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This is a fantastic opportunity for the writers, the publishing brigade and readers to come together! I am a big fan of WeBook.com and hope that many folks will not only join the WeBook community, but that they’ll take the big leap by giving this NEW contest a run for its money. And yes, there are incentives to participate in the Page To Fame Contest – the biggest one being a chance to have agents read your material, while simultaneously turning the heads of potential readers.
My favorite part? I’ll be one of the folks reading some of the submissions. Very excited!
What do you have to lose? We’re talking about a page of your writing, I know you have a page to spare. For more details go to WeBook.com
It’s time to move to the “why I liked my authors’ writing” segment. This is the BEST part of the agenting process, reading a potential project that brings an excitement and enthusiasm. This segment is all about the writer’s voice, and ability to keep the agent’s interest.
First and foremost, it’s the story that needs to grab my attention. By this point, the book idea survived the initial round of the query process; now it’s time to see if the writer can present the idea successfully within the chapters. No matter what the topic or storyline, every writer should strive to get the agent excited about the material being presented. If I lose interest within the first few pages of the writing sample, the project will definitely be turned down. Moral of the story: Keep the material engaging and interesting from the first page.
The next (and most important) step is the writer’s voice. Now that you’ve gotten an agent’s attention, and there is an interest in the project, the only way to keep pace moving forward (toward representation) is by providing a strong narrative. If the writing voice is strong, there’s a good chance I personally will lose track of time, as I’m enjoying the “read.” For any writer hoping to attain an agent, this should be your goal.
One of my authors once told me he reads his chapters aloud as part of the writing process. As a result, his writing voice is dead on. Hence, time seems “to fly” when I read his work. Obviously this is only one approach; the lesson here is that he gained my attention by being extremely thorough and prepared before sending out his query. Moral of the story: Fine tune your writing to its fullest strength before beginning the query process.
Last but not least, look at the conclusion of the story. If you’ve managed to gain an agent’s attention, the book needs to end as good as it started. In fiction, it’s evident when a writer isn’t able to bring the narrative to a conclusion; where the story seems to have jumped off a figurative cliff, thereby leaving a lack of finality to the overall storyline. In nonfiction, the chapter outline needs to reflect a successful closing to the discussion of the book’s topic. Much like seeing a bad movie ending, where the movie patrons feel they’ve lost a hunk of their precious time, this same feeling needs to be avoided during the reading experience. Moral of the story: Put the same work into the conclusion of your writing (as the beginning), to ensure the agent walks away with the same excitement initially experienced.
Of course, every agent brings his/her own reading preferences to the overall query process. What one agent doesn’t like = a project a different agent would LOVE to represent. That’s the beauty of the publishing industry, there are many ideas and perspectives, and folks who will happily work with them. This is why I love my job. 
As many authors have already experienced, the process of earning the title of “published author” requires a specific set of steps and strategic planning. Reading this or any other agent”s blog can easily get overwhelming–however, that is not our goal. Being an agent may play a major role in the writer getting published, these blogs exist to enable you, the writer, during the query & publishing process. In an effort to avoid a “Do” and “Don’t” list, I’d rather discuss the things (that writers have done) that resulted in a personal request to read their books and/or book proposals.
1. The homework on the Red Sofa Literary’s representative categories was 100% completed. An author I signed on in 2009 is a prime example. He read my profile in Jeff Herman’s book, and then visited the Red Sofa Literary website. Upon recognizing an active hobby of mine, he presented a book idea that could not be turned down, and today we are in talks with a publisher. It’s a good thing if the agent already brings a passion for the topic being presented.
2. The items sent = materials specifically requested. There is nothing more frustrating than impatiently waiting for a new book proposal & sample chapters to arrive, only to find a partial representation of the materials requested. When 100% of the requested materials are initially provided, I’m already in a fantastic state of mind to consider the project. It’s to any writer’s advantage to follow precisely what an agent needs or requests during the query process, i.e. follow the submission standards of each agent no matter what.
3. When additional questions and materials were needed, the author(s) responded quickly. Assume the initial portion of the query process = the dangling “carrot” in finding an agent. As with any business proposal, with the clear understanding that the book proposal is technically a creative business proposition, questions will certainly arise and clarifications will need to be made. When this happens, respond quickly and provide the information. In the larger picture, if an agent starts asking questions, consider that a good omen. Obviously, there will still be more steps before getting signed and/or published, but it’s worth noting there is already a potential interest on the agent’s part. At Red Sofa Literary, this is a very standard practice.
