With Summer in full mid-form and some planning the rest of their year’s writing efforts, I thought it might be a good chance for you to post below any question you might have about the publishing business.
Editing? Proposals? Why so many rejections? How does it all work? Will Amazon doom us all? Are bookstores dying? etc. I only ask that you keep within the topic of writing and publishing. I can’t solve your calculus homework. I won’t comment on political debate. And while I might like to weigh in on the Kenotic Theory regarding Jesus’ incarnation, it would not be a good fit for this blog.
Some may be answered below. Some may be saved for a longer blog post later this Summer. Be aware that some questions may not be able to be properly answered in a short post.
I recently did a “Ask Me Anything” session at a writers conference. It was scheduled for an hour. The fifty people who attended had a lot of questions and it lasted three hours (with me losing my voice by the end)!
Please let us help you on your journey.
You can also ask more than one question. There isn’t a limit.
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Thank you for the opportunity. How likely are Christian publishers to accept manuscripts for novels that are not intended to entertain Christians, but are meant to plant a seed in a non-believer’s mind?
Dale,
“It depends.” It depends on the story and the skill of the writer.
Not sure many authors would say they write “novels intended to entertain Christians.” If you were to sit down with the novelists I know you will find a deep heart for God and a desire to minister through story. Whether the reader is a believer or not.
A lot of people’s live have been changed for the Kingdom via fiction. Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye all but lost count of the number of letters they received to that effect.
Just write the best book you possibly can and don’t worry about the rest.
Steve: based on your experience, what are the top 3-4 factors that make a fiction novel appealing to agents and then to readers?
A good question for a future blog post.
Is there anything like a modern canon of Christian literature?
Andrew,
Not really. I created a “deeper life” reading list for those who take my seminar on “The Spiritual Life of the Writer.” But it isn’t anywhere close to a “modern canon.”
Ask anyone to create a top 100 list and start comparing, there would be certain books on all the lists. I suppose one could call them a modern canon. Something like “Mere Christianity” or “My Utmost for His Highest” or “The Pursuit of God” would be examples,
What is the norm for contractual screen rights for a novel. If a production company wants to option the rights for your novel, is that handled by the literary agency or a separate attorney or any other agency?
A good question for a future blog post.
In the last few days I’ve gotten several ads on Facebook from companies offering to do self publishing. There are already thousands of self published books out there. Does this mean there will be even more? If so, what will it do to the market?
Janet,
You must have something on your site about writing a book! The search gremlins latched onto those key words and are sending you ads!
Yes, there will be more.
Imagine if you didn’t have the wisdom of having attended a number of conferences and being surrounded by writers with experience and professionals to help.
You might jump at one of those ads as the key to seeing your name in print. It has been that way for ages.
But the ability to upload a book on Amazon or Smashwords has made “publishing” as easy as clicking a button.
Any advice on what children’s authors should do differently than other authors in terms of social media? I have seen hundreds of children become VERY excited over a contest that involved looking at something on Pinterest and posting something online, only to have just a handful actually participate; generally speaking, only kids with very involved parents managed to get the job done.
Kids weren’t allowed access to computers or Facebook at home, or couldn’t remember what to do, despite flyers and bookmarks with relevant info, being shown on a large screen in class, etc. Any advice? Just aim at adults instead of trying to connect with the kids themselves? Thanks!
I’ll admit to ignorance on this issue.
My laboratory grew up with our youngest getting married this Summer.
Any Children’s book authors out there care to weigh in?
Congratulations on your youngest getting married!
Steve,
Will the inclusion of Bible verses in a novel in today’s climate preclude publication? Thank you.
Ed,
“It depends.” If Bible verses are included in a ham-handed way, this it would make the book poorly written and keep it from publication.
I don’t see “today’s climate” being much different than it’s been in this regard. There is always resistance in the general market to books that proclaim Christi crucified and exalted, whether they are fiction or non-fiction.
Matthew 10:22 “You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”
I thought of one more:
If a writer had sent a query and has yet to hear back from the agent, but then ends up with a contract offer from a publisher, is it appropriate to reach out to the agent again with that new information?
Jennifer,
Yes, having a contract in hand is a great way to get an agent’s attention. Sort of like a cattle prod…
But it is still no guarantee of getting that agent to represent you.
Hi Steve– I submitted a proposal to you via USPS mail in December. I have since moved to a new home (3 hours away).
I’m assuming my proposal was not accepted and got lost somewhere in the mail due to having a new address. Over the past 7 months, I have been doing various things to improve my historical fiction novel (including reading a book recommend by you- Self-Editing for Fiction Writers). My draft has improved drastically. So I am wondering if it is okay to resubmit to you again?
Carrie,
I’m sorry your reply was lost in the mail or that it never arrived to our office in the first place. It can happen. But then email can get lost just as easily, as we have all discovered. (We moved our office two and a half years ago and people still try to send mail to the old address.)
One rejection does not mean “Never Again! Go Away!” Unless, of course, your name is Bob Hostetler. Then the entire sentence is all caps and bold italics.
