Hi Everybody! It's been a busy year in publishing, although in the summer, people tend to slow down a bit. And it looks like in a few years, there will be one publishing company and one bookstore (more on that in my next column). Non-fiction continues to be much easier to sell than fiction, although I hope you'll all look out for a new novel by my author, a first time novelist, Barbara Seranella. I met Barbara at a writer's conference and recognized her talent immediately. The novel is a mystery, and it's called No Human Involved (St. Martins). I continue to enjoy your questions. Keep them coming. And do continue to look on my website for updates: http://www.users.interport.net/~sheree/ Your questions continue to intrigue me:
ShereeBee,
How much "pull" does an agent have when it comes to getting a contract? What I mean is this: Does the "well known" agent's clients have a better chance at getting published or is the merit and marketability of the ms the only consideration?
Dear DGood,
Provided you have a reputable agent, one who has or works for an active agency, who is willing to spend the time necessary to market your books to the appropriate editors at the appropriate publishing houses, the question of being "well known" should not be a factor at all. In fact, sometimes an unknown or first-time author will get lost at an agency that spends most of its time nurturing celebrities and proven best-selling authors.
What do you do for a published client after the sale, or several sales? How do you help your authors achieve greater goals? Do you have some kind of career planning system?
Dear Sue, It is the agent's job to remain the author's advocate for the life of the book, and sometimes beyond. Whereas after the sale is made to a publishing house, it is typical for an author to be in touch with the publishing company directly about editorial and publicity matters, the agent stands ready to troubleshoot on the author's behalf--hopefully before a potential problem becomes a real problem. The agent also receives and carefully verifies all payments and royalty statements and relays them promptly to authors. Sometimes the editors contact the agent regarding changes at the company or news pertaining to the authors' books and it is the agent's job to report relevant news to the authors in a timely manner.
A question for you: How hard is it for an unknown writer - one doing a first non-fiction book - to secure an advance that would allow one a little breathing room to take time off from work and complete the job? The book requires time-consuming reporting, and I was unsure how common advances - even small ones - are for unknown writers.
Dear Roch,
What a person can live on varies so much from person to person and the size of a book advance against royalties can vary from a few thousand to a few million dollars--depending on what the market will bear; nevertheless, most agents will only represent books that are likely to command advances that will make their small percentage worthwhile. That's why agents usually maintain their closest contacts with large publishing houses that can afford to pay larger advances. It is typical to receive half of the advance upon signing a contract based on a non-fiction proposal and the remainder upon delivery and acceptance of the final manuscript. Whether you are writing for a large or small press or a university press, you should expect at least some advance against royalties. It does occasionally happen that a reputable house, like McFarland, will pay you no advance.
Dear Shereebee:
What publisher or publishers would be my best bet for embracing a sports related book? I am interested in knowing both small and large publishers that publish such interest books. I really appreciate you responding to my questions in the past. Your e-mail accessibility is a real help to aspiring writers. Thank you! Sincerely, wealth19
Dear Wealth,
You're most welcome! To find agents and publishers who deal with sports books, look in Jeff Herman's Writer's Guide to Book Publishers, Editors and Literary Agents. See also the Literary Market Place. Another place to look is on the sports shelf at your local bookstore and library. As usual, I urge you to seek an agent before you query publishers. May your wealth increase exponentially.
Dear Sheree,
I just read your column for the first time. It's a great column. I (of course) had my doubts going in--fully expected to be browbeaten into BUYING something, if not bamboozled outright (cynical that I am).
So, here is a sincere thank you, although I know beforehand that it may sound like a left-handed compliment: Thanks for being on the up and up, thanks for being honest, thanks for helping me.
I really mean it.
Dear Jay,
Wow! Keep those letters coming!
