Paid *and* free subscribers: ask me (and each other) all your questions about publishing, art, or Related Life Struggles. I'll do my best to answer what I can.
Hello Anna! I hope France is glorious in the spring and that your family time is joyful / not too exhausting and overwhelming.
My fourth novel is out in the UK in July. When my third novel came out (last June) I had a rough time - I was between editors, the book got neglected, but I did NOT help myself. I got burned out trying to take over all promotional duties, etc, and drove myself crazy, and felt sad/mad all summer.
This time, I want to celebrate in a sane way, and set myself up for success - success being approaching publication with my mental health first! I’ve got a couple of other fun projects on the go that will distract / take the edge off, and I want to make sure I’m rested, reasonably well nourished, etc. Is there anything specific that you can suggest for my sanity toolbox? It isn’t my first rodeo BUT sometimes I feel that the more I ride, the less sure I am of my horse…
Remember what you can and can't control and lean into the former HARD. You can't control who reviews the book, for example, or who says "yes" to pitches; you can only control people getting pitched in the first place (and that only sort of -- your agent should advocate for you here, although she ultimately can't control much either).
As for general sanity toolbox: surround yourself with people who ground you. People whose eyes light up when you enter a room -- not because you're a novelist or a potential blurber or good networking or otherwise useful for them in some way, but because they just like being around you. Spend as much peaceable time with them as you possibly can, and try to aerate that time with laughter. This will remind you at the cellular level that there's no way to chase or achieve your way into feeling safety or lasting satisfaction as a human being; only healthy relationships can do that, and man, do they ever do it.
The answer is almost certainly "very, very, very, very difficult," but the true number of verys depends on:
*what kind of book deal you want and from whom (peanuts from a small press OK or are you hoping for six figures from knopf?)
*if you've published other work before
*how much buzz you have as a literary writer (eg spontaneous raves from extremely famous literary writers, publication in major outlets eg Granta and Paris Review)
*whether or not you have an MFA from Iowa
*whether or not your work is already drawing spontaneous notice from agents (eg through your MFA program or publications)
No matter what your answers to the above, for almost everyone, it's easier to have a hit novel first and then move onto novellas.
Reminder: these are odds and probabilities I'm talking about, not certainties. Let's say I'm an OBGYN and you ask me how to get pregnant: I'd be pretty shitty at my job if I tell you, "have sex with an IUD in and hope you're one of the .2% who gets pregnant that way!" However, this being crap advice does not negate the fact that yes, 1 in 500 people do get pregnant with IUDs in.
Hi Anna, and thank you for this! I happen to have a burning query question for you.
I'm looking for an agent for a memoir, and I've noticed on their websites that some agents ask for sample pages for fiction and a proposal for nonfiction. Some agents, however, add the caveat that if it's a memoir you can/should send sample pages rather than a proposal. But for the agents who don't specify, I'm not sure what to do. I have a full manuscript and no proposal. I don't want to make assumptions or annoy agents, but I'm also not too excited to write a proposal for a book I've already written and revised many times, especially if it's not really needed. Any advice? Thank you so much.
::sad trombone:: I think you should write the proposal. Here's why:
1. This is what most big 5 agents prefer to see anyway -- the people who prefer full manuscript memoir submissions tend to be smaller literary presses. One hundred percent of the memoirs I personally send out go out first as proposals.
2. Unless you're a celebrity, you're really going to need to speak knowledgeably to agents and publishers publishers about how your memoir transforms the lives of people who've never heard of you and how you plan to make them aware they can't live without your book...and the best way to do that hard, programmatic thinking is in the proposal process.
3. Yes, sample pages are also crucial for big 5 publishers considering memoir...but unless your writing is really, truly, one-in-a-million mindblowing, and the vast majority of commercially successful books do not contain this, you have to make the commercial case as well. And the way to do that is through...you guessed it!
Bonjour ma jolie Tante Anna! Should your photo caption be houseplant wifery? Though I like the alliteration of husbandry.
Here is my question: To prologue or not to prologue? I am in the query process for my first memoir and half of my beta readers recommend including the prologue while half do not. I understand the rule of querying is to have your absolute best beginning before you start. But I am tempted to send out either option to different agents since I feel one might stick more than the other, depending on the agent. So I guess the question really is how do you feel about trying this versus sticking with one version first and then changing it if that gets no bites. Merci!