In your cover letter say that you are resubmitting a proposal that may have been lost in the mail, but that you have made significant improvements to it.
Lol! Poor Bob 😉 Glad he is part of your team now and I look forward to reading more of his blogs.
I’m sure you must be incredibly busy. Thanks for taking time to answer my question.
How many subcategories of sci fi are there? I know about hard core with lots of technical jargon, and soft core with less. Is there ‘literary’ sci fi? Do you differentiate according to which publisher you are approaching? Do you prefer to represent one kind over another?
I expect the question of subcategories applies to all genres, but I know you are a leading sci fi guru.
There is an official sub category classification called BISAC categories. (Book Industry Study Group) They are what are used by all publishers (even Amazon’s self publishing program) to classify books. This is Not keywords. These are the category chosen and sometimes printed on the back of the book above the bar code.
The fiction categories can be found here: http://bisg.org/page/Fiction
I didn’t make these up so don’t be too harsh in criticism. I’ve pasted the Science Fiction and the Fantasy categories for you:
FIC028000 FICTION / Science Fiction / General
FIC028010 FICTION / Science Fiction / Action & Adventure
FIC028090 FICTION / Science Fiction / Alien Contact
FICTION / Science Fiction / Alternative History see Alternative History
FIC028070 FICTION / Science Fiction / Apocalyptic & Post-Apocalyptic
FIC028040 FICTION / Science Fiction / Collections & Anthologies
FIC028100 FICTION / Science Fiction / Cyberpunk
FIC028110 FICTION / Science Fiction / Genetic Engineering
FIC028020 FICTION / Science Fiction / Hard Science Fiction
FIC028120 FICTION / Science Fiction / Humorous *
FIC028050 FICTION / Science Fiction / Military
FIC028130 FICTION / Science Fiction / Space Exploration *
FIC028030 FICTION / Science Fiction / Space Opera
FIC028060 FICTION / Science Fiction / Steampunk
FIC028080 FICTION / Science Fiction / Time Travel
FIC009000 FICTION / Fantasy / General
FIC009100 FICTION / Fantasy / Action & Adventure *
FIC009110 FICTION / Fantasy / Arthurian *
FIC009040 FICTION / Fantasy / Collections & Anthologies
FIC009010 FICTION / Fantasy / Contemporary
FIC009070 FICTION / Fantasy / Dark Fantasy
FIC009120 FICTION / Fantasy / Dragons & Mythical Creatures *
FIC009020 FICTION / Fantasy / Epic
FIC009130 FICTION / Fantasy / Gaslamp *
FIC009030 FICTION / Fantasy / Historical
FIC009080 FICTION / Fantasy / Humorous
FIC009140 FICTION / Fantasy / Military *
FIC009050 FICTION / Fantasy / Paranormal
FIC009090 FICTION / Fantasy / Romantic
FIC009060 FICTION / Fantasy / Urban
Just wondering how acceptable it would be to resubmit a manuscript to an agent who had already passed on it, especially if it’s been a few years and the reason given (albeit the complete reason or not) for passing in the first place was that there wasn’t a lot of interest in that particular genre at the time. If times have changed, or the manuscript been worked on significantly, is it worth checking again if an agent might be interested? Half expecting a ‘it depends’ reply but thought it was worth asking all the same ?
Depending on the book it may not be remembered by that agent so it will be “new” again. But I would disclose the fact that you’ve sent it to them before but now it is new and improved.
Yes, the industry changes with regard to particular genres. For awhile in the general market everything had to be about vampires. Now I don’t think it would get much interest.
I remember back about 12 years ago Chick-Lit was the rage. It overwhelmed the entire industry. And then suddenly no wanted it. Not the consumer, not the publisher. Some authors got caught releasing novels in that genre without a readership. It was a brutal and sudden shift in the marketplace.
Even in non-fiction topics can get hot, then not. Prophecy, Angels, Spiritual warfare, and “I went to heaven” have all been topics that went through a phase.
My first question: isn’t literary agenting the most demoralising job on the planet?
I mean…you get thousands of submissions per month (or week?) written by people who’ve spent hours and hours crafting their tales, and into which they’ve poured their hearts, and who hope they will at long last achieve their lives’ dream of getting published – and who are nearly all going to be rejected.
Personally, I couldn’t do it. I was given an MS by a budding writer to crit (he had critted mind so I owed it to him). He’d obviously put a lot of work into it – 110 000 words – and I saw after the first couple of paragraphs that commercially it didn’t have a snowball’s chance.
Well, I did the crit but didn’t have the heart to tell him that his novel was rubbish and his best chance was to throw it away and start over, and probably keeping doing that for the next five years or so. Tough game, writing.
Second question: what is your current turnaround time for submissions? I’ve got one with you so…you know…kinda curious. 😉
The typos annoyed me too much. Herewith corrected:
My first question: isn’t literary agenting the most demoralising job on the planet?
I mean…you get thousands of submissions per month (or week?) written by people who’ve spent hours and hours crafting their tales, and into which they’ve poured their hearts, and who hope they will at long last achieve their lives’ dream of getting published – and who are nearly all going to be rejected.