Dear Sheree,
I enjoy reading your section in The Writers Club on America Online! It is great to know that there is somebody out there willing to shed some light on the mysterious industry of writing. I wasn't sure just where to go for answers! You said that you prefer to have queries and bios, so I hope that I do not bore you with mine. I have been writing since I was very young, about the second grade. Now, I didn’t say I was writing great stuff since second grade, but writing and loving it nonetheless. I am fifteen years old now and want to advance to the next level of writing: publishing. I have researched publication a lot. I am taking the first step—literary magazines and writing contests. While I am going slow (requesting theme lists, guidelines, collecting addresses), I have submitted one short piece to a magazine called Journey. I like to write many different types of writing—short stories, short shorts, poetry, fiction, non-fiction, drama, fantasy, sci-fi—the longest pieces I have written are a mix of fantasy and sci-fi. So, background information covered, here are my questions:
· A lot of the publishing guidelines for literary magazines use terms such as "first-time rights" and "one-time rights." It would seem that before I do any serious submitting, I should be aware of the meanings of these terms so that I do not run into any trouble elsewhere. Would you please explain them to me? · I have read that to gain a professional look, one should have cover letters with their manuscripts. But I have not learned how to make a cover letter, or even what one is. What does a cover letter need? · I also read in your section on America Online of certain guidelines for submitting manuscripts to publishing houses. The writer listed a variety of requirements, such as margins. How strict are these requirements? Do publishers want manuscripts very plain and uniform? I ask because one of the stories I have written, which is "published" online, has a lot of special formatting on it, such as embedded pictures, music, special fonts, colors, etc. Due to certain circumstances, I do not plan on attempting to publish this in a real book. But I also have other stories that use more simple formatting, such as colorful titles, different fonts for chapter headings. Should I make my manuscripts very plain when submitting them? · Say I won a writing contest, one which did not publish the winning piece; would it be appropriate to use that writing in other areas, such as for publication or other writing contests? · What is the most appropriate way to request an author’s representation? When I am ready, I plan to start with you, if that is okay.
If you would like to visit my online story, it is at [web address deleted]. While this is not my best writing, it may be of interest to you. Thank you so much for your time and assistance!
Dear Westwood,
Your questions are brilliant and you have "professional writer" stamped all over you. I will be honored to have you query me when you are ready, although I hope you will understand that first-time novelists rarely get their first novel sold. Usually it takes a few efforts to truly get the hang of it. But despite rejections, writers just keep on writing, and eventually, most good and persistent writers do get published.
One of the answers is already in a prior ASK THE AGENT column, regarding margins. Double spaced, one inch all around is typical, although guidelines are just not that strict.. First North American serial rights is the most typical way an article gets licensed to magazines (you do not sell your rights but rather license them). The magazine buys the right to publish your article in North America first before any other publication. You maintain the copyright and can sell it again if anyone wants to buy it.
Most of your other questions require long answers. There are several excellent books in libraries and at bookstores regarding how to write query letters to magazines and explaining the magazine publishing business thoroughly. I recommend you read them before submitting your work widely.
Yes, you should make your pieces plain before submitting them. Publishers like to handle design decisions, although where art is required, authors are usually required to supply it.
I urge you to visit my website, but I am sorry to say that I do not have the time to visit yours. Whenever you have something to submit, please send it via snail mail with a s.a.s.e. to my office at: Sheree Bykofsky Associates, Inc., 16 W. 36th Street, New York, NY 10018 and assure me that you have not queried publishers directly. I will usually respond very quickly and rarely take more than three weeks.
Thanks so much for writing! Keep it up!
What should a person include in a bio when looking for an agent?
Dear Wheel,
Include the credentials that make you an expert in the subject you are writing and state what you have published, if anything. Don't forget to mention if you have won any awards or received special honors. Say what you do for a living and anything else you feel is important or impressive.
What a generous soul you are for providing this forum. I am a real newcomer to the writer/agent relationship. I have an agent in NY who read my non-fiction proposal and sample chapter the day she received it. She returned it to me with a few comments. I incorporated the changes, wrote an additional chapter and mailed it off to her in mid-November. She sent it to an editor at a major publisher in the middle of February as an exclusive first look. She requested the editor to get back to her by 2/27. It's 3/20 and presumably she is still waiting to hear. I think she wanted to garner some feedback from the editor assuming he was not interested in buying the book. That makes perfect sense to me--that way we could make an necessary changes before submitting it to other publishers. My question is this: how long should I be willing to wait? I hate how that even sounds; I am grateful, you must know, that I have an agent to begin with. Another agent wanted to work with me, but I selected the one I have now really because I admired her experience and hard work. I hope I've given you enough information. I will look for your response. Thank you very much.
