• Menu
  • Skip to left header navigation
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Books & Such Literary Management

A full-service literary agency that focuses on books for the Christian market.

  • Home
  • About Us
    • About Books & Such
    • Our Agents
    • Our Behind-the-Scenes Staff
    • Our Travel Schedule
  • Our Authors
    • Author News
    • Collaborators and Ghostwriters
  • Submissions
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Editors Select
  • Home
  • About Us
    • About Books & Such
    • Our Agents
    • Our Behind-the-Scenes Staff
    • Our Travel Schedule
  • Our Authors
    • Author News
    • Collaborators and Ghostwriters
  • Submissions
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Editors Select

Instinct, Insight, Imagination–Authors’ and Agents’ Tools for Success

July 5, 2017 //  by Cynthia Ruchti//  15 Comments

Instinct, Insight, Imagination

Blogger: Cynthia Ruchti

Instinct. Insight. Imagination. Agents and authors share the need for all three.

Writers utilize instinct, insight, and imagination to create books, blog posts, back cover copy, marketing materials, and career plans.

And agents tap into the same from the other side of the virtual desk.

Agent intuition, insight, imaginationWhen an agent opens a query or a proposal, the agent holds out hope that it might be The One–the spectacular book idea, written exceptionally, well with a stunning hook, a fresh approach, and a ready-made audience, from an author with creds, threads, and spreads.

That’s credentials or credibility; a professional appearance and attitude; and bulging spreadsheets of other book ideas, clever marketing concepts, and readers-in-waiting (platform).

But every day–yes, every day–agents turn down potential clients. At times, it’s an easy decision. Many times, it’s an agonizing choice. So, how does an agent decide whether or not to offer representation?

INSTINCT

Instinct plays a large role. Agents should be known for rock-hard abs, considering all the exercise their gut receives in the decision making process.

Does this book resonate? Is it the kind of book that will appeal first to editors, and then to sales and marketing teams, and finally to readers? Does it make me lean forward? Do I want to know more? Is it compelling?

INSIGHT

Insight is another key factor in deciding to take on a client or project. An agent taps into insight gained from studying the market, reading widely, taking note of what’s selling and what’s not, observing the kinds of projects that draw the most interest from editors, and many other facets.

An agent is trained to recognize gaping holes in proposals, red flags, weak spots.

An agent’s insight informs her about the viability of making adjustments and how much work might be involved in moving an idea from its current state to ready-for-a-publisher’s-attention. insight

IMAGINATION

As is true with writers, agents ask “What if…?” questions too.

What if the author applied this level of writing talent to a different book idea, one with more chance of catching an editor’s eye?

Or what if the author’s writing skills matched the brilliant concept? Can the author grow fast enough in his or her craft for this book to work?

What would happen if the author found ways to expand his or her platform? Could that help create this book’s perfect storm?

What changes would turn this from almost there to there?

CLOAK OF INVISIBILITY

Agent insight, instinct, imagination, invisibilityBut alas, agents aren’t issued cloaks of invisibility. Part of the job description includes making hard decisions in the full light of day, undisguised, with our name signed to the “No, I’m sorry.”

Instinct, insight, and imagination tells the agent that in the traditional publishing world, it’s a rare great idea that can override the lack of a substantial platform.

Conversely, a substantial platform alone can’t bear the weight of a poorly written book.

A great idea at the wrong time can spell disaster, too. Did you know that Benjamin Franklin missed being the first person in the American colonies to publish a magazine? Someone beat him by three days.

So what’s the takeaway, the moral to the story?

KNOW WHAT YOU’RE UP AGAINST…AND IT ISN’T AGENTS OR EDITORS

When agents or editors say no, which is more often than not, the decision isn’t arbitrary, thoughtless, or uninformed. It is a studied, careful, soul-searching decision.

Therefore…

Be kind. Be patient with us. Pray for clear intuition, sharp instincts, and problem-solving imaginations. And do everything in your power to offer irresistible proposals that tick all the boxes (see paragraph 4).

We’re praying the same for you.

