Self Publishing and A Literary Agent

"Do you accept self-published books?"

I get this question a lot from authors. The answer, unfortunately, is no. It's not that I have anything against self-published projects, indeed, I've self-published myself. But as a literary agent there are two reasons why I do not consider representing self-published books. The first is a hard simple truth: I probably can't sell it. Most of the bigger publishers are not taking the risks on self-published books as they once were. Even those books that were moderately successful as a self-pub, are harder to find homes for, as the publishers are discovering by the time they reissue the book, it's already peaked. The second reason, which is by far one of the most frustrating and sad scenarios in my line of work is more complicated. Authors self-publish due to a variety of scenarios, many of them good reasons. I self-published because I had a manuscript, my second finished full-length novel, which I had written during my MFA program, turned into my thesis, and subsequently turned into a novel. It had been workshopped heavily, edited by two professors, and generally followed all the "rules" that are required of a polished manuscript. I was feeling pretty confident I could get this one past the gates. 

I sent ANGELUS out to over 75 agents, researching each carefully, following all submission guidelines with a simple and professional query letter. Although I got the usual round of form rejections and no responses, I did get enough positive feedback that I remained hopeful. However, after the fifth or sixth, "I like your writing, I just don't do angels," I realized I was stuck. I had written a book that was within a trope that no one wanted to touch. (Side note, now as an agent, I'm not all that interested in angel books either, the irony.) I sometimes wonder what would have happened if, during my time in my MFA, I had written something different; perhaps I would have found representation. But then again if I had, I probably would have never ended up as an intern at a literary agency to discover I loved being a lit agent as much, if not more so, than being a writer. So after enough feedback telling me my angel-themed book was not going to fly, I self-published. Happy to report it was successful enough that I earned back the money I had spent publishing it, but not much more than that. But I'm glad I did it, so as an agent I understand how hard, how much work, and how emotional the experience is, and I can relate to those authors who approach me with their self-published work. But I also know that 90% of the time they are approaching me because they weren't prepared for the experience nor was their manuscript. They were impatient to get their work out there, they were convinced by the few success stories that are constantly circulated online, they felt they knew better than the industry professionals, they believed that agents and editors were evil cackling creatures bent on never allowing them into the world of publishing. 

Then they threw their book out there, and with bated breath, waited for the sales that never came. So now they are at a conference, or online, reaching out to me because, "they want to take their book to the next level." And it is my heartbreaking job to tell them, how sorry I am, but that it is still up to them. Because I know their book being "not at that level" means it wasn't ready for me pre-publication either, and now it's too late for the traditional route. They have chosen to be the publisher of their own work, which means they have to be the one to take it to the next level, whether it's hiring a cover artist to design a more professional cover, or an editor to revise it, or a proofreader to get rid of errors, or a publicist to help them navigate the market. Self-publishing is exactly what it sounds like, publishing by self. Alone. And it is one of the hardest things you can do. So think carefully before you self-publish, and make sure your reasons are not for fame and fortune, and be prepared for a lot of work. That's not to say it won't be successful, or that you won't find that unicorn agent/publisher that would be willing to work with it post-publication. But it won't be me. And yet, if I can give a little advice and hope, if you are not cut out to take your self-pub to that "next level," then move on, shelve that book, let it sit online, or better yet, take it down. Because your story isn't over, you are still an author. Write a new book, and using your newfound experience, make that book the best you can. Send it out to agents utilizing the hard-learned lessons to show them you understand the industry and writing from a professional viewpoint. Keep on fighting for your writing.

And for those of you who are curious, yes ANGELUS is still available as an eBook, still selling more or less, but I have moved on, writing and publishing short stories, novellas, and working on a new novel. I'd like to release a paperback version of it again, but it needs a redesign. I'd also like to finish and self-publish the rest of the series, you know, in all that spare time I have as a literary agent. Doing these things would certainly revitalize sales. But I have other priorities currently, and sadly as I am the publisher, it's up to me to find the energy. However, I have no illusions that anyone else will discover it and do it for me. So I'll keep fighting for it. Eventually.

Interested in reading ANGELUS? Go here.

Twitter Writing Contests: #PitchWars2015

This summer my blog partner, Lisa Abellera, wrote about Twitter contests from the agent perspective. With Brenda Drake’s PitchWars approaching the finale, I've tackled this Twitter contest with a Q & A from THREE different perspectives. 

What exactly is PitchWars, you ask? 

