Anyone know anything about the publishing industry? Could use some advice! (meaning, copyright)

[writergirl]

Hello!

If anyone has any info. about the publishing industry that they'd like to share, I'd love to hear it. Finding a literary agent, especially, has me really frustrated right now.

[Mark S.]

What kind of stuff do you write?

Do you have anything to show an agent? If you're writing books of any sort, an agent is going to want a look at your work. But if an agent is wanting any sort of feed to read your stuff, run away fast. An agent who charges you to read your stuff is a shyster.

[writergirl]

I write Christian Romance, and I do have a completed manuscript. (I'm working on the second one now.) I have been going through the whole 'trying to find an agent' process, and it is so frustrating!

Just getting an agent to read a sample is hard enough. I've gotten some positive responses to my queries, and I've sent out material to several reputable agents at their request. And now comes the waiting....and waiting...

[Mark S.]

Sounds like you're doing the right then. Patience, grasshopper.

If you get a reject back from an agent, don't despair. Try and try again. If the agent rejects your manuscript but offers some criticism, listen to it. If she is a good agent, she probably knows what she's talking about.

I strongly urge you to make sure that the agent you're approaching is a member of the Association of Authors’ Representatives, Inc. (AAR).

[writergirl]

Thanks for the encouragement, Mark S. I've heard back from two AAR agents, and the feedback from both of them was the same.

"I like your writing, I like the story, but I just don't think I should take on any more fiction at this time."

and

"You write very well and the story is compelling, but I'm having a hard time selling fiction because the market is so glutted."

Which in some ways is worse than hearing "This sucks because....". It leaves me no where to go, really! And it kind of feels like someone saying "You're a really great woman, but after dating you I've decided that I'd rather switch to men!" LOL! (Which has never happened to me by the way...just an analogy. )

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by writergirl

Thanks for the encouragement, Mark S. I've heard back from two AAR agents, and the feedback from both of them was the same.

"I like your writing, I like the story, but I just don't think I should take on any more fiction at this time."

and

"You write very well and the story is compelling, but I'm having a hard time selling fiction because the market is so glutted."

Well, there is an element of truth to this. A little one. The fiction market is glutted. That being said, there are publishers out there who want to find "the next big thing," so they are looking at books. If these agents aren't interested, try and try again.

Keep in mind that DUNE (one of the best-selling SF books of all time) and Harry Potter (need I say more?) were all rejected dozens of times, and look what happened there. Even Stephen King, probably the most successful novelist of the 20th century, collected a whole bunch of rejection slips before he "made it."

If you're writing and you're sending your stuff to agents, you're doing the right thing. Just keep it up!

Originally Posted by writergirl

Which in some ways is worse than hearing "This sucks because....". It leaves me no where to go, really!

The thing is: You never know what's going on at the other end of the line. Maybe the agent is so busy that she really doesn't have time for more clients. Maybe she's busy that she didn't even read your book. Maybe she just broke up with her boyfriend. Maybe she had a bad breakfast. Maybe she has the flu. The truth is: You don't know, and even if you did, there isn't much you can do about it anyway. So just keep writing, and keep telling the best stories you can. And keep sending 'em off to agents!

[writergirl]

Thanks, I really appreciate your advice. I'll always keep writing, because it's a passion of mine.

Are you an author as well? Because you really sound like you know what you're talking about. If you don't want to say here you can PM me - or you can just say 'none of your business' - I'll get over it.

Thanks again - a little encouragement always helps, and your post made me laugh!

[Global Friend]

I'm assuming you have copyrights on your work? Being you are not that far from NYC, you can find tons of agents and publishers on the internet in NYC to write to and as Mark said, you have to be patient.

Also, I wrote in another post......Amazon does something (I heard) where you can sell your book directly on there and you don't need a publisher? I'm not sure how that works but I would look into it. I think there are ways to sell your book online where people can downlaod it and you don't have to have it published. Good luck.

[writergirl]

Thank you, Rapture! As far as copyright goes, for authors it is automatic. You just have to be able to prove a creation date, and it is legally copyrighted.

I am still submitting to agents - I guess we'll see what happens!

Thanks again for your encouragement - it's always nice to hear a kind word!

[ccr4tigers]

I actually worked for a while at Thomas Nelson Publishers in their fiction department, so I handled that type of literature...although more is published by Bethany House and Waterbrook in that genre. You are doing the right thing by getting an agent, as any publishing house worth their salt won't accept manuscripts without an agent attached.

Here are my suggestions. First, put together an entire package. Christian romance readers tend to like to get to know their author and they are extremely loyal readers. When you send in your manuscript (and it must be a complete manuscript) also send in a mock Q&A about yourself, a resume with your job history, education, and anything listed that has ever been published. Further, attach a picture like you would see on the back of the book....and look your best in that picture. A lot of people think that because it is the Christian book industry that looks and presentation don't matter, but that is a big mistake. It is still a business. I would try to come up with something creative to set the package apart. Just remember that the question that the agent will ask themselves is "will this person make me money, and how much money will that be?" So, you want to present yourself as a money maker. That sounds terrible, but it is the way it is.

Also, go to the bookstore and look at the Christian Romance section. Find as many books as you can that seem to be similar to yours. Then google the authors and find their agent. Those are the agents you need to target. Most agents don't like to spread themselves across many different genres. When you look at the agency website, see if you can identify newer agents and target them first. Often the older agents have a large base of talent and won't read new stuff unless passed on by someone else in the company.

Finally, this is a VERY bad time in the publishing industry, particularly in the Christian book industry. I know that about a year after I left Thomas Nelson, they started laying people off and cutting their author roster down to the real capital producers (aka Max Lucado, John Maxwell, etc). So, don't be too discouraged. It is a hard time to break in, you just have to keep at it.

And if you have any other questions let me know. Having sat in on bunches of editorial meetings where we decided what we would publish and what we wouldn't I feel like I have a bit of an inside track on this. Oh, and I would stay away from self publishing if possible. I know that Thomas Nelson wouldn't even look at books that had self-published. Plus, unless you are a public speaker and you can give your book publicity, there won't be anyone driving sales or distributing the book...meaning it won't even be in stores.