Submissions Guidelines
BASIC SUBMISSION INFORMATION
TIPS ON PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
AGENCY AGREEMENT
RECOMMENDED BOOKS FOR WRITERS
PLEASING THE EDITORIAL GODS
PUBLISHING'S DIRTIEST LITTLE SECRET

BASIC SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Currently we are not taking on new clients in order to concentrate our time and energy serving the clients we already represent.  

To find a reputable agent who represents books similar to yours, we recommend … 

1. Check the Association of Authors’ Representatives (AAR) web site where you will find information on member agents, all of whom must agree to abide by a code of ethical conduct. 

2. Review the agency descriptions in  the latest editions of Jeff Herman’s Guide to Book Editors and Agents and Writer’s Market.  Agency listings in both include the book categories agents are most interested in representing.

3. Review the agency listings in Literary Market Place (LMP). This directory is quite expensive, but it can be found in most good public and college libraries.

Even though we are not currently accepting submissions from new clients, we’ve left our  TIPS ON PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT on our web site because many writers have told us that they found it very helpful.

TIPS ON PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT

A Good Proposal Is a Must

First-rate proposals lead to first-rate sales at good advances on the best contract terms in the shortest time. It’s impossible to overstate the importance of this to you as the author, to us as your agents and, most of all, to the editors we submit to.

Editors are deluged with submissions. They’re vexed by—and inclined to reject—proposals that (a) don’t sell them on the book in the first few paragraphs; (b) don’t anticipate and answer basic questions or allay obvious concerns; (c) aren’t ready to go to their pub board or editorial superiors; (d) require them to do work the author should have done; (e) raise any doubts about the author’s commitment to the project or ability and resolve to deliver a well-written manuscript on schedule and in apple-pie order.

Your proposal forms the editor’s first impression of you. If the proposal is top-drawer, the editor will think of you as a pro. If it’s inadequate, you probably won’t get a chance to make a second impression.

Occasionally, an idea is so compelling it can overcome a weak proposal. Even in those rare cases, the negative impression left by a poor proposal hurts the author. The editor will hesitate to give the author the benefit of the doubt when there’s a problem, will read the manuscript with a more critical eye when it’s delivered and will be less inclined to drum up in-house enthusiasm for the project. Strong proposals raise the author’s credibility; weak ones undermine it.

The process of writing a good proposal is as important to you as the finished product is to the editor. Writing a strong proposal forces you to think out what you want to say, how you’re going to research the book, how to organize the material and, most importantly, to decide if the subject really holds your interest. To deliver a good proposal, an author must think deeply about the needs of the book’s audience, which is exactly what determines whether the book succeeds after publication. Finally, a clear and comprehensive proposal is your best insurance against rejection by a fickle publishing house. Grounds can always be found for rejecting manuscripts based on vague proposals. A manuscript that reflects a clear proposal is tough to reject without breaching the contract.

As agents, we’re handicapped without a strong proposal. We decide which houses and editors your book will appeal to on the basis of your proposal. It tells us how to "position" your book and how to answer questions or refute objections. It gives us the confidence in your work to push for the maximum advance and the best terms. It enables us to press editors for prompt decisions. Weak proposals put agents on the negotiating defensive, and good editors use that to strike a harder bargain.

General Purpose

A proposal is a sales document. Your job is to convince the editor that by acquiring your book he or she will (1) certainly make money for the house; (2) look smart and professional in the eyes of his/her boss, co-workers and the industry; (3) have a pleasant experience working with you. Accomplish these three goals, and a successful sale is nearly assured.

Grab the editor by the lapels, by using the book’s most compelling justification—from the publisher’s perspective—right up front, in an introductory paragraph or the concept section. Often this is a statement about the size of the market or the need for your book. But if you’re the head of an organization that will commit to buy 20,000 copies, or your last book sold 100,000 copies, or you have unassailable proof that Elvis is alive and well in Argentina, say so right away. One way or another, convince the editor she risks passing up a winner if she stops reading.

Parts of The Proposal

Concept: 50,000 plus new titles are published in the U.S. every year--and that doesn't count self-published and print-on-demand titles. What can you, the editor or the field rep say to distinguish this title from the other 49,999? Whether it’s called the "sales handle," "the hook," or "the keynote," every book needs a pithy (25 words or less) description that tells the target reader why to buy your book. If you can work the handle into the title, great. If not, begin the concept section with it.

Unless you have some heart-stopping alternative, the best approach is to begin with 2-3 paragraphs defining your audiences and stating why they will buy your book. Then describe in 2-3 paragraphs what your book will do and how it will do it, as if you were writing flap copy. If they are crucial sales points, mention special features (illustrations, charts, etc.). Remember the question in the editor’s head is: "Will it sell?" Keep this section short and to the point.

Market & Audience: Flesh out whatever you said in your introductory paragraphs or the concept section about WHO will buy your book, WHY they will buy it, WHERE they’re likely to buy it and HOW they can be informed about its existence. You can define your market by common interests or problems, membership in associations, magazines or analogous books read, job requirements, etc. Be specific and quantitative. Be realistic. Explain specifically how your book uniquely meets the needs of the market.

