Haven’t done one of these in a while, so I thought I would open things up so everyone can talk about what they want to talk about. I’ll try my best to stop by to answer all questions.
I don’t know if blogger is equipped for rss feeds in comments (if they are, could someone please e-mail me?). But a good way to follow comment threads is to post a comment and click the “e-mail follow-up comments” button, and that way you’ll be able to follow the discussion from your inbox.
I’ve heard that it’s easier to find an agent if you have an offer, but honestly, it depends on the offer and who the publisher is, and at the end of the day, the agent still has to love your work. On the one hand, yeah, free money and all that, but most agents don’t leap at the opportunity. Let’s say it’s a $1,000 deal. The agent’s commission on that is $150. Now imagine the hours of reading the manuscript, negotiating the contract, reading the author’s other work… it quickly becomes a sub-minimum wage job. The only way the agent will make that tradeoff is if they really love the author’s work and think they can help build that author’s career for the long haul.
So yes, it’s a bonus, and it might perk up some eyes and ears, but at the end of the day, it’s no guarantee.
Yes, you can re-query me, but please keep the above in mind. It’s not always possible for me to help out (and if you decide to go it alone, be sure and read Janet Reid’s post on that).
Sometimes I get feedback that is well-meant but doesn’t work for my vision of the story. I want to improve. I want to be a better writer. But at what point does an author take a stand and stop letting everyone else (friends, agents, editors) write the book?
The fact that you’re getting full requests is a good sign, so it depends on what you’re hearing from people. If it’s a consistent message then yes, I would heed that and re-work your project. If it’s not a consistent message and people are all over the place, you might just keep trying to find the right match. So much comes down to fit, when you’re getting near misses it shows you’re on the right track.
1) I don’t advocate trend watching and 2) if you check my submission guidelines mysteries and suspense is listed there bright and shiny (and when in doubt query me)
Henceforth, due to the number of questions I’m going to pass on answering questions that are answerable from the front page of my blog, i.e. my submission guidelines, the Essentials, and especially the FAQs. If your question goes unanswered, please check there!
A partially-submitted manuscript can be a very difficult proposition indeed, particularly in a genre like SF where there are a somewhat limited number of specialized publishers. But every situation is different, and the only way to know is to query.
I prefer that people not re-query for the same project. But since we’re now at comment 160, I’ll give you this tidbit if you’re reading this far — am I going to remember?
Query question: frequently I see somewhere or another that agents want to know in a query whether or not it’s exclusive. Then other places have said agents just assume it isn’t. So…do you say in a query that it’s not exclusive or not??? And if you do, how do you put it in so it doesn’t sound choppy.
I agree that there is an increasing need for another tier in publishing between the mainstream houses and small/self-publishing. I have some ideas of how that will shake out, but I really think there’s a void at the moment.
That’s a tough question to answer. I think authors ultimately have to go with their gut, provided that they have done their level best to make sure that pride/misdirection aren’t leading them astray. I guess it’s sort of like meditation — making a decision with as much of an objective mind as possible.
That’s bizarre to me that some agents want to know if it’s exclusive. But I guess it doesn’t hurt to just put a quick sentence in there that it’s a simultaneous submission.
Hmmm. Fellow AWers thought it might be commercial fiction with magical realism. Would that sound right? Anyway, will dig around a bit for works similar to this and see where they’re slotted. Thanks!
OK, so I have a YA fantansy mss. that I completed one year ago and have spent this past year editing and revising. I’m nearly ready to query it off. My question is this: should I get my work professionally copy-edited before or after I (hopefully) get the agent? I’ve heard it both ways, but I would like to know which you think is best.
I realize this comment is probably too dilatory for notice, but I will send it anyway as my time with this blog is running short; alas, the affairs of summer must end. Normally I am late getting to read any of your entries, Mr. Bransford, but oddly found the time, and opportune time it was indeed, to read Wednesday’s and Thursday’s posts, as you had just entered them. Regrettably, for me, I was distracted last evening mid-question(s) — I fear I may have been about to throw them out like confetti, so perhaps for you and your readers it was just as well — by a hockey stick, blood, torn lips and loose teeth.
