- ADVICE FROM PUBLISHERS ROW -
Stacey Barney, editor at Penguin Putnam:
“Writers are the bravest people in the world and are defined not by publishing credits but by their courage and willingness to follow their muse despite even the most withering of critiques, their commitment to their craft, and their generosity of spirit. It’s a brave and generous thing to share words, stories, characters as personal to the creator as their most guarded secrets. Writers, from the novice and unknown to the most accomplished, are the heart, conscious conscience, and soul of humanity—the best of who we are and our mirror. I thank God for writers every day.”
CRITIQUE GROUPS
While some writers are eager to release their work and send it to editors right off, others are a bit more hesitant. You hesitate to send it out, then you go ahead and release it and wish you hadn’t. If you do this, a critique group can make that process easier.
- AUTHOR WORKING -
Author Sundee Frazier says, “To me, writing a novel without seeking the input of trusted readers would be like trying to swim the English Channel alone. You’re just asking for trouble. The best input confirms something you already suspected but were too scared or proud or lazy to change. There’s also the inevitability that others will see meaning and connections in your work that you didn’t even realize you were creating. This kind of feedback goes a long way toward motivating me to complete my manuscript (or getting me to the other side of the channel, if you will). My first novel for young people would not have been nearly as good or complete if it weren’t for the suggestions of others. The entire tone of the book, where it starts, the cast of characters, and even the accessibility of the main character would have been much different had it not been for the constructive commentary of those to whom I entrusted my work.”
When setting up your own critique group, be sure to provide the readers with a list of overall questions so that they can evaluate your work. It’s best when you have all readers review based on a consistent set of parameters. That way you can determine if there’s uniformity in the remarks. In addition to the questions you asked yourself earlier, you may want to ask some or all of the following questions.
• Does the title reflect the content of the book?
• Does the first page grab your attention?
• Does the first chapter engage the reader and set up the basis for the rest of the story?
• Do you care about the characters?
• Have I provided enough emotional content to involve the reader?
• Is the basic premise or theme interesting?
• Is it believable?
• Is it unique?
• Is the point of the novel presented clearly, and is it apparent to the reader?
• Are general facts and information accurate and consistent throughout?
• Is the language level (e.g., word choice, syntax, sentence structure) appropriate for the genre and consistent throughout?
• Is the basic premise of the novel appealing and well executed?
If you plan to set up your own critique group and you don’t know anyone offhand, you should definitely hit the blogosphere. There are hundreds of blogs that speak directly to the young adult market. One of the most comprehensive I’ve found is www.asuen.com/blog.central.kid.lit.html. It is run by Anastasia Suen, author of more than one hundred books. Blogs are not only a way to get feedback on your novel prepublication but also a way to develop community around your book so that you can gain a readership. Once you have developed a community, they will support you once the book is published. Readers who gave feedback feel part ownership in its development. In addition, creating one’s own blog has become so commonplace in the young adult market it is almost a means of entry into the community of readers.
Oftentimes authors will post a chapter on their Facebook page and solicit responses or get feedback. This is another option. In fact, the Internet is full of social networking sites—websites designed to introduce people to other people—that can be used to your advantage. Sites like Facebook and MySpace allow you to create a web page dedicated to your work. You can also join groups of other potential YA authors where you can solicit feedback. Turn the Web to your advantage—use it to publicize and polish your work.
CONFERENCES
An additional option for getting feedback on your manuscript is to participate in writers conferences. As the number of aspiring authors has increased over the last decade, so has the number of conferences all around the world. There are conferences for nearly every genre of book, including young adult books. A writers conference can be a treasure trove of information.
At the average conference you’ll find workshops, keynote speakers, round-table discussions, moderated group sessions, writing exercises focusing on the craft of writing, one-on-one consultations with industry experts, and critique sessions. There are also personalized writing retreats for individuals and group writing retreats.
To find out more and to review a list of conferences, there’s an online resource called ShawGuides that features conferences and writers’ retreats around the world. It can be found at writing.shawguides.com.
The registration fee for the average conference can start as low as $100, but it’s usually more on the average of $500, depending on the location, the cast of professionals in attendance, and the history of successful writers who may have gotten their start there.
In assessing what conference to attend, be sure to find out if you will have the opportunity to have one-on-one consultations with editors or agents. This is invaluable even if your manuscript is still in the early stages. They can provide you with feedback early on, and sometimes that feedback may even take your manuscript in a totally different direction. Not only is the feedback helpful, but it also sets the stage for the opportunity to submit your work to the editor or agent later once you’ve finished.
