Next time someone tells you that Christianity is not as valid as science, just remind them that not many years ago, Pluto was assumed to be a planet, but in 2006 was determined not to be one, but instead was a “dwarf planet”, of which there a several dozen in our solar system alone.
If you took a test in grade school and answered, “How many planets are there in our solar system” with the number “eight” and were marked incorrect and the grade from that test prevented you from attending college, you have grounds for a lawsuit against the scientific community. (so says my attorney Rich Suethemall)
Ten years ago, Pluto was a planet and Jesus Christ was the Son of God who came to save us from our sin. Today, Pluto is not a planet and Jesus is still the same. So tell me, which is more reliable, science or our Christian faith?
For the record, I answered “nine” on the grade school test about how many planets orbited our sun. So, I was admitted to college under false pretenses. Thankfully the statute of limitations on recalling diplomas has passed.
Of course, I titled this blog post to get your attention, with credit to John Gray and his Women are from Venus, Men are from Mars book from many years ago. My point is that publishers and authors are usually not on the same planet either. (DISCLAIMER: Placing authors on a now-defunct planet was for effect only. My attorney did a legal reading of this post and recommended I make sure that was clear.)
More often than not, authors (especially never-before published authors) are writing books on subjects that publishers are not interested in publishing. Of course, book publishing is not a science, but a mix of science and art, which makes publishers a moving target, or orbiting planet, as far as authors are concerned.
Publishers have publishing strategies (science), but if they see a proposal their intuition says will sell (art), they will deviate from their strategy. Their heart might trump their head.
Authors, especially new authors, will write from their heart (art), crafting a manuscript based on something that is important to them, or inspired by something in their lives. Because most new authors are writing from the perspective of what they want to communicate and not from a study of market trends, authors become planets in their own trajectory.
So, how do these two planets eventually get into a closer orbit? More often than not they do not find each other. To prove this point, note that a couple years ago, the number of self-published titles began to outnumber the titles published by traditional publishers.
Literary agents want to sell books to publishers. So, we listen to publishers and evaluate potential new authors through the perspective of what we know of publishers’ preferences. If publishers are not looking to buy a certain type of book and you present that same type of book that has been a passion of yours, don’t be offended when they don’t see things the way you do. Agents are the literary equivalent to a dating service, trying to match up authors and publishers, but even eHarmonycom isn’t 100% successful.
Most authors, whether they are published or not-yet-published, rarely consider the issue of what publishers are looking for when they sit down to write.
Imagine this…you are asked to give a speech to a student assembly at your local high school. Excited about the opportunity, you set off to craft a speech that you want to deliver. Teens these days have no respect for authority, drugs and alcohol are bad for them, sex is intended for marriage, work hard so you can get into a good college, stop putting toilet paper on the trees in my neighborhood, etc. You plan a one-hour speech.
Upon arriving at the school, prepared to set everyone straight once and for all, you discover that the assembly is 25 minutes long and the purpose was to encourage the students following the tragic death of a popular teacher.
If only you had asked on what planet the students were living, you probably would have been more effective.
Knowing your audience is the first rule of effective communication. If you never consider what publishers are looking for, don’t be surprised or offended if you are rejected.
Agents strive to see the world through the eyes of publishers, because we want to match up authors and publishers. When we decline to represent an author, it is because we can’t envision a publisher who is looking for what you wrote.
Authors should pay attention to what readers, agents and publishers want rather than focusing only on what you want to say. All three groups want to publish books and since publishers haven’t mastered space travel yet, it is the responsibility of authors to travel to a planet a little closer to Mercury.
Agents? We live on a starship and travel to every planet on a regular route. Each of us has a phaser (set to stun) and a pet Tribble to keep us company.
Good morning,
For unpublished authors, what source do you recommend to discover upcoming trends?
Right now I’m writing my heart. I study current releases, but by the time I get an agent the trend could be different.
Thanks for sharing any suggestions.
You are awake early! Here are some starting points if you want a better chance to be traditionally published:
1. A great tool is the advanced search capability on Amazon. You can be as broad or specific as you want. Some books are entered here a year before they are available. Target specific publishers and watch what they do. Research similar authors to you and see where they go and do.
2. Attend conferences where publishers attend to observe what they do. (ICRS and Book Expo America are options)
3. Keep notes/observations.
4. Do it consistently…not every day, but maybe monthly or bi-monthly.
5. Do it over time…in fact, never stop looking and learning.
6. Don’t pay attention to self-published titles or small presses that cater to authors. These will not indicate publishing trends.
