Books That Don't Sell

[downtherabbithole]

My novel that's out on submission likely won't sell. My agent and I aren't optimistic about it, but she's very supportive of my writing endeavors and keeps telling me I'll get one out there soon enough. I'm hoping to have my WIP on sub by the end of the summer (well, it's an entire rewrite of another novel I wrote).

So if a novel doesn't sell, what do you do with it? Use it as fuel for a fire? Toilet paper? Self-publish it? Rewrite it? Let your dog eat it?

The problem each publishing house had with the book was different, but I believe the main thing they wanted to change would really change the entire cadence and message of the book. I had one house that WOULD HAVE bought it, if they hadn't bought a similar title a couple months before. They didn't want to release two similar titles around the same time.

I know most of you who are published have had failed MSes....so what are they doing now? What are your plans for them?

[Sage]

This is really a question for your agent, who would be able to tell you what she plans next for the novel. My guess would be that when the two of you have really given up on this novel, you move on to the next one. Some time in the future when editors at houses have changed or the market may have changed to support your novel, you might give this one another shot, possibly significantly revised. Or you'll have trunked it for good because you'll decide your future novels are better.

[Juneluv12]

Yeah, I agree with Sage about discussing it with your agent and then waiting for tides to change.

Also, after you publish your second novel, the houses might take a second look at your first book. A lot of times it's a debut author issue where the publishers are afraid to take the chance.

[Shady Lane]

It really, really depends. Sometimes you can shop it around later, but that gets complicated because when you do sell a novel, that publisher will get the first look at your next book, so they have to officially turn down that book before you can sub it anywhere, and stuff gets messy. But it happens.

I have a few that didn't sell--my SP editor didn't want them, and it turns out she has good taste because neither did anyone else ;) They flop around and take up space on my hard drive. One of them I stripped down and sold for parts--meaning I took all the good stuff in it and harvested it into THE ANIMALS WERE GONE. My other one I still really like, and I'm thinking of offering it as a free e-book on my website this fall, though we're still considering going out with it again. But contract stuff makes it hard...

That's the long answer, that anything can happen. The short answer is, it will probably get trunked. Sorry :(

[BrigidMary23]

I just had the talk with my agent that my novel on submission is probably going back in the trunk. She asked me if I wanted to revise, since a lot of the editor comments were similar, or if I wanted to go gangbusters on the latest project I've started.

I'm so excited about my new project that I was relieved the first one didn't sell. Really.

Start something new. It'll be so much better that you'll want to pretend that first one never existed, and you'll be saying, "OMG, can you imagine if I'd debuted with THAT?"

Stay focused, keep moving. (That's what my aerobics instructor says, but it seems to apply here too. :-P)

Good luck!!

[Ryan_Sullivan]

Just because it doesn't sell now doesn't mean it won't later. Once you get one book out there and you have a track record, you have a bit more room. It may not be right for today's market, or for your career as a first book, but that doesn't mean it can't be a third or fourth book.

[Cholisose]

In the future you might pick up that book again and have a stroke of inspiration on a new direction you could take it, and then make it publishable. So at the very least hang on to it.
For another possibility, perhaps one day you could put it on your web site? It may be a way to market yourself as a writer. (This could be a last resort though, since you'll probably want to keep trying to publish your book.)

[Sharii]

Someone almost took it means there's still chance, just not the right time yet. Keep it around and focus on new thing. :)

[downtherabbithole]

Thanks for the advice everyone!

I am already pretty far into my second novel and my agent really likes it so far....so we'll see what happens. Maybe I will end up using it to wipe my bum. Maybe it'll be a bestseller one day. haha, who knows.

[shaldna]

Sorry if this sounds harsh, but why on earth are you signed with an agent who doesn't think she can sell your work?

Why are you wasting both you time?

I get what everyone else is saying about maybe it'll sell later, and that's true. but, on the other hand Agents are supposed to know their markets, and if she took on a book she knows she can't sell then what's that saying?

[Elle]

Sorry if this sounds harsh, but why on earth are you signed with an agent who doesn't think she can sell your work?

Why are you wasting both you time?

I get what everyone else is saying about maybe it'll sell later, and that's true. but, on the other hand Agents are supposed to know their markets, and if she took on a book she knows she can't sell then what's that saying?

I seriously doubt her agent took on the book thinking it would go nowhere because if the author doesn't get paid, neither does the agent. That's just what ended up happening, unfortunately.

Anyway, I agree with others that the OP should trunk it for now and try to re-sell or revise later if opportunity strikes. Just focus on the second novel now.

[downtherabbithole]

Sorry if this sounds harsh, but why on earth are you signed with an agent who doesn't think she can sell your work?

Why are you wasting both you time?

I get what everyone else is saying about maybe it'll sell later, and that's true. but, on the other hand Agents are supposed to know their markets, and if she took on a book she knows she can't sell then what's that saying?

My agent is actually a really well respected agent in the business. She didn't take on the book thinking it wasn't going to sell. She thought it was going to....but since it's been out on submission it hasn't been selling. She's been pushing and advocating, but in the business, there is no guarantee. She thinks I'll sell a book sooner or later and is very encouraging.

[bethany]

My agent is actually a really well respected agent in the business. She didn't take on the book thinking it wasn't going to sell. She thought it was going to....but since it's been out on submission it hasn't been selling. She's been pushing and advocating, but in the business, there is no guarantee. She thinks I'll sell a book sooner or later and is very encouraging.

Yeah, I mean, this happens. The market is fickle, editors are fickle, you can't predict what's going to sell or not, all you can do is write the best book you can. All the agent can do is give you the best advice, send it to the most appropriate editors, and advocate for the book...and after a certain amount of time/rejections you get less optimistic.

What you do with it is your decision, but talk to your agent about it, definitely.

[Juneluv12]

Sorry if this sounds harsh, but why on earth are you signed with an agent who doesn't think she can sell your work?

Why are you wasting both you time?

I get what everyone else is saying about maybe it'll sell later, and that's true. but, on the other hand Agents are supposed to know their markets, and if she took on a book she knows she can't sell then what's that saying?

I know someone who had 4 offers on their YAUF from MAJOR agents. They went with one of the major agents, and the book was on sub for over a year and never sold because of what some of the others have quoted as "fickle" editors. I would totally buy the book because I loved the premise, but for some reason, editors didn't. This doesn't limit the agents abilies or the authors talent. After she sells, who knows, it might be an option.

[eyeblink]

You have to wonder how many wonderful books there are out there which can't be sold for whatever reason.

[downtherabbithole]

eyeblink, definitely true....it's crazy.

[Shady Lane]

You have to wonder how many wonderful books there are out there which can't be sold for whatever reason.

Oh, tons, definitely. When I get too caught up in that, though, I just remind myself how many wonderful books there are that *did* sell. Yes, we're not publishing all the great books, but it would be really, really hard to. And of course, on a person-to-person level, that seriously blows. But it's kind of the way things have to be.

People's first novels (and by first, I mean the one that got them the agent that the agent subbed out) don't sell all the time. In fact, one of my trunked novels is the one that got me my agent. But after she signed me, we decided to go out with BREAK instead. We tried the other one next, and it didn't sell.

[triceretops]

Usually, after a book of mine doesn't sell through the agent process, I get permission to blast it myself. I'll try what I term medium houses that offer some type of small advance and don't require an agent. My last ditch effort is to hit up the small POD press, and then e-publishers. I did sell the last agented books that didn't make it with the NYC houses. So, far, I trunked nothing, and don't expect to ever.

Tri