I have written a YA novel about teenage male body-image issues. I think this is a unique and relevant theme, and I also think that the construction of my protagonist differs from those most prevalent in YA novels. That is, he's not morally upright like the New Age Boy, but cynical, occasionally neurotic, and self-obsessed. He undergoes some change (and realisation of his flaws, like in most novels), but he doesn't achieve perfection, or, for that matter, an overt desire to do so. I think he is realistic and he deals with issues common to male teenagers today. My supervisor (it's a Master of Arts project) believes it could have a market. Before I submit, I'd like some advice on which Australian publishers (if any) are most likely to go for a YA novel that willingly faces current issues and isn't too conservative.
Unfortunately I can't point you to particular publishers (see 'About Me' at right) but it would probably be unhelpful to do so anyway, as the personnel of publishing houses can change, and what one house favours today may not be to its taste next year. The best thing to do is spend some time at your local library and bookshop, going through the YA section and finding titles that you think are loosely in your subgenre (current issues/not conservative), then see who has published them. Publishers with YA lists are generally cognisant of the fact that their readership is changing all the time and don't want to be patronised - in my experienced children's publishers in general are passionate about what they publish and very well read in their field, so they're abreast of trends and they know what's working and what's not. Even if they may seem conservative, if the story and writing are good enough, they're going to be interested, because decisions about which books to publish are made largely by committee these days, and there's probably the odd forward-thinking individual in the bunch. For fiction, regardless of the age of reader, it always comes down to how you've executed your story.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Ahhh query letters - a favourite topic!
What are the elements of a good query or cover letter? How long should it be? What does an agent want to know from a query letter, and what information is superfluous? Do Australian agents expect a query first, or is it sufficient to send a sample with a cover letter?
Query letters are one of my favourite things to blather about, because they're so often the difference between an author getting read - by an agent or a publisher - or not. When I submit a manuscript to a publisher, I do my own 'query letter' of sorts, to pitch it to the publisher; if the author has helped me by sending a great one of their own, I'll immediately want to read their manuscript.
Query letters are de rigueur in the US but haven't really made much of here by agents and publishers, but they should be. Query letters show us how you can pitch your own work. And before you say, 'But I wrote a novel - why do I have to do anything else?' consider this: you're a writer - ergo, you should be able to write a query letter that reflects the standard of your manuscript. And if you can't, that's a concern and will immediately raise a red flag to an agent.
So I was delighted to get these questions and the chance to talk about query letters; I'll answer them one by one (and there are some useful links at the bottom of the post).
1. What are the elements of a good query or cover letter? The query/cover letter should tell an agent (or anyone who reads it, for that matter) who you are and why you are writing to them; what your manuscript is about and why the agent would want to read it above all other manuscripts (but don't use the phrase 'I'm the greatest unpublished writer in the world' because you'd be surprised how many people try that one), and any information you think might 'sell' the manuscript or you as an author (e.g. 'I recently completed a LongLines program at Varuna'; 'this story is very topical because of XYZ').
2. How long should it be? Ideally no longer than one A4 page single-spaced. As most agents receive a lot of queries, they want to scan things quickly and sometimes turning the page doesn't make things quick ...
3. What does an agent want to know from a query letter, and what information is superfluous? We want to know, in plain language, why you have sent us your manuscript and why you think people should read it. Superfluous information is any biographical information that is not pertinent to your writing - if it's a memoir about Tibet, it's helpful to mention that you lived in Tibet for 20 years, but don't tell us where you went to school. Most importantly, be honest but don't puff yourself up with unnecessary adjectives. Other superfluous information (at query stage, at least) is a list of which magazines you think might want to interview you.
4. Do Australian agents expect a query first, or is it sufficient to send a sample with a cover letter? Each agency has its own submission guidelines, so it's best to check their website first or, if they don't have a website, call or email. If their guidelines are unclear, it certainly can't hurt to send a query first and mention that you weren't sure what their procedures were, so you didn't send a sample of the manuscript. And remember that agents aren't scary - they just have too much reading. It's not school, either - no one is going to yell at you if you get it wrong. So it's best to be honest and say 'I don't know what you need to see but I'd like to submit a manuscript to you please' and remember that it's not a combative situation. Agents aren't waiting to reject you - they want to find great writing. So make it easy for them.
Some handy tips on writing query letters can be found here: http://misssnark.blogspot.com/search/label/query%20letters
And here:
http://www.sfwa.org/writing/query.htm
Also here:
http://www.jennybent.com/letter/index.html – good sample query letter
Query letters are one of my favourite things to blather about, because they're so often the difference between an author getting read - by an agent or a publisher - or not. When I submit a manuscript to a publisher, I do my own 'query letter' of sorts, to pitch it to the publisher; if the author has helped me by sending a great one of their own, I'll immediately want to read their manuscript.