What I was writing at that time was regarding civic responsibilities and the author. I believe sex scenes at starbucks brought this to some attention in your debate on publishers’ responsibilities. As the scribes of our current human condition, do we have a moral responsibility to not only accurately record our world as we see it, but also to attempt to bring the reader, and thus our society, to a higher state of being; or are we free to entertain?
I realize truth is wound tightly with perception and so everyone is likely to have his or her own very specific response to this. As with publishers’ responsibilities (and most things, it seems), I would speculate, however, two camps would emerge in this debate, and so perhaps the questin in itself is moot, but it could be enlightening and entertaining (ah, that perfect, elusive balance). I am curious of the responses, as for me it is easy to argue the imperative of improving our world, but could one not also argue the necessity of diversion? It is hypothesised we dream to heal our wounded souls. In an age of increasing sleep deprivation could we not be saving ourselves with fantasy (and I don’t mean the genre)?
I realize now this is not a good question to present so soon after Wednesday’s debate, as it will likely get repetitive and boring, but perhaps it could use consideration in the future. Instead, I will presently ask you to post: Can writers, particularly unpublished writers, read for pleasure? After staying on top of what the agents you have chosen to query are representing, what’s poular in your genre/field, what’s popular in general, what’s necessary for your research, do you have any time left to just read what you might like for no other reason than you want to? And if so, can you read it without analysing it? Can you just enjoy it? A Yes/No vote would be sufficient; I just want to know if I’m the only one who can’t.
Thank you, Mr. Bransford, and thank you to those who comment at this site. I don’t quite live at the edge of the earth, but it is certainly the world’s back porch. Conferences are but an ethereal notion for me, yet now I feel I have sat within the walls of your parliment. Some of you appear brilliant, and one I look forward to as our modern day Cervantes — to you, gifted scribe, I say I will read with true pleasure.
Honestly, to me it depends on the context. I’m not one to toss around the words “retard” or “retarded” etc. as pejoratives, but at the same time, I’m not the most politically correct person in the world when it comes to humor and comedy. I understand that some people are more sensitive because of their own perspective and life, and it’s important for people to be sensitive to that, but there’s a very blurry line between sensitivity and openness to humor.
Humor is about subversion, and I think the source of that type of humor comes from knowing that it’s wrong to do something and then doing it anyway. So when people make those types of jokes, I think the joke is more about knowing it’s wrong to be making the joke (because our natural tendencey is to be sensitive) rather than it being about the disabled person or at their expense. But that’s just my perspective, and everyone has their sore spots where something just isn’t funny no matter what because of their own experiences.
That’s kind of specific. Just shoot for the bookstore section and don’t sweat it too much. People tend to get bogged down in genre labels, and it doesn’t really matter all that much at the query stage.
I’m in Australia, and it seems, from my research so far, that the choices here for the unpublished author with a simply spiffing book are either: a) a publishing slush pile, with a wait of up to nine months, don’t hold your breath b) an agent. If you can find one of the handful here in Oz who is accepting unsolicited queries. c) submitting said spiffing etc. work to agents overseas. I hasten to add that I’m not talking about a novel stuffed with koalas, Vegemite, g’daymatehowyergoin’ and other local references obscure to those beyond our beautiful shores, but something that may well play in Peoria, or whatever that quote was about finding an audience.
So, are US agents open to submissions from overseas, eg. to pick a country at random, Australia?
Thank you! Anon in Oz
PS and yes, said spiffing work falls within categories in which you’ve indicated an interest.
It’s a tough balance to quantify, but it is definitely a factor. I think agents are much more inclined to work with someone who has a good personality not only for their own working life but also because these days authors interact more with audiences and publishers, and although I haven’t been in the business that long, my sense is that there’s a higher expectation for professionalism than there was in the past.
Nathan, I have a random question for you. (Feel free to ignore it if you are busy!)
Going through some of the archived posts, I see that you went to Atlanta a few months ago and you made a few comments about liking the south.
