There is nothing more refreshing for an editor than to meet a writer or read a query letter
that takes him completely by surprise.
Some of the most striking and successful books are clearly born of a writer's obsession
and complete disregard for what, supposedly, sells.
~Betsy Lerner, quoted from The Forest for the Trees
Be orginal.
You'll get nowhere giving editors what they've already seen.
Think of a story you don't believe a given editor would buy in a million years.
Give him that story.
~James Ritchie, quoted from this post on Absolute Write
Be orginal.
You'll get nowhere giving editors what they've already seen.
Think of a story you don't believe a given editor would buy in a million years.
Give him that story.
~James Ritchie, quoted from this post on Absolute Write
I don't take these comments to mean that you should submit a story that is clearly outside of an agent or editor's stated guidelines (i.e. wrong genre, wrong length, wrong target audience).
I take this to mean that you should
ignore the current trends,
write something you're truly passionate about,
and then submit that work with confidence.
I take this to mean that you should
ignore the current trends,
write something you're truly passionate about,
and then submit that work with confidence.
But that's just me. What do YOU think of this?
~Lydia
I think that's all good in theory, and that it's the way it SHOULD be. :o) But I find, especially in today's publishing climate, agents are primarily influenced by what sells and will milk a trend until it runs out of juice.
ReplyDeleteThe number one item of feedback I've received about my WIP is that it'll "never be published" or, at best, "be very difficult to publish" because of the taboo nature of the subject it deals with. So I'm hoping that the above comments mean that as long as a subject is written well, it's publishable. :-)
ReplyDeleteTrue, but I think you have to hit the right agent at the right time too.
ReplyDeleteThat kind of passion goes a long way toward making a book interesting.
ReplyDeleteThat's how new trends get set.
This is why I don't have an agent yet, after five years of querying, but my work is published by small presses, because THEY are willing to take a risk. I'm really hoping agents start taking more of a risk themselves soon. It has to happen soon, right? I have my fingers crossed. If not for myself, for the future of books!
ReplyDeleteI certainly hope that's the case because I'm writing literary historical fiction, and I'm afraid it may be hard to find a market for it. Sure, I'll do my homework re agents, but I'm not beyond trying the agent who's already told me she loved my first novel (but didn't take it on!), even though she doesn't list historical as one of her particular interests. I'm hoping the writing will be good enough to sell itself, and she might be willing to take a chance and broaden her own scope of what she'll represent. Naive, maybe; I hope not. I'll query others, too. But it seems like a good chance to take.
ReplyDeleteI totally believe in original but I would never send out a book I believed 'an editor wouldn't take in a million years'. For me to get excited /passionate it would be because I have hit on something marketable and original.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post! I also agree with some of the comments that agents don't always seem willing to take the risk, but the small publishers will!
ReplyDelete