Competition: Identify the books closest to yours but, above all, show how yours will better meet the needs of the target market. Include title, author, publisher, year of publication, current price and, if you have solid information, sales figures. Do not overwhelm the editor with a list of every book ever published on the subject, but make sure you cover all titles the editor might be familiar with. Check Books In Print; your editor will. Also talk to your local public librarian or the buyer at a well-stocked, independent book store. Remember the purpose of this section is to distinguish your book from the others. Be truthful but merciless in exposing the weaknesses of the perceived competition. 

The Book: This should amplify the concept section. Cover organization, structure, themes, key elements, newsworthy information, conclusions, and features in one or two pages.

Methodology: This section is optional, depending upon the nature and complexity of the book. The more ambitious the project, the greater the need to convince the editor you’ve carefully thought out how you’re going to research and write the book. If you’re writing a biography, explain here how you will gain access to private papers or whom you will interview. If the preparation of the book requires costly foreign travel, put your budget here. If your book requires contributors, how will you recruit them and what will you pay them? If the book requires maps, where will they come from? If it’s an entry-based reference book, what are your criteria for selection? How will you compile your headword list? Don’t go into unnecessary detail or go beyond two pages.

Chapter Summary: Unless you’re writing a reference book, the bulk of your proposal will be an annotated chapter-by-chapter summary. Make each chapter title as enticing as possible. Begin the annotation with a specific anecdote, story or statement that illustrates or sums up the theme of the chapter. This should be followed by no more than one or two brief paragraphs explaining what the chapter will cover or what questions it will answer. It should be clear to the reader not only what the chapter contains but also how it advances the story and fits into the whole. If your book is a reference book, the equivalent to a chapter summary is a tentative headword or entry list.

Author’s Qualifications: This section is in the proposal solely to answer the two questions every editor thinks about when considering a submission: Should I risk my company’s money on this writer? What are the author’s special credentials to write this particular book? Focus your biography on answering those two questions, keeping this section under a page and on target. Unless your book is a personal story, write in the third person.

The best way to address the risk issue is to prove you’re a tested writer: list your published works with the name of the publisher, year and sales figures (if they’re good). Review extracts or awards also reassure the editor. If you’re an academic with scores of published articles, say so but don’t list them all, only those specifically relevant to the proposed book.

Explain what makes you an authority on this subject. Why should readers trust what you have to say on this topic? The research you’ve done or plan to do may be mentioned, if it’s impressive. Certainly, cite any previous articles or books you’ve written on the subject—and explain how they differ from the one proposed. Family status and personal details should be excluded unless they are germane to the book’s topic.

Promotion Plan: Publishers want to know what you’re going to do to promote and sell your book both immediately upon publication and thereafter. (They know that they will be doing precious little for all but a few lead titles each season!) You should put as much thought and effort into this part of the proposal as you do into the annotated outline. Be precise and concrete. If you are prepared to spend a significant amount ($5,000+) of your own money to promote the book, by all means mention that at the beginning of this section, but back it up by stating how: e.g. "by matching the publisher’s contribution to an author tour up to $5,000" or "by covering my own travel and lodging expenses on a major market tour arranged by the publisher," or "by hiring an Internet marketing specialist to boost traffic to my web site and post information about my book on 500 relevant bulletin boards and listservs" or "by splitting 50/50 the cost of a ‘satellite tour’ with the publisher." This section should be as detailed and as persuasive as you can make it. If you need inspiration, check out the titles we recommend on marketing. Be creative; if you say something that will seem off-the-wall to publishing people, we’ll tell you to drop it or rephrase it. Remember: What makes sense for one book, won’t for another: each book’s promotion plan must be customized.

Delivery: This brief section says when and how the manuscript will be delivered. Most publishers want delivery within 12 months of contract unless the book is unusually long or requires a great deal of research. But never promise what you can’t deliver; at the very least, your editor will be embarrassed by the delay; at worst, your contract will be canceled and repayment of the advance demanded.

Nearly all publishers these days insist that the manuscript be delivered in electronic form as well as on paper. Indicate the word processing software and operating system you’ve used. (You will still have to deliver a legible hard copy of the manuscript.) If your book will contain artwork, state the form in which you will deliver it.

This section should also indicate the word count for the manuscript and note how much is already written, if a significant section has been completed.

Sample Chapter: Almost all proposals should include one or two complete and polished sample chapters. (If this is impossible, you will certainly have to include a sample of your previously published work—preferably on the same topic.) Make your sample chapter(s) as representative of the whole book as possible.

Format & Presentation

Appearances are important. Your proposal’s presentation will be seen as indicative of the form in which your entire manuscript will be delivered. Moreover, a clean, easy-to-read proposal encourages an editor to put it on the top of the "to do" pile. Here are some tips:

• Many editors these days prefer to receive proposals as e-mail attachments. So we will need your proposal in electronic form, preferably with any illustrations included as jpeg files.
• Barring exceptional circumstances, your entire proposal (excluding sample chapters) should be 20-30 pages long. Don’t forget the editor will duplicate and circulate it to several colleagues. You also have to be wary of boring your readers.
• Double-space and use reasonable margins on 8 ½ x 11 pages.
• Don't use faint printing. We photocopy your MS and then the editors we submit to copy our copy. Faint printing drives editors nuts.
• Unless the prior section fills less than half the page, start each section of your proposal on a new page.
• Eliminate all typos and misspellings by carefully proofreading your proposal at least twice.
• Do NOT include original, irreplaceable art work without discussing it with us in advance. Editors, the post office, and even agents have been known to lose transparencies and other precious items.
• Caption any illustrations and submit ten copies so we do not have to photocopy a photocopy.
• Make sure you keep an original copy of what you’ve sent us.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

What do you charge in the way of commission and fees?