Being from Alabama, I want to say – THANK YOU for portraying southerners in a positive light. I love that I can walk through a store and complete strangers will smile and say “Hello”. And something about a stranger holding the door for me makes my day! (Yes, I’m pretty easy to please, apparently.)
But I’m curious to know what your favorite southern food item is. Personally, I’m quite partial to our breakfasts.. eggs, biscuits with sausage gravy, and the oh-so-important grits!! 🙂
Hi Nathan, I have a question, but please allow for the back-story. I have 3 fulls out. One firm has had it since early June, the other two since late July. I wait. In the meantime, I posted a craigslist ad (for a nanny) and it has caused some minor hoopla. It was nominated for ‘best of’ craigslist, and a national blog picked it up. So far, I have gotten 70 responses and the Natl. blog has 30+ comments. The feedback is coming from my target audience, aka Mothers who read Nanny Listings, and most are saying some version of, “That was honest and hilarious!” The post, though hastily written while I was cranky, is the best writing I have done all week. Further, it is similar to my manuscript which is a collection of essays. Should I email the agents a link to craigslist and/or the national blog? Pro: I get an opportunity to illustrate that there is a market for my book and that I am capable of self promotion. Con: I don’t want to be a nuisance. (I am fighting the urge to include the link here, but I’ll err on the side of cautious humility. Though, ever the tramp, I can be persuaded.)
i have enough money saved to take a year off from everything and write a book. i am having a hard time figuring out where to live during this time. any suggestions on creative enviornments?
I don’t know if you’re still monitoring this post but I have a question that’s been bugging me for a while.
This has to do with categories. In a query letter, is it accurate to use the term “mainstream fiction” or “commercial fiction?” I never see these categories in your query stats. What do you call something that isn’t genre and isn’t literary fiction either?
I think it’s ok to call something “mainstream,” but there really aren’t too published many books out there that don’t fall into the categories of either literary or some genre.
I love that you opened your blog up to comments from writers and hope that I’m not too late in posting. So far, I have several books published by a small press publisher. The experience has been wonderful, but my ultimate dream is to sign with an agent, have a book published by one of the big publishing houses and see my books in bookstores everywhere – the basic dream of every writer. 🙂 Recently, I’ve had the great fortune to be approached by a TV show producer who had a TV show go to #1 in its time slot. She read my trilogy of children’s fantasy adventure novels, and is now featuring it in her pilot for a new TV series. At the same time, a Hollywood Writer-Producer-Director with an EMMY to his credit read some of my adult short stories and has included them in another pilot that’s currently being shopped around both Hollywood and India’s Bollywood. My question is whether or not this might help to interest an agent in my next book. I’m currently writing an adult science fiction novel in which a top-secret government project and aliens tesseracting back through time and space slam into each other in unexpected ways. I would appreciate any advice and insight you could share.
I think I may have gone in too deep at Thursday’s pool party. Sorry; I just hate goodbyes.
And Polenth,
A pet cockroach? That’s brilliant. Who’s your vet? If you want a cute one visit http://www.cbpost.com, click on columnists and scroll down to Dr. Darren Low. He’s got an email address there and I’m sure he’d give free medical advice and dietary recommendations for fussy eaters. I’m pretty sure I’ve read somewhere entomology was one of his favorite classes as an undergrad and I have actually read his stories about rat and crow patients, so he’s diverse.
Now, regarding canned food and the starving artist: disregarding the salt content, have you heard of Bisphenol A? May I recommend dry goods instead? Try rice, beans, lentils and pasta. Buy in bulk, prepare in bulk and freeze. It’s quicker in the long run, cheaper and good for you! Serve with fresh, local, in season fruits and veggies (have read San Francisco tomatoes are superlative, for those of you in the area). Throw in a preference of spices and serve with a shot of your favorite, cheap jug o’ wine and it’s not a bad meal either. And since you won’t be able to afford a car, think of how ripped you’ll get eating lean and riding your bike everywhere, meaning you’ll be lookin’ fine for appearances after that big break, and we all know pretty never hurt no one’s sales. What little money you have can be splurged on only buying fair trade tea, coffee, chocolate and sugar, since you’re trying to improve the world.
