Submit In The Down Economy? Or Wait?

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Leukman

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Maybe it has more to do w/ the economy than your novel?

Interesting question. I've wondered the same with each ms rejection I've received in the last few months. Especially with this last one and after waiting more than 5 months for the reply.

One must wonder how the downturn in economy is effecting the likelihood of gaining representation. If Scott Miller had read my ms a year ago, would the result, his decision, have been the same? Or would the agent have had a higher level of confidence in an editor he knows picking it up and his ability to sell it?

How much has the current economy effected book sales? How much effect does that have on agents and their decisions to take on new clients? Given the timeline for signing an author, editing, publishing, and getting a novel to the shelves, do agents/editors even worry about what the economy is like today?

Are writers hurting themselves by submitting work during this down economy? Are we blowing opportunities with agents by not waiting until things turn around? We can't send the ms back 12 months from now when things are looking up (hopefully) and say, "Thought you might reconsider this now that the economy is getting better?"

So then should we wait with the hope that submitting later might improve our chances?
 
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James81

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My personal opinion is that you should always be reaching forward for your goals, despite what is going on around you. Do what you can, when you can, because there is only today and you don't know what tomorrow will bring.
 

Wayne K

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I'm with James. They have to publish something. I asked this question in the "Ask the agent" thread for Nathan Bransford. If your MS is accepted today it probably wont come out for a year or two anyway, and they know that. Who knows what the economy will be by then?

I'm thinking of beginning my next query letter.
Dear Agent,
I know where you live....
 
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WendyNYC

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I see lots of deals getting done every day on Publishers Marketplace. The number seems to be picking up this month after a lull in Dec and Jan.

Submit, I say.
 

ChaosTitan

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Debut authors are still being signed and sold. Agents will still sign a client who knocks their socks off, and editors will still buy books they adore.

However, publishing houses are downsizing. Editors are leaving. My imprint just lost one of its editors (not mine, thank God!), so her workload has doubled. New manuscripts by new authors will be hard (but not impossible) to place. If anything, this will simply force writers to offer up their very best manuscripts (which we should be doing anyway, right?), because anything less may be passed over.
 

Clair Dickson

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If the story is good enough, it doesn't really matter what the economy is like. There are new authors getting agents and getting book deals.

Since I happen to think my book is good enough, I'm going to keep submitting. (And if I didn't think it was good enough... um, well, I'd make it better!)

Query on!
 

Leukman

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Debut authors are still being signed and sold. Agents will still sign a client who knocks their socks off, and editors will still buy books they adore.

However, publishing houses are downsizing. Editors are leaving. My imprint just lost one of its editors (not mine, thank God!), so her workload has doubled. New manuscripts by new authors will be hard (but not impossible) to place. If anything, this will simply force writers to offer up their very best manuscripts (which we should be doing anyway, right?), because anything less may be passed over.

I've no doubt that deals continue to be made, and books will continue to sell, but CT's comments here are the factors that led to the initial question. I guess it boils down to the effect downsizing of the publishing industry has on new writer's chance of breaking in.
 

Clair Dickson

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Then you have to ask yourself, are you good enough to get published regardless of the economy?

If you don't think you are... then don't submit. Means less competition for me. =)
 

Leukman

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So you admit I'm competition?

Well, that settles it then. Time for another round of queries. :D




eta: something about your post was very Clint Eastwood-esque. ;)
 
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Each member should pledge not to submit anything for 6 months. Each member is to then pass this approach on to ten of their fellow writer friends... and they to ten of theirs... and so on.

I volunteer for 'scout' duty. I'll put my work at great risk and submit during these bleak times. The I'll report back to the troops. I do this only for the good of the colony.

Well I'm off to martyr duty. I'll let everyone know when the coast is clear! I promise.
 

CaroGirl

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Each member should pledge not to submit anything for 6 months. Each member is to then pass this approach on to ten of their fellow writer friends... and they to ten of theirs... and so on.
Yeah. Everyone should do that. Definitely. I'll do it too. Yeah. That's the ticket...
 

Leukman

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:D




Damn, they've caught on...
 

ChaosTitan

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Then you have to ask yourself, are you good enough to get published regardless of the economy?

Even better is asking "is your manuscript good enough to get published regardless of the economy?" More than just the talent of the writer, there is also a factor of timing. The right manuscript to the right agent to the right editor.



If you don't think you can compete against the overwhelming odds now, get out while your ego is still intact. Signing with an agent and getting a contract with an editor isn't the end of the journey or the uphill battle. It's just the start.

