What do you think of POETS & WRITERS magazine? Do you subscribe? Why/why not? And if you used to, why don't you now?
I think Poets and Writers is a wonderful magazine. It offers very good information on writing and the industry, incorporates a lot of event and academic stuff, and has always worked to get writers connected to one another. There's not much else like it. I used to subscribe, but I no longer do. That has nothing to do with the quality of the magazine, but instead with the fact that I can't stay up with so many publications. A couple years ago I took steps to simplify my life, and that included giving up some of the magazines that were good, but that I didn't have time to adequately read. (I took further steps this year, cutting out even more magazines, axing TV news, and moving to a small town.) For those writers interested in the literary side of the industry, Poets and Writers is an excellent resource.
How much of a difference does it make to an agent to hear I've been referred by one of their current clients? And how does that compare to a face-to-face with an agent at a conference?
It always makes a difference to me when one of the authors I already represents sends a talented writer my way. I figure the writers I represent are already my friends -- we understand one another, so they're probably going to send people my way who would likely be a fit. So consider that a good start. That said, it still takes a face-to-face for me to really get to know someone. A conference meeting is often too short (sometimes ten minutes), but it's a start as well. In both cases, it will need to be followed up by great writing and a long talk or two, where we both get a feel for whether or not we're a fit for one another.
How are royalties paid out? Why it is the contract says you get 10%, but the author never sees that much?
The standard ABA contract pays the author 10% of whatever a book sells for (on the first 5000 copies -- then it rises to 12.5% on the next 5000 copies). The standard CBA contract will pay the author somewhere in the 12-to-18% of net (that is, it pays not on the retail price of the book, but on the amount of money received by the publisher). The publisher keeps tabs on how many copies are sold, and quarterly or semi-annually pays that amount to the author. For subsidiary projects (that is, the words sold in another format, such as an audio book or an e-book), there will be a separate royalty amount. Sometimes a large company (read: "Wal-Mart") will purchase a big quantity of books, but to do so they'll insist on a huge discount. In a case like that, the author will be paid a discounted royalty. That's why it can be hard to track a book's exact earnings. I recently had an author on the bestsellers list receive a very disappointing check -- the bulk of the sales were done through big box stores like Sam's Club and Costco, so while the number of books sold was high, the discounts made the royalties lower than expected. (Does that adequately answer your question?)
I sent something out to an agent prematurely. The agent rejected my project, but was nice enough to make suggestions for improving/finishing it. Now that I've taken her advice to heart, would it be reasonable to re-send to her? How unusual is it for an agent to reconsider an author they've already rejected?
While it's fairly rare for an agent to want to see a project he or she has already rejected, the situation you're describing is a type of exception you'll occasionally find. I wouldn't make a habit of re-sending rejected proposals, for fear of establishing a bad reputation with agents. But if an agent has offered helpful advice, and you've really taken those words and improved your work, it wouldn't be considered impolite to at least go back and ask if that agent would like to see the better, polished version. But be careful... Make sure it's REALLY better. Nobody is going to look at it a third time.
I've quered a few agents who said they liked my writing, but there was no market for memoirs. Is there no market for memoir? Should I try to pitch the book as something else?
Well, if the agents you're approaching are saying there's no market for memoir, then there's no market for memoir. So you either have to look for other agents (who perhaps work in a different field), or alter your book. My guess is you've written something that YOU see as memoir, but agents see as just a personal story -- something that doesn't have the broad appeal it needs, but is simply a cool story about something that happened to you. That's the sort of thing I see ALL THE TIME, and there's no market for it. That type of story fits best as a magazine or e-zine piece. If you want to reshape it into another book, you may want to think about the lessons you've learned -- how can you turn your story into a self-help book, where you focus on the principles for living more effectively, and use your personal story as backstory to buttress your points. That might hold more appeal. OR you could leave it alone and do it as a magazine article, which will garner you more readers anyway.
I'm a finalist in a writing contest. I'm also talking with an agent. If I win and get published, would if be customary for my agent to take 15% of the book? Or part of that 15%?
I love a question that's off the beaten path. I don't know that I've ever heard this before, so let me try my hand at it... If you came to me, and already had a publishing deal in hand, I would probably not take 15% of the deal. Since I didn't help you shape the piece, or help you improve it, or shop it to publishers, it wouldn't feel right to me to do so. I would probably offer to negotiate the contract for you, and hope to improve it, and perhaps suggest taking half my usual commission. (And, if you think I'm simply posing, I invite you to talk with some of the publishers. I've done exactly this in the past, so this isn't some sort of empty windmill-chasing.) That said, other agents may disagree with me entirely. A good agent is going to help you shape your career, not just land one book deal, so they may feel entirely comfortable participating fully in the deal via a 15% commission. Depends on the individual. Don't let it be a surprise -- ask this question up front, in a non-combative way. No sense letting this create a headache for you later.
You do many Christian books. Is there a website that connects Christian writers specifically with Christian agents? If not, do you think there's a market for one?
I do not know of a website that connects Christian writers and agents. That doesn't mean there isn't one, it just means I don't know of one. There are websites that attempt to connect Christian writers and publishers, including ChristianManuscriptSubmissions.com, but I don't know if there's one aimed at agents. Would there be a market for one? Probably -- my sense is there's a market for just about everything. The questions would be "is it any good?" and "is it better than what we currently have?" The industry is rapidly changing, which means the role of agents is going to have to change with it. Some well-meaning sorts tried to create a Christian literary agent association last year. I thought it was a noble effort, but I also wasn't in favor of joining... I just didn't feel it was set up appropriately. You'd have to think through things like "how are you going to define Christian?" and "what sort of guidelines are we going to have?" I have no doubts about the salvation of a couple Christian agents -- I just doubt their business practices, so I'd be uncomfortable being lumped in with them. (And I don't toss out that criticism lightly. One agent I know is a great guy, but, in my humble opinion, is a boob when it comes to this job. Another is an upstanding Christian leader, but he runs his business in clear violation of the code of ethics of AAR, so I can't recommend him.) If you were going to have a site like this, you'd have to consider those sorts of qualifiers in setting it up.
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