Wait, damn it! I’m slipping into the deep end again. Someone throw me a life ring before I get kicked off this site. I swear, a couple more weeks and I won’t be able to come back.
I don’t know if you’re still monitoring, but I’ll give it a shot.
You said it’s fine to say “this is my first book.” Well, the MS I want to shop is the third written of seven complete first drafts in a–is it a series if the main characters change? One book is about a Marine, the next her adopted brother, et cetera–anyway. I read what you said about series in the FAQ.
My question is–I’ve written a ton. Do I say so, or does that make me sound unprofessional?
I know you aren’t a stickler for word count, but I’ve read conflicting reports on what a “word count” actually is.
Some sources calculate word count as: total number of pages in Courier X 250 words per page.
Other sources recommend an actual word count calculated by the word processor.
I tried both methods and discovered a nearly 20,000 word disparity in my word count calculation. Also, the word processor word count puts my novel at about 10,000 words below the acceptable length for its genre which would make it unrepresentable to most agents.
I’d like to use the Courier method in my query letters, but if an agent expects authors to estimate via the word processor method, this will surely make me look like a liar should that agent ever request a full. Any suggestions?
Hi Nathan, In case you’re still accepting questions… I’m ready to submit a MG manuscript and I have a certain “dream agent”(through previous contact with her from a conference and editorial revisions of a different work of mine.) Would there be an advantage to submitting to her exclusively to let her know she’s my top choice? If so, is six weeks a fair period of time for exclusivity or is that too short? (She’s someone who wants to see a fair number of pages, in addition to a query.) Thanks!
That’s a tough call. A YA novel can have alternating narrations and so can an adult novel, but what is really important is the sensibility and style. If the novel involves adult themes and style, it can still be an adult novel even if part of it is narrated by a child. If it involves mostly issues and has a style that appeal to a YA audience, it can still be a YA novel even if part is narrated by an adult.
But — it can’t have two styles and two sensibilities. Otherwise it may fall into no man’s land.
Without having read the novel I can’t really tell you in which direction to take it, but hopefully the above will help in some way.
Yes, definitely mention the interest, although do keep in mind that agents will take it with a grain of salt. So many book projects have been inquired about by film companies, if only to be listed in some vast database, so we always take a cautious attitude toward projects in the pipeline for film/tv. But it couldn’t hurt.
Until you’ve been published, every novel you’re shopping is your “first novel,” whether it’s the first novel you’ve actually written or the tenth. We assume every writer has five manuscripts in the drawer, but it’s the first one that’s published that is the debut.
Nathan Bransford says
kristi-
I don’t know if blogger is equipped for rss feeds in comments (if they are, could someone please e-mail me?). But a good way to follow comment threads is to post a comment and click the “e-mail follow-up comments” button, and that way you’ll be able to follow the discussion from your inbox.
Nathan Bransford says
Sandra-
I don’t have a problem with prologues if they’re necessary. But. Not all are necessary.
liquidambar says
Maryhaas:
1. Read a lot
2. Write a lot
Nathan Bransford says
disgruntled bear-
I’ve heard that it’s easier to find an agent if you have an offer, but honestly, it depends on the offer and who the publisher is, and at the end of the day, the agent still has to love your work. On the one hand, yeah, free money and all that, but most agents don’t leap at the opportunity. Let’s say it’s a $1,000 deal. The agent’s commission on that is $150. Now imagine the hours of reading the manuscript, negotiating the contract, reading the author’s other work… it quickly becomes a sub-minimum wage job. The only way the agent will make that tradeoff is if they really love the author’s work and think they can help build that author’s career for the long haul.
So yes, it’s a bonus, and it might perk up some eyes and ears, but at the end of the day, it’s no guarantee.
Yes, you can re-query me, but please keep the above in mind. It’s not always possible for me to help out (and if you decide to go it alone, be sure and read Janet Reid’s post on that).
Just_Me says
When do you stop taking advice on your book?
Sometimes I get feedback that is well-meant but doesn’t work for my vision of the story. I want to improve. I want to be a better writer. But at what point does an author take a stand and stop letting everyone else (friends, agents, editors) write the book?