Query letters are de rigueur in the US but haven't really made much of here by agents and publishers, but they should be. Query letters show us how you can pitch your own work. And before you say, 'But I wrote a novel - why do I have to do anything else?' consider this: you're a writer - ergo, you should be able to write a query letter that reflects the standard of your manuscript. And if you can't, that's a concern and will immediately raise a red flag to an agent.
So I was delighted to get these questions and the chance to talk about query letters; I'll answer them one by one (and there are some useful links at the bottom of the post).
1. What are the elements of a good query or cover letter? The query/cover letter should tell an agent (or anyone who reads it, for that matter) who you are and why you are writing to them; what your manuscript is about and why the agent would want to read it above all other manuscripts (but don't use the phrase 'I'm the greatest unpublished writer in the world' because you'd be surprised how many people try that one), and any information you think might 'sell' the manuscript or you as an author (e.g. 'I recently completed a LongLines program at Varuna'; 'this story is very topical because of XYZ').
2. How long should it be? Ideally no longer than one A4 page single-spaced. As most agents receive a lot of queries, they want to scan things quickly and sometimes turning the page doesn't make things quick ...
3. What does an agent want to know from a query letter, and what information is superfluous? We want to know, in plain language, why you have sent us your manuscript and why you think people should read it. Superfluous information is any biographical information that is not pertinent to your writing - if it's a memoir about Tibet, it's helpful to mention that you lived in Tibet for 20 years, but don't tell us where you went to school. Most importantly, be honest but don't puff yourself up with unnecessary adjectives. Other superfluous information (at query stage, at least) is a list of which magazines you think might want to interview you.
4. Do Australian agents expect a query first, or is it sufficient to send a sample with a cover letter? Each agency has its own submission guidelines, so it's best to check their website first or, if they don't have a website, call or email. If their guidelines are unclear, it certainly can't hurt to send a query first and mention that you weren't sure what their procedures were, so you didn't send a sample of the manuscript. And remember that agents aren't scary - they just have too much reading. It's not school, either - no one is going to yell at you if you get it wrong. So it's best to be honest and say 'I don't know what you need to see but I'd like to submit a manuscript to you please' and remember that it's not a combative situation. Agents aren't waiting to reject you - they want to find great writing. So make it easy for them.
Some handy tips on writing query letters can be found here: http://misssnark.blogspot.com/search/label/query%20letters
And here:
http://www.sfwa.org/writing/query.htm
Also here:
http://www.jennybent.com/letter/index.html – good sample query letter
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
When is a new author not new?
I now have 13 previous publications under my belt, from short stories to poems, and a novel published online. Yet I still find myself submitting as a 'new' author or 'first-time writer' to most agencies and publishing houses. Even after seeing my credentials I am still considered to be so. At what stage does one cease to be a 'new' author, is there a magical number?
A 'new' writer - in terms of how the publishing industry might define it - is someone without 'credentials'. Credentials can include winning short story competitions and having book reviews published in The Australian (for example) - there are many fledgling novelists who start out publishing journalism in order to build up their credentials. I guess the unspoken rule is that someone else needs to have adjudged your work worthy of publication, which is why publishing online often doesn't count as a credential (if you've published it yourself). And the biggest credential of all is having a book published - so you're technically new until that has happened.
The other aspect of being a 'new' writer is genre: if you're submitting a fantasy manuscript, for example, but the short stories you've had published were all chick lit, you're definitely a new writer in the fantasy genre; your short stories will give you some runs on the board, but not as much as if they were fantasy.
A 'new' writer - in terms of how the publishing industry might define it - is someone without 'credentials'. Credentials can include winning short story competitions and having book reviews published in The Australian (for example) - there are many fledgling novelists who start out publishing journalism in order to build up their credentials. I guess the unspoken rule is that someone else needs to have adjudged your work worthy of publication, which is why publishing online often doesn't count as a credential (if you've published it yourself). And the biggest credential of all is having a book published - so you're technically new until that has happened.
The other aspect of being a 'new' writer is genre: if you're submitting a fantasy manuscript, for example, but the short stories you've had published were all chick lit, you're definitely a new writer in the fantasy genre; your short stories will give you some runs on the board, but not as much as if they were fantasy.
Categorising literature - a specific case
I have a finished manuscript which is a biography of my son's life. I have written part of it in my voice, and the other half in his voice. The story is about his conversations with family, and friends, and how he lived his life. He died of cancer at seven! I have now been told by agents, and editors, that I can't write a biography in someone else's voice. If I do the book is just classed as 'fiction' - therefore, not credible as 'non-fiction'. So, after a 'scathing' report on my manuscript from an agent, I am now wondering if I should change the entire book to my point of view? I have been advised that my book could also be classed as 'Literary Non-Fiction'. So, the question is - what do I do next? Also, is there such a 'category' as Creative Non-Fiction?
