Fran Macilvey's Blog, page 47
June 28, 2016
What to expect from a mainstream publisher
What to expect from a mainstream publisher
Publishers all want a blockbuster, preferably last week, preferably written by one of their “stable” of authors with a cast-iron reputation for producing best sellers.
Large publishers, especially, are very concerned about maintaining their market share, so, despite their size and their apparent diversity (which might make you believe they have room for your offering) they tend to be risk averse, and, in some ways, we have to feel a bit sorry for th...
June 25, 2016
What to expect from an agent
What to expect from an agent
It is a good idea to always check, before we sign on the dotted line what to expect from an agent.
Naturally, it feels a bit intimidating to enquire, ‘…Um, what exactly does this phrase in your contract cover?’ But, if it’s any comfort, they will really not mind the question, and would rather talk about the limits of their usual tasks early, than have to deal with a shortfall in our expectations later. I know I didn’t feel like being business-like when Isabel agre...
June 22, 2016
What agents can do for us
What agents can do for us
Just because we have secured the services of an agent, does not mean s/he will manage to sell our work to a commissioning editor.
Most agents are good sales people, confident, very capable and ahead of the field. If they cannot secure a sale, it does not mean they have failed, or that we have failed. It only means it is not the right time or place. Agents will hold on to material they like, and keep trying for it, if they believe in it enough. If they spot an opportu...
June 20, 2016
What has luck got to do with it?
What has luck got to do with it?
In a word, everything. I could have kept copies and lists of all my paper and on-line submissions, but in the end, I decided that would be too depressing and weigh me down; so I cannot give you an exact count the number of submissions I sent out; though by the time I had written round prospective publishers and agents, the total number must have been around sixty. Luckily, I found my darling agent in the right place at the right time and on the lookout for a...
June 17, 2016
Helpful communications
Helpful communications
To make my communications enjoyable and rewarding, I find the following ideas help me. You will of course have your own ideas, and I would be pleased to hear about them.
Meantime…
Do keep a note of whom you have written to, and when you sent your enquiry.You may not hear back, but at least you will remember. If and when you receive a reply, it is your choice whether to make up a file of rejection slips, or file it in the bin and write if off to experience. But do ke...
June 15, 2016
Submissions Etiquette
Submissions Etiquette
After sending a submission to a publisher or agency, realistically, we can expect to wait eight to twelve weeks before we hear anything.
Speaking from personal experience, if an agent is keen to know more, they will get back to us within the first seven days. Resist the urge to check your in-box every ten minutes, and instead, continue with writing, editing and research.
I recommend doing fewer submissions rather than many. That way, we can give each package our full att...
June 13, 2016
Submission Habits
Submission Habits
As I got into the habit of doing submissions, I would find that I worked best with a ‘cluster’ habit, sending out perhaps two, then waiting about ten days or a fortnight before attempting a fresh pair. If you find it easier to work more systematically, I suggest aiming to do three submissions a month, or one a week.
No matter what their published guidelines may indicate, no agency nowadays seriously expects us to submit to only one agency at a time. At that rate, with an av...
June 9, 2016
What is a submission?
What is a Submission?
A submission is our sales package, which should be short, to the point and compelling, (though what makes compelling reading, is naturally subjective). If an agent asks for “the first three chapters or ten thousand words” this means, the first three chapters (up to ten thousand words). In that instance, we would send the first three chapters, or as much of the first three chapters as will take us to ten thousand words. Clue: Get your first three chapters into ten thousan...
June 7, 2016
Timescales
So! We’ve written most of our magnum opus and edited it until we are certain we can do no better. How long might it be before we can see some return on our investment of time, energy and resources? How long before we can nod our heads and say, ‘Yes, now I am a writer!’ The first time I heard the dreaded words, ‘ten years’ my mind refused to take them in, but that, indeed, is the timescale I am now looking at. I’m so glad to be nearing the end of one of the busiest and most rewarding decades o...
June 3, 2016
The business behind the front page
The business behind the front page
Publishers and promoters of on-line sites use their internet presence to generate publicity for themselves, as well as income from advertising and promotion. The headline on their home page may scream, ‘Helping books to get published’, but ultimately that is not what they do, though the cost of providing a useful and fun service to writers, often for free, compares very favourably with the costs and effort of process thousands of unsolicited paper submission...