Like most agents, we charge a basic 15% commission on domestic book sales. Commissions on foreign rights, electronic rights, and movie rights are 20% since generally we have to pay subagents to complete these sales.

6. Other exceptional third-party costs with prior approval of client

What does NEPA do for its commission?

We aggressively try to place your book with a reputable and appropriate publisher. The biggest advantage agents have over writers in marketing a book is that agents are in contact with hundreds of editors and scores of publishing houses. We know who is buying what. We also know how much give there is in their contract terms and have a sense of how far to push them. Once we have an offer and you have accepted it, we will negotiate the best contract terms obtainable from that publisher for your book. Here are some of the other services we provide:

• We provide a reasonable amount of editorial advice to help you perfect your proposal.
• We chase publishers to pay you what they owe you promptly.
• We have a professional bookkeeper examine all royalty statements for accuracy and challenge apparent inaccuracies.
• We try to place subsidiary rights, if they are not granted to the publisher in the contract.
• We mediate disputes between our clients and their publishers.
• We report to you on all submissions of your project.

What shouldn’t I expect you to do for me?

First, we can’t make a publisher buy your book nor can we force it to market your book effectively, although we certainly will press them to do so. Here are a few other things we can’t do: (a) lend you money against future income, (b) rewrite your manuscript or edit it before you submit it to the publisher; (c) act as publicists for your book.

Do I have to sign a written representation agreement?

Yes, you do – and you can read it by clicking right here: Agency Agreement. We believe a written agreement spelling out the terms of representation is in your interest as well as ours. It avoids any misunderstandings down the road.

Do I have to sign the agreement before you will consider my work?

Not at all. We’re more than willing to make a preliminary decision whether or not we would like to represent you before signing the agreement. We’re even willing to offer some editorial advice before then. However, we cannot spend a great deal of time editing your proposal until we have a signed agreement.

How soon will I hear from you after submitting a proposal?

Well, that always depends on our work load, but we make every effort to respond within 3-4 weeks if not sooner. If you haven’t heard from us within that time frame, please let us know.

What are my chances of being taken on as a client?

Let’s put it this way: every year we receive about 6,000 plus queries and submissions from prospective new clients and every year we take on 4-6 new clients. You can improve your chances by sending us a proposal that’s complete, well-thought out, answers all the obvious questions, and is free of typos and spelling errors.

How many clients does NEPA currently represent?

We try to limit our client base to no more than 125 active clients, by which we mean those for whom we have sold a book within the past 2-3 years. We can’t provide good service for more than that number.

Can I submit my book proposal to more than one agent at a time?

Well, since we submit to more than one publisher at a time, it wouldn’t be fair to complain if you do – as long as you tell us that’s the case when you first submit to us, just as we do with publishers. However, bear in mind we’re not prepared to give a lot of editorial advice before we have a signed agreement.

Once I’ve signed the agreement can I submit my book to editors on my own?

This is a no-no. For as long as the agreement is in effect, NEPA will be your exclusive agent. And this generally applies to all your book-length works. Here are three good reasons why: (1) Many book contracts have option clauses giving the publisher the right for a first look at your next book proposal; (2) You might submit a proposal to the same publishers we’re submitting to or visa versa, which would embarrass the editor, you and us; (3) Agents represent clients, not single works. Occasionally we will make a very specific exception to this rule. For example, we might give an academic author the right to represent his or her own textbook proposal since we don’t handle textbooks. If you have any doubts about this, ask us first.

What if I’ve already submitted my book to a few publishers?

That’s okay as long as you tell us up front where it was submitted and what the outcome was. Once you’ve signed the agreement, however, we have the right to negotiate the contract and take our commission even if you made the original submission.

Can I terminate the agency agreement?

The agreement is for a minimum term of six months. Legally, you can terminate it with 60 days notice prior to the end of any six-month term. However, unless we’re in the midst of selling a project for a client, there’s no reason for us to enforce the notice period and we don’t. NEPA, like all agents, retains its right to a commission on all income produced by any book it has sold for the life of that book, even if the author is no longer a client.

Can I submit a proposal by E-Mail or fax?

Please don’t unless we ask you to. Instead, send us an E-mail or snail mail query. We’re more than happy to read and respond to one or two-page queries by E-Mail. In fact, we usually respond to e-mail queries within a day or two. Full-length proposals should be mailed to NEPA at P.O. Box 361, Chester, CT 06412.

Will you read my novel?

No. We only handle non-fiction these days. Your best bet is to find an agent who handles fiction writers as a matter of course.

How do I know if NEPA is the right agent for me?

The most important questions to ask yourself about any agency are: Does it represent books similar to mine? What’s the agency’s sales track record? Do I feel comfortable with the feedback I get from the agency? Does the agency adhere to high ethical standards? Do its business practices and contacts seem professional? Do I get along with the people at the agency? Does the chemistry seem right? Does the agency give me prompt and courteous service?

If NEPA is not the right agency for my work, can you recommend another?