Nathan Bransford says
anon@3:18-
The fact that you’re getting full requests is a good sign, so it depends on what you’re hearing from people. If it’s a consistent message then yes, I would heed that and re-work your project. If it’s not a consistent message and people are all over the place, you might just keep trying to find the right match. So much comes down to fit, when you’re getting near misses it shows you’re on the right track.
Nathan Bransford says
kidcuisine-
1) I don’t advocate trend watching and 2) if you check my submission guidelines mysteries and suspense is listed there bright and shiny (and when in doubt query me)
Henceforth, due to the number of questions I’m going to pass on answering questions that are answerable from the front page of my blog, i.e. my submission guidelines, the Essentials, and especially the FAQs. If your question goes unanswered, please check there!
Nathan Bransford says
anon@4:03-
A partially-submitted manuscript can be a very difficult proposition indeed, particularly in a genre like SF where there are a somewhat limited number of specialized publishers. But every situation is different, and the only way to know is to query.
Nathan Bransford says
maryotten-
To paraphrase another, that question is above my pay grade. I don’t think it’s possible to generalize across the board.
Nathan Bransford says
stew-
I prefer that people not re-query for the same project. But since we’re now at comment 160, I’ll give you this tidbit if you’re reading this far — am I going to remember?
Nathan Bransford says
anon@7:01-
Yes.
Nathan Bransford says
icqb-
No, I don’t think a kitten would get along with my dog. Kittens are pretty awesome though, I have to admit.
shariwrites says
Query question: frequently I see somewhere or another that agents want to know in a query whether or not it’s exclusive. Then other places have said agents just assume it isn’t. So…do you say in a query that it’s not exclusive or not??? And if you do, how do you put it in so it doesn’t sound choppy.
Nathan Bransford says
erik-
I agree that there is an increasing need for another tier in publishing between the mainstream houses and small/self-publishing. I have some ideas of how that will shake out, but I really think there’s a void at the moment.
Nathan Bransford says
gm-
Tough to know without reading it. Contemporary fantasy?
Nathan Bransford says
just me-
That’s a tough question to answer. I think authors ultimately have to go with their gut, provided that they have done their level best to make sure that pride/misdirection aren’t leading them astray. I guess it’s sort of like meditation — making a decision with as much of an objective mind as possible.
Nathan Bransford says
shariwrites-
That’s bizarre to me that some agents want to know if it’s exclusive. But I guess it doesn’t hurt to just put a quick sentence in there that it’s a simultaneous submission.
maryotten says
Nathan, Ok so let’s not generalize. What do YOU do when you read the words “moron, retard, idiot, spaz, crip… or other degrogatory words?
GM says
Hmmm. Fellow AWers thought it might be commercial fiction with magical realism. Would that sound right?
Anyway, will dig around a bit for works similar to this and see where they’re slotted. Thanks!
Madison says
OK, so I have a YA fantansy mss. that I completed one year ago and have spent this past year editing and revising. I’m nearly ready to query it off. My question is this: should I get my work professionally copy-edited before or after I (hopefully) get the agent? I’ve heard it both ways, but I would like to know which you think is best.
Thanks!
slcard says
I realize this comment is probably too dilatory for notice, but I will send it anyway as my time with this blog is running short; alas, the affairs of summer must end. Normally I am late getting to read any of your entries, Mr. Bransford, but oddly found the time, and opportune time it was indeed, to read Wednesday’s and Thursday’s posts, as you had just entered them. Regrettably, for me, I was distracted last evening mid-question(s) — I fear I may have been about to throw them out like confetti, so perhaps for you and your readers it was just as well — by a hockey stick, blood, torn lips and loose teeth.
What I was writing at that time was regarding civic responsibilities and the author. I believe sex scenes at starbucks brought this to some attention in your debate on publishers’ responsibilities. As the scribes of our current human condition, do we have a moral responsibility to not only accurately record our world as we see it, but also to attempt to bring the reader, and thus our society, to a higher state of being; or are we free to entertain?
