Pub Rants

STATUS: What’s there not to like? I’ve been munching on homemade cookies sent by my lovely client Shanna Swendson. It’s perfect nibbling as I try and wrap up queries, partials, and requests for fulls today.

What’s playing on the iPod right now? LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! by Harry Connick, Jr.

Today’s blog is a little smorgasbord of thoughts—not unlike the box of cookies sent my way (and if anyone makes a Forrest Gump reference I’ll scream).

Tis the season for a little inspiration so I wanted to share a tale courtesy of Therese Fowler (and with her permission).

Feel like chucking this whole writing/publication dream? Before you do, check out Therese’s story. A Fairy Tale ending, auction and all but “overnight” success only took five years, nine months, and three manuscripts.

Sometimes writers really need the morale bolster so indulge.

If you’re in the query stage, here’s a thought. Try to refrain from writing that “your work weighs in at…” Chances are good if you feel the need to use that language, your project exceeds the word-length expectation of the genre you’re writing in. In this case, it was for a women’s fiction work that was over 105,000 words. That’s long folks.

And last thought of the day, did you agonize over whether to get your agent a holiday gift or not?

Don’t worry. You weren’t alone. So what’s the answer? (This might open a can of worms because I can just imagine my clients reading this blog and then rushing out to get me something.)

Stop! This is not a guilt-trip inducement because I work for you and honestly, I don’t expect or need anything. A card (if that) is just fine.

But what if you truly want to send something? What to get? Oh please, like I can answer that for every agent living. But I can give some suggestions. For me, if it’s practical or edible, it’s unlikely to go astray. This could work well if you don’t know your agent well.

Who doesn’t like home-baked cookies? (Your diabetic or diet-obssessed agent for one.)

Flowers or a wreath? (Fine unless the agent is traveling for the holidays)

Perfume or scented lotions and soaps? (bummer if your agent is allergic)

Jewelry? (Tastes really vary)

Easy, isn’t it?

I’d go with a gift certificate to a favorite eatery or coffee establishment. It’s hard for that to miss since that will involve choice and the agent can always share with the assistants etc.

Some of my favorite gifts in the past (and they weren’t necessarily holiday-oriented):

Ally Carter gave me a rare orchid when I sold her YA. Thing was huge though and my hubby has it at his office because our Downtown condo is square foot challenged. It still blooms every year and it’s amazing.

One year Jennifer O’Connell sent me a variety of breads and exquisite cheeses. That was yum.

Flowers truly are lovely if I’m going to be around so they won’t die while away. Cheryl Sawyer has sent bouquets and she lives in Australia (power of the internet!)

Becky Motew gave me a wonderful necklace—a chick lit blue handbag with a little diamond (or similar rhinestone).

Hank Ryan gave me a designer pen that I didn’t recognize but when I whipped it out during an editor meeting in New York, there was much fawning over it. I suspect that it was from Tiffany’s…

And there have been many more (so sorry if I didn’t mention yours). Maybe I should keep a list…

STATUS: Had to have holiday music on for our tasks today!

What’s playing on the iPod right now? OH HOLY NIGHT by Celine Dion

Our goal today was to finish the Nelson Agency holiday cards. Get them signed, sealed delivered.

We sent out a good 200 holiday cards to editors and other industry folks. My hand is cramping.
Here at the Nelson Agency, we do send special gifts of appreciation to the editors with whom we have projects. Our way of acknowledging their role in our success. Not all agencies do this but it has been a tradition at NLA.

I can also already tell that the slow-down in New York has begun. My email inbox was really quiet today and that’s not the norm.

STATUS: I’m one of those crazy people who will be at the airport and traveling on the same day as half the populace. I booked these tickets back in April and now I’m wondering why my hubby, Chutney, and I didn’t leave yesterday. Yep, she’s coming with.

What’s playing on the iPod right now? RIO by Duran Duran

This is my last blog for the week so Happy Thanksgiving! Remember to step back and take a moment to think about what you are thankful for.

On a personal level, I’m thankful for so many things but being me, I simply like to keep that private. But I don’t mind sharing what I’m thankful for on a professional level.

1. I’m thankful for my assistant Sara who has transformed my agency in so many ways. With her on board, we look at ten times more queries and partials—all so we can take on more new clients who might turn out to be you—one of my blog readers. Her talent and contribution has been amazing.

2. I’m thankful for the amount of success I’ve had with my agency this year. Excluding the numerous foreign rights sales, I’ve sold more than 20 books for this year alone. This is a new agency record.

