Blogger: Rachelle Gardner
One of the hardest parts of being an agent is when we need to have a difficult conversation with an author. What are some of these difficult conversations, and what can you expect if you find yourself involved in one?
#1: “This book isn’t going to work.”
You’ve written your “next” book—your third or your fifth or your eighth—and sent it to your agent, or perhaps to the publisher. The agent or editor reads the manuscript and… things aren’t going well. Could be the subject matter is all wrong, or the tone is off, or the plot isn’t well constructed, or the characters are cardboard, or you’ve simply strayed too far from the brand you’ve established.
A serious internal wrestling sets in, as the agent or editor thinks about options. Maybe it just needs a good edit. Maybe it’s not a lost cause. Maybe we can tweak a few things… maybe… maybe…
But we simply can’t sell this, and it’s unlikely an edit will help. Now we stress about telling you. You’ve agonized for months over this manuscript. How can I tell you it’s not going to work?
I remind myself this doesn’t mean the manuscript will never get published. That we need to have this conversation because it’s my job to help you not only get published, but get well-published. It’s my job to keep my eye on your long-term writing career. I can’t be afraid to tell you the truth.
I open my email to figure out how to give you the news. What I wish I could say is, “This hurts me as much as it hurts you.” But I don’t, because I know that no matter how hard it is for me, it’s worse for you. I hate writing this email!
#2: “I shopped it till I dropped… but nobody’s buying.”
I only take on projects I believe I can sell, so it’s disappointing when there’s little publisher interest. It’s tough to have this conversation with an author, because their inevitable response is, “Aren’t there more publishers you can send it to?” Usually by the time we need to have this conversation, the answer is no. So what do we do now?
→ If the manuscript got to the pub committee at some houses, then we were close. We probably got some feedback, so we’ll move forward based on that. Maybe it’s a rewrite; with nonfiction, maybe it’s spending a year or so building a platform.
→ If the manuscript never got past an editor, then we know we weren’t close. We’ll have to honestly assess if the project is salvageable.
→ Your agent might tell you she feels you should set this one aside, and work on a different project.
If your agent decides to let this project go altogether, it’s probably because the process of shopping it, getting feedback, etc., has convinced her that it’s not viable for any of the traditional publishers she knows. At this point, you’ll want to discuss how you can best spend your time. Move on to something new? Try to self-publish this one? Some combination of both? Regardless of what you end up doing, this is not a fun place to be, and your agent doesn’t like it any more than you do.
#3: “Don’t take this personally… but it’s personal.”
Oddly enough, I dread this difficult conversation more than any of the others. It goes something like this:
I hate to bring this up but:
…your headshot doesn’t look friendly or inviting
…your website needs an overhaul
…your blog content could use improvement
…your Facebook page needs work
This stuff IS personal, and difficult to talk about. But I’m helping the author build and maintain a successful career, and everything counts! You want your public image to be inviting, so people will want to buy and read your books.
Years ago, I had to talk to an author about his hairstyle and clothing choices. Ugh, I would’ve rather done anything but that! What an awkward thing to talk about. I pulled it off by coming at it from the side, saying, hey, I have this stylist that I think you should talk to – he’s really great at helping authors refine their image. In the end he accepted it okay and I was probably more uncomfortable than he was. But I’ve never forgotten how much I hated having to do it.
If you’re ever in this situation and your editor or agent speaks to you about something personal, please understand: She didn’t want to have this conversation! But she believes it’s important for you, so she took the leap. Try not to be offended and instead, be grateful that someone cared enough to have this difficult conversation with you.
What are some difficult publishing-related conversations you’ve had? If you haven’t had any yet, what are the ones you dread the most?
TWEETABLES
“This book isn’t going to work” – and other difficult conversations. Click to Tweet.
Things your agent doesn’t want to tell you. Click to Tweet.
What agents don’t say but wish they could: “This hurts me as much as it hurts you.” Click to Tweet.
Christine Dorman / @looneyfilberts
Thank you, Rachelle, for this honest view of, as Wendy calls it, your side of the desk. Thanks especially for your willingness to show your compassion.
Blessings!
Larry
“Years ago, I had to talk to an author about his hairstyle and clothing choices.”
That gave me a chuckle, as I suppose one of the good things about being near an arts college are the young designers who are always willing to help make a wardrobe which is boldly chic (and usually silly). 😉
Jeanne T
Thanks for showing a bit of your heart in this post, Rachelle. I can imagine it would be difficult to have to bring up any of these conversations with a client. Finding the most empathetic way to discuss a difficult topic is difficult but necessary. Thanks for this post–it gives me a good perspective of the agent’s side of things.
Jennifer Major
Oh my word. On top of everything else, you have to be Stacey and Clinton? You poor girl!