The prologue is narrator speaking directly to reader about what is to come from a retrospective lens- the reason she is telling this story. The manuscript flow is more chronological, so it seems to make sense to have it stand out as a prologue vs Ch 1.
OK! Here's my exasperating answer: go out only with a version of your novel that includes not one solitary unimportant and un-valuable word, and when in doubt, leave out. (So helpful, Anna.)
Hi Anna! How can I evaluate my work more objectively as a writer?
I do public speaking and host a podcast and when I reflect on how I evaluate my work there, I realize that the audience is such an important piece. Every time I deliver a talk or release a podcast episode I'm getting real time feedback that I can use: What is resonating? What is not landing? What are people responding to that is uniquely me and what can I do with that?
That lack of real time feedback is a massive barrier to me with writing. I never know when a piece is finished. I'm never sure how to walk the line between following the rules of writing and retaining my own voice.
My graveyard of unfinished writings is littered with pieces that became stilted versions of themselves somewhere in the process. This is a pattern I am trying to break and I'd love any guidance you have here.
If your audience for the book is the same or similar as the audience for your podcast and public speaking, this is easy: take the feedback you get for those and ask yourself how it can and should apply to your writing. Books are also acts of communicative intimacy between an author and a target audience, after all; they're just longer and more immersive.
If we're talking a totally different type of writng and/or audience -- this is what writing groups are for! Or paid beta readers from TaskRabbit or Fiverr.
A writer friend of mine is sharing chapters of his (as yet unpublished) novel on his blog, trying to build an audience who's into his work. He intends to try to get an agent and a traditional publishing deal.
How much can he share before publishers will consider the novel already published?
I asked this question in another Substack and got the answer that if it works to generate a big audience, that’s great. It shows a potential publisher there’s a market for his books. But if it doesn’t generate a big audience, that’s a red flag for a publisher and will make it harder for him to get a publishing deal.
That completely makes sense and is good to know!
However, I’m wondering if there’s something closer to a *rule* about how much it’s ok to share online before a book counts as being already published.
Thanks for opening up this thread. It’s very much appreciated!
There aren't many true rules in publishing, only odds and probabilities -- which is why it's so deeply, painfully exasperating for all people, but especially those of us with low uncertainty tolerance.
Some scattered thoughts:
*When we're talking about, say, essay collections by established nonfiction writers, publishers generally want books to be at least 80-90% original -- although I've seen this requirement soften a bit over the course of my career.
*Nothing says "not a candidate for commercial book deal" like a self-published novel--which your friend's would be--with small or even medium-good sales numbers. (To repeat: SALES NUMBERS, not free clicks, which are an entirely different thing.) To be interested in acquiring rights and putting out their own print edition of a self-published work, publishers would need to see this book *blowing up* BookTok and similar as THE hot new underground thing, to the tune of hundreds of thousands plus in PURCHASES. (Not clicks.) Lots of clicks might make them interested in acquiring his NEXT work?
*Trying to get a traditional publishing deal this way is a true moon shot. It's not impossible, especially if the book is erotica or a thriller, but man oh man is it beyond unlikely.
When cold querying agents with voicey, comedic works, which is preferable: infusing the letter (or parts of it) with the work's style, or maintaining a professional, courteous voice to prove that (unlike the narrator) I'm not a nutcase? I've heard both pieces of advice ("use the voice of the novel" and "write it as you would a cover letter"), but I'm terrified of agents thinking I'm wasting their time in the former case or boring them in the latter.
I would air on the side of courteous sanity, particularly if we're talking about potentially writing query letters pretending you're a deceased cabinet official.
Many years ago, I was in the green room waiting for Stephen Colbert -- then the host of The Colbert Report, playing an idiot version of himself -- to interview my husband. He came in before hand and explained that he played an asshole character on TV, and that comedy worked best when you gave him straight, heartfelt answers. He was right -- and knowing that in advance really put his subjects at ease.
What kind of book are we talking, and for what kind of audience? (Prescriptive nonfiction for adults? Narrative nonfiction? Literary fiction? Children's?)
As applicable: think professional conferences, conventions, trade associations, academic programs, public speaking, and events. If your book is self-help and you're a PhD psychologist, for example: American Psychological Association events and publications. If it's religious: worship communities and their book clubs. If it's soft or hard business: MBA programs.
Figure out who's already coming to your book and find a way to get it in front of more of their faces. Paid advertising in a trade magazine, perhaps? Or think even bigger: a 360 brand of some kind in which you do consulting, teaching, and other media work around the themes of the book and make your own book required reading.