When you have a one-on-one consultation with an editor or agent you may be asked to pitch your project to them in a very short time period. Some conferences pattern it after speed dating, where you only get five minutes to tell the editor or agent about your work. This forces you to have a succinct and clear message about your book, similar to what you might see on the back cover. But you also have to tell the editor or agent a bit about you as an author. It can be very nerve-racking, and it takes some skill to pull it off. However, editors and agents know how difficult this is, so often they will have a workshop set up for writers who plan to pitch, where they teach you all about how to do it. There are even books about it. One of my dear friends, Katharine Sands, has a book called Making the Perfect Pitch. It has helped many a writer with not only pitching at conferences but also writing the perfect query letter.
I always find it interesting when I’m at conferences and people sit down to pitch their story ideas to me. It’s not always the best pitches that produce the best books. However, those who can pitch their projects with aplomb are the ones I initially get excited about. Unfortunately, a writer’s personality, character, and dramatic effect are not always the same as what is found in the manuscript. The author’s style is often what sets her apart in this media-driven marketplace. If you can get someone excited by you and your personality, they will often take a second look.
There are typically a number of agents at the conference, and you will need to size them up quickly to determine who you will want to pitch your project to. The conference organizers will ask participants to sign up for one-on-one meetings. The list can fill up quickly. If you are not able to get a one-on-one because you didn’t sign up fast enough, there may be other opportunities to speak to your ideal agent or editor during the conference.
Agents and editors will speak on panels describing the kind of books they are interested in. You might have an opportunity to tell them a little about your project after the panel discussion. As much as you may be tempted, don’t pitch your work during the Q&A session of the panel. Another place you may be able to get spec
ific feedback on your project is during a workshop session. Agents will sometimes ask for volunteers to share their work or use it as an example during their course. Not only will you get advice on your work but they may also request to see the full manuscript later.
The conference is also a place to meet other writers and form relationships. There are often critique groups being formed.
YOUNG ADULT WRITING PROGRAMS
While this book was written to help teach you to write for the young adult market, you can educate yourself beyond these pages. There are a number of programs to help writers develop their writing skills for the YA market. I’ve found that most of the writers who have participated in these programs have landed at least an agent, and many go on to publish their work as well. Both agents and editors troll these programs for great talent.
And the exciting thing about several of them is that you don’t have to leave your home to participate. Vermont College, which designed the first ever MFA program for children’s and young adult literature, has a low-residency model that allows students to work directly with faculty through written correspondence, online work, and telephone conference calls. Other similar programs include Seton Hall, Lesley College, the New School, Rutgers, and Stanford University. I’ve included additional information on these programs in the appendix.
THE PROFESSIONAL EDITOR
Finally, there’s one other way to get feedback on your writing—you can pay for it. (I mention this process last because it is the most expensive way to do it.) You can hire a professional literary coach, book doctor, or editor. The good thing about it is that if you hire someone good, your manuscript will be extremely polished. The bad thing is that the cost can be somewhat prohibitive depending on the professional.
If you are interested in going this route, you can ask editors, agents, published authors, or writing friends for referrals. Ideally you want to find someone who focuses his editorial development work on YA books. There are some companies that do just that—for example, namelos.com, run by former Front Street Books president Stephen Roxburgh. You can also go to publishersmarketplace.com. This website is chock-full of editors who can help you develop your work. Again, be sure the editor you choose is one who works on YA books, because he will be most knowledgeable about what agents want to see and the sensibilities of the market. And of course there are directories, such as The National Directory of Editors and Writers for Hire, compiled by Elizabeth Lyon, as well as publishersmarketplace.com
CHAPTER 12
FINDING AN AGENT
There comes a time when you’re ready to take your material to the public. This chapter will show you how to write query letters, contact agents, and determine which agents are best for your career.
THE AGENT’S ROLE
After you’ve written your manuscript, revised it, had it critiqued, and then revised it again, you’re ready to send it out to agents.
Now, you may be thinking at this point, “I don’t need an agent. I have a friend who got published without an agent, and I’m sure my manuscript is just as good if not better than hers. I know someone will love it.” Or you might be thinking, “Well, when I went to the conference, I met an editor who told me to send it directly to her once I finished it. I really don’t think I’ll try to find an agent until after someone has taken me on.” Or you might be thinking, “Well, it’s just as hard to find an agent as it is to find an editor, so I might as well just skip the agent step.”
I’ve heard all these theories and more from novice writers. I’ll just say this: the industry has become exceedingly more complicated over the last twenty years, and agents do a lot more than just sell the manuscript. Let’s take a closer look at all the different things today’s agents do and why it is to your benefit to have an agent.