There are several excellent sources of information about agents. First, try the Association of Authors’ Representatives (AAR) web site. There you’ll find a listing of all member agents. Membership in the AAR requires that an agent or agency sell a certain minimum number of titles and acceptance of the AAR’s Canon of Ethics. Of course, there are many fine and ethical agents who are not members. Second, try Jeff Herman’s Writer’s Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents, which you can order by clicking on the title. It contains detailed descriptive listings for each agent included. Literary Market Place and Writer’s Market are other good sources of information, although their listings are more abbreviated.

AGENCY AGREEMENT

(FOR A PRINTABLE COPY OF THE AGENCY AGREEMENT, CLICK HERE)

MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT made this ___ day of  _____________ 2007 between:  

of  

hereinafter "Author", and New England Publishing Associates, Inc. of P.O. Box 361, Chester, CT 06412, hereinafter "NEPA", whereby it is mutually agreed as follows: 

1.      The Author hereby designates NEPA to be the exclusive agent representing all rights to the Author's book-length literary works of non-fiction and fiction, unless specifically excluded herein, in all languages throughout the world for a period of not less than six (6) months from the date of this Agreement.  Said rights shall include, but not be limited to, volume rights, translation rights, foreign English-language rights, dramatic, film and performing rights, audio rights, software and electronic rights, serial rights, and out-of-print book rights. 

2.      All monies received from the sale of such rights shall be paid directly to NEPA, which shall deduct a commission of fifteen (15%) percent, except as specified in paragraph 3 below, and remit the balance to the Author within no more than thirty (30) days of receipt. No readers’ fees or other charges shall be made on domestic sales with the exception of charges for copying and shipping via overnight or two-day courier when needed.*

3.            Where a co-agent must be employed, such as in the sale of foreign, dramatic, software or out-of-print book rights, NEPA  will receive a ten (10%) percent commission of the original amount paid to the sub-agent and will remit the balance of the amount paid to NEPA by the sub-agent to the Author as specified in paragraph 2 above. Marketing certain types of subsidiary rights, most notably foreign rights, may require NEPA to either purchase additional copies of the Author’s book from the publisher or to pay overseas courier or shipping charges.  Such documented expenses incurred specifically on the Author’s behalf shall be charged to the Author’s account and deducted from any amounts coming due the Author from NEPA. 

4.      NEPA shall make its best efforts to obtain contractual offers for volume rights on the most favorable terms available and shall promptly submit any offers received to the Author for approval. 

5.      The Author hereby authorizes NEPA to act in his or her behalf in all matters arising out of this Agreement.  However, no contract shall be binding on the Author without the Author's consent and no obligation of the Author's contained in any contract shall be binding upon or the responsibility of NEPA except as explicitly provided for in writing. 

6.      NEPA shall be the irrevocable agent for all rights to the Works for which it obtains one or more contracts for volume rights and shall be named as such in each contract. The provisions of this Agreement, including the commissions provided for herein, shall apply to any work submitted on the Author's behalf by NEPA prior to termination as specified in paragraph 7 below and to any work submitted under an option clause negotiated by NEPA.   

7.      This Agreement shall automatically be extended in perpetuity at six month intervals unless the Author delivers written notification of termination with proof of delivery sixty (60) days prior to the expiration date. 

8.      If there are multiple Authors party to this Agreement, the singular references to Author shall be deemed to include the plural and all the obligations and rights of the Author shall be deemed joint and several unless otherwise provided in this Agreement.  Unless otherwise provided for herein or by written amendment, the Agency shall divide all monies due the Author into equal parts and pay the Authors separately.  

9.      This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties and the heirs, executors, administrators and permitted successors and assigns of the Author and upon the lawful successors and assigns of NEPA. 

10.    This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Connecticut regardless of its place of execution or performance and it constitutes the complete understanding of the parties.  No modification, amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement shall be valid or binding unless executed in writing and signed by each of the parties whose signatures are affixed hereto.
 

_______________________________________                                                                    

for New England Publishing Associates, Inc.    Date

________________________________________               ________________________________
Author                                       Date                                      Social Security Number or Tax ID Number

There are many excellent books on the publishing process. Here are some that we highly recommend. We’ve highlighted those that are in print and that can be ordered from Amazon.com [click on the title for a direct link]. The others can be found in any good public library.

GUIDES TO AGENTS & PUBLISHERS

Literary Market Place (R.R. Bowker): The standard annual directory for the publishing industry, but it’s far too expensive for most writers to purchase. Fortunately, you’ll find it in many public libraries. The comprehensive source for the names and addresses of publishers and agents.

Writer’s Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents by Jeff Herman. Extensive and up-to-date annotations make this annual a fine resource – and it’s reasonably priced.

Writer’s Market (Annual) published by Writer’s Digest magazine. Covers magazine and book publishing.

BOOK PROPOSAL WRITING

How to Write a Book Proposal, 3rd Edition by Michael Larsen. A well-respected agent tells you everything you need to know to write a top-notch proposal.

Author 101: Bestselling Book Proposals by Rick Frishman and Robyn Freedman Spizman. We highly recommend this straight-forward and well-written guide, which first-time book authors will find particularly helpful – and it’s modestly priced as well!

WORKING WITH AGENTS, EDITORS, & PUBLISHERS

Literary Agents: What They Do, How They Do It, and How to Find and Work With the Right One for You by Michael Larsen. Another book by an agent who has earned his stripes.

How to Get Happily Published by Judith Appelbaum. Now in its 5^th edition, this is a classic overview of the publishing process from start to finish.

