tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post408815618331753107..comments2024-03-18T09:09:59.625-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: I'm ready to be published under my own name...do I have to tell you about those other books?Janet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-73452657352348630562016-04-04T23:57:43.967-04:002016-04-04T23:57:43.967-04:00You get more than one "debut" if you gen...You get more than one "debut" if you genre-hop, though. As a YA blogger, I'm constantly seeing things such as, "VICIOUS is Victoria Schwab's adult debut" or "SUMMERLOST marks Ally Condie's middle-grade debut." It doesn't seem to matter if an author has a previous best-selling book/series/etc: As soon as you publish in a new genre, you're a debut!!!<br /><br />When I first started seeing it, I was so confused. "But, wait, didn't that author previously purchase...???"<br /><br />You also have a choice, imo. You didn't write those novellas under the name you'll use for your novels. If you don't talk about them, how will anyone know you wrote them? Or what about all the authors who wrote fanfic before they were published? They'll be like, "Oh, I wrote fanfic back in the day" and not say WHAT they wrote. Maybe you could do something like that, too!Bonnie @ A Backwards Storyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02988547424004889874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-46693959212397999482016-04-03T22:56:47.482-04:002016-04-03T22:56:47.482-04:00Lennon,
If you read the book again after it's...Lennon,<br /><br />If you read the book again after it's published, and you are any sort of decent author, you will find things you want to change. Heck, if you open it to check something you will probably find things you want to change. I woke up one morning after I thought the book was ready, *without having reread it for at least a week*, with a glaring plot discrepancy staring me in the face. I thought I was going to have to rewrite entire chapters; thankfully there turned out to be an easy fix- a new paragraph here and two there, and move a paragraph or two. Whew!roadkills-r-ushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14029861300358380117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-64635443273827536852016-04-03T18:37:42.165-04:002016-04-03T18:37:42.165-04:00This weekend I met an indie author who has thirty ...This weekend I met an indie author who has thirty books out within the past three years(!). This year she said she was hoping to crack $100,000 in sales (!!).<br /><br />I thought, is that even possible? Looked her up. Realised I'd met one of The Ten--the ten indie authors who make more than $10K a year. There are some crazy-fast folk who can turn out enough books that are good enough to attract enough readers to bring in a living wage. Alas, there are only ten of them in the world.<br /><br />Got me to wondering about hybrid authors who start out indie. Most indie-published books are so-so, and the long tail of low sales tends to support that.<br /><br />I can understand why an agent would cringe at seeing "I've got a few indie books published". While indie publishing has gained some respect and there's some good authors out there, one can still see the stroke lines of the Shame Brush on some indie books. (If one is to go indie/hybrid, one really needs to have one's work edited and good cover art. Otherwise, one just looks... amateur.)<br /><br />The difference between a debut author and a non-debut author is that a debut author doesn't have a bad sales record.<br /><br />Saying that, at what point do indie book sales start looking good to an agent, as in, this particular author has proven they can write saleable books, the books that people are willing to pay money for?<br /><br />Would it be worth mentioning in Housekeeping, "I've indie published three novels and they're sitting at #99 on Amazon ever since they came out"?Her Grace, Heidi, the Duchess of Knealehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17818060864422019573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-11461124698571720682016-04-03T11:49:19.917-04:002016-04-03T11:49:19.917-04:00There are some great perks out there for debut aut...There are some great perks out there for debut authors. International Thriller Writers has a great program to help its debut authors network and promote their work. There are also quite a few awards specifically for debuts. And while Janet is correct--be upfront and honest about your pub history--marketing campaigns sometimes employ semantic wizardry. GIRL ON THE TRAIN is called a "debut psychological thriller" on Goodreads, and has been nominated for at least one debut award, though the author has published a non-fiction book and four romantic comedy novels (the novels used a pseudonym). It's technically true that GOTT is her "debut psychological thriller" even though it's not her debut novel or publishing debut. Eldorahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11982393213536960261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-932379829871728702016-04-03T11:23:49.773-04:002016-04-03T11:23:49.773-04:00Nightmusic,