This will cost you time and money, but just like any career or venture, you need to get training.
Thanks, Dan. I’ll check into your suggestions.
Publishers (and perhaps agents?) would be wise to pay attention to self-published titles, especially the ones at the top of the relevant Amazon lists. After all, these indicate reader trends. At the end of the day, the publishers (and authors) need to provide books the reader is prepared to pay for.
Of course, I agree we all need to pay attention to what readers will pay for. The reason I leave out looking at self-publishing is that most self-published titles are listed high on lists because of low prices, or even free titles.
The key is to look at something over a long period of time and frankly, trying to derive something resembling a trend from the sheer number of self-published titles would take too much time.
I actually think there are more “fads” to be found among the self-published titles than trends. (I am writing about the difference between these two things on my September 9 post)
Like everything in publishing, there is probably a 50% chance I am wrong!
Great blog. Thought-provoking, difficult to accept, truthful … with the ability to change lives. Hmmm – a Masterpiece?
Great art will always win.
So, you’re saying that today’s writers are following the warped trek of James T. Kirk: Assuming (1) that most intelligent life out there speaks our our language (North American English) and that (2) they are interested in the same topics we are (scientific exploration and galactic peace). If so, no wonder photon torpedoes and disruptor beams crisscross the pathway to publication.
You score solid hits, Dan, deflector screens notwithstanding. I conclude that if we want the Klingons to buy our technology, we would do well to learn their language and their interests. 😉
Live long and prosper.
Such a great post, Dan. And yes, I read John Gray’s book. I like where you took this in terms of authors and publishers. And you agents…..you’re the lucky ones doing space travel and all.
In all seriousness, I appreciate your insights, and the answer you gave Jackie above me. I’ve been trying to figure out answers to the same question. It seems there’s a fine line between writing our heart and writing for publication. I so appreciate your perspective. Thanks!
Yes, great post. Out of this world, actually. 😉
Too true, Rick. Out of this world indeed. 😉
Provocative blog, as always. Lately, I must admit that I like the ancient Greek word for “art”–“techne,” the sense of which I believe we’ve lost. Like a typical stuffy academic, I have to suppress the desire to use it in everyday conversation. Here’s why.
“Techne” refers to both craft, which we now relegate mostly to knitting and pottery circles, and art, which allows us to think of “troubled geniuses.” The ancient idea suggests that one learns a craft but learns it so well in terms of habit and heart that one becomes skilled and is able to truly engage with flexibility, knowledge, and insight. I like this better than “science,” which has always seemed simplistic, clumsy, incomplete, and, for most Americans, unimaginative, or “art,” which I also suspect for most people is equally simplistic, self-indulgent, and soft. Science/art is a typical binary, like science/myth. It really skews things for most of us. No humanities degrees need apply.
I do like your frame for this. It helps me to see that there are probably many unimaginative practitioners coming from both Pluto and Mercury. If writers are only out there being self-indulgent and editors and agents are following some rigid formula, it is no wonder no one wants unsolicited manuscripts.
Thank you for your response to Jackie above. I’m copying and printing for my bulletin board. Great starmap.
And so we go boldly on to where no author has gone? Hmmm…I need a tribble, too. But one that has been “tutored”.
Seriously—good post. My thought with all this is… serving God and mammon…it’s a scary place outer space.
I guess this means your relationships with authors will have to remain Plutonic.
“Authors should pay attention to what readers, agents and publishers want rather than focusing only on what you want to say. ”
This is absolutely the golden nugget in this post!
But most writers don’t want to hear this. In fact, I had a wanna-a-be writer walk away (in a huff) from a critique session at a conference because I told him he needed to determine his audience and then write using verbiage that spoke to his audience.
I just recently signed up to receive blog updates. This is the first one of yours I’ve read.
I must say, I am officially a fan of Dan Balow, his phaser, and his Tribble.
Now authors, make it so.
This was brilliant. Though tongue-in-cheek, still oh-so-true! I get a bit miffed when I hear authors say you SHOULDN’T write to get published. “Just write what you are passionate about and learn to do it well.” Though there is a nugget of truth to that, I say it misses the mark. If I’m going to devote hours of my day to writing, I’d like for the time to be redeemed with a legitimate book one day, thankyouverymuch.
“A planet in my own trajectory” . . . I want that on a tee-shirt! (Also thinking your attorney must shudder just a tiny bit when he sees your number pop up on his phone…) 🙂
Shudder? No. But one time I think I actually HEARD his eyes roll when he answered the phone.