Dear LGL, Wow, that's a little tough. I think it sounds like a good time to call your agent and express what you expressed to me, i.e. how happy you are to have such a good agent (couldn't hurt to remind her that you selected her over another agent in case she wants to get out of it now; perhaps she got busier than she had anticipated or something). And ask her how long she advises you to hold on to the exclusive with the one publisher. She may have some interest from the publisher who begged her for more time (it happens!). On the other hand if the publisher is just not responding, then it's time to tell that publisher something like, "take your time, but I want to show this to other editors" and make it simultaneous. I always show my authors the written rejections and you should request these (hope you don't get any, though!) Best of luck. I hope I helped.
Hi! Thanks for all you do, it's appreciated out here! My question: I'm an unpublished novelist. Among many, many others, I have queried [Agency name deleted]. Her first response from the query was to request a 50 dollar reading fee. I did not respond. Several months later, she requested the manuscript again, saying that her new association with "The [name deleted] Publishing Group" no longer made it necessary to ask for a reading fee. I mailed the manuscript. She sent back a one-page contract, and a glowing cover letter. In it, she requests 190 dollars to cover the cost of photocopying five sets of the 380 page manuscript-- ten cents per page. The contract is for one year, and includes all projects I write during that period. Am I being scammed, or should I be popping the Champagne? The contract does stipulate that she is to be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses from the proceeds of a publishing deal. I'm ready to pay up front but the price seems a little steep, and I wonder if there won't be future requests for money. She says she only sends out pristine manuscripts on top-quality paper. What am I to do? Thanks in advance.
Dear Chadwrite, You are correct to be careful, especially when you have to shell out money in advance for books as yet unread by the agent. I don't know anything about the agency you named. I ask my authors to photocopy their manuscripts themselves. I also ask to be reimbursed for mailing and messengering costs (up to $150 for the lifetime of the book--I believe in a cap for that sort of thing but not all good agents do), and this I take out of the publishing proceeds too. I would feel most comfortable with an agent who is a member of the A.A.R. Perhaps you can query some publishers about her. And why don't you see who else she's represented and ask to talk to them. I always suggest to my prospective authors that they contact some of my clients.
Dear ShereeBee:
I have a children's book that has been rejected, a number of times, but always with an encouraging letter. I decided to seek out an agent and he thinks it has potential and referred me to a book doctor. I need to know if this is a standard practice or if maybe the agent and book doctor have some kind of agreement. This will not guarantee the agent will handle the book and I could be out $500 + dollars.
Help!
Dear BGLADY
I sometimes recommend book doctors that I know when I believe in the project but have trouble with the execution. I don't have a clue what they charge. There's no kickback to me, but it is certainly an area where an unscrupulous agent can make money. So without knowing who referred you or the book doctor, I can't say. Sure, it's possible. But how established an agent and book doctor is this? Is the agent a member of the AAR? If so, I would trust him or her. And does the book doctor have any happily published clients that you can talk to? That would clinch it for me. Best wishes, Sheree
Dear Sheree,
Thanks for your reply re. my two-book lit fiction "series." It was helpful.
My thinking re [agency name deleted] was that I would send the book back to the agent interested, but that I would query other agents while I was waiting for her reply, so that I would be ready to send out the ms. to others in the event [the agency] turns it down. Thus far I have only sent it to one at a time, and it took half the year to get four responses. As I am a writer by profession, this certainly nips the old income in the bud. I will certainly be honest if I multiply submit, and will respect any agent who asks for an exclusive.
I have another question for you. I am a screenwriter and have an agent in Hollywood who is interested in finding me a book agent in NY provided she gets to help set up "the film." I have been hesitant because I wanted to keep my new career as a novelist separate, and I wanted to test the waters myself and thereby learn about the book world. If the...agent (my own contact) doesn't work out, and I let my Hollywood agent help me get a book agent, do you think she should refrain from sending out my ms. to producers until the book has been submitted to publishers?
That is very hard. It helps and hurts. A bestseller is more likely to get picked up and for lots of money. On the other hand, if there is movie interest, that might entice some publishers. On the third hand, some publishers are unimpressed with options, stating that the films rarely get made. My own choice, I think, would be to wait on Hollywood until there is at least a book deal brewing. Hope that helps.
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