I realize truth is wound tightly with perception and so everyone is likely to have his or her own very specific response to this. As with publishers’ responsibilities (and most things, it seems), I would speculate, however, two camps would emerge in this debate, and so perhaps the questin in itself is moot, but it could be enlightening and entertaining (ah, that perfect, elusive balance). I am curious of the responses, as for me it is easy to argue the imperative of improving our world, but could one not also argue the necessity of diversion? It is hypothesised we dream to heal our wounded souls. In an age of increasing sleep deprivation could we not be saving ourselves with fantasy (and I don’t mean the genre)?
I realize now this is not a good question to present so soon after Wednesday’s debate, as it will likely get repetitive and boring, but perhaps it could use consideration in the future. Instead, I will presently ask you to post: Can writers, particularly unpublished writers, read for pleasure? After staying on top of what the agents you have chosen to query are representing, what’s poular in your genre/field, what’s popular in general, what’s necessary for your research, do you have any time left to just read what you might like for no other reason than you want to? And if so, can you read it without analysing it? Can you just enjoy it? A Yes/No vote would be sufficient; I just want to know if I’m the only one who can’t.
Thank you, Mr. Bransford, and thank you to those who comment at this site. I don’t quite live at the edge of the earth, but it is certainly the world’s back porch. Conferences are but an ethereal notion for me, yet now I feel I have sat within the walls of your parliment. Some of you appear brilliant, and one I look forward to as our modern day Cervantes — to you, gifted scribe, I say I will read with true pleasure.
Godspeed,
–slc
Nathan Bransford says
maryotten-
Honestly, to me it depends on the context. I’m not one to toss around the words “retard” or “retarded” etc. as pejoratives, but at the same time, I’m not the most politically correct person in the world when it comes to humor and comedy. I understand that some people are more sensitive because of their own perspective and life, and it’s important for people to be sensitive to that, but there’s a very blurry line between sensitivity and openness to humor.
Humor is about subversion, and I think the source of that type of humor comes from knowing that it’s wrong to do something and then doing it anyway. So when people make those types of jokes, I think the joke is more about knowing it’s wrong to be making the joke (because our natural tendencey is to be sensitive) rather than it being about the disabled person or at their expense. But that’s just my perspective, and everyone has their sore spots where something just isn’t funny no matter what because of their own experiences.
Nathan Bransford says
gw-
That’s kind of specific. Just shoot for the bookstore section and don’t sweat it too much. People tend to get bogged down in genre labels, and it doesn’t really matter all that much at the query stage.
Nathan Bransford says
madison-
I answered that one elsewhere in this (increasingly long) thread, so maybe do a find for “editor” and it will come up.
maryotten says
Thanks Nathan, that’s an honest answer. I too like to think writers are sensitive and understand the power of words.
GM says
Thanks, Nathan!
Anonymous says
Thanks for this opportunity.
I’m in Australia, and it seems, from my research so far, that the choices here for the unpublished author with a simply spiffing book are either:
a) a publishing slush pile, with a wait of up to nine months, don’t hold your breath
b) an agent. If you can find one of the handful here in Oz who is accepting unsolicited queries.
c) submitting said spiffing etc. work to agents overseas. I hasten to add that I’m not talking about a novel stuffed with koalas, Vegemite, g’daymatehowyergoin’ and other local references obscure to those beyond our beautiful shores, but something that may well play in Peoria, or whatever that quote was about finding an audience.
So, are US agents open to submissions from overseas, eg. to pick a country at random, Australia?
Thank you! Anon in Oz
PS and yes, said spiffing work falls within categories in which you’ve indicated an interest.
Nathan Bransford says
anon-
Check out the FAQs for a post on writers finding agents overseas.
Anonymous says
Okay. What dream book would you like to see come across your query desk right now?
Nathan Bransford says
anon-
An existing book or a hypothetical one?
Madison says
Don’t know how to do the find and read every post…still can’t find it. Yes, I’m an idiot. Oh, well. 🙂
Nathan Bransford says
madison-
ctrl+F
nona says
How much do bad personality traits weigh against quality of work?
I’d have to say that bad personality traits and/or insanity are prerequisites for turning out top-notch work of any kind.
