STATUS: I feel normal. No cough. No sniffle. I’m so happy.
What’s playing on the iPod right now? WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME by U2
This is very cool. Audrey’s agent, Joe Regal, commented on yesterday’s entry. That happens so rarely, I didn’t want it to get lost in the comment section so I’m posting it here. My hearty thanks Joe.
I have a Google alert for Audrey’s name and have been watching the response to the news of the sale, and since this particular thread seems to be from a thoughtful group of writers, I thought I’d take a chance and weigh in.
First, as Audrey’s agent, I very much fought against the news of the sale coming out. It seemed likely to stir resentment, and I already expected reviewers to approach the book with knives drawn before any leak of the money involved. For instance, since the NYT never reviewed THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE in any way, shape, or form, how could they say positive things about the new book and not look kind of foolish? In my submission, I specifically mentioned this likelihood and begged editors not to discuss the potential auction or possible eventual sale price with anyone.
Needless to say, word got out anyway. I tried to talk Motoko Rich out of doing a piece, but the leaks were so broad that there was really no chance. Thus my somewhat exasperated comments in the article, once I realized the article would run whether I participated or not.
Another reason to keep the news quiet was precisely because of the inevitable Charles Frazier comparison. It’s a hell of a lot more than a nuance that, unlike him, we sold a completed novel, a brilliant book that is a step forward for Audrey as a writer. It’s weird, inventive, original, singular, and not necessarily as commercial as the first book, but she has grown as a writer and handled the second novel challenge by pushing herself to grow as a writer, with new challenges and new rules, none of which had anything to do with sales. All she could control (as I noted in the article) was the actual writing, not how people responded to it. So she focused on that and wrote a truly remarkable novel.
That the industry responded to positively isn’t just because of her track record; people genuinely loved the book. A few editors told me, “this is so much better than TTW!” That kind of irritated me, because I think TTW is a pretty great book, but I got the point: editors recognized she had grown as a writer. So, combine a great book with a great track record, and you have the closest thing to a sure thing in a very uncertain market, and publishers were eager to pay handsomely.
The key takeaway here is simple: write the best book you can and then sell it. Arguments that “she could take her time to write her second book because the mortgage was covered” are way off the mark. She didn’t sign a two book deal with the first or second novel because she knew how hard it is to write a good book and she didn’t want the pressure of a deadline hanging over her. It’s hard to herd cats on a schedule. Maybe if you’re a genre writer, OK, it’s possible, perhaps even necessary, but otherwise, keep your day job and write a great book and sell it when it’s done. In Audrey’s case, she kept her day job for years after publication of TTW; she was careful to live in a way that put the ability to do her work her way, on her schedule, before any other material needs. She protected her priorities. That’s discipline, and she had been practicing it on modest means as a visual artist for decades before she became a writer.
I hope this is useful information. All best wishes for luck and courage to all writers here working to write the best books they can.
Joe Regal
Update 2:54 p.m.
Kristin: Joe’s not knocking genre writers as his agency reps them as well. It also occured to me that maybe I should add the link to Joe’s website so y’all can check it out.
Thanks for appreciating my note. A risky thing to do, but I couldn’t resist. And sorry for the couple infelicitous phrases and typos. One clarification: I’m not dismissing genre writers; I’m saying that the rules are a little different. For instance, my colleague Markus sold a new crime writer, Josh Bazell, to Little, Brown in a two-book deal. The main character of his first book, BEAT THE REAPER, is designed to be a continuing character, and the house paid a nice advance because they’re investing not only in the writer but in that particular character. They don’t want to spend money to make the character a star (never mind the writer) without having the ability to spread that investment over two books and without feeling like they won’t have some time to evaluate whether they’ve “grown” the series. So while it’s possible we could have battled to make it a one-book deal, it would have been counter-productive — it wouldn’t have served the publisher OR the writer.
So all I’m saying is that the rules are different, because the conventions are different. If you’re a crime writer, for instance, you’re supposed to hand in that next book a year later, maybe 18 months, so the house can publish on a consistent schedule and build the series. That isn’t the expectation with literary fiction. No slight intended! Especially from someone who, if he has time to read anything but his own books (he doesn’t at the moment), reads genre.
I’m glad you posted his comment. It’s fascinating and useful. I respect AN even more now.
Kristin, Thanks for posting this again. What an insightful post from Joe Regal. Like I said yesterday, good for Audrey! After a well-received first novel, it’s easy to want to barrel ahead into your sophomore effort. Taking your time to write and making sure you’re doing your best work is of utmost importance. Clearly, that’s the path Audrey took and it’s paid off in spades (not to mention dollars!).