Hi Anna! My question is about the ever-exciting topic of email norms! When working with an agent, how long is too long to wait for a response to non-urgent but topical emails (e,g. questions about specific editor responses, potential presses, etc)? My agent routinely takes a month or more to reply to pretty straight-forward questions and sometimes simply does not reply at all. I know that everyone in publishing is massively overworked and some pretty long response times are the industry norm, but I feel stuck between nagging and allowing my questions to go unanswered/not pushing for my work.
I hope this isn’t too late - I was in the wilds of Shenandoah all weekend with two kids and no service but I saw this and do in fact have a burning question. I make the bulk of my income from ghostwriting. I often find myself approached by people who are not *quite* as famous as they need to be to publish their memoir, and they’re all fired up to write the book - but when I explain that we have to write a proposal first, they tend to get exhausted and give up quickly. I am also not a proposal expert, and struggle to write them without an agent’s adult supervision. Since I know the publishing world better than they do, I’m wondering how appropriate it is for me to make introductions to agents I know, when all we have to offer is a pitch and a platform? Ideally, we’d ask for a meeting, and if it goes well, the agent would then help us put together a proposal that gives the client the best shot at breaking through.
This is totally standard practice for ghostwriters to do -- make introductions with agents they know. The only no-nos are:
1. Telling clients that you have a guaranteed path to rep for them bc you "know people." (Even if they're your besties, most agents are going to pass on most pitches they receive, period.)
2. Acting pissy with the agents if their responses aren't immediate or their passes aren't detailed -- special attention is not always possible.
But as far as asking re interest goes, even sans proposal -- totally fine.
Yay for the new baby and being with your sister! That's a lovely thing. So, my question: My agent left publishing two years ago after selling my first two books both YA titles that did fine. The first one sold a bit above expectations and the second came out during the pandemic. It did earn out (both times my advance was small) and was shortlisted for an award. Now, though, my sales have dropped. Part of this may be book banning (libraries were a big chunk of my sales) and part is what I expected...the normal fading of midlist books. Now I'm preparing to query an adult book. How will my YA history (medium to low sales, very good critical reception) affect my chances in adult? How is this situation interpreted by agents and editors? And how much should my query letter talk about my other books? I'm thinking very little--I have more adult literary type things to say this time around (residencies and workshops and such) and thought those might be more relevant. I'm especially concerend about the meh sales of that second book...
Were I looking at your submission -- and to be clear, I shouldn't, wrong focus area for me, but let's pretend -- I would give at most .001 shits about your YA books' performance relative to the adult book on sub now. Unless this is a Meg Cabot situation in which we're anticipating you'd have the same audience/market for both, it seems only minimally relevant.
Of much more interest to me would be the quality of the current novel itself as well as totality of your current platform: how are you the best possible person to be publishing this novel for that target audience in 2024?
I am all about this Q & A and you go sister for helping with the baby!! Such a blessing.
Unsolicited baby tips:
1) if she's nursing, baby will want milk every 2 hours and that will also help build up a supply.
2) everyone will be shit for sleep but ride this time with as many cuddles and real moments and easy food as you can.
3.) Mom *may* think she can do it all because she is riding on post baby hormones.
4.) Just expect them to wake up every two hours.
Anyways.. since you've offered this awesome Q&A:
I have read an article that states you don't have to have a book/manuscript *finished* in order to query. I am not sure if that's because this author had a standing relationship with their agent, but I'd like to know your take on that.
Scenario: Someone sends an agent a bang up query and the first 10k words of their manuscript are also great. Full tension, blooming narrative. But they're book is not finished. Is the writer/query shot down?
If they are not- what kind of contract/relationship would they look for with an agent?
PS: thanks for the baby tips, LOL! I have three kids myself and have definitely been larding all my unsolicited Veteran Mother of Babies advice on my sister.
A kindred spirit! I also have 3 and I was thinking "...hmmm some people hate having input in these matters but I'll just throw it out there because I rather give help and risk being poopooed than not offer help that could save stress." 😅
A big independent publisher agreed to look at a submission of our historical detective novel set in 1289 un-agented. We got a 220 word email from the CEO of their Crime imprint saying positive things but “I'm afraid we won't be taking the proposal any further; we didn't feel that the prose style matched the period to the extent favoured by the portion of the historical mystery readership that we target with our publishing”
They conclude “I think it has real potential, and agents are always looking for something a bit new to tempt jaded editors. Therefore I'm sure there are agents who would be very happy to offer representation; I wish you the best of luck with the project.”