30 Steps to Becoming a Writer by Scott Edelstein.

The Shortest Distance Between You and a Published Book by Susan Page.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Getting Published by Sheree Bykovsky and Jennifer Basye Sander.

WRITING SKILLS

Writing for Story: Craft Secrets of Dramatic Nonfiction by Jon Franklin. If you want to write nonfiction narratives, this book is essential reading. Trust us; this is a book every nonfiction writer should read and reread.

Elements of Expression by Arthur Plotnik. This book will help any writer add snap, crackle and pop to the page.

The Art of Creative Nonfiction by Lee Gutkind.

On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction by William Zinsser. If you haven’t read this book, you’ve missed one of the best books ever written on the subject.

Spunk & Bite: A Writer’s Guide to Punchier, More Engaging Language & Style by NEPA client Arthur Plotnik. This edgy book encourages writers to put Strunk and White back on the shelf if they want to make their writing sparkle. Art practices what he preaches, making for a fun read.

LEGAL STUFF

The Copyright Permission and Libel Handbook by Lloyd Jassin et al. A modestly priced basic, plain-English introduction to issues such as fair use, permissions, etc.

Every Writer’s Guide to Copyright and Publishing Law by Ellen M. Kozak. A succinct guide with a slightly broader scope than Jassin.

Getting Permission: How to License & Clear Copyrighted Materials Online & Off by Richard Stim. This Nolo Press book offers clear and excellent guidance not only about the legal basics when it comes to both text and illustration permissions but also on how to research permissions and negotiate the lowest fees. It includes a disk with forms and agreements. Well worth the investment.

Kirsch’s Guide to the Book Contract: For Authors, Publishers, Editors, and Agents by Jonathan Kirsch. Too short to cover every issue, but worth owning.

MARKETING

The Savvy Author’s Guide to Book Publicity by Lissa Warren (Carroll & Graf, 2004, $14). Every author should read this book – preferably at least 6-9 months before their own book hits the stores.  Warren explains exactly what in-house publicists do and don’t do, what you can do to get the most of out of your publicist’s efforts, when and how to hire a freelance publicist, what to do at a bookstore signing, how to cultivate bookstores, etc., etc.  It’s filled with concrete and practical tips.

The Making of a Bestseller by Brian Hill and Dee Power (Dearborn, 2005, $19.95): Although much of this book is more germane to novelists than to the non-fiction writers NEPA represents, it does offer many perceptive insights into the marketing and publicity process and what authors can do to help promote their books. Two sobering facts it reports: 1 out of 10 books ever earns back its advance and the number one reason editors give for turning down books is that the author's platform is "too small." One piece of practical advice it offers: develop a well-designed and interactive author web site that will capture names and e-mail addresses you can use to promote your book upon publication.

Guerrilla Marketing for Writers by Jay Conrad Levinson, Rick Fishman & Michael Larsen. Useful tips on how to promote your book, although some chapters are more inspirational than practical.

1001 Ways to Market Your Books (6^th Edition) by John Kremer (Open Horizons Publishing, 2006): Although this 700-page book is targeted primarily at small publishers and self-published authors, every author could profit from reading it. The chapters on "How Authors Can Help Promote Their Books," "Tips on Publicizing Your Books," and ‘How to Sell Your Books Via Computer" are particularly useful. It retails for about $28 plus shipping. You can order via our link to Amazon or directly from the author’s web site: www.bookmarket.com. At the bookmarket web site you’ll also find specialized reports and tip sheets on various aspects of book marketing offered for sale at reasonable prices.

Jump Start Your Book Sales by Marilyn and Tom Ross. A great guide on how to sell more copies of your book.

WEBSITES

Here are a few links to some Websites that you may want to check out for more advice:

Association of Author’s Representatives (AAR)

Florida First Coast Writer's Festival

Authorlink

PLEASING THE EDITORIAL GODS

Advice from a Godlet
By Arthur Plotnik
Author of Elements of Editing and Spunk & Bite

Adapted with permission from Honk if You’re a Writer.

As the gatekeepers of publishing, editors seem as gods to mere authors. A manuscript is offered, and the author waits for a sign. And waits. And waits. Give me a sign, O Editor! And finally the Word comes down: "THOU HAST PLEASED US. CONTRACT TO FOLLOW." Or, " WE CANNOT USE THINE OFFERING AT THE PRESENT TIME."

Aspiring authors rarely meet editors, and so they imagine a race of deities in the misty heights of the publishing empyrean. Wrathful and capricious, these higher beings decree which authorlings shall be raised from obscurity and which consigned to the hell of the unpublished.

Higher beings? Au contraire! Most book editors serve as minions to the real gods: the publishing brass. The only mist that enshrouds them is their cold sweat as they run to killer meetings. They labor in suburban office plazas or in midtown warrens with flimsy partitions and locked bathrooms. Surely no deities ever needed keys just to relieve themselves—or worked sixty hours a week for chump-change. Ergo, editors are not gods at all, but mere godlets at best.

The godlets appear in many forms, depending on the size and nature of their publications. In small operations, a few editors do it all: plan the program, acquire manuscripts, edit the text, write the marketing copy, and intimidate the authors.