4. The authors were professional throughout the query process (and after). Working with writers who desire to take all the necessary steps to get published = a fantastic publishing experience for the agent. The ability to write, to present the requested materials to the agent, an ability to market oneself (beforehand) , and a desire to build a large reading audience will present a hard-to-turn-down book idea. I personally get excited when it’s evident the writer has already acomplished these goals during the consideration portion of the query process.
5. The writer presented an exciting, engaging writing voice. My newest author fits this bill wonderfully. Upon reading his initial writing sample, I found myself extremely excited about his project. Once I finished reading the entire manuscript, I knew without a doubt this book should be published. Within two weeks, he was signed on at the agency. Hence, any person with publishing aspirations needs to ensure that this type of response will occur. How you ask? Get others (with a good professional eye) to critique your writing, and constantly re-read and edit your book, as it’ll increase the odds of winning over an agent.
I hope this helps, and as usual, feel free to comment and/or drop an email with any questions.
Red Sofa Literary is happy to announce a new addition to our site, known as The Red Sofa Chats. In this busy publishing industry, we all easily become focused on the books themselves, in additon to the sales #s. Yet, it’s easy to overlook the time and energy that the people behind the scenes have invested into these books. Thanks to Twitter and all-things-called-Social-Media, readers and writers are finally getting those figurative “peeks” into the lives of these folks. So come sit down on the virtual sofa, and join us!
Meet Victoria Sandbrook:
Victoria Sandbrook is an associate editor at Adams Media. She has an M.A. in Publishing and Writing from Emerson College and a B.A. in English Literature from Florida Southern College. Her background includes editorial and production roles in digital publishing, including work at Bedford/St.Martin’s and Forbes. In her free time, she advises a local AOII sorority chapter, knits, runs agility courses with her corgi, and hikes the White Mountains of New Hampshire to support the Elizabeth Stone House. You can read about her experiences in and opinions of publishing at her blog, www.irfiction.com and on Twitter.
Why did you choose to become an editor? I chose to become an editor because I wanted to be completely immersed in the publishing world. Not only do I love the written word and feel like editing is more of a passion than a job, but I’m excited to be at the dawn of a new digital era. There’s so much possibility and hope brewing in the industry, and I couldn’t imagine a more rewarding career.
What project(s) do you wish you could have edited? I would have loved to have my hands on Peter Matthiessen’s Shadow Country when he was combining the three previous Watson books into that great, honored tome that won the 2008 National Book Award. What a great challenge for an author-editor team!
What book(s) are you reading for fun? Currently, I’m expanding my memoir reading experiences, so I grabbed a few books that didn’t “look like me” at all. Oddly enough, I’m hooked! Right now I’m reading Truck: A Love Story by Michael Perry, and I’m pleased to learn first-hand how a good memoir can reach right across demographics and “intended audiences.”
How do you utilize Twitter? How do you believe it has changed the way we go about publishing books? I use Twitter to talk to other editors and publishing professionals about the future of publishing, to listen in on conversations about what people are reading and why, and to get the news out about authors and books. It’s a multifaceted tool, but I think one of the biggest changes its made in publishing is how it has connected people inside the industry. We can build professional respect for each other, regardless of our competing houses and vastly different niches. And we’ve built a rich idea exchange that allows everyone to become engaged with the newest breaking story and the most cutting-edge roundtable discussions. To some Twitter is just a place to chat, but for publishers it’s becoming something even more important.
If you had a crystal ball, where do you think (or hope) publishing will be in 5 yrs? I hope that in five years publishing will be releasing a hearty combination of print and digital books. I hope that publishing houses will become more and more efficient, and that publishing employees will be more and more open to and comfortable using cutting-edge technology, because lower costs for publishers means a more profitable business for everyone.
Thank you so much Victoria! This was fantastic!
After the last few weeks, and the newest round of queries, it’s time to re-iterate how to prep requested materials. Speaking as an agent who likes to step away from her computer (which seems to be a rarity), it’s essential the time spent reading a manuscript and/or book proposal is actually spent READING. To some folks this may sound arbitrary, however most of the items (listed below) can easily get frustrating, especially when an Agent is excited about a new book idea - only to hit these barriers before reading the material.