The hardest conversations have been about how I wasn’t ready. But, as I traveled down Newb Road, I could see the truth of their point. Of course, I’d turn crimson if I went back and read the early drafts. They were right!
And this may sound REALLY conceited and TOTALLY arrogant and UTTERLY presumptuous, but I dread the “you are a household name” convo. Due to my extremely low level of notability in my little town (I write an itty bitty column twice a month in our local paper) I actually have been stopped in the store by strangers. It is quite surreal and fun to have someone say “aren’t you her?”
But, sometimes when you say “yes, I *am* her” and smile, people are really just setting you up so they can say “oh” and sneer and walk away.
That’s called getting hit with the humble stick.
But? Better now than later.
Sally Bradley
“On top of everything else, you have to be Stacey and Clinton? You poor girl!” LOL
Rachelle Gardner (@RachelleGardner)
You’re so right Jennifer. Brené Brown, in her book “Daring Greatly,” talks about how the moment we “make it” or find success is the moment we are perfectly positioned for all the shame and humiliation we – and others – can heap upon ourselves. Scary thought, but at least you are aware of it!
Sue Harrison
Your post made me smile, Jennifer. I was doing a book signing once in Michigan and a lady came up to me and explained that she’d traveled a hundred miles or so to meet me. She looked at me for a while and then said that I didn’t look at all like my photograph. I tried to make some spritely reply, but then she got this suspicious look on her face and pounced. Was I “THE Sue Harrison” who wrote the columns in her local paper? No. Sorry. She was furious and in front of everyone (well there weren’t that many people there) reamed me up one side and down the other. What on earth was I thinking being the wrong Sue Harrison!! She stalked off while I was still apologizing… I think God knows when we need a little tempering, humble-wise. 🙂
Jennifer Major
Oh my word!! How embarrassing and awkward! You poor girl…but really, next time you announce that you are gonna be somewhere, just tell them you’re SUE Harrison, not Sue HARRISON. I mean, come on.
😉
Nicole Leiren
Thank you for the candid sharing. The perspective is so true because, at the end of the day, both agents and authors want the same thing…to sell the book and sell it well!
Rachelle Gardner (@RachelleGardner)
Exactly, that’s what I was trying to convey! Thanks for being here.
Sally Bradley
Yeah, wow. Hadn’t thought through most of those scenarios. Those would be difficult, for sure.
On the positive side, maybe this is one way to convince our significant others that we do need that shopping spree? And spa trip? Hm. Just thinking here.
Meghan Carver
Yes, yes, Sally! Could my agent write a note to my husband explaining the need for a new wardrobe and a day with the hair stylist? 🙂
Jeanne T
LOL. I’d love that! 🙂
Jennifer Major
Ahhhh, brilliant thoughts! I am SO going to the salon before I have any photos taken for a book jacket. And a pedi too? Seriously, that might show in the photo. Or not. Maybe not.
Sally Bradley
Glad I could be of help, ladies.
Don’t tell your husbands where I live.
Jennifer Major
I will too! “Sally lives in a private resort in Bora Bora. She invited us to visit her. I bet you’re mad at her and want to talk about the whole pedicure thing, huh? Like, IN PERSON, right?”
Sally Bradley
There ya go! Jennifer, you are so stinkin’ smart. And of course I’ll just have to meet you there!
Rachelle Gardner (@RachelleGardner)
Sally, now that is what I call creative thinking! Maybe my guilt will be reduced if I think, “Maybe my author will get a spa day out of this.”
Sally Bradley
Rachelle, so glad I could be of help. 🙂
Jillian Kent
Difficult conversations can be really rough, but it helps a lot when they come from compassionate people, and you and all the folks here at Books and Such are compassionate. Remember when I had so much trouble getting book two to work, Rachelle? That was a difficult time, but it all worked out because you and the folks at Charisma Media had faith that I could pull it off. Now it’s probably my favorite book of the three.
I think most of us appreciate honesty and from my pov it’s better to get bad news or difficult converastions done earlier rather than later. I believe your clients and would-be-clients will find that most helpful at the end of the day.
Rachelle Gardner (@RachelleGardner)
Jill, you know from experience how tough things can be! But you are also a great example of how it can really pay off to push through all the difficulty. You even have books that are up for awards! I am so glad you’ve been persistent.
Julie Griffith
I would be thrilled to be at the point where my agent tells me my head shot is less than flattering, because that would mean I finally finished my novel and procured an agent! But seriously, thanks for sharing this. It’s nice to have some insight as I may someday find myself involved in one of these conversations (although I hope not).
