Frequently Asked Questions
Click on a question to view the answer . . .
- How much do politics play in the team decision making about which books to go with and which books to reject?
- I'd like to know—what does the publisher really want?
- Does a publisher want another Gone With the Wind? One huge stupendous bestseller? Or does he want a young author who can put out a series of books for a number of years?
- What is one reality you wish writers would grasp so you would never have to repeat yourself again.
- What are the top ten things about authors that drive publishers nuts?
- Describe a dream author’s attributes.
- What books do you recommend to those who want to become better writers?
How much do politics play in the team decision making about which books to go with and which books to reject?
This question suggests the person posing it is inexperienced in the ways of the world. In my opinion, EVERY business decision has politics involved, no matter what type of business, no matter what the decision. That’s one of the reasons to work with a good agent who already has strong relationships with publishers and editors.
I'd like to know—what does the publisher really want?
Books that make money, from authors who work hard and are easy to get along with.
Does a publisher want another Gone With the Wind? One huge stupendous bestseller? Or does he want a young author who can put out a series of books for a number of years?
There was an interview with the chairman of Sony in the Wall Street Journal last week. Sony is celebrating its 60th year in business, and the marketing types had put together a plan for trumpeting the company’s top 60 products. The chairman heard about it and immediately put a stop to it. What consumer wants to bother with 60 products? One breakout bestseller for a publisher can pull an entire line of small books. We’re all looking for great writers, especially those with salable ideas who can produce regularly. But the thing all of us want most is a big book that will sell a lot of copies.
What is one reality you wish writers would grasp so you would never have to repeat yourself again.
- Writers and publishers are partners, not competitors.
- In the current publishing environment, you probably need an agent.
- Great writing will always be discovered.
- Publishing your book doesn’t give you a life.
- Writing is not easy and not everyone can do it well.
What are the top ten things about authors that drive publishers nuts?
- "Here is my thirteenth email of the day for you."
- "I can turn this manuscript in the first of August, but I need the book out by the start of my conference speaking in October."
- "I know my due date is today . . . but is NEXT June okay with you?"
- "You’re not doing enough marketing on my book."
- "Since they’re having a pub board meeting today, I thought I’d sent you my new proposal. I need to know right away, since my life/health/family/career/TV show is riding on this."
- My best friend told me this is a fabulous idea. She’s a cook at our local junior high."
- "I would NEVER allow you to include [fill in the blank] in my contract! I don’t know exactly what that is, but I read on the web that it’s the tool of Satan!"
- "I know my contract is for 70,000 words, but I’m turning in 125,000.” [Note: you can also insert the number 22,000 at the end of that sentence.]
- "You want to edit this? But . . . God gave me these words!"
- "Hey . . . what about a novel series where we turn the Book of Revelation into a novel?
Describe a dream author’s attributes.
He or She . . .
can write like Mark Twain.
has ideas bigger than Alvin Toffler.
has the platform of Oprah Winfrey.
solicits input into his ideas.
is flexible, but he knows his own mind.
listens to advice and input.
meets his deadlines.
helps me sell his book.
looks for ways to help make himself more successful.
says yes to marketing requests.
works to understand the business of publishing.
sees me and his publisher as his partners in the business of writing.
makes an effort to work with me.
occasionally says thanks.
comes directly to me when he has a complaint about me or my team.
makes the publisher (and therefore himself) a lot of money.
only sends me one email every day.
sends me Starbucks’ products at Christmastime.
What should aspiring novelists be reading?
Hmm . . . I think aspiring novelists should be reading great writing, not just the same old stuff everybody in their genre is reading. Read Huckleberry Finn, Little Dorrit, Nostromo, Crime and Punishment, 100 Years of Solitude, E.M. Forster, Lewis Carroll, and Jane Austin. Pick up a copy of In the Beginning by Alistair McGrath to see where books came from, and Dickens Fur Coat by Daniel Pool to discover the roots of the modern novel.
If you want to see where we get our American novels, start with Twain, then try An American Tragedy, and something from Carl Sandburg, Ernest Hemingway, Scott Fitzgerald, and Saul Bellow. Don’t miss A Distant Mirror, The Catcher in the Rye, Catch 22, Farenheit 451, The Joy Luck Club, Of Mice and Men, and, maybe, Their Eyes Were Watching God. You’ve probably heard what to read from somebody else. But don’t miss C.S. Lewis or Chaim Potok or Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables. And read books on how to write better. I enjoy the work of Noah Lukeman, Patricia O’Connor, and Carolyn See.
With Christian books, I love In the Name of Jesus, The Ragamuffin Gospel, Breathe, Girl Meets God, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, Blue Like Jazz, Knowing God, and The Consolations of Imperfection.