The Next Circle of Hell

I'm beginning to wonder if agents should include their own marketing plan when pitching to editors. It seems a bit presumptuous, I know, to tell others how to do their jobs. But let's face it, great books get turned down all the time because a few individuals either can't come up with a way to market the book or simply want the marketing angle already built in. That's the way it works with nonfiction. The marketing aspect of the proposal is sometimes the second thing an agent or editor reads, the author's platform being the first. So why not with fiction?

JennW said:

I also wonder if once we all have our first book deal, it will get easier for subsequent projects. We can't possibly be made to suffer like this forever, right?

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What's that old saying? "From your mouth to God's ear."

JennW said:

I also wonder if once we all have our first book deal, it will get easier for subsequent projects. We can't possibly be made to suffer like this forever, right?

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Unfortunately getting that first book deal is no guarantee for future (or even present) success

Hedgetrimmer, why not indeed? My graphic novel pitch was a proposal, and it included sections on marketing and promotion. Mind you I'm the one who wrote it rather than agent, but whoever does it, it seems to me it's a valuable addition to the whole pitch package.

JennW said:

I also wonder if once we all have our first book deal, it will get easier for subsequent projects. We can't possibly be made to suffer like this forever, right?

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I'll, uh, keep you posted on that one...

I will tell you that writing the second book certainly was not easier. Try "excrutiatingly painful, soul-wrenching and angst-inducing."

After the day I've had today, I can tell you all that nothing will suck the life force from you body quicker than sitting through a two hour webinar on corporate taxes.

Coming in for a close second would be the sub process. Oui?

Crickets this week for me. And next week will most likely be just as quiet due to the holiday. Actually, I didn't mind the crickets this week, after last week's blow-all news.

Chiming in about the marketing strategies - my proposal has a solid and complete section on marketing, and apparently the 'passing editor' ran numbers on my comps and said it was quite encouraging. Let's just hope one of the houses that I'm still with finds the same to be true.

Sending positive vibes to all fellow hellions in this sub process.

Hugs,
ST

Sweet Tea said:

... a close second would be the sub process. Oui?

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Oui, ST, oui.

Waiting on Monday now. (Monday, apparently, is the new Friday.)

Roly said:

Unfortunately getting that first book deal is no guarantee for future (or even present) success

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This is very true. Ugh!

Other Lisa said:

I'll, uh, keep you posted on that one...

I will tell you that writing the second book certainly was not easier. Try "excrutiatingly painful, soul-wrenching and angst-inducing."

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Great - something to look forward to! Ha. How does it work with second book (just out of curiosity), does your agent go to the ed from RPT and pitch to them first or do you have to go on sub again? I never thought much past the huge roadblock I'm up against now.

Peggy Blair said:

Monday, apparently, is the new Friday.

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Hahahaha!

Jenn, totally depends on what kind of contract you have for the first book. There are multi-book deals, first look deals -- that's what I call them but I think people more commonly refer to an "option" book. Generally the publisher has an exclusive window to see the book first and decide if they want to offer. But you don't have to take the offer or anything.

Apropos of nothing, I heard from my agent today. We got a bunch of papers together for my artist collaboration agreement, and she took the whole package to Mr. Big Senior Agent so we could go out before Thanksgiving, and he said . . .

Not gonna work. The material is fine, but the presentation needs an overhaul.

So January is the new Thanksgiving!

Okay, so, we have a chance to make this bulletproof, waterproof, rejectionproof. This is a good thing. It's a good thing, really! Yes, this is a good thing. *rocks harder*

Lisa - cool. I always wondered how that worked with non-series books.

Miss Plum - Ugh, sorry. That's rough. But better it stops before it gets started if it gives it a better chance once it's out there. But still, *hugs, booze, chocolate* coming your way.

Miss Plum...sending virtual booze -- Limoncello? Tequila? Everclear?

Miss Plum - do we celebrate she almost made a deadline or just bust out the booze? Because I'm good with whatever you need...

((Miss Plum)) But at least you've got Jan to look forward to!

Ugh, I forgot I'm pretending I'm not on sub. lol That's working out

Can't we all just get along? No, wait. Sorry. Wrong forum. Yeah. January. Definitely. New January. Yes. New. Anyone seen my poppy? I'm missing my poppy. January. New January. Yeah. Poppy? Agent. Number somewhere...

Man, I'm sorry to hear that, Miss Plum. Thank God for wine.

Jenn, according to my agent, we will give publishers who've picked up the first book a shot at the second (mine is a series but each book also stands alone, i.e. same characters but independent plots, so that they can be read individually or sequentially, or backwards, for that matter).

He says this allows the publishers to become affiliated with the authors ('they'll be known as your publisher'), so it's essentialy a non-contractual right of first refusal.

I've certainly seen this with the other publishers: each time a foreign publisher offered on The Beggar's Opera, the agent would send me a list of who the authors were they represented, as part of their pitch.

(((Miss Plum))) I'm all for getting it right before it goes out, but--AAAAAGGGHHHHH!

On second books and series? From the 36 hours I've just spent in the submission twilight zone, if you're asked by an Ed. if you know where you might go with a series, say, 'Not sure'. Rosie (shellshocked, and demented).

rosiecotton said:

On second books and series? From the 36 hours I've just spent in the submission twilight zone, if you're asked by an Ed. if you know where you might go with a series, say, 'Not sure'. Rosie (shellshocked, and demented).

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Whaaaa? Details, details! Why "Not sure"?

rosiecotton said:

(((Miss Plum))) I'm all for getting it right before it goes out, but--AAAAAGGGHHHHH!

On second books and series? From the 36 hours I've just spent in the submission twilight zone, if you're asked by an Ed. if you know where you might go with a series, say, 'Not sure'. Rosie (shellshocked, and demented).

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You didn't have to have synopsis for the rest of the series? My experience is that eds request that as part of the package.

dawn miller said:

You didn't have to have synopsis for the rest of the series? My experience is that eds request that as part of the package.

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For now, we've just been focusing on selling the first book, which stands alone--and not even thinking about a series, not even sure I'd write one. I'm happy to just sell one!!!! I can't talk about what's been going on yet, but I've got a series outline now! Mr. A's all cool and calm about this--as always. I'm a demented, gibbering wreck.

Dawn---we didn't submit a synopsis for a sequel. And I know Vee didn't come up with a synopsis until multiple editors were vying to acquire her first novel. So I don't think it has to be part of the submission package (though I think it's not a bad idea, especially if your book on sub is a planned series!)

Rosie, that sounds like a hint of good things to come?

Miss Plum, at least it's the season of spiked eggnog, to get you through. But yeah, I'd say getting it right is worth the wait. Even if the wait makes you want to gag on that eggnog.

rosiecotton said:

I'm a demented, gibbering wreck.

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This is my brain in the sub process...sigh.