Book editors, those who review the proposals and acquire manuscripts ("projects") are generally less wroth than magazine editors, who tend to be a frenzied lot. Book editors look tired, more oppressed than angered by their countless deadlines and assignments. They spend too much time on proposals that go nowhere and projects they may never see to fruition. Occasionally a good sales report or literary honor yields a buzz; then it’s back to the gloom of overload.

Literary agents, who are gate-keeping godlets themselves, help reduce the number of hopeless submissions. Still, most editors face armadas of manuscripts to battle far into the night, when real gods should be out cavorting as bulls or showers of gold.

Book editors are decent humanists who probably would be merciful to authors if time allowed and they got points for it. They would read unsolicited manuscripts; they would answer calls, letters, and E-mail from authors: they would offer advice, criticism, and consolation, what the hell. But book editors are not hired to succor the multitudes; they are paid to turn words into revenue and please the Number Gods who run the show.

If editors are less than gods, why should writers quake before them? Because editors, lowly though they may be, still guard the gates of Paradise and wield a few thunderbolts. Editors can cut a writer off cold, or support a writer through out the publishing decision, or help make a writer a star, or, in rare instances, make a writer a better writer. Editors can launch writers into nirvana with a word ("Loved your book"…) or dementia with another ("…got a problem").

Until authors achieve their own godhead as bankable brand names—or land an almighty agent—they must learn to please the editorial godlets. Knowing that editors are in fact quasi-mortals who can be swayed and even fooled gives one some courage; but courage alone will not win they day, any more than a stupendous manuscript will automatically find its champion. One must learn how to beg for editorial favor.

THE ART OF SUPPLICATION

In my career as a writer I have knelt before many an editorial godlet, even as I’ve decreed the fate of various writers from my own editorial roosts. From these perspectives I have observed the art of supplication: how writers can curry favor or at least avoid an editor’s wrath. As a minor godlet, then, as well as an author with a butt full of thunderbolts, I offer this advice:

An editor bases her (or his) first evaluation of a proposal more on instinct than on divine justice. Like a clam sorting tidal microbes, the editor performs a food-nonfood dichotomy on in coming materials. To an editor, food is something that readers will eat up. Fresh bite-sized and pungent—the editor knows it when she sees it.

Nonfood reveals itself in a number of ways: too big, too small, wrong look, funny smell. Never must a writer offer anything that signals nonfood:

• Aging or nonstandard paper
• Ancient typewriting or dot-matrix printout
• Misspellings in the proposal
• Military service number
• Cartooned happy faces
• List of school publications
• Thirty-year-old clippings
• Personal snapshots
• Home-brewed (amateur-looking) graphics
• An account of how friends adored the manuscript
• Quote marks around "slangy" words
• Signs of paranoia or rage

Just what, you protest, do any of these signals have to do with literary merit? Intrinsically nothing, but an editor, unable even to skim every submission, has to play the odds. The odds say that most people who cannot spell have not undergone the discipline that makes for salable writing; they say that writers who include such extraneous items as service numbers and snapshots are rank amateurs who just don’t get it. Editors reject amateurism outright, just as they close themselves off to the pathetic:

        Maybe this isn’t the best novel you’ll ever read; but it’s a novel that has stolen thirty-five years of my life, destroyed a marriage, and brought me nothing but rejection and emphysema...

Pathos is non food. Editors can’t handle writers’ pathos anymore than doctors can empathize with anguish; the overload would destroy them in a day.

Editors look for the easily rejectable. Imagine yourself with sedimentary layers of reading matter on desks, chair, sills, and floor. Phones ring. Packages arrive. Faxes ooze. Computers beep. Meetings call. This editor’s in quicksand, and somehow she must dig herself out. So she sifts through the piles and looks for the fastest ways to reduce them. Newly arriving materials meet a natural resistance against taking on more work. This is not callousness: this is survival. Well, callousness too.

The writer’s challenge: Don’t help the editor resist you.

OBSTACLES WRITERS CREATE

Editors often work on impulse: something hits them just at the right time and they decide to pursue it—until they encounter the first obstacle. Writers create obstacles with woeful presentation packages. For example, they often fail to provide telephone numbers, which belong on the cover letter, outline, and first manuscript page. E-mail addresses, too can be helpful. As a harried editor, I had little patience with authors too coy to be dialed. Writers with cute letterheads were the worst—Old Ink Well Road, Weasel Run, PA.—and no numbers. Others withheld phone numbers as if they might die if ever an editor called. In fact editors favor the telephone (or E-mail) because it’s fast and doesn’t require the careful wording of a letter or fax as long as they, the editors, and not the authors, do the dial-up.

One way to clam up an editor—or an agent—is to phone in proposals. "You got a few minutes? We were sitting around watching Jeopardy and I got this dynamite idea for a book…." Agents and editors receive a great many such calls, some of them spitefully transferred or encouraged by another editor or agent. Phoned-in proposals offend the godlets. They lack organization, they can’t be passed around for evaluation, they demand attention in the middle of other obligations. Half the breathless proposals by phone never make it to paper. "Send a query," most editors will say and cut the conversation there. One of the softer touches in the business, I would frequently pretend to listen while busying myself with Q-tips. The authors were no better off than if I’d hung up.