 

 

 

 

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

Category: Agents, Authors, Blog, Business of writingTag: Agents, Authors, decisions, Imagination, insight, instinct, writers

Previous Post: « Who You Know Can Make a Difference
Next Post: Finding a Title for Your Book »

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Andrew Budek-Schmeisser

    July 5, 2017 at 11:35 pm

    Cynthia, I sure do pray for all y’all. The decisions are your rice bowl, and writers have it easy in comparison. Well, I sure do.
    * I write my heart, and have decided that life’s too short to try to deploy some terminal guidance. Most of my Christian experience is with Catholics, and rather than try to recast my stories into something CBA-friendly…I’m staying true to the hard-drinking and staunchly celibate priests I hung with. A lot of them died defending their flocks; I won’t abandon their memory.
    * And if I never get represented or TradPub’d, so what? I’m not represented now, and while Blessed Are The Pure Of Heart got a standard royalty contract from a famously ‘vanity’ press…well, they never really paid the royalties, so either way, I haven’t lost anything.
    * But I will lose, big time, if I abandon my instinct and understanding for the Catholic worldview, my insights into how ‘man bilong Pope’ (New Guinea pidgin for Catholic) can make the world a better place, and the imagination with which my dead friends left me, as their final gift in this life.
    * It’s not a career. It’s a calling.

    Reply
    • Shirlee Abbott

      July 6, 2017 at 2:20 am

      A calling. Amen, Andrew!
      *:Imagination, insight, instinct–all gifts from God, included in our bag of talents.
      * Lord God, we thank you for this new agent, Cynthia. She’s not burying her imagination, insight and instinct. Here they are in public view, to be invested in others. May those talents replicate for your glory. We seek your “well done” on her behalf. Amen.

      Reply
      • Cynthia

        July 6, 2017 at 5:42 am

        What a blessing, Shirlee!

      • Cynthia Ruchti

        July 6, 2017 at 8:29 am

        Thank you for the blessing, Shirlee.

    • Cynthia

      July 6, 2017 at 5:40 am

      Insightful, as always, Andrew!

      Reply
    • Cynthia Ruchti

      July 6, 2017 at 8:28 am

      Insightful as always, Andrew.

      Reply
  2. Carol Ashby

    July 6, 2017 at 8:41 am

    And while we’re enjoying the alliteration, I’d add intrepidness to our prayers. We need to be bold adventurers who swat doubts and fears like flies as we forge ahead with what God is calling us to write.

    Reply
    • Cynthia Ruchti

      July 6, 2017 at 8:55 am

      Excellent point, Carol!

      Reply
  3. Kristen Joy Wilks

    July 6, 2017 at 9:22 am

    It always helps me to know what to work on when you guys show us writers the view from the other side of the desk. Thanks so much.

    Reply
    • Cynthia Ruchti

      July 6, 2017 at 10:13 am

      Thanks, Kristen. That’s our hope.

      Reply
  4. Jennifer Zarifeh Major

    July 6, 2017 at 10:28 am

    Let’s not forget to ditch the Irrational Imaginary Critics! They are nasty.
    BUT…we need well rounded writers to become crit partners with to help polish things before we send them anywhere, but remember not to get irritated when that person says that something you think is brilliant is just as fabulous as a Brillo pad..

    Reply
    • Cynthia Ruchti

      July 6, 2017 at 10:57 am

      Great alliteration addition, Jennifer.

      Reply
      • Jennifer Zarifeh Major

        July 6, 2017 at 11:24 am

        You are weally welcome.

  5. Angie Arndt

    July 8, 2017 at 7:02 am

    Cynthia,

    You have all of the above and grace, too. God’s led you there; He’ll give you what you need. I know your clients will be so blessed by you!

    Reply
    • Cynthia Ruchti

      July 8, 2017 at 7:14 am

      Thank you, Angie. That means a great deal.

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to the Blog

Privacy Policy

Awards

Top 50 Writing Blogs









Site Footer

Connect with Us

  • Books & Such
  • Janet Grant
  • Cynthia Ruchti
  • Rachel Kent
  • Wendy Lawton
  • Barb Roose
  • Debbie Alsdorf
  • Janet Grant
  • Cynthia Ruchti
  • Rachel Kent
  • Barb Roose
  • Debbie Alsdorf
  • Cynthia Ruchti
  • Wendy Lawton
  • Barb Roose
  • Debbie Alsdorf
  • Debbie Alsdorf

Copyright © 2023 Books & Such Literary Management • All Rights Reserved • Privacy Policy • Site by Design by Insight