Selling My Soul (In a Good Way) is a weekly journal
about my efforts to get a debut novel published.
Dear Larry:
Thank you for your query for FINDING JOHN MUIR.
Although this sounds intriguing, I’m afraid it isn’t right for me. I have a lot on my plate right now and am being extremely selective about taking on anything new.
This is a very SUBJECTIVE* business and even though it’s not right for me, it might be the perfect fit for another agent.
I wish you all the best with finding enthusiastic representation.
Thank you again for thinking of me.
Sincerely,
Agent #20
*Yeah, I called attention to that three-syllable, ten-letter curse of a word. Thus, my CAPS and not the agent’s.
“This is a very subjective business . . .”
True that!
Recently, my wife I started watching one of Apple+ TV’s newer shows: Smoke. It was hyped as a mystery/thriller, was written by a writer I admire (Dennis Lehane), had a star I’ve often enjoyed (Taron Egerton), and the plot involved tracking down arsonists (usually visually exciting), a plus for a story that will be watched rather than read.
We liked the first episode.
We didn’t like the second episode. I won’t tell you why to protect an early “spoiler,” but both of us reacted negatively—subjectively!!—to what happened in the multi-episode tale. Will we watch more of Smoke? Maybe, but maybe not.
- How many books have I started and never finished?
- How many authors have best-selling, critically acclaimed novels that I will never read because I just don’t like how she or he writes?
- Why did my father say that Star Trek, the television show, was stupid while I thought it wonderful?
One of the tropes for any writer seeking an agent is that all you need is one agent to “love” your work. It’s a truthful trope. And my Agent #20 above, when noting with clichés that she has “a lot of my plate” and “it’s not right for me” is not lying or sugarcoating or merely dumping a meaningless boiler plate rejection into my email box. She was right. My novel was not right for her. It may not be “right” for any agent I’ve sent material to . . . so far. But what about . . .
The next agent?
Will he or she be the “right one?”
Maybe SUBJECTIVITY should be one of the circles of hell in Dante’s Inferno!?
A final note on Smoke. Taron Egerton’s Dave Gudson is an arson inspector for a fire department and a hopeful writer. In the second episode, he gets a reply to one of his query letters that’s detailed and hugely critical. This is not me giving away a spoiler. And it’s also not what caused me to wonder if I’d continue watching. But when the scene played out, with Gudson reading the devastating response to his query and novel, I laughed out loud. No agent is going to do much more than respond with: “it’s not right for me.”
For this week, I didn’t send any queries and only received one rejection (Agent #20 above!)
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“I would advise anyone who aspires to a writing career that before developing his talent he would be wise to develop a thick hide.” – Harper Lee
Photo by David Billings on Unsplash
I would ask if your book is sellable to the point it would be profitable? Is it possible to discover an agent who caters to the audience you are attempting to attract? Maybe your standards are too high for today’s readers. I am just sorry that this appears to be your plight.
Craig: Thanks for your comments!
Your first question is the unknown with every debut novel. Few actually make much money, with the money being spread between the author, the author’s agent, and the publisher. The money question, while it can’t be answered beforehand, is likely the agent’s and the publisher’s #1 question that determines their “yes” or “no” to a hopeful author. One of my jobs as a writer seeking an agent, among the thousands of agents out there, is to “discover an agent who caters to the audience” that I want.
I can quickly narrow down potential agents that might be right for me by doing research. My novel is fiction, so only agents who handle fiction would be considered. A few other questions I would ask in my agent question: Have they handled debut authors? … Have they had some recent successful sales to publishers? … Is an agent interested in coming-of-age stories? Etc. Etc.
I have no idea about my standards.
And don’t be sorry for me. I know enough of what I’m getting into: seeking traditional publication is equal parts dream and nightmare.