Can POD sales help hook an agent's eye?

EncrustedDaddy · Aug 13, 2008

Hi all,

Another question for the gang, since this forum has been so helpful to me thus far.

I've been submitting queries for my first novel and have gotten some nibbles, but no offers. (One agent is currently reviewing the full MS as we speak.)

I also have self-published the novel. My thinking behind this was: if I can sell enough copies on my own, it might prove that there's a market for it. Whether or not that was a sound decision, well, let's just say that I've gotten very contradictory advice from a number of people about it.

Through four months of having the book out there, I've sold just over 150 copies, and four local Borders stores have ordered copies to put on their shelves.

My question is: would this information pique an agent and/or publisher's interest? If not, what's your opinion on what level of sales would excite them? On a related note, at what point do I share with an agent the information that I've self-published a novel I've submitted to them for review?

Toothpaste · Aug 13, 2008

Unfortunately 150 is not going to cut it. You need at least around several thousand from my understanding.

If you are submitting a self published novel for review then tell them right away. It's their decision if they want all the hassle with the previously published stuff. Honestly hon, I think, unless you can up your sales by several thousand, you are unlikely to find an agent to represent an already self published work. There are rights issues involved I believe.

Hopefully someone with more knowledge can expand on that subject.

EncrustedDaddy · Aug 13, 2008

Toothpaste said:
Unfortunately 150 is not going to cut it. You need at least around several thousand from my understanding.

If you are submitting a self published novel for review then tell them right away. It's their decision if they want all the hassle with the previously published stuff. Honestly hon, I think, unless you can up your sales by several thousand, you are unlikely to find an agent to represent an already self published work. There are rights issues involved I believe.

Hopefully someone with more knowledge can expand on that subject.

Makes sense. One clarification - with the POD house I used, there are no rights issues. I own all the rights and can pull the self-published version off the market at a moment's notice.

emeraldcite · Aug 13, 2008

Makes sense. One clarification - with the POD house I used, there are no rights issues. I own all the rights and can pull the self-published version off the market at a moment's notice.

Did you use lulu? Does it have an isbn?

you should tell an agent up front, especially if it's on amazon or in bookstores. they need to know the details of the book. you don't want an agent to get interested and they you tell them that it's already published. you'll sour the relationship pretty fast.

it'd be like telling your girlfriend who you are asking to marry you "hey, i just wanted you to know now that you're contemplating accepting my offer of marriage that i'm already married. But it was a vegas wedding! So...you still going to say yes?"

things might get a little hairy.

veinglory · Aug 13, 2008

It will depend on the agent. But I don't think any agent wil be impressed by 150 which is not much above average for a self-published book. Also the odds are you will be seeling them your next book, not one where first publication rights are gone.

scope · Aug 13, 2008

As has been said, in your query you should have told the agent that your book was self-published, even though the overwhelming majority of agents don't want to have anything to do with self-published books. Now you put yourself in a bad position. If she likes your query and requests a partial or a full, you have little choice but to tell her. Unfortunately, doing so probably won't make her a happy camper. She'll wonder why you didn't do so initially. Don't get me wrong, I hope this doesn't happen, but you'd be wise to expect same. I don't think there's much you can do now, but if she asks to see your work or corresponds asking anything, I believe you should fess-up.

LloydBrown · Aug 13, 2008

Makes sense. One clarification - with the POD house I used, there are no rights issues. I own all the rights and can pull the self-published version off the market at a moment's notice.

Not all rights. You can't sell the valuable first-publication rights. You've already used that. You can sell reprint rights, and what sane publisher would buy reprint rights of a book whose first printing sold 150 copies?

This one's dead. Write another one.

robertmblevins · Aug 14, 2008

Got to go with the majority view, and I have a question as well.

Did you have this manuscript pro-edited?

If not, you should.

JanetReid · Oct 3, 2008

No. 150 copies is 1/10 of what an editor would want to see for sales. AND they want to see something that would ratchet up interest in the book now: Oprah fell in love with it; it's going to be a movie; you just got selected to be McCain's VP. Other than that, no.

mysterygrl · Oct 5, 2008

Here's agent Nathan Bransford's take on the subject:

http://nathanbransford.blogspot.com/2007/08/self-publishing-and-your-writing-career.html

Karen Duvall · Oct 5, 2008

I hope you have another book on offer? Because the one you speak of is unmarketable since you've already used up first rights. You need to write another book or two or three anyway, so start with those. That first one, the self-pubbed one, was good practice, but now it's time to dig in your heals on that shiny new project. Good luck!

Can POD sales help hook an agent's eye?

EncrustedDaddy

Toothpaste

THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!

EncrustedDaddy

emeraldcite

Art is Resistance

veinglory

volitare nequeo

scope

Commonsensical Maverick

LloydBrown

robertmblevins

JanetReid

mysterygrl

Karen Duvall

Chalice the Hatchet Knight