On Writing Romance_ How to Craft a Novel That Sells - Leigh Michaels [136]
Legend has it that, when Margaret Mitchell contacted a publisher about Gone With the Wind, she hauled two stacks of manuscript pages as tall as she was into the publisher's hotel room and said, "Here it is." Part of the manuscript was typed, part was handwritten, some pages were drenched in spilled coffee, and some chapters were included in multiple versions.
Today, she'd probably be politely asked to haul it all home, boil it down to a two-page query letter, and get an agent.
These days, almost no publisher will read the entire book right up front. They haven't time, so instead they ask to see summaries. If the summary intrigues them, they'll ask to see a section. If they like the section, they'll ask to see the whole manuscript. The likelihood is that, even if they like the manuscript, they'll ask for revisions—and only then will there be any discussion of actually buying the book. (Books are seldom sold until the publisher has seen the entire manuscript. If it's the author's first work of fiction, it almost certainly won't get a firm offer unless it's finished and ready to publish.)
The business aspects of writing and publishing are complex and can be scary. In this chapter, we'll hit the high spots of marketing—deciding on an agent, researching a publisher, writing a query, constructing a synopsis, submitting a proposal, interpreting an editor's letter, and making a deal.
ABOUT AGENTS
In some cases, having an agent to act for you in selling your work is absolutely necessary. In others cases, it's possible to act for yourself.
Do You Need an Agent?
If you want to write single-title or mainstream books, you must be represented by an agent in order to be considered by publishers. Most publishers of these kinds of books will only look at submissions that have already convinced an agent of their worth. A manuscript submitted by an author directly to these publishers will most often be returned unread.
If you want to write category romance, you do not need an agent. Publishers of category romance are among the few in the book business that still read un-agented and unsolicited submissions.
Do You Want an Agent?
Even if you don't strictly need an agent to represent you, you may still want one.
If you want to concentrate on writing, an agent can help to steer you through the maze of financial and contract details.
If you aren't sure where your writing strengths lie, or if you want to write more than one type of book or work with more than one publisher, then having an agent who can help to guide your career can be an enormous advantage.
On the other hand, if you have an aptitude for reading legal fine print and educating yourself on the industry, and you can keep business (i.e., money) discussions separate from editorial considerations, you may be better off without an agent—especially if you're the sort who will be checking and second-guessing every decision the agent makes. You can be far more attentive to the details of your career than an agent who is simultaneously handling a number of writers.
Contracts for category romances are fairly standard, without much room for negotiation, so you can feasibly act for yourself. While an agent might negotiate a higher advance, it's unlikely that the long-term payout of a category book will be much improved by having an agent. (Keep in mind that if you negotiate the contract yourself, you won't have to pay the agent's fees.) Contracts can be complicated, however, so an agent's advice can be invaluable in preserving your rights and protecting you from unpleasant surprises down the road, especially if you want to move into other fields in the future.
Whether or not you have an agent, don't sign any agreement you haven't read or don't completely understand.
Finding an Agent
Locating an agent is easy; there are thousands of them. Finding one that's right for you is much more difficult—and having the wrong agent is in many cases worse than having no agent at all. If your agent doesn't understand romance or know the difference between category