A contest <check> 

Publishing industry crash course <check>

Twitter hangout for writers to procrastinate <uh..>

Super fun <check>

Yes, it is a contest. But it's also so much more. Published/agented authors, editors, or industry interns choose one writer each, read their entire manuscript, and work with said writer in a “Mentor” capacity for two months in preparation for the agent round.

The competition for Pitch Wars is fierce with more than 1500 applicants for 101 mentors. The agent round begins Nov 3 and FOUR dozen agents will be perusing the offerings and making requests. 

Now, with PitchWars 2015  coming to a close, I have interviewed three participants:
Mentee, Anne Lipton (@AnneLipton) Mentor, Nikki Roberti Miller, and Agent Uwe Stender.

I asked all three participants the same five questions, noted below:

1) How many times have you participated in PitchWars? If more than one, please state the capacity. 

Anne: I also submitted a manuscript in 2014

Nikki: This is my second year in Pitch Wars. My first year, I was a mentee who was mentored by the talented Rachel Lynn Solomon. Within two weeks of Pitch Wars, I landed my own agent. This year, I’m paying forward by being a mentor myself.

Uwe: This is my third time, always as an agent.

2) What were [are] you looking for in PitchWars?

Anne: A mentor who can help me revise my manuscript to its full potential

Nikki: Last year, I was looking for that extra level of revising that I hadn’t explored before. I learned so much from Rachel as a mentee, and it really revolutionized my writing. Not only that, but it prepared me for the intensity of agent revisions. I try to apply everything I learned to each manuscript I CP for, and this year for Pitch Wars, my main goal is to help another author just like I was helped. Learning to revise is the best skill anyone can have, but it takes a lot to get there.

Uwe: I am looking for GREAT projects. I am actively looking for brilliant clients.

3) What words of wisdom do you have for the Mentees the morning of Nov 3?

Anne: Eat a good breakfast. We have a really supportive Facebook mentee group and I will probably go hang out there for moral support.

Nikki: First piece of advice: DO NOT STRESS. DO NOT OBSESS. 

Seriously…walk away from the computer refreshing. It’ll be okay. And know that even if you get no requests from the agent round, you can still query (including the agents who participated). I had five requests on my entry but ended up with seven offers of representation between the agent round and querying---and most of them came from querying, including Pitch Wars agents who didn’t request during the agent round.

The main reward of Pitch Wars is your shiny MS and new skills. Embrace it. Trust it. Be proud of what you’ve done. And keep querying. You’ve got this!

Uwe: Enjoy the process. Don't take it personally. If you don't get any requests, it does not mean that your book is not publishable. If you get many requests, it does not guarantee an agent offer and/or publication in the future.  Have fun with it, no matter what happens! And if several agents request it and I am one of them, send it to me first! 

4) The PitchWars selection process is comparable to the query process in the publishing industry. What advice do you have for querying writers? 

Anne: Submit. Revise. Repeat. Read blogs on how to write a good query. Write yours a million times. Read other writers’ queries. Have other writers read your query. Contests can help, too. Read submission guidelines. Personalize the query. Keep the query under 300 words and your bio not more than one to two sentences.

Nikki: Make sure your queries and manuscripts are as polished as they can be. Polished does not mean proof read your rough draft. It means sharing it with others, tearing it apart, and putting it back together. Put in the work first to avoid querying too early. 

Uwe: Be persistent, be polite!

5) What is the single best thing about PitchWars for you?

Anne: Receiving invaluable feedback from my mentor to improve my manuscript. Than you Max!

Nikki: The online writing community. I have loved every moment of getting to know my fellow writers, and they have truly kept me sane during the ups and downs of this industry. Meeting them has been the most rewarding. 

Uwe: That I will see many projects that normally may not have come my way in the regular query process.

And there you have it.

One Literary Agent’s Perspective on Twitter Pitch Parties

I must seem like a glutton for punishment. I participated in the last three Twitter pitch parties (#kidpit, #pitmad and #sffpit) and I’m gearing up for the one (#writepit) coming up this Friday. As a newer agent, you might wonder why I’ve chosen this route to find authors rather than being open to unsolicited submissions. Part of my reasoning comes from being a slush pile reader. In the year and a half I waded through hundreds, if not thousands, of submissions, I can count on one hand how many book projects I recommended to agents. In the last two months, after participating in the last three pitch parties, I have already found a couple of talented authors with interesting book projects I want to represent.