Rachelle Gardner (@RachelleGardner)
Julie, we all hope we never need to have these conversations! On the upside, at least if you’re having them, it means you’ve progressed in your writing career. I guess every silver lining has its cloud, huh?
Meghan Carver
Thank you for your honesty, Rachelle. I wonder how many of us newbies dwell in the land of daisies and unicorns. But this sobering post helps to prepare for if or when these difficult conversations may arise.
Rachelle Gardner (@RachelleGardner)
What is this land of daisies and unicorns of which you speak? Oh yeah, it’s that place I am always rudely yanking writers out of. 🙂
Lindsay Harrel
Those would definitely be difficult conversations to have. I think I would dread hearing that I didn’t do a good job on a manuscript. I want my agent to believe in my work, and if I felt like she didn’t, that would very difficult to swallow. Of course, I’d be grateful for the feedback before anyone else saw it.
Rachelle Gardner (@RachelleGardner)
Lindsay, hopefully you will always know the difference between someone believing in YOU, and someone believing in the marketability of a particular piece of writing. Keep them separate!
Hannah Abbott
Thank you for your honesty, it’s easy to think that the writer is the one who has a tough time, but good to know that you, as an agent, are so fully committed to the project and your author.
Katya
This may be a bit off topic, but would it be a good idea to make a manuscript unfit for publishing free for download on your author’s website? I’m assuming there are no grammatical errors, great characters, but the plot/genre are unconventional, the target market is too small, etc.
Rachelle Gardner (@RachelleGardner)
There could be a lively debate on this one, Katya. That idea has its pros and cons. If you just want people to read it, I’m sure it’s fine, but honestly, not many will take advantage of it because there is not a very high perceived value on something that is free. The biggest downside would be that if the manuscript isn’t something that a lot of people would enjoy, then by putting it out there, will you be scaring them off from your other work, which might be more widely enjoyed?
Cheryl Malandrinos
It’s posts like this that leave me shaking my head as to how agents get bad reputations. You’re saying talking about these things eats you up. You don’t like having to give authors bad news, and yet, the view of some is that agents are thrilled to keep writers from realizing their dreams.
Thanks for a glimpse of reality, Rachelle. I’m glad there are agents like you and the others at Books & Such who care so much about their clients they are willing to be honest–even when it hurts.
Rachelle Gardner (@RachelleGardner)
It actually doesn’t make any sense for agents to have a reputation of being someone who wants to keep people from their dreams! Agents have to make a living — and we only get paid for RESULTS, not effort. That means we can only pay our bills if our clients are reaching their dreams.
Erin MacPherson
Ouch! That has to be such a hard part of your job. Some reassurance for you agents: I’ve gotten similar news from my agent and I knew it was coming. I knew the book wasn’t going to work before she told me. I didn’t want to hear it, but I did know it was coming.
Rachelle Gardner (@RachelleGardner)
Interesting perspective, Erin. I think many authors could probably say the same, even if quite a bit of time has to pass before they can admit it.
JJ Landis
I am in limbo land right now but I am sure I need to upgrade my blog, facebook, pictures, writing… Aaaaaahhhhhh. My dream is to have a partner (agent) who is honest with me and who can see a market for my work. No one likes to be critiqued but that’s one way we grow. And if the hard stuff is too difficult to take, we should not be writers! Thanks for the post.
Rachelle Gardner (@RachelleGardner)
You’re right — and really, in any area of life, we have to be willing to accept feedback if we want to grow.
Marissa Boglin
I loved this post, Rachelle! This post gives us authors that are new to the industry a great insiders look of why we should strive for a polished image. It helps to get inside the mind of a literary agent!
Martha Ramirez
It’s great that you care enough and are willing to help guide your authors. Tough love 🙂 After all, that’s what us writers do is put our trust in agents like you.
Honesty is always the best policy and I know for me as one, I’d want to hear what was on my agent’s mind.
Great post, Rachelle!
BTW This was perfectly said LOL:
“I have this stylist that I think you should talk to – he’s really great at helping authors refine their image.”
Erin
Writing itself is personal, and as unfortunate as it is, the author’s opinion of their work or their “personal” pages needs critiqued. I write from the soul and I’m sure that’s how most writers do it, and it’s taken me a long time to figure out that rejection letters aren’t personal. At least my name is out there, my work is being read and someday it will be published. Any one offering feedback on my work is welcomed because as nice as it is to hear how wonderful someone thinks the book is, it’s even more wonderful to hear how it’s good, but suggestions on how it could be great. Thanks Rachelle for this insight into your position as an advocate for your client!
Richard Mabry
Rachelle, Perhaps it’s because I practiced medicine for thirty-five years and sometimes had to break bad news to patients and their families, but I find it easy to put myself in the agent’s (or editor’s or reviewer’s) shoes and tend to be more understanding when they have one of these conversations with me. I’ve been on the receiving end of most of them–all except the hairstyle one, and that probably because I can style my hair with a washcloth most days, and there’s not a stylist can do with it.