To Joe: Thanks for commenting on Kristin’s blog and giving us up-and-coming writers a wonderfully brilliant ray of hope!
Joe,
Thank you for giving us this insight. I’ve heard so many people talk about successful writers as if they are two-headed monsters in quite a different catagory from other writers. It’s a good reminder — and good advice — that what truly brings success is discipline and dedication to the art.
I don’t know about you guys, but after reading Joe Regal’s comment, I am completely psyched to read the next book!
For the most part this comment was a wonderful endorsement of his client and her process. And I say more power to her if she can pull off a deal like this.
However, was it really necessary for him to take a swipe at “genre” writers? Maybe I am overly-sensitive having seen this kind of off-hand dismissal of what I do from many directions. But to see it from a professional – someone who should relize how much those genre writers do to keep the business of publishing in business – is disheartening.
*sigh* Guess I’ll join the genre and tie-in writers sitting in the ghetto of commercial fiction.
This is a great insight into how to do things the right way. As I look forward from just selling my first book to writing my second, Joe’s comments remind me that taking time to learn and grow and do things the best I can is in everyone’s best interest.
So, good for Audrey. If she wrote a great book, she deserves all the success she gets!
Shaun
A Product of Fear
Thanks for appreciating my note. A risky thing to do, but I couldn’t resist. And sorry for the couple infelicitous phrases and typos.
One clarification: I’m not dismissing genre writers; I’m saying that the rules are a little different. For instance, my colleague Markus sold a new crime writer, Josh Bazell, to Little, Brown in a two-book deal. The main character of his first book, BEAT THE REAPER, is designed to be a continuing character, and the house paid a nice advance because they’re investing not only in the writer but in that particular character. They don’t want to spend money to make the character a star (never mind the writer) without having the ability to spread that investment over two books and without feeling like they won’t have some time to evaluate whether they’ve “grown” the series. So while it’s possible we could have battled to make it a one-book deal, it would have been counter-productive — it wouldn’t have served the publisher OR the writer.
So all I’m saying is that the rules are different, because the conventions are different. If you’re a crime writer, for instance, you’re supposed to hand in that next book a year later, maybe 18 months, so the house can publish on a consistent schedule and build the series. That isn’t the expectation with literary fiction. No slight intended! Especially from someone who, if he has time to read anything but his own books (he doesn’t at the moment), reads genre.
I understand Anon’s worry about a seeming slight to genre writers. I’m a genre writer myself. 🙂 But I think the reality is that a genre writer is more likely to do a two or three book deal before actually writing the books, simply because many genre books (mystery, fantasy, paranormal romance…) are part of an ongoing series. The author may already have some idea of what those future books will involve, so it’s not quite the same as trying to write an entirely fresh literary book from start, on spec.
As a genre writer, I wasn’t offended.
Genre is a different market than literary; it’s simply true that if you want to survive in the genre world you *do* need to write on a schedule. Genre is more crowded than literary: books stay on the shelf for shorter periods of time, there’s much less outside review, and very little time for word-of-mouth to drive customers to stores before your book is taken off the shelves.
For genre, each book builds the audience for the next (and each next book builds an audience for your last one), so the faster you can release things, the bigger your audience, the more you’ll sell. It’s just a fact of life, I think.
This is why all genre authors are issued a herding dog when they make their first sale. How else are we supposed to get all those cats in that there barn by sundown?
I was fine until Mr. Regal got to the part about genre writers. When’s the last time he tried to write a novel for any given genre? When did he last write anything novel length? What could he possibly know about how difficult or easy it is to write for one audience rather than another?
Writing a mystery, or science fiction, or romance is not and easier or harder than writing commercial or literary fiction. It just means the author has a natural interest in something critics and professors might not rave about. But it worked for Jane Austen and Orson Scott Cars.
*tries not to fume to hard*
Not the best form of publicity at all.
Lol. Just read Regal’s response. I’m amused at the idea of battling for a one-book offer! I think most genre writers would appreciate a multi-book deal.
I’m not sure why this caused such an uproar. I’m all for the success of any artist, no matter the venue. Our culture is so backward when it comes to the arts.
To think, a writer who worked years to perfect her art makes a once in a lifetime sale… that is less than what most sports figures take home yearly… that is less than some corporate bonuses…
And instead of cheering her on, her own peers are balking?
Sad.
But at least we have something to look forward to reading in the next year or so.
Congratulations to Audrey and her team!
Thanks for posting this!
Just to be completely clear, what Joe did not note is that Niffenegger sold this book in a number of other territories–UK, Germany, Canada–some time ago.