As you are imagining what your son would be thinking and saying, strictly speaking what you're writing in relation to him is fiction. Autobiographies can be written by others - that's what ghost writers are for - but what you're talking about here is an amalgamation of non-fiction (your voice) and fiction (what you're writing about your son). This is certainly not the first time someone has combined the two, but in the end the category doesn't matter as much as whether the writing is any good: agents and publishers look at the writing first and worry about the category later (that's the marketing department's domain, anyway). So in answer to the question 'what do I do next?' - keep drafting your manuscript until you find someone who responds positively. That might take you eight drafts, but it will be worth the work if you get it published. Writing is work, and getting published is work, and some of it is hard work but hopefully it's rewarding, and that's why you're doing it.
As you are imagining what your son would be thinking and saying, strictly speaking what you're writing in relation to him is fiction. Autobiographies can be written by others - that's what ghost writers are for - but what you're talking about here is an amalgamation of non-fiction (your voice) and fiction (what you're writing about your son). This is certainly not the first time someone has combined the two, but in the end the category doesn't matter as much as whether the writing is any good: agents and publishers look at the writing first and worry about the category later (that's the marketing department's domain, anyway). So in answer to the question 'what do I do next?' - keep drafting your manuscript until you find someone who responds positively. That might take you eight drafts, but it will be worth the work if you get it published. Writing is work, and getting published is work, and some of it is hard work but hopefully it's rewarding, and that's why you're doing it.
Specialist agents - religious books
As a writer, and a dedicated Christian, I have had three overtly Christian books published and one republished by two publishers which is still in print. I would really love to have an agent to do all the negotiating and initial 'business' side of getting published. Most agents ask for non-religious manuscripts. So do you know of anyone who handles these things? (I mainly write biographies and fiction.)
Agents don't always state what specialties they might be interested in as it could end up being a long list so it's worth, first, researching agents and finding one or more you think you might like to work with, and then sending an enquiry (or calling, if they give a contact number). You're a published author, so tell them that up front - it doesn't matter what 'genre' you write in. The agent-writer relationship is fundamentally a personal one - you have to like each other - so if you find someone you like and who likes you, I doubt that they'll worry too much about what your writing specialty is.
Agents don't always state what specialties they might be interested in as it could end up being a long list so it's worth, first, researching agents and finding one or more you think you might like to work with, and then sending an enquiry (or calling, if they give a contact number). You're a published author, so tell them that up front - it doesn't matter what 'genre' you write in. The agent-writer relationship is fundamentally a personal one - you have to like each other - so if you find someone you like and who likes you, I doubt that they'll worry too much about what your writing specialty is.
Friday, July 6, 2007
So many manuscripts, so few agents
You have said previously that the US has hundreds of agents just in New York whereas 'Australia has a mere handful of agents' - why is this? Is it only because the small market and our dispersed population? (Australia has a population of 21 million and NY 19 million). If this is so, then I assume there is no hope of having a significant increase in the number of Australian agents in the future?
This is an issue I was going to raise in a general post, but I'm glad to have a question to answer ...
The agents in NYC serve the whole of the US - the US publishing industry is centred in New York City, with only a handful of satellites elsewhere. So, while there are agents in other places, the bulk of them is in NYC, because they need to be. Australian agents are in Sydney and Melbourne for similar reasons, but obviously catering to much smaller numbers.
As to why there aren't more Australian agents ... The brutal truth about agenting is that it's a lot of work for generally not a huge financial gain. We all have to do it because we love it, and sometimes we have jobs on the side so we can keep doing it. The other brutal truth is that you pretty much have to come from within the book industry - from publishing or bookselling - if you're going to hang out your shingle and become an agent (unless you're going into an established agency), because you need to have the network of contacts amongst publishers in order to make a go of it. So for new agents to appear would mean that people have to emerge from the publishing industry and be willing to work on commission - knowing that they won't see income for quite a while, because getting books published takes a long time, especially when you're just starting your own list. In order to take this sort of risk, they'll need an independent income - but they've been working in publishing for years, and that's not a lucrative industry, so they're probably not in a great position to take a risk on becoming an agent. A salary usually looks more appealing than working on commission!
Additionally, being an agent requires lots of different skills, and a whole lot of ball-juggling, that requires a certain personality type - mainly extroverts, who are not normally found in captivity in publishing. You also need a high tolerance for disappointment and an ability to deliver bad news in a way that doesn't leave us sobbing in the bathroom at lunch.