Techie son figured out JetPack is bro...Nightmusic,<br /><br />Techie son figured out JetPack is broken. He disabled some things on the blog, which changes the appearance, but at least the comments are working again.Julie Weathershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13725236516593676381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-3952155247831155502016-04-03T00:58:09.816-04:002016-04-03T00:58:09.816-04:00Julie: What do you mean I can't be the sacrifi...Julie: What do you mean I can't be the sacrifice? And here I got all gussied up for nothin'--<br /><br />Megan, you're a writer. You've already sacrificed your heart and soul.Julie Weathershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13725236516593676381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-11060516126758738252016-04-03T00:21:37.893-04:002016-04-03T00:21:37.893-04:00John: Or somethin' is probably most accurate. ...John: Or somethin' is probably most accurate. Is there such a thing as an ism-er? I have a lot of isms.<br /><br />Julie: What do you mean I can't be the sacrifice? And here I got all gussied up for nothin'Megan Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00752842865397799428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-49597742051089018702016-04-02T23:18:05.703-04:002016-04-02T23:18:05.703-04:00Me3x: I have considered this most of the day. Writ...Me3x: I have considered this most of the day. Write a simple line in the housekeeping section. " I have self published several novellas as me3x."<br /><br />If your query almost blows the doors off of you intended prey(agent) they might check and see that you already have a reader base. It can only help.<br /><br />Edit3x: STOP IT. Your job as a writer is to fill out a plot with panache. Make sure you have a beginning, a middle that holds it together and and an ending.<br /><br />Edit to make sure it all marches all the way through. Make sure conversations aren't too weird and check the punctuation. The query it. If you try too hard you edit the MAGIC OUT OF IT.Craig Fhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07157301156577795781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-40757916753904745912016-04-02T22:54:16.354-04:002016-04-02T22:54:16.354-04:00I'm confused now too. I get the part about tel...I'm confused now too. I get the part about telling an agent at the query stage that you have previous pub credits (of any kind). But I'm a little less certain about the part where you say that won't make a difference between yes and no on the decision whether to offer to rep new work. I thought that past experience (and related sales history) DID matter to an agent. I could swear I remember you saying that a non-debut author with less-than-stellar sales would be less attractive to an agent (or editor/publisher) than one without that history. Hope you can clarify.<br /><br />Lennon, at some point you just have to accept that you did the very best you could with a thing, given the ability you had at the time you did it. And let it go. If you're very lucky and work very hard, you will always see ways you could have made past work better. Which, frankly, is why I fail to see the intrinsic value of a debut author, as that "first" (ie, first published) book is likely to be not as good as future work. But what do I know.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-14910642924885482272016-04-02T22:27:01.233-04:002016-04-02T22:27:01.233-04:00Lennon,
You never finish wanting to edit, but at ...Lennon,<br /><br />You never finish wanting to edit, but at some point you do say, "I have done the best I can for you, child."Julie Weathershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13725236516593676381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-37886332446872968242016-04-02T21:49:56.549-04:002016-04-02T21:49:56.549-04:00Oh man. Off topic now but John and EM, I am there...Oh man. Off topic now but John and EM, I am there too. Every time I think it's done, I read through some passage from my WIP and realize that I took too long to get to the point. Or running an errand, I have an epiphany on how to make a scene more vivid and come running back to my laptop. It's either a chronic disease or an addiction that's impossible to shake. Editing feels eternal. <br /><br />I wonder if, after you're published, that goes away?? Or do you read your story in print and think, 'shoot, I coulda made that part better.' I'm guessing writers will always find a way to drive themselves nuts, so I bet it's the latter. Lennon Farishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03570629350169504234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-10334550482825183412016-04-02T21:04:24.820-04:002016-04-02T21:04:24.820-04:00Mememe (I feel like I should be singing that.)