Kristin & Joe,
Thanks for this honest, insightful look at the innards of a writing career, book sale, and news piece. Very informative, and Joe comes out sounding like a really decent, caring agent.
I finally caught Mr. Regal’s comment. That does change the tone.
First drafts are hard to get right, aren’t they?
First of all, congrats to Audrey and good for her for taking her time on this second book.
Second, why blame the authors for the advances they get? I feel sorry for them! Some publishers pay TOO much, the book doesn’t earn out (to no fault of the writer) and then the writer gets blamed and the publisher drops him or her.
That’s what I worry about — this mentality of pay first, worry later. What happened to nurturing a writer and knowing the 3rd, 4th, 5th book is the one that’s going to take off (and pay off).
I’m not at all saying that Audrey doesn’t deserve this wonderful advance. I’m just seeing a trend of overpaying and then dropping. Audrey’s great and I don’t want her to be dropped.
Having a sour grapes attitude is unattractive.
Let’s say you were the one offered 4.8 million for your book.
Wouldn’t you be thrilled? And wouldn’t you hope that people wouldn’t get all judgemental and snippy about it.
I agree with Anon 4:13PM. We writers need to stick together and feel genuine joy when any one of us grabs the gold ring.
No kidding! I would be jumping up and down if it were me. I would also be thanking every single person who helped me get there.
Congrats to Audrey and her brilliant agent!
I wasn’t offended by the genre comment either. He’s right. You have to move fast. There isn’t time for lunch on Tuesday afternoon or bingo on Wednesday night.
Thanks, Joe and Kristin! This was very enlightening — and inspiring. Audrey sounds like a hell of a woman (and role model).
Joe, (and Kristen),
Thank you so much for posting these comments. I do believe that Audrey took the wiser route in waiting to sell her second book, and I’m grateful to her for providing the example and to both of you for sharing it.
Congratulations, Audrey!
This made me look at publishing in a different light.
Sara
P.S. You have been nominated for an award.
Congratulations to Audrey. Working and carving out time for productive writing isn’t an easy thing to do. How good it must feel to accomplished this and done it so well!
Joe, I have a lot of respect for an agent that actually works hard to protect and look out for his/her client. Kudos to you.
Writing words is easy. Making them come together cohesively enough to tell a wonderful story takes work, regardless of the genre you write. I think every agent, publisher, and writer take a leap of faith when they put work out there. Sometimes it’s great and other times it’s not so great. But, you never know unless you’re willing to leap.
Congrats to both Audrey and Joe!
I was the Anon who first noticed the “genre” line. I appreciate Mr. Regal’s clarification. Given that we see this all the time from people outside the industry, it was disheartening to see it here, and I am really glad he didn’t intend it the way I saw it.
Perhaps what might have clarified it would have been “Perhaps if you’re a genre writer, where the rules (or expectations) are different.” Which is pretty much what he said in the follow-up.
Thank you for the clarification. I probably am quick to take offense, having been hit with the “fast writing can’t be good writing” argument. I am really glad that wasn’t the intention.
I thought that this is what you’re supposed to do. Write a great story. Go out and get it sold. Make people want to read it. I don’t get what’s so weird about it all. She got big bucks. Must be a good story.
Not only do genre writers need to produce books on a regular basis, but very few of us can afford to write full time unless there is another household income – not with the expectation of having any standard of living anyway, and certainly not while in the beginning of building your career. Do you guys have any idea what a good set of solar nails and pedicure costs these days? 🙂
I’ve got writer friends on both ends of the spectrum – making a little spending money to paying cash for houses. I can honestly tell you that the cash for houses people have earned every single cent they’ve made and will probably need it for hair plugs. Getting there is hard enough but the pressure to constantly best oneself is hard even for me. I don’t think I’m ready to see a 4 million dollar advance. I’m afraid I might go the Salinger way.
Fantastic response, Joe. Thanks, Kristin, for posting in entirety. I am so proud of Audrey for pushing herself as a writer and for Joe to get her such a good and careful deal. Kudos to you both and I know it will bring great things for you both.
So inspiring.
Trish
http://www.trishlawrence.com/blog
@trishlawrence
I just had to thank Joe for coming here to comment . . . and add that as a doubly genre writer (YA fantasy) I wasn’t offended by the first comment, even before the clarification.
How was stating the facts a slight to genre writers?
Thanks, Kristin, for posting this story, and thanks to Joe Regal for commenting. I’ve been thinking about Joe’s words on protecting priorities. Just blogged about it at “Priorities pay off.” It’s great advice for anyone in the creative arts–or anyone serious about their dream. Thanks to both of you.