So, in short: you're right, there's not much prospect of a significant increase in the number of agents in this country, although there's an increasing reliance on them by publishers and thus, necessarily, by authors. We just have to ask you all to bear with us while we try to get through our reading and manage our lists, because we so much want to see you published - we just need more help!
This is an issue I was going to raise in a general post, but I'm glad to have a question to answer ...
The agents in NYC serve the whole of the US - the US publishing industry is centred in New York City, with only a handful of satellites elsewhere. So, while there are agents in other places, the bulk of them is in NYC, because they need to be. Australian agents are in Sydney and Melbourne for similar reasons, but obviously catering to much smaller numbers.
As to why there aren't more Australian agents ... The brutal truth about agenting is that it's a lot of work for generally not a huge financial gain. We all have to do it because we love it, and sometimes we have jobs on the side so we can keep doing it. The other brutal truth is that you pretty much have to come from within the book industry - from publishing or bookselling - if you're going to hang out your shingle and become an agent (unless you're going into an established agency), because you need to have the network of contacts amongst publishers in order to make a go of it. So for new agents to appear would mean that people have to emerge from the publishing industry and be willing to work on commission - knowing that they won't see income for quite a while, because getting books published takes a long time, especially when you're just starting your own list. In order to take this sort of risk, they'll need an independent income - but they've been working in publishing for years, and that's not a lucrative industry, so they're probably not in a great position to take a risk on becoming an agent. A salary usually looks more appealing than working on commission!
Additionally, being an agent requires lots of different skills, and a whole lot of ball-juggling, that requires a certain personality type - mainly extroverts, who are not normally found in captivity in publishing. You also need a high tolerance for disappointment and an ability to deliver bad news in a way that doesn't leave us sobbing in the bathroom at lunch.
So, in short: you're right, there's not much prospect of a significant increase in the number of agents in this country, although there's an increasing reliance on them by publishers and thus, necessarily, by authors. We just have to ask you all to bear with us while we try to get through our reading and manage our lists, because we so much want to see you published - we just need more help!
To trilogy or not to trilogy
Is it true that stand-alone fantasy novels are more likely to be picked up than the first of a trilogy/series if you have never been published before (or only as short stories)? I know a lot of people say that publishers will not take trilogies/series if you have never been published, but in Australia I see a lot of new fantasy authors getting their series published without any previous experience (e.g. Fiona Mcintosh, Jennifer Fallon). Is this an old myth or is it still relevant?
The quality of the writing and the story are always going to matter more than whether the novel is the first of a trilogy or not. If you want to write a trilogy, write it - just don't submit all three novels to an agent or publisher! Send the first one and tell them that it's the first of a trilogy. I can assure you that, if they love the first one, they will be excited that there are two more after that.
The main point to bear in mind when aspiring to have your fantasy novel published is that you'll need to be more patient than other novelists. Not only does the average size of fantasy manuscripts mean that they can't be read as quickly as other novels, but there aren't as many publishers specialising in fantasy. Stephanie Smith, who publishes Voyager at HarperCollins, has been at the vanguard of fantasy publishing in Australia (but don't send her manuscripts without checking first!) and now Hachette Livre has its Orbit imprint, and Arena (Allen & Unwin) is also looking for some. But there are lots of people writing fantasy, and it's all funnelling into this tiny stream. So that gives you lots of time to write the trilogy :) I should also say that publishers who are committed to fantasy are usually knowledgeable and they love the genre - they're just short on reading time ... Given the growing popularity of fantasy, though, you'll probably see more publishers getting on board.
The quality of the writing and the story are always going to matter more than whether the novel is the first of a trilogy or not. If you want to write a trilogy, write it - just don't submit all three novels to an agent or publisher! Send the first one and tell them that it's the first of a trilogy. I can assure you that, if they love the first one, they will be excited that there are two more after that.
The main point to bear in mind when aspiring to have your fantasy novel published is that you'll need to be more patient than other novelists. Not only does the average size of fantasy manuscripts mean that they can't be read as quickly as other novels, but there aren't as many publishers specialising in fantasy. Stephanie Smith, who publishes Voyager at HarperCollins, has been at the vanguard of fantasy publishing in Australia (but don't send her manuscripts without checking first!) and now Hachette Livre has its Orbit imprint, and Arena (Allen & Unwin) is also looking for some. But there are lots of people writing fantasy, and it's all funnelling into this tiny stream. So that gives you lots of time to write the trilogy :) I should also say that publishers who are committed to fantasy are usually knowledgeable and they love the genre - they're just short on reading time ... Given the growing popularity of fantasy, though, you'll probably see more publishers getting on board.
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