I find this pretty encouraging (should I?) but what might she mean by her comment on prose style?
I don't know historical fiction that well, but I bet you can figure this out yourself the same way I would: by reading this house's biggest published hit. Does it feel like a dense Dad Book, whereas yours is more spare or experimental? Vice versa? Guessing it's something like that.
As for the nice rejection: it does indeed sound like an encouraging one! I'm reading this as her strongly suggesting you get an agent to do more editorial work up front before going out on wide submission--while simultaneously trying to reassure you that yes, the idea has promise.
Thank you v much. My strong impression is that it's almost impossible to get a significant Publisher to look at your fiction un-agented. However when the CEO has decided no I v much doubt whether we'd get back into that particular press. What is a Dad Book BTW - it's not a term I know in the UK?
I have a Publishers Marketplace question. When it lists that an author got a three book deal in say, 2021, and you know they have 2 books come out since and then there is another announcement about a three book deal in... 2024. Is that six books or three? Publisher's Marketplace confuses me.
It probably means one of the three books in the original contract was cancelled for whatever reason (eg the author just ran out of steam on the series, or the author wasn't pleased with sales on the first two and made a direction-change proposal to the publisher and the publisher agreed-- publishers themselves can't back out of multi-book deals due to low sales). Happens more often than you'd think.
Happy France-ing and Baby-ing! What are your thoughts about the self-help memoir genre? Is it a thing? Is it a tautology that would make Montaigne grimace even if he were drinking an excellent Bordeaux? I am hearing so many mixed responses and I always appreciate your take on things. A memoir that gives tips and tricks for improving your inner life....I think Eat, Pray, Love may have started the idea that there is such a thing....thank you! I don't know of any memoirs that aren't sort of always giving insight into how to live a better life... thank you! I'm pitching my memoir and trying to categorize it well....
I wouldn't call Eat Pray Love a self-help memoir -- more of a memoir that offers simultaneous spiritual insight / a cultural-crit argument of some kind. (Self-help carries connotations of programmatic or prescriptive advice, IMO -- think Rachel Hollis.)
If you don't have an A-list national platform, memoirs like that are just about the only kind of memoir you CAN write, provided you have ambitions to publish with a big 5 publisher or similar. You do still need a national platform of some kind to sink that basket, but it doesn't have to be Beyonce-level high.
My genuine question: is it really worth it anymore to try for traditional publishing? It’s all effortful, whether you self-publish or traditionally publish. But there seem fewer and fewer gains to be had from traditional publishing every year. So why not just enjoy the creative control and timeline control of self-publishing?
it all depends on what you value, how much time you have, and what you like doing.
When you publish with a traditional publisher, you get the following as part of the deal:
*an editor
*a copy editor and professional layout team
*designers
*a printer
*someone else to handle shipping and sales logistics
*an imprimatur of quality
*a serious credential for speaking and teaching work
*visibility to ancillary rights people who actually know what they're doing (foreign publishers as opposed to rando freelance translators, quality audio publishers, experienced and non-scammy film/TV people)
*publicity and marketing assistance--of varying quality, yes, but so are freelancers, and in this case it's free
*all other things being equal, slightly better odds of sales success -- the vast vast VAST vast majority of self-published books are low quality and sell next to nothing
*national reviewers almost never review self-published books
If creative and time control are more important to you than all of the above, and you want a national audience AND have a preexisting platform AND the money to hire your own editor, marketing associate, etc., then yes, you'll likely love the freedom to self-publish. Otherwise...the benefits of traditional publishing remain pretty staggering.
Hello Anna! I hope France is glorious in the spring and that your family time is joyful / not too exhausting and overwhelming.
My fourth novel is out in the UK in July. When my third novel came out (last June) I had a rough time - I was between editors, the book got neglected, but I did NOT help myself. I got burned out trying to take over all promotional duties, etc, and drove myself crazy, and felt sad/mad all summer.
This time, I want to celebrate in a sane way, and set myself up for success - success being approaching publication with my mental health first! I’ve got a couple of other fun projects on the go that will distract / take the edge off, and I want to make sure I’m rested, reasonably well nourished, etc. Is there anything specific that you can suggest for my sanity toolbox? It isn’t my first rodeo BUT sometimes I feel that the more I ride, the less sure I am of my horse…
Remember what you can and can't control and lean into the former HARD. You can't control who reviews the book, for example, or who says "yes" to pitches; you can only control people getting pitched in the first place (and that only sort of -- your agent should advocate for you here, although she ultimately can't control much either).