It is better to address a specific individual than to write "Dear Editor," and a good bet is to use the editor’s first name: "Dear Susan" (not Suzie). It gets a sliver more attention and won’t hurt. If on the phone the editor said "send it to me," then write: "Thanks for agreeing to review my query[or proposal or manuscript]." Maybe the editor didn’t quite agree; but she won’t remember and she’ll feel obligated to read one more paragraph. And that paragraph, the grabber, should wake the dead. Say just about anything that will get attention, if it’s not too sick. All rules for breaking into publication boil down to one: Get attention.

        Thanks for agreeing to review my proposal. I lost my virginity at age eight...

Later you can explain that you meant figuratively, or according to some cult you intend to expose. If you’ve got one hell of an idea and can deliver, editors will forgive the opening hype. Don’t squeeze out your cards; show your ace quickly and as clearly as possible. You can’t ask an overloaded editor to read a complicated proposal for no obvious reason, or deduce, guess, or extrapolate what is special about your offering.

How many writers put these and far stranger demands upon the busy godlets! By the end of a rough day, what editors would most appreciate from authors is a note that says, "Please find nothing enclosed, nothing to read or do. I ask nothing." Instead, in comes a fat, mean-looking megascript with this cover letter (a composite of letters I’ve read over the years):

Dear Editor,

Each week editors face such clueless innocents, whom they zap faster than a bug light can whack a gnat. As well as being annoying, such naïve demands signal that the accompanying manuscript will ask all and give little. The presentation package should make one demand and an implicit one at that: Begin reading. The rest should follow naturally.

THE LIMITS OF HUMILITY

Scores of writers’ guides (and the 911 section below) provide instructions for manuscript submission. Writers must review and observe these fundamental rules, even as they master the subtleties in dealing with editors. Can the basic rules be broken? Yes, if your name is, say, John Updike and you’ve published a dozen successful novels.

Most other writers must be proper supplicants and follow rules. Supplication is begging, let’s face it—please read my manuscript, please see its merits! But kneeling before editors does not mean self-effacement. Editors are already negatively poised when apologetic writers start mewling and puking about their inadequacies, Such cover letters echo the ritual of humility once attributed to Japanese hosts: "Please enter my disgraceful house and meet my ugly family and accept out putrid refreshments." In writers’ terms it usually goes like this:

    Forgive my using your first name; I was advised to do so , but I probably shouldn’t listen to all those tips. I’m so sorry to trouble you with this manuscript, which is overly long and probably gushier than the kind of thing you usually want. Blame it on my total ignorance of publishing. I set the story in Des Moines, the only big city I know. It was probably dumb of me not to use New York just because I’ve never been there. I could change the setting as well as the main character, who was based on myself. Telling my story seemed like a good idea; but when I finished I realized, who’d want to read about me?

"Right," says the editor, "Next!" Somehow this rebuff surprises the apologist, who was only fishing for the kindly reassurance and expecting this response: "Trouble? You little minx, are you kidding? Your work is what publishing is all about! Overly long? Gushy? An otherworldly collision between Thomas Mann, Luigi Pirandello, and Iris Murdoch is what we’re calling it along Publishers Row! We not only lived to read each page, but we want you here, now, singing contracts!"

Funny, that letter never comes.

Query, cover letter, proposal, samples, manuscript—which do I send when?

For nonfiction "projects"—as proposed book length works are called—you’ll need the query letter, a proposal (see below), outline, and writing sample. The book needn’t be complete at this stage, but the project must be well thought out and ready to go.

All cover letters benefit from a "grabber" near the opening sentence. "Dear Susan: I lost my virginity at age eight to a Satanic fiend in North Dakota. The saga of my degradation and subsequent climb to political office is detailed in…"

After the grabber, the fiction cover letter contains a few sentences on your story and what distinguishes it from the crowd, plus a paragraph on your literary achievements and other appropriate background. Keep the letter lively—but restrained, even though you feel this is your one shot at happiness in life.

What’s a SASE?

A self-addressed stamped envelope. Always include one with your submission; it doesn’t mean you admit defeat. Use an envelope large enough to swallow your materials with-out force feeding.

In what form do I submit unsolicited proposals and manuscripts?

The form you should use should 1) signal no amateurism, 2) focus attention on content, and 3) make it as easy as possible for the reader. Certain pathetic attempts at gaining attention, paradoxically, do cry "amateur!" Colored paper, gaudy desktop typography, sheaves of clippings, and cartooned happy faces are very sad indeed.

You gain attention from what you say, not the physical format. The writing pro presents a crisp, flawless laser-style printout on fresh 8-1/2 x 11 white stock, 20-pound weight. Margins are generous. Cover letters are single-spaced. Name, address, phone number (and Fax and e-mail if you have them) are on the first page of each item—letter, outline, sample chapter, etc. Last name and a title word or two head all other pages, which are numbered.

Do I send the computer disk of the text?

Never, until it’s called for. The cover letter might mention the type of software used, unless it’s bizarre or ancient.

What goes into the nonfiction book proposal?

Bear in mind that proposals rarely need more than 10-15 pages overall, unless the project is enormous in scale and complexity. Within those few pages, include:

1. A heading. Length of manuscript can be indicated here.

2. A half-page description of the project: its nature and scope. The description should be informative but enthusiastic. It might include a "high-concept" definition of the book—its essence and style suggested in one lively sentence; e.g., "A new wrinkle on an ancient aliment, a bounty for the culinarian, the curious, and the constipated." Don’t get into detail here; the outline will showcase the content and structure.