3. I’m thankful to be in the middle of year five for my agency. In four short years, I have over 20 clients, have sold more than 50 books, done tons of foreign rights deals as well as Hollywood stuff, and I have several clients who are National bestsellers, RITA-award winners, and have consistently hit the Barnes & Noble bestseller lists for weeks on end. The other lists are just around the corner!

4. I’m thankful for my terrific clients and especially for all the new folks who came aboard just this year. Truly, my clients are savvy and professional but warm and a lot of fun. They demand but never ask too much. I feel very very lucky.

5. I’m thankful for all the new technology being implemented this year and for my ability to embrace it with good humor. (Actually, I’m working on the latter but I figured if I wrote it down, then I created the possibility to make it true.)

6. I’m thankful for all the terrific new books I read this year—by aspiring writers and by already published authors whom I got the chance to read for the first time this year.

7. I’m thankful for the fact the every day, I love my job.

I’ll toast to that and more on Thanksgiving day.

STATUS: Oh yes, it is super late a night but since it’s going to be a short blog week with the holiday and all, I didn’t want to miss today as well.

What’s playing on the iPod right now? SAN ANDREAS FAULT by Natalie Merchant

Today was the big conversion over to the brand spanking new network, dedicated server, Cisco systems mega firewall, and all that jazz. (I’m sure you techies out there understand VPN and a whole host of terms I’m slowly learning.) With the ability to be accessed from anywhere in the world by multiple users, it’s a network to rival anything at any large company.

I’m excited and exhausted all at the same time.

Conceivably, Sara or I can be anywhere on the planet and still be able to access the network, work, all so business can flow seamlessly. That’s the plan anyway.

Once a few little kinks are worked out… From what I’ve learned over the last 3 weeks, a new network isn’t like flipping a switch and voila, you have access. It entailed a lot of new equipment and hours of techie time.

But it’s in. Thank goodness. For almost three straight days, I had only sporadic access to my email and all my files. (Don’t worry, every thing was backed up to the hilt before the transfer but hey, things slip through the cracks.)

Speaking of, we should have transferred everything seamlessly for all the queries sent to query@nelsonagency.com on November 16, 2006 and after.

However, if you don’t hear a response from us in about 10 days (and you haven’t spam blocked us or done something silly like request we click on a link to have our email sent through), you’ll want to resend that query.

So toast our new network. It’s just one more way Nelson Literary Agency is using technology to advantage.

STATUS: I’m going to be on vacation next week so it’s a mad scramble to finish up projects, submissions, and all kinds of details before heading out. It makes today feel like a Wednesday.

What’s playing on the iPod right now? WICKED GAME by Chris Isaak

I’m not one to provide a ton of blog links as my entry and call it a day but today, I can’t resist a few before giving a query rant.

Bookseller chick (one of my favs to read) has the most hilarious story posted on her blog. Serious beverage alert.

My author Sherry Thomas has a purple prose confession to make—one that I had totally forgotten about until she sent me the link to her blog entry. Ah, writers, if you have sentence or a paragraph that is just your baby, maybe you should reconsider if your agent or editor mercilessly deletes it.

Also, my very good friend Karen Dionne and one of the original founders of Backspace asked me to do a shout out for their All Agents Conference that is happening in November 2006. It’s quite a line up and a good opportunity to meet more than 10 agents in person if you’re looking. Here’s the link.

But I saved the best for last. I was reading through my queries this morning and of course none of my blog readers would ever use a query service but here’s another reason why you shouldn’t.

The whole point of the query is the illusion of personalization. As agents, we all know that you write the main crux (as in the pitch blurb) once and then you simply tailor the opening paragraph to the agent you are targeting. Mix and match and email away. The point is to be professional enough (and savvy) to take the time to tailor the query letter so the agent knows he or she is not just some random target.

Not so when you use a query blaster service.

I love the email tag line included with the query that reads:

This query letter has been sent to you by Bookblaster E-Query Service (a division of Scriptblaster E-Query Service) on behalf of the writer. To contact the writer directly, please either click on the writer’s email address in the body of the email, or use your reply button.

To contact Bookblaster E-Query Service, please email us at ….

I’m just not feeling the personal love. Besides, it was really obvious that the query letter was in some kind of form letter format. Most agents will just send out their NO blaster as a response.