Oh, and yeah, you’re gonna be eating a lot of canned goods if you’re gonna spend your life making art.
Nathan Bransford says
nona-
It’s a tough balance to quantify, but it is definitely a factor. I think agents are much more inclined to work with someone who has a good personality not only for their own working life but also because these days authors interact more with audiences and publishers, and although I haven’t been in the business that long, my sense is that there’s a higher expectation for professionalism than there was in the past.
ashley says
Nathan,
I have a random question for you. (Feel free to ignore it if you are busy!)
Going through some of the archived posts, I see that you went to Atlanta a few months ago and you made a few comments about liking the south.
Being from Alabama, I want to say – THANK YOU for portraying southerners in a positive light. I love that I can walk through a store and complete strangers will smile and say “Hello”. And something about a stranger holding the door for me makes my day! (Yes, I’m pretty easy to please, apparently.)
But I’m curious to know what your favorite southern food item is. Personally, I’m quite partial to our breakfasts.. eggs, biscuits with sausage gravy, and the oh-so-important grits!! 🙂
Nathan Bransford says
ashley-
I’m a big fan of biscuits and gravy. And yeah, cheese grits! Also shoestring hash browns. Yum….
JeanieW says
re: Mary Haas’s question
“What are one or two activities that would be the best use of time for a beginning writer?”
I suggest reading a gazillion books (no more, no less) in the genre you’re writing in, both the classic works and the recently published stuff.
RLS says
Hi Nathan,
I have a question, but please allow for the back-story.
I have 3 fulls out. One firm has had it since early June, the other two since late July. I wait.
In the meantime, I posted a craigslist ad (for a nanny) and it has caused some minor hoopla. It was nominated for ‘best of’ craigslist, and a national blog picked it up. So far, I have gotten 70 responses and the Natl. blog has 30+ comments. The feedback is coming from my target audience, aka Mothers who read Nanny Listings, and most are saying some version of, “That was honest and hilarious!”
The post, though hastily written while I was cranky, is the best writing I have done all week. Further, it is similar to my manuscript which is a collection of essays.
Should I email the agents a link to craigslist and/or the national blog?
Pro: I get an opportunity to illustrate that there is a market for my book and that I am capable of self promotion.
Con: I don’t want to be a nuisance.
(I am fighting the urge to include the link here, but I’ll err on the side of cautious humility. Though, ever the tramp, I can be persuaded.)
john says
i have enough money saved to take a year off from everything and write a book. i am having a hard time figuring out where to live during this time. any suggestions on creative enviornments?
Nathan Bransford says
RLS-
No, I wouldn’t do that.
Anonymous says
Nathan,
I don’t know if you’re still monitoring this post but I have a question that’s been bugging me for a while.
This has to do with categories. In a query letter, is it accurate to use the term “mainstream fiction” or “commercial fiction?” I never see these categories in your query stats. What do you call something that isn’t genre and isn’t literary fiction either?
Thanks.
Nathan Bransford says
anon-
I think it’s ok to call something “mainstream,” but there really aren’t too published many books out there that don’t fall into the categories of either literary or some genre.
Marilyn Peake says
Hi, Nathan,
I love that you opened your blog up to comments from writers and hope that I’m not too late in posting. So far, I have several books published by a small press publisher. The experience has been wonderful, but my ultimate dream is to sign with an agent, have a book published by one of the big publishing houses and see my books in bookstores everywhere – the basic dream of every writer. 🙂 Recently, I’ve had the great fortune to be approached by a TV show producer who had a TV show go to #1 in its time slot. She read my trilogy of children’s fantasy adventure novels, and is now featuring it in her pilot for a new TV series. At the same time, a Hollywood Writer-Producer-Director with an EMMY to his credit read some of my adult short stories and has included them in another pilot that’s currently being shopped around both Hollywood and India’s Bollywood. My question is whether or not this might help to interest an agent in my next book. I’m currently writing an adult science fiction novel in which a top-secret government project and aliens tesseracting back through time and space slam into each other in unexpected ways. I would appreciate any advice and insight you could share.
slcard says
I think I may have gone in too deep at Thursday’s pool party. Sorry; I just hate goodbyes.