Since I know you're already a subscriber, but a relatively recent one, this ancient scattergram I made might be helpful: https://neonliterary.substack.com/p/what-really-matters-for-a-books-success. The "please care more" quadrant constitutes line items that I personally would prioritize.
As for general sanity toolbox: surround yourself with people who ground you. People whose eyes light up when you enter a room -- not because you're a novelist or a potential blurber or good networking or otherwise useful for them in some way, but because they just like being around you. Spend as much peaceable time with them as you possibly can, and try to aerate that time with laughter. This will remind you at the cellular level that there's no way to chase or achieve your way into feeling safety or lasting satisfaction as a human being; only healthy relationships can do that, and man, do they ever do it.
1000% agree.
Thank you so so much, this is GREAT - I love the scattergram!
Thank you for doing this! I'm wondering how big of a challenge you think it will be to query a trio of novellas. Thanks again!
The answer is almost certainly "very, very, very, very difficult," but the true number of verys depends on:
*what kind of book deal you want and from whom (peanuts from a small press OK or are you hoping for six figures from knopf?)
*if you've published other work before
*how much buzz you have as a literary writer (eg spontaneous raves from extremely famous literary writers, publication in major outlets eg Granta and Paris Review)
*whether or not you have an MFA from Iowa
*whether or not your work is already drawing spontaneous notice from agents (eg through your MFA program or publications)
No matter what your answers to the above, for almost everyone, it's easier to have a hit novel first and then move onto novellas.
Reminder: these are odds and probabilities I'm talking about, not certainties. Let's say I'm an OBGYN and you ask me how to get pregnant: I'd be pretty shitty at my job if I tell you, "have sex with an IUD in and hope you're one of the .2% who gets pregnant that way!" However, this being crap advice does not negate the fact that yes, 1 in 500 people do get pregnant with IUDs in.
I hate it but I figured. Thank you for answering!!
Hi Anna, and thank you for this! I happen to have a burning query question for you.
I'm looking for an agent for a memoir, and I've noticed on their websites that some agents ask for sample pages for fiction and a proposal for nonfiction. Some agents, however, add the caveat that if it's a memoir you can/should send sample pages rather than a proposal. But for the agents who don't specify, I'm not sure what to do. I have a full manuscript and no proposal. I don't want to make assumptions or annoy agents, but I'm also not too excited to write a proposal for a book I've already written and revised many times, especially if it's not really needed. Any advice? Thank you so much.
::sad trombone:: I think you should write the proposal. Here's why:
1. This is what most big 5 agents prefer to see anyway -- the people who prefer full manuscript memoir submissions tend to be smaller literary presses. One hundred percent of the memoirs I personally send out go out first as proposals.
2. Unless you're a celebrity, you're really going to need to speak knowledgeably to agents and publishers publishers about how your memoir transforms the lives of people who've never heard of you and how you plan to make them aware they can't live without your book...and the best way to do that hard, programmatic thinking is in the proposal process.
3. Yes, sample pages are also crucial for big 5 publishers considering memoir...but unless your writing is really, truly, one-in-a-million mindblowing, and the vast majority of commercially successful books do not contain this, you have to make the commercial case as well. And the way to do that is through...you guessed it!
Sigh. Okay. Thank you very much for your thoughts!
Bonjour ma jolie Tante Anna! Should your photo caption be houseplant wifery? Though I like the alliteration of husbandry.
Here is my question: To prologue or not to prologue? I am in the query process for my first memoir and half of my beta readers recommend including the prologue while half do not. I understand the rule of querying is to have your absolute best beginning before you start. But I am tempted to send out either option to different agents since I feel one might stick more than the other, depending on the agent. So I guess the question really is how do you feel about trying this versus sticking with one version first and then changing it if that gets no bites. Merci!
Why is a prologue necessary? Why is it not chapter one?
The prologue is narrator speaking directly to reader about what is to come from a retrospective lens- the reason she is telling this story. The manuscript flow is more chronological, so it seems to make sense to have it stand out as a prologue vs Ch 1.
OK! Here's my exasperating answer: go out only with a version of your novel that includes not one solitary unimportant and un-valuable word, and when in doubt, leave out. (So helpful, Anna.)