Twitter pitch parties have proven more effective, because they help match up an agent’s taste to an author’s book. I’m more likely favorite a tweet if the pitch resonates with me. They are also a better way of targeting the kinds of projects what we’d like to represent. For example. while several agents at Kimberley Cameron & Associates represent science fiction/fantasy, our individual preferences within that genre vary widely. One of my colleagues might be looking for a high fantasy or a space opera, while another might prefer an urban fantasy or a cyberpunk adventure.

There are excellent articles online about how to pitch on Twitter pitch parties. One of them from our own Relentless Writer, Janet Wren. My intent is not to rehash that information but instead offer suggestions from an agent’s perspective. And I fully admit these suggestions are influenced by my personal preferences:

• Your pitch needs to have a strong hook. It should pull us in and make us interested in reading more. It should not, however, be a summary of the story or the plot. It should contain tantalizing details that reveal story or plot, but that’s not the focus. The focus is to make us stop scrolling and take notice.
• Show the main character’s personal stakes. Personal stakes help create that emotional connection with your story. 
• Include the external conflict without eclipsing the personal stakes. It should, in fact, heighten the personal stakes.

I favorited James Matlack Raney's Twitter pitches, because they employ these three ideas very effectively:

When an army of wolves descends upon the GrayWoods, a lame runt must rise above his place and lead his siblings to sanctuary #MG #Kidpit 

Wolves. Magic. An army bent on revenge. A lame runt and his family must risk everything to survive. The Lord of the Wolves. #Pitmad #MG 

--James Matlack Raney (@JMRaneyWriter)

• Avoid being vague or abstract. The principles of craft still apply, even in pitches, and specificity is always more effective. Like James Matlack Raney’s pitches, limit the amount of detail and use targeted detail that raises questions. 
• Be careful not to use overused phrases, clichés or generalizations. For example, a pitch that reads: “She had to face the darkness in her soul” won’t entice me to request a submission. It also makes me suspect that’s this is the kind of writing I’d find in the novel, which I wouldn’t be interested in reading.
• Just like in your stories, be careful with using questions to create artificial suspense. Pitches like, “What do you do if your marriage was a lie?” are much less effective than using short declarative sentences with tantalizing details.
• Differ your pitches in more ways than just switching around a word or two. Vary the two tweets allowed per hour to reveal more about the story, although each must stand on its own. I can't speak for other agents or editors, but I’ll check the author’s feed to read all of his or her pitches. For example, the reason why I requested a submission from Michelle Barry isn’t because of just one of her tweets. It was actually the culmination of her tweets that made me favorite one:

Flowers have been extinct on the moon since the Old World collapsed, until Myra reawakens their magic #KidPit MG Secret Garden Retelling

When Myra unlocks a lab full of forbidden flowers she also releases a secret magic within her. #KidPit MG SF/F The Secret Garden retelling

--Michelle Barry (@MichelleABarry)

• This brings me to my next suggestion, which some authors may not agree with: Don’t retweet so much during the pitch period. I understand you want to support your fellow authors, and there is nothing wrong about tweeting your friends’ pitches or pitches that you find interesting. But when you flood your feed with retweets of others’ pitches, you can actually end up obscuring your own pitches from agents who might be checking out your feed for the other pitches you tweeted.
• Make sure you tweet more than once or twice during the 12-hour pitch party. Most authors have no problem taking advantage of two pitches per hour, but a small number only tweet one or two pitches the entire day. These pitches are often missed because they're sandwiched between thousands of repeating tweets (#Pitmad had almost 50,000 tweets!). 

Lastly, my last two suggestions are more requests:

• Unless you are pitching a picture book, do not include illustrations, pictures, gifs, video, etc. of what you envision for the book cover, characters, world, etc. Better to leave that to our imagination. Your words have a more powerful impact. (Also, my eyes are looking for words not pictures, and since spam tweets usually include some image or graphic, I'll scroll past without thinking, much less reading.)
• Do not pitch or promote your self-published book. First of all, it's fruitless to pitch, because agents and editors simply won't consider the book. Second, such tweets clogs up the feed and obscure the pitches by unpublished authors who are seriously looking for representation.

As you work and rework your pitches, keep these suggestions in mind. Your work will not go unnoticed and eventually you'll start getting stars from more agents and editors. If not at first, just keep at it; keep honing your pitches. All your efforts, no matter how big or small, will bring you even closer to finding a home for your book.