Most of the major publishing houses today take very few, if any, unsolicited manuscripts. That means if you haven’t been asked to submit your materials, they will be sent back to you or may sit in a slush pile until an assistant picks them up (if anyone ever does).
Many say that securing an agent is just as difficult as finding an editor. I’m here to tell you that that can often be true. However, there is a reason for this. Agents and editors think alike. You’ll find that many agents were editors before they became agents. Agents are keenly aware of a great story and what it will take to sell it to an editor and to the marketplace. Because of this, editors trust agents. If you are able to secure an agent, you’ll have a much better chance of getting your work published than a writer who doesn’t have an agent.
What Agents Do
• Act as a business representative
• Negotiate rights and collect funds on behalf of the author
• Review clients’ work and offer advice on its quality and potential marketability
• Give advice on current trends, practices, and contract terms
• Offer editorial advice
• Selectively submit your work to appropriate editors
• Sell subrights (movie options, merchandising, ebook rights)
- ADVICE FROM PUBLISHERS ROW -
Steven Malk, Writers House:
Steven encourages writers to slow down and take their time with the process.
“It’s a big decision that you should take very seriously. Your goal should be to make as educated, thoughtful, and careful of a decision as possible. You want to have a very long career, so in the grand scheme of things, taking an extra six or even twelve months to do your research, understand the marketplace, and find the best fit for you isn’t a big deal.” Steven is interested in taking on clients who understand the business. “Don’t come across as an author who is dabbling, but rather as someone who is very serious and committed to this business.”
Rachel Coyne, Fine Print Literary Management:
Rachel points to three things she looks for in authors:
1. Authors who write to evergreen genres and/or themes—genres that seem to thrive year after year.
2. Authors who are flexible and don’t mind making editorial changes.
3. Authors who come to the table in a professional manner and are able to understand the business side of publishing, and authors who respect that the book is a product.
Understanding Agents
One thing that complicates this business quite a bit is that it’s very fluid. Historically, authors would establish a relationship with an editor, and they would pretty much work with that editor for most if not all of their career. That is no longer the case. Editors move from one publishing house to another quite frequently. So now the anchor relationship is the author-agent relationship. Agents spend a lot of their time building relationships. Most agents will take at least one or two meetings a week trying to establish relationships with editors. If an editor moves, the agent has to stay current on the types of books the editor might be looking for. While an editor’s taste typically doesn’t change, the needs of a given house might. So one publishing house may publish mostly YA, and then the new house publishes mostly picture books. It’s difficult if you aren’t following the business closely to stay current with the numerous moves.
Understanding agents and their jobs is important to working well with them. There are a number of things that agents have in common.
• Numerous submissions: I typically receive at least seventy-five queries or submissions a week. That’s quite a bit of reading, to say the least.
• Financial pressure: Agents are paid a 15 percent commission on the work they sell. It’s not until they sell a manuscript that they get compensated. All the reading they do is done for free. As a result, this is one of the reasons that agents send form rejection letters—again, limited time. Their time must be spent on selling books that they believe in.
• Shifting priorities: At any given time an agent may be reading manuscripts, giving editorial advice, having lunch with an editor, negotiating a contract, responding to editorial questions, participating in workshops or conferences, or a host of
other tasks.
• Limited time: Agents are responsible for so many varying aspects of the business, and as such, they are always trying to balance their time. You should not become frustrated if you don’t hear back immediately on a submission.
What Agents Don’t Do
• Offer tax or general legal advice. While agents are intimately familiar with publishing agreements and are more than capable of negotiating them on your behalf, that’s pretty much where it ends. They are not attorneys, and when things go beyond the agreement they often suggest you hire legal consultation. The same goes for accounting advice.
• Act as a publicist for the author’s books. For those who are new to the industry, the role of the publicist and the role of the agent can be somewhat confusing. Publicists help you get your book in front of media—that includes online, print, radio, and television. And while agents are always supportive of this role, they don’t take on this role as a part of their responsibility.
HOW TO FIND AN AGENT
How do you go about securing an agent? There are a number of guides both in print and online where you can review agents and the kind of clients they represent. You can check with the Association of Authors’ Representatives (www.aaronline.org); The Guide to Literary Agents, published annually by Writer’s Digest Books; or Jeff Herman’s Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, and Literary Agents, among others. This is also an opportunity to go back to the critique group that you established. One of the best ways to get an agent to look at your work is to have someone refer you. I always look at authors who are referred to me first.
Before you start to approach an agent, here’s a list of questions you should be able to answer first.
Writing Great Books for Young Adults Page 14