Hi Anna! How can I evaluate my work more objectively as a writer?
I do public speaking and host a podcast and when I reflect on how I evaluate my work there, I realize that the audience is such an important piece. Every time I deliver a talk or release a podcast episode I'm getting real time feedback that I can use: What is resonating? What is not landing? What are people responding to that is uniquely me and what can I do with that?
That lack of real time feedback is a massive barrier to me with writing. I never know when a piece is finished. I'm never sure how to walk the line between following the rules of writing and retaining my own voice.
My graveyard of unfinished writings is littered with pieces that became stilted versions of themselves somewhere in the process. This is a pattern I am trying to break and I'd love any guidance you have here.
If your audience for the book is the same or similar as the audience for your podcast and public speaking, this is easy: take the feedback you get for those and ask yourself how it can and should apply to your writing. Books are also acts of communicative intimacy between an author and a target audience, after all; they're just longer and more immersive.
If we're talking a totally different type of writng and/or audience -- this is what writing groups are for! Or paid beta readers from TaskRabbit or Fiverr.
A writer friend of mine is sharing chapters of his (as yet unpublished) novel on his blog, trying to build an audience who's into his work. He intends to try to get an agent and a traditional publishing deal.
How much can he share before publishers will consider the novel already published?
I asked this question in another Substack and got the answer that if it works to generate a big audience, that’s great. It shows a potential publisher there’s a market for his books. But if it doesn’t generate a big audience, that’s a red flag for a publisher and will make it harder for him to get a publishing deal.
That completely makes sense and is good to know!
However, I’m wondering if there’s something closer to a *rule* about how much it’s ok to share online before a book counts as being already published.
Thanks for opening up this thread. It’s very much appreciated!
There aren't many true rules in publishing, only odds and probabilities -- which is why it's so deeply, painfully exasperating for all people, but especially those of us with low uncertainty tolerance.
Some scattered thoughts:
*When we're talking about, say, essay collections by established nonfiction writers, publishers generally want books to be at least 80-90% original -- although I've seen this requirement soften a bit over the course of my career.
*Nothing says "not a candidate for commercial book deal" like a self-published novel--which your friend's would be--with small or even medium-good sales numbers. (To repeat: SALES NUMBERS, not free clicks, which are an entirely different thing.) To be interested in acquiring rights and putting out their own print edition of a self-published work, publishers would need to see this book *blowing up* BookTok and similar as THE hot new underground thing, to the tune of hundreds of thousands plus in PURCHASES. (Not clicks.) Lots of clicks might make them interested in acquiring his NEXT work?
*Trying to get a traditional publishing deal this way is a true moon shot. It's not impossible, especially if the book is erotica or a thriller, but man oh man is it beyond unlikely.
Thank you soooo much! I'm so glad I can give him an answer from a reputable source, not just my vibe that this was unlikely to be a good idea 😂
When cold querying agents with voicey, comedic works, which is preferable: infusing the letter (or parts of it) with the work's style, or maintaining a professional, courteous voice to prove that (unlike the narrator) I'm not a nutcase? I've heard both pieces of advice ("use the voice of the novel" and "write it as you would a cover letter"), but I'm terrified of agents thinking I'm wasting their time in the former case or boring them in the latter.
I would air on the side of courteous sanity, particularly if we're talking about potentially writing query letters pretending you're a deceased cabinet official.
Many years ago, I was in the green room waiting for Stephen Colbert -- then the host of The Colbert Report, playing an idiot version of himself -- to interview my husband. He came in before hand and explained that he played an asshole character on TV, and that comedy worked best when you gave him straight, heartfelt answers. He was right -- and knowing that in advance really put his subjects at ease.
What can author do to give a book a long tail after launch?
What kind of book are we talking, and for what kind of audience? (Prescriptive nonfiction for adults? Narrative nonfiction? Literary fiction? Children's?)
Oh, and the audience is mostly men but we are finding women are a solid second audience.
Sorry, I made it too general. Prescriptive nonfiction in my case.
No sorries necessary!
As applicable: think professional conferences, conventions, trade associations, academic programs, public speaking, and events. If your book is self-help and you're a PhD psychologist, for example: American Psychological Association events and publications. If it's religious: worship communities and their book clubs. If it's soft or hard business: MBA programs.
Figure out who's already coming to your book and find a way to get it in front of more of their faces. Paid advertising in a trade magazine, perhaps? Or think even bigger: a 360 brand of some kind in which you do consulting, teaching, and other media work around the themes of the book and make your own book required reading.