Thanks for being open and honest about this one.
Sue Harrison
And by the way, Rachelle, I have a new head shot… hehehehe (Really I do.)
Jennifer Major
But does the picture look like you? Not *you*, but YOU?
Sue Harrison
I’m suddenly not sure. Not sure at all. ARRGGGHHHH Meltdown!! So Jennifer do you write comedy?
Jennifer Major
I have written the occasional skit. And apparently my blog interview with Laura Frantz was humorous. I have to be REALLLLLLLY careful on, umm, certain industry blogs because some people don’t quite get my ever so slightly skewed take on things. Most do, which is good.
Jennifer Smith
Books & Such has some of the most helpful, informative blogs! Thanks so much for the good work all of you guys do.
Leslie
So true!
Leslie
Oy vey, #3 made my heart skip a beat. Not only for you (I admit that would be hard for an agent)…but yikes, to receive that feedback as a client? I think you have just inspired my next nightmare!
Kimberly Rae
This is great, and thank you for bringing up that you are trying to help your authors. I’d much rather hear something straight up like this than go for months or years not succeeding and never knowing why. If we want to be good authors, we have to be willing to take constructive criticism–and that’s with our words in a book and everything else that goes with it!
Kristi Bothur
The hardest for me to hear would also be the shortest conversation – “I’m not interested in your work.” Anything beyond that would be a dialogue which would mean there was hope for a future publication!
Chantilla the Nun
Being honest and direct with your client is the best policy. When an author decides to spend months or years writing a novel it doesn’t not mean that readers must buy her novel. Readers have fixed amount of money to spend on entertainment in the forms of movies, books ect. The world, and more specifically book publishers, doesn’t have to fulfill the dream of an aspiring author to be a published author (in print form) and also to sell well. Once authors understand these facts of life, they approach rejections of their manuscripts with a a realistic attitude.
Kathy Gronau
I am a new author so I haven’t yet had many experiences, but I so appreciated your post. In the end it is good to remember that we are all working for the same goal and getting there isn’t always easy or pleasant. Keep being honest, otherwise its not worth much.
Ugochi
Please… I beg you or anyone else I were ever to do business with: you are the experts at what you do, so tell me what needs to be changed on my website, FB or twitter etc. This has nothing to do with ego. I can’t stress enough how new I am to all this and I need all the advice I can get.
Now, as far as having that awkward conversation, I have 3 areas which I refuse to change. One refers to the book name. If the publisher wants that changed I would have to respectfully say no. I have my reasons. Money isn’t everything for me.
Thanks for doing what you do Rachelle. I LOVE YOUR BLOG #healthyaddiction lol
Michelle Lim
I don’t envy your job with the whole image thing. Just to let you know, those of us serious about our writing career have to appreciate those painful moments of candid feedback. Thank you for speaking the tough stuff along with the good.
Debbie Jansen
Great Post Rachelle! May I respectfully add a different perspective. I had an agent that wasn’t strong enough to tell me the hard stuff. After a period of time I found out that the only concern of that agent was to be flattering so I wouldn’t leave. I wasted a lot of time and in the process made a lot of unintentional mistakes.
I think an agent is a lot like a good mechanic. No one wants to hear that their classic car will need $2,500 in repairs just to be street worthy – but if that’s what it takes to get down the road – it must be done.
I think one of the best things an author can do is to grow a tough skin. Your writing isn’t your baby – it is your product. Its the building blocks for your voice, your talent, God’s will, and how you connect and touch the world. Being willing to change your writing (or even personal touches like your hair) to make your career the best it can be is not only good for the agent – it’s part of the process for becoming all that God wants you to be. Change is the open door that leads you from writing for your church newsletter to writing a best seller.
I don’t know the publishing industry. I’m not an editor, an agent or even a marketing person. There is nothing I would appreciate more than an agent that puts their arm around me and says – “I’m going to help you. I’m going to let you in on all the secrets of this business. You will have to change this or maybe that….but I’m going to help you get your voice to center stage.” If someone ever tells me that – I will be the most grateful, happiest author out there. Sigh…an honest partner is worth more than Gold.
Nikole Hahn
I guess it’s kind of like the boss talking to her employee because a customer complained the employee smelled like B.O., unless you work at MVD (or DMV as it is called in other states). Then, no one will notice. LOL. Seriously though a lot to think about here. I try to read up on Copyblogger and other sites to keep informed on changing blog trends and how to best social network as a writer. Recently, I overhauled my blog with a new logo and improved brand.
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