Th...Mememe (I feel like I should be singing that.)<br /><br />This is a conversation you'll need to have with your agent when you have one. However, and this is why I've been very careful about offers to help me self-pub, once you do it you're no longer a virgin. When that volcano is threatening to destroy the island and they need a virgin to sacrifice, you can't say, "That time with Auggie doesn't really count because it was so...wasn't very good." Refrains from stubby finger comment. <br /><br />On the plus side, you're published!! Turn everything to your advantage. <br /><br />“The beautiful part of writing is that you don't have to get it right the first time, unlike, say, a brain surgeon.”<br />― Robert CormierJulie Weathershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13725236516593676381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-26153893835682356402016-04-02T20:18:47.913-04:002016-04-02T20:18:47.913-04:00I have to echo John. I have thought I was done, do...I have to echo John. I have thought I was done, done, done time and again. I was on the point of sending my R&R and full request, but no. It's Saturday night and I am editing like a crazy woman. And there's no beer. Tea. I have tea. And 6 more chapters to go. Brutal. E.M. Goldsmithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18387494005655553037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-41533863626584986802016-04-02T20:10:09.205-04:002016-04-02T20:10:09.205-04:00me cubed, I'm good at questions. It's answ...me cubed, I'm good at questions. It's answers that provide the struggle. Also, be careful about stating your 100k novel is "fully edited." I've thought that a few times with mine. And you know what I'm doing on a Saturday night? EDITING! Cutting, cutting, cutting. <br /><br />Aside to Megan V: I love your analogy to a first date. That's good stuff. You must be a writer or somethin'.John Frainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01702305890462479118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-44471878987291706362016-04-02T18:29:18.176-04:002016-04-02T18:29:18.176-04:00OP here again, and I think you, John, asked my que...OP here again, and I think you, John, asked my question better than I did!<br />Let me elaborate a bit more: a little while ago I was desperate for even the barest amount of cash and I had written out some novelettes I was proud of. I hadn't even bothered with traditional publishing because they were the exact wrong length for any sort of traditional venue: too long for a lit mag and too short for a novel or even really a novella. As I said, the longest was 60 pages, that's double spaced, 10K words. I sold them for 99 cents and managed to do okay: much better than I had expected (though I had expected squat).<br />But now I have a fully-edited 100k novel with a polished query letter (thank you, Janet) ready to go. The novel I have is in the same genre as my old works, and I am proud of the works (pseudonym aside) so while I certainly wouldn't mind showing them to an agent, I still wonder if I have revoked the ever-treasured debut status.<br />My woodland critter mind is frazzled!mememehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17419221900450048437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-60588946002556801752016-04-02T18:24:16.675-04:002016-04-02T18:24:16.675-04:00I self-pubbed a couple of short stories as a teena...I self-pubbed a couple of short stories as a teenager, under a pseudonym, different genre and category than the manuscripts I now write. My classmates and I were encouraged to do so by a teacher. There's one novel too, same story, which self-pubbed after a college friend thought it'd be a great surprise. (It was a surprise all right...) I left it alone for a bit, then eventually got around to taking the book down. I never thought of these as publishing history and thus, never mentioned the above in my queries. I suppose I thought those old stories would always be more a part of the conversation rather than the immediate introduction, kind of like telling a significant other about a prior unsatisfactory relationship—best told AFTER the first date, and yet, long before the nuptials.Megan Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00752842865397799428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-43695935675945735522016-04-02T18:02:28.979-04:002016-04-02T18:02:28.979-04:00I agree with Janet's advice. It falls under &q...I agree with Janet's advice. It falls under "housekeeping" in Query 101. You mention your publishing history (if you have it). In OP's case, they have it. Even if the self-pubbed novellas didn't do great it's still an indication of how much skin you have in the game vs being a benchwarmer waiting for your big break. KariVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13824650323413004291noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-76599098616551811542016-04-02T15:53:11.357-04:002016-04-02T15:53:11.357-04:00So this begs one more question.