Thank you Anna! This stirs my creativity in the right sorts of directions!
Hi Anna! My question is about the ever-exciting topic of email norms! When working with an agent, how long is too long to wait for a response to non-urgent but topical emails (e,g. questions about specific editor responses, potential presses, etc)? My agent routinely takes a month or more to reply to pretty straight-forward questions and sometimes simply does not reply at all. I know that everyone in publishing is massively overworked and some pretty long response times are the industry norm, but I feel stuck between nagging and allowing my questions to go unanswered/not pushing for my work.
Dear Anna,
I hope this isn’t too late - I was in the wilds of Shenandoah all weekend with two kids and no service but I saw this and do in fact have a burning question. I make the bulk of my income from ghostwriting. I often find myself approached by people who are not *quite* as famous as they need to be to publish their memoir, and they’re all fired up to write the book - but when I explain that we have to write a proposal first, they tend to get exhausted and give up quickly. I am also not a proposal expert, and struggle to write them without an agent’s adult supervision. Since I know the publishing world better than they do, I’m wondering how appropriate it is for me to make introductions to agents I know, when all we have to offer is a pitch and a platform? Ideally, we’d ask for a meeting, and if it goes well, the agent would then help us put together a proposal that gives the client the best shot at breaking through.
Thank you!!
This is totally standard practice for ghostwriters to do -- make introductions with agents they know. The only no-nos are:
1. Telling clients that you have a guaranteed path to rep for them bc you "know people." (Even if they're your besties, most agents are going to pass on most pitches they receive, period.)
2. Acting pissy with the agents if their responses aren't immediate or their passes aren't detailed -- special attention is not always possible.
But as far as asking re interest goes, even sans proposal -- totally fine.
Thank you, Anna! Really appreciate it. Have a lovely trip! And thank you, as ever, for everything you do in this newsletter.
Yay for the new baby and being with your sister! That's a lovely thing. So, my question: My agent left publishing two years ago after selling my first two books both YA titles that did fine. The first one sold a bit above expectations and the second came out during the pandemic. It did earn out (both times my advance was small) and was shortlisted for an award. Now, though, my sales have dropped. Part of this may be book banning (libraries were a big chunk of my sales) and part is what I expected...the normal fading of midlist books. Now I'm preparing to query an adult book. How will my YA history (medium to low sales, very good critical reception) affect my chances in adult? How is this situation interpreted by agents and editors? And how much should my query letter talk about my other books? I'm thinking very little--I have more adult literary type things to say this time around (residencies and workshops and such) and thought those might be more relevant. I'm especially concerend about the meh sales of that second book...
Were I looking at your submission -- and to be clear, I shouldn't, wrong focus area for me, but let's pretend -- I would give at most .001 shits about your YA books' performance relative to the adult book on sub now. Unless this is a Meg Cabot situation in which we're anticipating you'd have the same audience/market for both, it seems only minimally relevant.
Of much more interest to me would be the quality of the current novel itself as well as totality of your current platform: how are you the best possible person to be publishing this novel for that target audience in 2024?
I am all about this Q & A and you go sister for helping with the baby!! Such a blessing.
Unsolicited baby tips:
1) if she's nursing, baby will want milk every 2 hours and that will also help build up a supply.
2) everyone will be shit for sleep but ride this time with as many cuddles and real moments and easy food as you can.
3.) Mom *may* think she can do it all because she is riding on post baby hormones.
4.) Just expect them to wake up every two hours.
Anyways.. since you've offered this awesome Q&A:
I have read an article that states you don't have to have a book/manuscript *finished* in order to query. I am not sure if that's because this author had a standing relationship with their agent, but I'd like to know your take on that.
Scenario: Someone sends an agent a bang up query and the first 10k words of their manuscript are also great. Full tension, blooming narrative. But they're book is not finished. Is the writer/query shot down?
If they are not- what kind of contract/relationship would they look for with an agent?
The only reasons I'd ever send a partial novel MS to an agent are:
1. if they're already your agent for previous work OR
2. If you're a really, really, really well-known media personality already OR
3. If the agent comes to you, not vice versa.
If you're querying, finish the novel first.
PS: thanks for the baby tips, LOL! I have three kids myself and have definitely been larding all my unsolicited Veteran Mother of Babies advice on my sister.