Personally, I couldn’t do it. I was given an MS by a budding writer to crit (he had critted mine so I owed it to him). He’d obviously put a lot of work into it – 110 000 words – and I saw after the first couple of paragraphs that commercially it didn’t have a snowball’s chance.
Well, I did the crit but didn’t have the heart to tell him that his novel was rubbish and his best chance was to throw it away and start over, and probably keep doing that for the next five years or so. Tough game, writing.
Second question: what is your current turnaround time for submissions? I’ve got one with you so…you know…kinda curious. ?
It is never fun to know a rejection will have a negative impact on the recipient. I pray it doesn’t arrive on your birthday….
As for how long? Currently? We are pretty much caught up through the end of May and some early June. The usual turn around is around 8 weeks.
The ones I’m looking at on my desk however are mostly full manuscripts that came by request. Those take a long time to process.
Hi Steve
Late to this blog. Wonder how I miss ’em all. But question regarding time of submissions.
You say a long time to process full manuscripts on your desk.
Ohmygosh I know you have tons.
How long is long? Do I nudge you via email at 6 months? Longer?
Cindy Mahoney
What is the best way to build a platform for someone who is not well known?
Jane Friedman wrote about social media today. It is a key to creating tomorrow’s “platform.”
https://janefriedman.com/author-without-social-media-presence-now/
Most memoirs that sell are based on sensational or tragic circumstances or the author has a lot of notoriety. Do you feel there is a market for a more feel-good kind of memoir, maybe a sweet or unlikely redemption story or something similar?
You may have heard the old cliche “If it bleeds it leads.” That is why notoriety or sensational stories get the attention.
The “normal life” story could be a little mundane to grab the attention of the marketplace. Of course that answer is awful and terrible and no good and deserves a very bad day…
Therefore…it depends….
It depends on the quality of the memoir writing. I’ve seen some quieter down-home memoirs in the general market that are well received. But it is the writing that makes the “living this life” stories work so well.
You also mentioned the “unlikely redemption story”. That, again, depends on what it is and what makes it unique.
Sorry I can’t be more specific.
Thanks, Steve. I understand the need to be vague on the answer, because I was vague on the idea. Maybe I’ll just craft the book proposal and see what you think. 😉
I’m a young writer, but I’m getting to the point where I’ve been writing for fun for over ten years and am now ready to take more steps toward an actual career of writing. I read all sorts of blogs and some self-help books about everything from how to actually improve my writing to marketing and building a platform.
While all of those resources are helping a lot, I still feel a bit lost when I look at the publishing world. I’d love to have an experienced mentor to ask specific questions to or to tell me their own experiences to help me along. Recently I heard that sometimes writer groups specifically offer mentoring sessions from their members. Do you know any good Christian groups that offer those?
Or do you have any other suggestions about how to get more personalized guidance in this big writing world?
If you are writing fiction, join ACFW (acfw.com) and find a group in your region. These groups can be quite helpful.
Also there is an entire section in The Christian Writers Market Guide (www.christianwritersmarketguide.com) on writers groups.
For example there is a national organization of writers groups called Word Weavers.
Take a look.
Thank you very much! I’ll take a look at these.
I’m helping a friend get her website and brand rolling. She’s a great communicator. How would you advise we approach the “Speaking” page of her website? She’s spoken to MOPS groups, but she’d like to venture further into the “speaker” territory. Any thoughts?
Here’s her website: http://www.UnQualifiedMom.com
Rebekah,
The easiest way is to look at other author/speaker’s web sites. See how they set it up and choose the one that resonates the best for your friend.
Thank you for that great advice! And even more, for taking time for this. It’s incredible.
God bless!
What is the typical response time we should expect when dealing with a prospective agent via email? In other words, what time frame is acceptable for a response vs. when is the prospective agent giving the impression of being overwhelmed?
In our guidelines (www.stevelaube.com/guidelines) we state:
“If you sent an e-mail proposal and don’t hear from us within 60 days, you can assume we are not going to pursue your project.”
Actually my situation is a bit different. I have an interested agent who wants my health/lifestyle manuscript although she has not offered an official contract. We have had six or seven email exchanges, but when she emails me a question and I reply within an hour or two, it is often two weeks to a month before she replies back.
Incidentally, I have a second agent now interested in my manuscript who came in late to the game. I told her that I am frustrated with the slow communication with the other ‘potential’ agent, and she replied that she will be much more responsive. I’m looking to see what the ‘normal’ time frame is for an expected electronic response with an agent. Is two weeks to a month normal for simple questions, or in your opinion is this indicative of an overwhelmed or inattentive prospective agent?
Mark,
I cannot and should not comment on the work habits of another agent. It is up to the author to decide if they are happy with the way their agent, or prospective agent, communicates.
Every one works differently. But if the author is not happy with the relationship they should consider finding a different partner. It’s like any business partnership.
Where may I find a sample letter that you consider perfect for a cover letter and another for a query letter?
On the Guidelines page on our web site, under the section on cover letters.