1. Please do NOT bind the manuscript and/or book proposal. Do not staple, spiral-bind, 3-ring bind, and any other means when preparing one’s materials. Here at Red Sofa, I will literally remove the binding, in order to read it quicker. Plus, the content will be more portable, as bite-size bits (when travelling to meetings) can be brought along (for reading) during the random lulls between appointments.
2. Print only on the front-page. Do not print on the back-page. Time is short, so efficiency is key. It’s easier to read a manuscript or book proposal when content is printed only on one side of each page. A very normal industry standard.
3. Send a FULL book proposal (when specifically requested by an Agent). If an Agent requests a full book proposal, then send a full book proposal. Once again, there is nothing more frustrating than looking forward to seeing an author’s book proposal, only to find it lacking any of the important elements. Always ensure there is an Introduction,Overview, Author Bio, Competition, Market (WHO will buy the book), Promotion (HOW people will learn about the book), and any other pertinent information in regard to one’s Writing Platform. A Table of Contents (for the book) is always nice too. REMINDER: The full book proposal is a fantastic tool in winning over an Agent, as we consider all the information (presented in the sections) before offering representation.
4. Always include the S.A.S.E. (Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope). Do you want the requested material back? Especially if the project is turned down? Then include the S.A.S.E. It’s that simple.
5. Follow the mailing (submission) standards requested by each Agent. If the Agent says to mail via FedEx, do it. If the Agent prefers UPS, do it. If the Agent says to use “snail mail,” a.k.a. the U.S. Postal Service, do it. If the agent requests that the material not require a signature, then please honor this request.
6. Paginate the manuscript and/or book proposal. Referring back to #1, sometimes it’s easier to carry a portion of an Author’s manuscript (for reading) while on the “go.” This will make it easier to keep the content together, and enables the Agent to be able to refer to specific pages when asking questions or making comments.
7. Double-space please. I like my eyes, and reading manuscripts that are single-spaced hurts them.
8. A Synopsis is a Synopsis. Please do not make it overly long. 3-5 pages would suffice, granted it’s sometimes better to stay around three pages. Anything longer needs to be edited down, as the Synopsis is another tool in winning over an Agent.
9. Be proud, show off your accomplishments. I’m not talking about high school, one’s goals in life, or the number of college degrees. We’re talking about the Writing Platform. If already published in print journals and newspapers, take the time to put copies of these writing samples along with the requested materials. This applies to online articles and stories as well. REMINDER: Examples of published writing sent to any Agent is a part of the Author’s figurative marketing kit.
Any questions? Drop me a line, or comment to this post.
A fellow agent, Rachelle Gardner, recently posted a fantastic blog, “The Top Ten Query Mistakes.” She reiterated many things that most agents have said (including myself) at conferences, in rejection letters, and in discussions about the query process. In an industry where there is a 99.9% rejection rate, following the advice of publishing professional is to any author’s advantage.
As for the basic etiquette with agent interactions, please do the following:
1. Use email to contact an Agent initially. Due to the many resources on the internet and in print, any author can easily find what categories an Agent represents. Doing a book pitch over the Agent’s voicemail isn’t the best use of any writer’s time, plus the possibility of getting a returned call is next to nil.
2. Don’t call the Agent once the materials have been received. A quick email asking if the materials arrived will do. Also, assume it’ll be a few weeks before any official evaluation of material is received (depending on the agent & time of the year).
3. Don’t send gifts – please. I am not joking that candy, swag, and even a margherita mix have been included with unsolicited and requested materials. Yes, the thought is nice, but this type of gifting will not influence any Agent’s decision. Agents ONLY care about the writing.
4. Remember that Agents ARE approachable. We can’t do this job without YOU, the writer. However, we only request any writer follows the general submission guidelines for our agencies, that’s all.
5. While Agents are approachable, please respect our time too. I’m not the only person who was pitched a book idea in the bathroom at a conference. It’s good to assume that if there are holidays, a non-literary social gathering, and/or a trip to the bathroom, that approaching an Agent about one’s book idea (and needing an immediate answer) is NOT a good practice.
6. As iterated on the Red Sofa Literary blog already, don’t take the Agent response too personally. This is a business, a highly competitive one at that. Any Agent needs to be highly selective on representative projects, as time and money wouldn’t allow him/her to represent every idea that crosses the desk. Use the many resources available to find the best Agents for your book, and learn (how to improve your idea) from the rejections. Once again, the Author will have a better experience, I promise.