A kindred spirit! I also have 3 and I was thinking "...hmmm some people hate having input in these matters but I'll just throw it out there because I rather give help and risk being poopooed than not offer help that could save stress." 😅
Thank you that is what I thought and glad to have it verified!
A big independent publisher agreed to look at a submission of our historical detective novel set in 1289 un-agented. We got a 220 word email from the CEO of their Crime imprint saying positive things but “I'm afraid we won't be taking the proposal any further; we didn't feel that the prose style matched the period to the extent favoured by the portion of the historical mystery readership that we target with our publishing”
They conclude “I think it has real potential, and agents are always looking for something a bit new to tempt jaded editors. Therefore I'm sure there are agents who would be very happy to offer representation; I wish you the best of luck with the project.”
I find this pretty encouraging (should I?) but what might she mean by her comment on prose style?
I don't know historical fiction that well, but I bet you can figure this out yourself the same way I would: by reading this house's biggest published hit. Does it feel like a dense Dad Book, whereas yours is more spare or experimental? Vice versa? Guessing it's something like that.
As for the nice rejection: it does indeed sound like an encouraging one! I'm reading this as her strongly suggesting you get an agent to do more editorial work up front before going out on wide submission--while simultaneously trying to reassure you that yes, the idea has promise.
Thank you v much. My strong impression is that it's almost impossible to get a significant Publisher to look at your fiction un-agented. However when the CEO has decided no I v much doubt whether we'd get back into that particular press. What is a Dad Book BTW - it's not a term I know in the UK?
A Dad Book (in my own casual parlance) = dense, long, battle-heavy. Like a book you'd give to a stereotypical dad for Father's Day.
Hello Anna!
I have a Publishers Marketplace question. When it lists that an author got a three book deal in say, 2021, and you know they have 2 books come out since and then there is another announcement about a three book deal in... 2024. Is that six books or three? Publisher's Marketplace confuses me.
It probably means one of the three books in the original contract was cancelled for whatever reason (eg the author just ran out of steam on the series, or the author wasn't pleased with sales on the first two and made a direction-change proposal to the publisher and the publisher agreed-- publishers themselves can't back out of multi-book deals due to low sales). Happens more often than you'd think.
Happy France-ing and Baby-ing! What are your thoughts about the self-help memoir genre? Is it a thing? Is it a tautology that would make Montaigne grimace even if he were drinking an excellent Bordeaux? I am hearing so many mixed responses and I always appreciate your take on things. A memoir that gives tips and tricks for improving your inner life....I think Eat, Pray, Love may have started the idea that there is such a thing....thank you! I don't know of any memoirs that aren't sort of always giving insight into how to live a better life... thank you! I'm pitching my memoir and trying to categorize it well....
I wouldn't call Eat Pray Love a self-help memoir -- more of a memoir that offers simultaneous spiritual insight / a cultural-crit argument of some kind. (Self-help carries connotations of programmatic or prescriptive advice, IMO -- think Rachel Hollis.)
If you don't have an A-list national platform, memoirs like that are just about the only kind of memoir you CAN write, provided you have ambitions to publish with a big 5 publisher or similar. You do still need a national platform of some kind to sink that basket, but it doesn't have to be Beyonce-level high.
Thank you!
My genuine question: is it really worth it anymore to try for traditional publishing? It’s all effortful, whether you self-publish or traditionally publish. But there seem fewer and fewer gains to be had from traditional publishing every year. So why not just enjoy the creative control and timeline control of self-publishing?
it all depends on what you value, how much time you have, and what you like doing.
When you publish with a traditional publisher, you get the following as part of the deal:
*an editor
*a copy editor and professional layout team
*designers
*a printer
*someone else to handle shipping and sales logistics
*an imprimatur of quality
*a serious credential for speaking and teaching work
*visibility to ancillary rights people who actually know what they're doing (foreign publishers as opposed to rando freelance translators, quality audio publishers, experienced and non-scammy film/TV people)
*publicity and marketing assistance--of varying quality, yes, but so are freelancers, and in this case it's free
*all other things being equal, slightly better odds of sales success -- the vast vast VAST vast majority of self-published books are low quality and sell next to nothing
*national reviewers almost never review self-published books
If creative and time control are more important to you than all of the above, and you want a national audience AND have a preexisting platform AND the money to hire your own editor, marketing associate, etc., then yes, you'll likely love the freedom to self-publish. Otherwise...the benefits of traditional publishing remain pretty staggering.