Debut Novelists

Suzan · Feb 21, 2010

Could debut novels be the new "staple" in publishing today? I like to think so!
This morning in "PublishersMarketplace": Debut Author, Amor Towles's RULES OF CIVILITY, sold at auction, in a significant deal, for publication in 2011, by Dorian Karchmar at William Morris Endeavor.

AryaT92 · Feb 21, 2010

What do you mean by "staple"?

Suzan · Feb 21, 2010

What I mean by "staple" is predominant, leading, most important... I guess what has me excited is to see new novelists getting substantial deals. It's as if what used to be a gamble to publishers (new authors) is now becoming less of a gamble and more lucrative. Gives me (an aspiring author) hope and I hope it does others as well! New novelists CAN and DO get published even in this toughest of economies. I love to hear "new novelist's" success stories.

AryaT92 · Feb 21, 2010

I'd like to hope so, I'm currently on sub

Suzan · Feb 21, 2010

That's very exciting, AryaT92!! Good luck and I hope you get great news very soon!!

gothicangel · Feb 21, 2010

Not too convinced.

Publishers are being affected just as the rest of us by the recession and are being more risk adverse than normal.

On the other hand, you give them an amazing ms they won't say no!

ChaosTitan · Feb 21, 2010

Debut novelists who receive significant deals are always going to happen, but no, they won't become staples. Publishing can't afford it. For everyone debut novelist who receives a $100k advance, six debut novelists will receive a $10k advance.

There are threads on this board debating the merits/negatives of going with a large first advance versus a smaller one, so I won't start that discussion again. But debut novelists sell every week; it's just the unusually high advances that make people talk.

<--former debut novelist

Shady Lane · Feb 21, 2010

Personally, I think giving a huge advance to a debut author is a terrible, horrible idea.

ETA: **steps all over ChaosTitan's toes**

Wayne K · Feb 21, 2010

I think its a great idea as long as the writer was born on March 23rd 1963.

Ivan_B · Feb 21, 2010

An article I read predicting 2010 in books said the absolute opposite from what the OP hopes: they'll be sticking with the established authors and winning formulae, and not throwing the dice on new authors too much.
I know. Grr. Of course, that's only a prediction, and new and exciting talent keeps the business alive. But on the question of "what's the nature of the majority of books published in the upcoming years?" I'm going with established names.

kuwisdelu · Feb 21, 2010

New novelists will still be published.

Some will receive big advances, and they will be the exceptions.

Established authors will continue to be the bread and butter for publishing.

Moving on...

RJK · Feb 21, 2010

When the economy is down everybody takes a more cautious approach. Agents and publishers will go with the known quantities before taking chances on the unknown. That doesn't mean a few debut novels won't get through, just not as many as when money is looser.

thpate21 · Feb 21, 2010

Shady Lane said:
Personally, I think giving a huge advance to a debut author is a terrible, horrible idea.

Why? Just curious

Shady Lane · Feb 21, 2010

thpate21 said:
Why? Just curious

Little to no assurance that the author will earn out, in which case the publisher is caught with its pants down, raises the authors expectations and gives them egos the size of their bank statement, could potentially end an author's career before it starts, hurts other authors who have been working their way up steadily.

You wouldn't choose the valedictorian of a high school class when they're still freshman, would you?

jana13k · Feb 21, 2010

thpate21 said:
Why? Just curious

Because if the author fails to earn out the advance - at least to the point that the publisher doesn't loose money on the deal, the author may have a hard time getting another contract, even with another house.

I think it's a double-edged sword, and the biggest problem I see is the space of time between selling and release, in which EVERYTHING in the market is subject to change. I have a young friend that sold a YA for a lot of money but it released right after that Viswanathan debacle, so her book didn't do near what the publisher paid for or expected - none of it the fault of my friend OR her publisher. Strictly the fallout of an angry, disappointed readership.

Libbie · Feb 21, 2010

That's encouraging that a debut novelist got a significant deal. Hooray!

I'm just hoping for enough to pay off my car and student loans.

M.R.J. Le Blanc · Feb 21, 2010

The only reason big deals for debut novelists is such a news item is because it's the exception rather than the norm. Nothing's changed. New authors are still getting picked up at the same rate they always have, and every once in awhile one gets a really good deal just as it's always happened.

Though I'm kind of hoping I get to be one of the really-good-deal debut authors

I'd go Libbie's route and say goodbye to my student loans!

Wayne K · Feb 21, 2010

I'd take a sausage pizza right now. 3 months on sub is nerve wracking

Jamesaritchie · Feb 21, 2010

Suzan said:
What I mean by "staple" is predominant, leading, most important... I guess what has me excited is to see new novelists getting substantial deals. It's as if what used to be a gamble to publishers (new authors) is now becoming less of a gamble and more lucrative. Gives me (an aspiring author) hope and I hope it does others as well! New novelists CAN and DO get published even in this toughest of economies. I love to hear "new novelist's" success stories.

There's nothing new about it. Such has always been the case. It's still a gamble, but like always, it's all about the book, not the writer.

HConn · Feb 21, 2010

Shady Lane said:
Personally, I think giving a huge advance to a debut author is a terrible, horrible idea.

It hasn't done me any harm.

And if my books don't earn out, I'll start a new series as Harry J. Connolly, or H. James Connolly, or J.A. Rowling. No big.

blacbird · Feb 21, 2010

Jamesaritchie said:
like always, it's all about the book, not the writer.

If this were true, crappy books produced by established authors wouldn't see the light of day (and don't for a second pretend that doesn't happen). If this were true, in fact, publishers would accept blind submissions, with no authors' names attached, so they could judge purely on the quality of the books. If you know of a single publisher who works in this fashion, please enlighten all of us.

caw

James D. Macdonald · Feb 21, 2010

The book package includes the author's name, because the number one reason any book sells is because the buyer read and enjoyed a previous work by the same author.

Jamesaritchie · Feb 21, 2010

Ivan_B said:
An article I read predicting 2010 in books said the absolute opposite from what the OP hopes: they'll be sticking with the established authors and winning formulae, and not throwing the dice on new authors too much.
I know. Grr. Of course, that's only a prediction, and new and exciting talent keeps the business alive. But on the question of "what's the nature of the majority of books published in the upcoming years?" I'm going with established names.

That article is right, and would still be right if it were written a hundred years ago. Publishing is a business, and it would take a complate damned fool publisher not to keep publishing books that sell well and make lots and lots of money.

But this in no way means new writers won't be published each and every year, or that some of them won't receive large advance. They will.

blacbird · Feb 21, 2010

James D. Macdonald said:
The book package includes the author's name, because the number one reason any book sells is because the buyer read and enjoyed a previous work by the same author.

Exactly my point. Which says what about the statement that "it's all about the book, not the writer"?

caw

Aschenbach · Feb 21, 2010

blacbird said:
If this were true, crappy books produced by established authors wouldn't see the light of day (and don't for a second pretend that doesn't happen). If this were true, in fact, publishers would accept blind submissions, with no authors' names attached, so they could judge purely on the quality of the books. If you know of a single publisher who works in this fashion, please enlighten all of us.

caw

Easy. http://www.panmacmillan.com/imprints/Macmillan New Writing/

MacMillan accept unsolicted manuscripts from debut authors. But their standard contract stinks so bad that anyone with a publishable MS would be much better served trying to find an agent first. The Pan Macmillan contract includes no advance, 20% royalties, and the same terms for your second book. I suppose it's better than nothing.

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