Terriffic post Dan. The metaphor is well taken. However, I wish to postulate a well circulated conspiracy theory that has been makings the rounds for some time now.
The thoery is that a fair number of publishers, perhaps some authors and yes, maybe even a few agents might actually be imposters from their respective planets. In reality, they all secretly hail from the planet Uranus and are working in concert to subjugate original thought, creativity and FRESH new material because it might be “risky” or “unproven” from a sales point of view.
I proffer two historical facts:
a. Steve Laube agency will NOT submit a second rate manuscript to a publisher(s) and “hope for the best”,
b. Publishers, in all their “wisdom”, have “passed” many times on absolutly stellar submissions (from Steve Laube agency and others) that have later gone on to be huge successes. Sadly, it wasn’t only the publisher’s loss. The author and agent, after much diligent work, were (temporarily) rejected in favor of a manuscript that the publisher perceived to be “currently in vogue/demand” amid a slushy sea of similar recently published submissions.
Its seems as bad as cable programming. One hit show and twenty two (or so) copycat “me too” productions hurriedly come out within a week. A month later the entire category is burned out, fried, crispy, passe, ho hum and the reruns and sequels haven’t even begun.
Is there even just one publisher looking for something completely new and fresh, WITHOUT precedent?
1 Kings 10:7 But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard
The truth is, NO ONE (but GOD) KNOWS (the next blockbuster).
My priorities for pleasing:
1. God
2. My reader
3. The author (me)
4. a publisher
If I have been blessed enough to please the first three entities on my priority list and it also happens to appeal to the fourth, a publisher, then so be it, wonderful! If not, xin loi!
Lastly, always remember this, SCARED MONEY NEVER WINS!
God Bless!
Generalities about publishers can sometimes paint a false picture. Some Christian publishers are parts of ministries or denominations who are very, very careful with money. They are very hesitant to go outside things they know will work.
Others are owned by families or individuals who might be a little more aggressive and creative, but no less careful with their money. No big corporation behind them.
The other group are commercial imprints of large publishing conglomerates that are stockholder owned, who balance creativity and commercial growth. You don’t grow a company by being too careful or aggressive. People lose their jobs if they do too much of one or the other.
There is a tolerance for risk with every publisher, but in widely varying amounts.
Hear, hear! Remembering your art post from awhile back and having been in the art world, I remember things I kept telling new artists who came into my gallery. “Paint what you love and don’t try to paint for the next new success fad of the world.” We have to be God’s instrument. I don’t wanna go back to Egypt. If I love God, His love and creativity will flow through me to produce what He desires and I believe it is in His hand —the outcome. The art walk for me was a wash for the season but the lessons eternal. His will does not mean we are successful by the world’s standards. He promotes one and sets down another. He knows what He is doing. We all put way too much stock in our own abilities and business sense.
Very thoughtful comment. People at Christian publishers feel they are on no less a mission than an author. No less God-led, no less inspired. There are easier ways to earn a living than publishing, so everyone involved is praying for wisdom and vision.
Snort.
Dan, you have an obvious gift for analogies and metaphors! Keep them coming 🙂
You challenged me today. While I have much to learn, I’ve come a long way thanks to community groups like this one.
For years now, I’ve often referred to writing for the publishing industry as ‘the game’. One that up until recently I did not want to play. Why? Pride, I suppose (the Lord is still working me through this so I’ll have a more specific answer when He’s done with me).
Candy, I’ll be honest and say that I was one of those writers you referred to. One who was like how dare you (publishers) tell me that what I should write and how big my platform should be and how much time I should be spending on building it. The nerve!
I felt like that for so long because when I first set out on this writing journey I, like most newbie writers, was writing from the heart. We’re kind of told to begin that way, right? I came into this craft with the attitude of, “I have a story to tell” not “Let’s see what publishers are wanting these days.”
Now, many years later, I understand what you’re saying here, Dan, agree with it, and firmly believe there is a wonderful balance to ‘writing from the heart’ and ‘writing for a publisher’. Phew.
Educating myself played a huge part. Homework, research and studying are all part of the formula for understanding the publishing/author universe you wrote about.
Thank you for the reminder to keep up the learning!
I like your solar system analogies, Dan, & the sound advice embedded in them. Publishing is a competitive industry, driven by economics, & that makes it especially tough for the writer. Thanks for the reminder to “know your audience.” Back to the keyboard.