Folks. Write your own query letters and send them yourself. Yes, I know it’s time consuming (and often frustrating), but it’s just part of the business of writing. You shouldn’t be query blasting your email to every agent on this e-query service list anyway.

I sure hope the writer didn’t pay for it. Oy.

STATUS: October royalty statements are rolling in. Spent some time on the phone tracking down what seemed to be missing on one of those statements. Ah, tis the season. I like ‘em better when checks are attached. hehe

What’s playing on the iPod right now? KIM THE WAITRESS by Material Issue

I got an email on Friday from a writer whose full manuscript we requested. Lo and behold, she was writing to tell us that she already had offer on the table but if we wanted to read over the weekend and respond by Monday, she’d hold off making her decision.

First off, let me tell you how much I appreciate when authors keep us apprised of the status of their work. I once read a whole manuscript over the weekend (by the writer’s request) only to receive a curt email early on Monday morning telling me the writer had decided to accept representation elsewhere. Um… thanks. If you ask me to join the party, at least give me a chance to make an offer and be considered—especially if I have expended time with the work. So, I was super happy that even though we had just asked for the manuscript, she was still open to letting us read.

So I did. Last night. And I really enjoyed the manuscript but I wrote her first thing this morning telling her I was going to pass with regret. And I meant the regret part.

So why didn’t I take her on? Did I think the manuscript was sell-able? Yes. Did I think she was a good writer? Yes. So what’s the deal?

Something just didn’t click for me. It was a fun relationship chick lit work and I said it was a great piece of chocolate but I was really in the mood for a big substantial molten lava cake with lots of layers and complexity. And that was the best way I could sum it up why I was passing. (I gave other details too but you get the picture). She has an offer on the table so I know she’s going to be fine, and I’ll probably read about the sale later.

Why do I tell you this?

Because it’s a myth that all agents will take on any project they think they can sell. This project will probably sell but I chose not to be the agent to do it.

All writers have stories of the agents who passed on their manuscript before that one person with vision took it on to glory. Do agents have remorse? Sometimes. Mostly not though. It was a good project but just not right for me.

STATUS: Today, Sara and I received chocolate chocolate chip cookies from a gift site, and I have to say what a huge disappointment they are. Completely chalky tasting. Blah. Nothing ruins a Friday faster than dry cookies when you want a chocolate fix. Other than that, we are busy reading.

What’s playing on the iPod right now? CLEANING WINDOWS by Van Morrison

This week we got the German cover for Jennifer O’Connell’s DRESS REHEARSAL. It’s going to release overseas in just a few weeks. I have to say that we were a little surprised by it.

We loved the cover they did for BACHELORETTE #1. So fun and cute. Here it is:

I love this cover. Totally cute and romantic. And German titles! I love them too. They sound so sturdy and resounding. Don’t mess with MANNERFANG.

When the DR cover came, I have to admit. We both kind of went, “hum.” Not very cheery. Maybe this is cheerful in Germany? Not to mention, even though DRESS REHEARSAL is about a wedding cake designer and her hilarious assumption that she can predict how a marriage will turn out based on the cake ordered, it’s actually not about a bride or a groom (or even a wedding) at all. It’s an untraditional “bridal” lit novel. There is actually no wedding in the entire story.

From this German cover, I would assume that there would be a wedding at the center and from the looks of it, the groom is a little disheartened by being a part of it. Ultimately, we have to trust that German publishers now their audience and their market—just as we assume we do here but we were still a little flummoxed at the cover choice.

the German title still gives me a thrill though. (Nature of the language!) Here’s the US version for comparison.

STATUS: One contract complete. One more still to go and I’m reading away on fun stuff. Gorgeous days like these (It’s sunny, not a cloud in the sky, 70 degrees), boy, it’s great to be an agent sitting on my balconey. I’m reading a full right now that I like so much, I’m probably going to call the author as soon as I finish reading.

What’s playing on the iPod right now? I’LL BE AROUND by The Spinners

This might interest nobody but me but I have to say that I’m completely fascinated with the foreign edition covers of my clients’ books. Sometimes I’m confused by the chosen foreign title and the image. Sometimes I laugh with delight. Sometimes the covers invoke a “huh?”

For the most part, the author doesn’t get a say in the cover art or the publishing strategy in the foreign territory. Often, the book will just suddenly appear on our doorstop and then all you can do is go, “okay, some young Indonesian gal is probably going to take this Indo-version to the beach this year.” If the cover implies a beach read and young women readers that is.