3. The intended audience (potential market): e.g., history and trivia buffs, cookbook buyers, nutritionists, the general reader—whoever is out there reading such books and not impossible to reach. If you know the size or consumer habits of your specialized audience, give that information. "Sunsweet reports that thirty million Americans eat prunes weekly, and that more than two million wrote for a free recipe booklet last year."

4. The relationship of your project to similar or competing books. Have similar books done well? Is your approach unique? Will it distinguish the book from the buyer’s point of view—e.g., is it the latest, the most complete, the first popular treatment? Describe some of the competitors and how yours beats them.

5. Your expertise and reputation in the subject field. What is your authority to write on prunes? What sources will you use? Are you known to prune lovers? Can you help sell books to them? Have you published similar works?

6. Your qualifications as a writer in general. List major publications, honors, etc. Be brief; you can enclose a resume as further background.

7. Your time table and other technical details. How much of the project is done, how soon could you deliver the manuscript, what electronic formats you can provide.

8. Any unusual requirements or unavoidable cost factors, such as abundant charts and illustrations. (This is not the time to suggest costly options.)

9. A good closer. A short paragraph to show your flair for writing and confidence in the project. If true, remind the reader that this type of work is timeless, a favorite with book clubs, and "will travel well" for overseas rights.

An outline and two or three draft chapters (ideally an opening and middle chapter) complete the nonfiction package. The hotter the topic, the less literary talent need to be demonstrated. As long as the facts are authoritative and the prose editable, an agent or editor can see the potential.

How much of a fictional work should I submit?

Send a query letter, synopsis, and two sample chapters. Synopses run from one to five pages, depending on the length of the book. Remember, however, unless you are a published novelist with an impressive sales record, the odds of an editor offering a contract before he or she has read the entire manuscript is about 1 in 1,000 – and that may be optimistic. The purpose of the query and synopsis is to get an agent interested enough to request that you send the whole manuscript.

What makes for a good fiction synopsis?

In The Writers Handbook, novelist Serita Deborah Stevens suggests the synopsis must hook the reader, show your writing at its best, prove "that you know how to construct a fast-paced story."

In narrative form (present tense gives immediacy), move swiftly through your plot, sketching in characters, emphasizing conflicts, desires, obstacles—building tension. Indicate the major twists and turning points. If flavorful dialogue is key, give just a taste of it.

Don’t be coy, advises Stevens, and never hold back the ending. "Editors want to know that all the lose ends are tied up and the story is brought to a satisfying conclusion."

Agent Richard Curtis points out the difference between the author’s own detailed outline for writing the book and the synopsis prepared "to turn on the staff of a publishing company." The purpose of the latter isn’t to tell, but to sell.

What should I do about illustrations?

If your book must include specific illustration, you’ll need to indicate the approximate number, sources, permissions required, and estimated costs involved. If possible, you should present some rough samples. If you yourself are the photographer/illustrator, submit actual samples—and they better be professional and perfectly matched to the project.

If the illustration is optional, make a few brief suggestions in the proposal and leave the rest to the publisher. At this point, don’t offer to have your cousin the artist do them.

PUBLISHING'S DIRTIEST LITTLE SECRET

Publishers do nothing (alright, next to nothing) to market 95% of the books they publish. Only the lead titles each season get more than routine attention. Unless you received a whopping advance or your last book did phenomenally well, your publisher will list the book in its catalog and on its web site, issue a formulaic press release, and if you’re lucky send out 100-200 review copies. That’s it!

The first printing is publishing’s way of doing market research. If a book starts moving, then, and only then, will the publisher invest time and money to promote it effectively. In these days of tight inventory controls and point-of-purchase reporting systems, a new title that fails to show some movement within 4-8 weeks of its publication date will be road-kill. So, if you want your book to succeed YOU must do whatever it takes to stimulate sales during this critical window immediately following publication. Obviously, if you wait around to see what the publisher does before you to start your promotional effort it will be too late – far too late.

Here are four painful truths that every author needs to know and act on:

The author, not the publisher, bears primary responsibility for promoting the book. (Would that it weren’t so, but it is.) Recognize that to make your book a commercial success you will have to spend almost as much time promoting it as you did writing it.

You will have to spend money as well as time to promote your book effectively. It’s not unusual for a first-time author to spend several thousand dollars or more out-of-pocket to stimulate sales. You may be able to get by on less, but you will certainly have to spend something to spread the word about your book. (Hiring a freelance publicist is an option, but an expensive one. A very modest campaign by an experienced freelance book publicist costs a minimum of $5,000. If your book has wide-appeal and is perfect for talk shows, hiring a good freelance publicist can be well worth the cost.)

Complaining to your editor or other staffers about how little the house is doing to market your book usually accomplishes nothing. Most editors don’t have the clout to do anything about it, and the powers-that-be have made a collective decision to give your book routine treatment. (Better to use your influence with the editor to get the tools you need to promote the book effectively. For example, most editors will wrangle some extra copies or extra jackets/covers for you to use in your promotion efforts.)

Start planning how to promote your book before you write it. (Indeed, your proposal should include your promotion plan at least in broad brush strokes.) Use the time immediately after you have delivered the manuscript to start detailed planning and preparation. Read everything you can on how authors can market and promote their own books. [See our RECOMMENDED BOOKS for some suggestions.] Brain storm promotional ideas with your agent, your editor, and other authors.

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