finished with it — I couldn't go any further without the input of an
editor or
agent), I started looking around at my options.
When the sale of the manuscript is being made to the
editor's publishing house, the
agent negotiates
and manages the publication contract for the writer.
Traditional publishers are also insisting more
and more that a manuscript be in a more or less «finished» form
when it comes in, meaning that the author
and / or
agent may have to hire an outside
editor to polish their work.
This includes finding
and submitting to the right
agent, editing, how the
agent determines the best houses to submit work to, what the
editors look for
when they receive a submission, how the process of contracting for a book works, basic information on royalties, who has the responsibility for different parts of the process, time frames, the non-writing parts authors will deal with, marketing,
and many other aspects of being traditionally published.
When an
agent or
editor requests your partial or full manuscript, it's nerve wracking to wait
and wonder, day after day, if they're reading it
and whether they like it.