I'm assuming ...So this begs one more question.<br /><br />I'm assuming one retains debut status if one has had short stories published. Would novella allow OP to retain debut status as well? Sounds like the longest is 60 pages, which barely encroaches on novella status. <br /><br />Seems to my (usually unenlightened) mind that OP could pitch those as published short stories in a query. <br /><br />Congrats on your current status, OP, and good luck moving to the next level. It's just over the horizon. Keep writing!<br />John Frainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01702305890462479118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-80229231240919061472016-04-02T15:29:42.820-04:002016-04-02T15:29:42.820-04:00One idea: don't mention the novellas in your q...One idea: don't mention the novellas in your query letter, but do bring them up either when sending the manuscript to the agent in response to a query request, or bring it up during the call with an agent before signing. This is all before the agent would start pitching you as a debut author. The Sleepy Onehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17406738871201908077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-30211027609841984382016-04-02T14:36:38.404-04:002016-04-02T14:36:38.404-04:00Lennon, I know. I'm going to order a spurtle t...Lennon, I know. I'm going to order a spurtle to go with my ulu. I like being diverse.Julie Weathershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13725236516593676381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-63573088449760659772016-04-02T14:34:38.902-04:002016-04-02T14:34:38.902-04:00"Or would you want to know if she previously ... "Or would you want to know if she previously published a short story in an anthology on murders in the chocolate-covered toppings store?"<br /><br />Should I mention if I was involved, hypothetically of course, in chocolate topping murders or just if I write about them? Asking for a friend.Julie Weathershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13725236516593676381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-30126550516194771612016-04-02T13:53:26.610-04:002016-04-02T13:53:26.610-04:00I'm guessing a debut author is special only be...I'm guessing a debut author is special only because no one knows him/ her. Their work *could* be the next Harry Potter. The possibilities are endless when you're ignorant! <br /><br />I did enjoy the Spurtle entries as well. Lennon Farishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03570629350169504234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-21552745562690028032016-04-02T11:33:33.291-04:002016-04-02T11:33:33.291-04:00OP (or do you prefer Unknown?): I would guess that...OP (or do you prefer Unknown?): I would guess that the query letter would be the right place to say it, especially if you don't spend a paragraph elaborating. There's no need to tell your life story in a query (unless you're querying a memoir, I guess), but previous publications would probably fall in the bucket of introductions. <br /><br />Just imagine what you'd want to know if you were an agent. Would you want to know if Author Awesome has 12 cats if she's querying a novel on, say, the criminal underside of ice cream manufacturing? Or would you want to know if she previously published a short story in an anthology on murders in the chocolate-covered toppings store? I think the latter would be more important. Bethany Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12829932931010851406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-47855345533418774342016-04-02T10:46:03.951-04:002016-04-02T10:46:03.951-04:00OP here. I would definitely bring it up at some po...OP here. I would definitely bring it up at some point (I'm certainly not ASHAMED of my old short stories/novellas, I just wasn't sure how much they counted since the longest is 60 pages. <br />When, though, should I bring it up? In my query, or later after I catch the eye of an agent?<br />Thanks guys, and thank you Janet!mememehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17419221900450048437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-1808553399517992482016-04-02T10:38:00.071-04:002016-04-02T10:38:00.071-04:00In other news: Verizon surrendered their flag to F...In other news: Verizon surrendered their flag to Frontier here in Tampa yesterday. I think Frontier picked a bad day to do it. How dumb do you have be to take over a half-assed internet company and replace it with a quarter-assed internet company on April Fool's Day.<br /><br />That not quite smooth as promised turnover seemed to create some sort of black hole in the internet. With luck they will figure out what they are doing soon and the interweb will get back up to speed.Craig Fhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07157301156577795781noreply@blogger.com