[Note: I’ll state here and now that I’m still at that point where I have not yet been accepted by a publisher or an agent. These are merely thoughts and ideas that have come to me over the years via the submission process and the numerous articles, con panels and books that I’ve encountered. These entries are not about how to win at submitting; they’re more about giving you things to think about.]
After I posted last week’s entry about submitting to an agent, I had a few more thoughts about it that I’d like to share. These aren’t exactly how-to-query thoughts, but more along the lines of FYIs; stuff to think about when you’re at this stage.
Multiple Submissions. This one’s confusing to a lot of people, especially new authors, and that’s totally understandable, because it can be a very vague phrase and misintepreted easily. You’ll see submission guidelines that say “no multiple submissions.” What does that mean, really? Does it mean “you can only submit to us and no one else until you hear back from us (whenever that turnaround time is)”? Or does it mean “don’t submit everything you’ve ever done to us all at once”? Or does it mean “don’t submit the same novel query to my co-agent Bob that you’re also sending to me”? For those like me, this could mean just about anything. I need a bit more to go with.
Thankfully, most agencies and publishers have more detailed submission guidelines nowadays, which they have on their websites. One agency I submitted to last week said “If submitting to me, please do not also send it to the other agents on my team.” To put it another way, it’s a bit like getting one of those “Reply All” emails you sometimes get at work. Should you work on this issue, or should James? Or do you both ignore it and thus nothing gets done? Pick one agent you’d like to work with at that agency and stay with them until they say yes or no.
I’ve also seen agents where they want exclusivity; if you’re sending to them, do them a favor and don’t send to another agency, because that’s just bad business. [Granted, there are some writers and agents who take umbrage to exclusivity, and I have my own opinions about it which I won’t go into here. How you want to handle your manuscript is completely up to you, not me.]
On the other hand…
Do you really want to send to one agent at a time? Do you want to send your Awesomesauce Novel to an agent, hope for the best, and have no idea what your answer may be in the next six to eight weeks or however long it takes? Maybe so, but what if you don’t get any bites until, say, the twentieth agent that says yes? Do a bit of quick math, and that’s a good year or so between the first submission and the final successful one. Do you really want to wait that long to maybe achieve your goal of being published?
This is why some agents and publishers state off the record that they accept that you’re more likely submitting to multiple places at once, to cut down on the time. Remember, you’re not entirely at their mercy…they want to do business with you, if your novel is what they want to work with. If you get a yes in the meantime and you’ve made your informed decision that you want to work with that particular agent or publisher, at least be courteous and tell them you’ve withdrawn your submission.
As always, if in doubt, check out their submission guidelines. They usually have their own linked page on the company’s website, and many of them are totally fine with you asking for clarification if need be.
What Agency and/or Publisher to Choose. This one can be as easy or as difficult as you want it to be. When I was growing up I had dreams of getting published at a Big Name Publishing House. I took these dreams a bit less seriously in the 90s, though at the same time I started paying attention to who was publishing most of the books I enjoyed. It’s a little like noticing how a lot of my favorite late 80s albums were released on 4AD, or how many great bands I liked were distributed by Warner. Take a look at what you’re reading and why you enjoy it so much, and think about whether or not your novel would fit in their roster. I have a small list of genre publishers in my head that I think would like the Bridgetown Trilogy, and am aiming to submit to them. I also have a list of agents I’ve been researching over the years and have been submitting to them as well.
At the same time, I’m keeping an open mind. I could just as easily check out a few small presses who could suit my needs as well. And I could even try my hand at indie publishing (read: going the self-pub route — I like the “indie-pub” moniker better, as it makes more sense logically). Don’t be afraid to have backup plans. I’m reasonably sure that agents and publishers are also well aware of these alternate routes. Keep in mind, they’re also looking for new work, so they’re not about to say “oh–well, he might be skiving off and using BookBaby instead, screw him.” That ain’t good business sense. If you can get picked up by them, both you and they will be happy for it.
I buy Writer’s Digest’s Writer’s Market every other year or so, just as a reference guide to see which agents and publishers are out there and doing business, and I also subscribe to various magazines: The Writer, Poets & Writers, Writer’s Digest, and Publishers Weekly. [That last one can be pretty expensive for those on a budget, but it’s extremely worth it for the news coverage, book reviews, and other business-side issues. Ask your library if you can’t afford it.] Keep an open mind about it, and use these reference tools to come up with a good solid idea of how you want to sell your novel.
Social Media. There are so many things being said about this right now, many of it contradictory. On the one side, you’ve got pros suggesting you have some kind of social media platform: a blog, a Twitter account, and so on, and reminding you to be visible as much as you can. On the other, you’ve got people howling in frustration that so-and-so spends way to much time tweeting that their new book is out. There are others out there suggesting you must have an extremely professional website if you want to make it…and George RR Martin only shows up in person on LiveJournal.
There are no hard and fast rules, no matter what anyone says, save one: all in moderation. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on a pro website when you can get a free one via WordPress (or drop an annual Benjamin for an upgraded version, which I do). Your social media visibility should be at your own pace, design, and comfort level. I post a lot of unique blog entries over different platforms, depending on the subject, maybe once or twice a week. I’m on Twitter a lot, though I don’t always actively tweet. I balance all this with a lot of offline activity as well, which I don’t always make public.
You may need to sell yourself to some extent, especially if you’ve got a book coming out or you’ve got an appearance at a con or a local book store, and that’s totally fine. You may even want to occasionally remind people that your book can be nominated for a Hugo or whatever award. [I know there’s a lot of guff about this subject, but again–all in moderation. A sticky note on your website or an occasional reminder on Twitter is fine; hourly announcements probably less so.] If you feel you can get away with livetweeting your life, by all means go for it. If you’re more an analog person like me and enjoy not being plugged in 24/7, that’s fine too.
Do you have any other thoughts about submission you’d like to share?
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