And Polenth,
A pet cockroach? That’s brilliant. Who’s your vet? If you want a cute one visit http://www.cbpost.com, click on columnists and scroll down to Dr. Darren Low. He’s got an email address there and I’m sure he’d give free medical advice and dietary recommendations for fussy eaters. I’m pretty sure I’ve read somewhere entomology was one of his favorite classes as an undergrad and I have actually read his stories about rat and crow patients, so he’s diverse.
Now, regarding canned food and the starving artist: disregarding the salt content, have you heard of Bisphenol A? May I recommend dry goods instead? Try rice, beans, lentils and pasta. Buy in bulk, prepare in bulk and freeze. It’s quicker in the long run, cheaper and good for you! Serve with fresh, local, in season fruits and veggies (have read San Francisco tomatoes are superlative, for those of you in the area). Throw in a preference of spices and serve with a shot of your favorite, cheap jug o’ wine and it’s not a bad meal either. And since you won’t be able to afford a car, think of how ripped you’ll get eating lean and riding your bike everywhere, meaning you’ll be lookin’ fine for appearances after that big break, and we all know pretty never hurt no one’s sales. What little money you have can be splurged on only buying fair trade tea, coffee, chocolate and sugar, since you’re trying to improve the world.
Wait, damn it! I’m slipping into the deep end again. Someone throw me a life ring before I get kicked off this site. I swear, a couple more weeks and I won’t be able to come back.
KD says
I don’t know if you’re still monitoring, but I’ll give it a shot.
You said it’s fine to say “this is my first book.” Well, the MS I want to shop is the third written of seven complete first drafts in a–is it a series if the main characters change? One book is about a Marine, the next her adopted brother, et cetera–anyway. I read what you said about series in the FAQ.
My question is–I’ve written a ton. Do I say so, or does that make me sound unprofessional?
mo says
Nathan,
I know you aren’t a stickler for word count, but I’ve read conflicting reports on what a “word count” actually is.
Some sources calculate word count as: total number of pages in Courier X 250 words per page.
Other sources recommend an actual word count calculated by the word processor.
I tried both methods and discovered a nearly 20,000 word disparity in my word count calculation. Also, the word processor word count puts my novel at about 10,000 words below the acceptable length for its genre which would make it unrepresentable to most agents.
I’d like to use the Courier method in my query letters, but if an agent expects authors to estimate via the word processor method, this will surely make me look like a liar should that agent ever request a full. Any suggestions?
Thank you for your time.
Anonymous says
Hi Nathan,
In case you’re still accepting questions…
I’m ready to submit a MG manuscript and I have a certain “dream agent”(through previous contact with her from a conference and editorial revisions of a different work of mine.) Would there be an advantage to submitting to her exclusively to let her know she’s my top choice? If so, is six weeks a fair period of time for exclusivity or is that too short? (She’s someone who wants to see a fair number of pages, in addition to a query.)
Thanks!
Nathan Bransford says
chumplet-
That’s a tough call. A YA novel can have alternating narrations and so can an adult novel, but what is really important is the sensibility and style. If the novel involves adult themes and style, it can still be an adult novel even if part of it is narrated by a child. If it involves mostly issues and has a style that appeal to a YA audience, it can still be a YA novel even if part is narrated by an adult.
But — it can’t have two styles and two sensibilities. Otherwise it may fall into no man’s land.
Without having read the novel I can’t really tell you in which direction to take it, but hopefully the above will help in some way.
Nathan Bransford says
marilyn-
Yes, definitely mention the interest, although do keep in mind that agents will take it with a grain of salt. So many book projects have been inquired about by film companies, if only to be listed in some vast database, so we always take a cautious attitude toward projects in the pipeline for film/tv. But it couldn’t hurt.
Nathan Bransford says
kd-
Until you’ve been published, every novel you’re shopping is your “first novel,” whether it’s the first novel you’ve actually written or the tenth. We assume every writer has five manuscripts in the drawer, but it’s the first one that’s published that is the debut.