And don't forget--money may be tight right now, but the books editors are buying won't even see store shelves for 18 months to 2 years from now. Hopefully the economy will be on an upswing by then. If editors stopped buying until things get better, store shelves would be bare two years from now. Production is a long process.
 

scope

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We all like to write our stories, me included. But to address the OP's point, IMO we should never forget that we are part of a business, a giant one at that. And I think it would be foolish if we didn't take into account the fact that the publishing business is suffering through its worst decline and reshuffling EVER. They are hurting and like so many others have no idea what the future will bring. Now I don't think we should stop writing, but I do think that to ignore the effects the foregoing could have on us isn't too logical. Draw your own conclusions, but I think that in one way or the other it affects each and every one of us.
 

NeuroFizz

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I think y'all should stop querying. Ray and I will keep the editors sharp and practiced. Just hold off until we tell you it's clear to start up again...
 

ColoradoGuy

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I don't know about fiction, but my daughter is a newly-minted assistant editor at a big New York nonfiction publisher. She says they're steaming ahead as usual.
 

Toothpaste

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I think y'all should stop querying. Ray and I will keep the editors sharp and practiced. Just hold off until we tell you it's clear to start up again...

Actually I was thinking, if you guys wanted, you could totally take a bit of a break as well. I don't mind holding down the fort for a while. Really.
 

Atlantis

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Interesting question. I've wondered the same with each ms rejection I've received in the last few months. Especially with this last one and after waiting more than 5 months for the reply.

One must wonder how the downturn in economy is effecting the likelihood of gaining representation. If Scott Miller had read my ms a year ago, would the result, his decision, have been the same? Or would the agent have had a higher level of confidence in an editor he knows picking it up and his ability to sell it?

How much has the current economy effected book sales? How much effect does that have on agents and their decisions to take on new clients? Given the timeline for signing an author, editing, publishing, and getting a novel to the shelves, do agents/editors even worry about what the economy is like today?

Are writers hurting themselves by submitting work during this down economy? Are we blowing opportunities with agents by not waiting until things turn around? We can't send the ms back 12 months from now when things are looking up (hopefully) and say, "Thought you might reconsider this now that the economy is getting better?"

So then should we wait with the hope that submitting later might improve our chances?

The answer to this is very simple. If writers stop sending their manuscripts in to agents then the agents will not gain anymore clients and will go out of business which will affect the publishing industry more. They need to make money. They NEED us. So for Christ's sake stop sitting on your manuscript and send the damn thing out! Have you ever considered sending it overseas?
 

yeswecan

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Glad this all started a lively discussion! If my full is rejected by both agents, I think I'll take a long, hard look at my novel, revise and re-tool, then start submitting again in the near future. i.e. I'll take a short break, but will emerge with a better, stronger ms. (Let's hope!)

Good luck, Leukman et al, whatever you decide to do!
 

scope

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So Scope, sincerely, what then do you suggest authors who are at the querying stage do, considering everything you mentioned?

Toothpaste,

Sincerely, I'm not suggesting we do anything different than we've done before-- write, and when ready, submit.

Given all the changes and consolidations within the industry it would be wise to do more research than usual (e.g., agencies, agents listed may have moved, publishing houses, editors). I think that's a must or we could have a wasted query and be waiting for an answer that will never come.

The point of my post was not to say "stop submitting, the publishing world is falling down". While the current economic situation is of huge concern to all, including any and all associated with publishing, most writers will continue to submit as usual, and as I've said I don't find much wrong with that. However, I read a lot of posts which seem too unrealistic, and if it's possible, too upbeat, as if nothing has changed in the publishing scene. As if we don't need to make any adjustments (such as the additional research I mention above). As if as many writers will be signed by agents tomorrow as they were during the past 5 years, and that publishers will buy and print as many books as before. Right now that's simply not the case, although some writers with outstanding and needy works will definitely be signed by agents, and publishers will continue to buy books and plan on printing and releasing them in 18 months or so. But again, I don't believe as many of either as before. So all I'm saying is I believe some might be served better by being a bit more realistic, by realizing that not all of us are writing an irresistible book, one that any and every agent will want to represent and every publisher will yearn to buy. That in fact many of us are probably writing or have written a very good book, one that can find a home with the right agent, and one that might get published. If we accept the latter doesn't it follow that it will be more difficult to find an agent, and if found, it will be harder for an agent to find a publisher -- at least much harder than a couple of years ago. So yes, move ahead, but lets do so more realistically. At least that's what I believe.

Personally, I've talked about the situation with my agent and we've agreed that while I should continue submitting to her, she will not be so quick to pull the trigger and make submissions to publishers, at least not at the moment. She will of course stay well abreast of things, will speak to editors, and will submit when she believes the time is right. However, I realize this might be easier for me to do than for others since I have 3 books scheduled to come out during the next 2 years.
 
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