But sometimes, and it’s just so much fun when it happens, sometimes the foreign publisher really wants the author to be involved in the process and that is certainly the case with Ally Carter’s I’D TELL YOU I LOVE YOU BUT THEN I’D HAVE TO KILL YOU. The Japanese translator was in frequent contact with Ally—determined to get the translation just right (and there were some hilarious conversations as Ally attempted to explain, in detail, certain American idioms and what might be the Japanese equivalent). Hence the title change as well.

Ally’s Japanese publisher even sent us the cover art for our approval because they are just so excited about this book and want us to be completely thrilled.

Well, let me tell you, we are.

Maybe it’s just me but this Manga-inspired cover just rocks. Look at it. Clockwise from the top it’s Cammie, Bex, Liz, and Macey. The Gallagher Girls envisioned.

Japanese Cover

And for fun comparison, the US cover

STATUS: Hooray! It’s a normal day at the office. No flaming bonfires raging wildly out of control or anything. The two outstanding contracts are close to being complete. I’m doing some reading, some submission follow up, talking to clients. All the fun stuff.

What’s playing on the iPod right now? ME EVERY CHANGING MOODS by The Style Council

Here’s a final blurb question. What if you, a published author, are asked to blurb a work and you would like to decline? What do you then say?

Never burn bridges. Always be appreciative and polite because publishing is a small world. Even if you’re thinking, “this is the worst freaking book I’ve read in years.”

You keep that to yourself!

This should be common sense but I’m constantly amazing at how often sense isn’t common. So how to politely say NO to a blurb request.

1. Not the right author for the blurb. If the manuscript is dark and edgy and you as the author only write light and sweet, highlight that as your reason (or insert other similar scenarios). A blurb from you might confuse or alienate your audience. It’s true and no one can take offense.

2. The looming deadline. All authors and editors understand this one and it’s often true. A lot of authors simply can’t squeeze the reading time in if they are on deadline.

3. The oblique but true response. Stay general in sentiment such as the “you just didn’t fall in love with the story response but were very much honored to have been considered and you wish the other author well.”

Happy blurbing (or not as the case may be) folks!

STATUS: It’s issues week at the NelsonAgency! I’m partly kidding because an agent’s job, by its nature, is pretty much dealing with issues. Still, we have quite the abundance considering it’s only Tuesday.

What’s playing on the iPod right now? TELL YOU WHY MAGGIE MAE by The Pietasters

Are author blurbs important?

Darn if I know. Darn if any of the publishers really know. It’s very hard to determine the power of a blurb in terms of nudging a browser into a buyer when at the bookstore. There are a lot of disparate views on the topic. How does one quantify the power of the blurb?

What I do know is that they don’t hurt and they are used for many reasons. They can grace a cover (usually by a really well known name that readers can identify with). The more recognizable the name, the more power of the blurb.

It’s a time-honored tradition to make blurb requests and they can be done two ways—through your agent (who asks the other author’s agent or editor) or directly by the author to the other bestselling author. However, some bestselling authors make it a general policy to not give out blurbs—mostly because they would be inundated.

Given that, the best blurbs are the ones you get because a well-known author, unbeknownst to you, picks up your book and reads it, loves it, and emails you. Carly Phillips picked up CHEATING AT SOLITAIRE by Ally Carter at an airport and loved it so much, she emailed Ally. Excited, she forwarded it to me and of course, being in agent mode, I asked Ally how comfortable she was in terms of asking Carly if she would be willing to formalize her enthusiasm into a blurb. Carly was happy to.

For Mary Jo Putney, a close friend of hers read and loved FINDERS KEEPERS by Linnea Sinclair and told Mary Jo she had to read it and gave her a copy. (Bless those reading enthusiasts!) SF romance is not traditionally Mary Jo’s thing but she had heard some buzz on the book, had the copy and her friend’s endorsement, so gave it read. Loved it and emailed Linnea. Her quote graces the cover of Linnea’s upcoming title GAMES OF COMMAND, which will be out in the spring.

Another use for a blurb? They make great inside cover praise for the front book pages. I know I tend to skim them when looking to buy a new author. Do you? What weighs more for you? Name recognition of the author or what is actually said in the blurb?

Another use of blurbs is for the marketing materials that are often included in publisher catalog copies, letters to booksellers, sales conference etc. It’s just more ammunition for the sales rep to highlight how much attention and praise a book has received.

Do I think they are necessary? No. Authors shouldn’t kill themselves getting them but I do think it’s worth some effort on their part.