Published author with poor sales querying new project

midazolam · Dec 7, 2016

I was wondering if anyone has been in this situation or could offer advice. My debut was a "failure" according to my agent based on sales numbers, and the publisher rejected my option book a few months back, so I'm wondering what to do now. I'm not all that enthused about the project we submitted, so I'm thinking about writing something new and possibly parting ways with my agent, since our tastes have diverged over the years. He is still willing to represent me, but I'm not technically under contract with him.

Any advice on this front? Is it better to write in a whole new genre or continue in the vein of what I wrote before? My debut got good reviews, it just didn't sell many copies for various reasons. Would a new agent ever take a chance on someone labeled a "failure" by their previous publisher? Should I reinvent myself with a pseudonym (semi-serious question)? Is my writing career over?

Sigh.

Aggy B. · Dec 7, 2016

Just because your publisher didn't take your second book doesn't mean you're a failure. Especially if you're seeing issues with that particular project.

Lack of passion shows, unfortunately, and there's not a lot you can do about it. Except, of course, make certain you pick your next project based on what you want to do and not just what seems like a smart move. If that's exploring a different genre and possibly looking for a new agent, then that's what you should do. If it means writing a new project in your established genre and keeping the agent you're with now, then that's what you should do.

I've been down that road with having a project that I wanted to see published, but I had a nagging feeling it might not be as polished as it should have been. And editor response was terrible. But I wrote some other things after that and things improved. (And I'm going back to that project now that I have some other ideas on what to do with it.)

A pseudonym might be an option when you are seeking a publisher, but that might be something to discuss with your agent at that point.

Old Hack · Dec 9, 2016

Did your agent do anything with that second book other than show it to your original publisher? Because surely an agent is meant to pitch widely, as well as pitching well?

I would have thought your agent would want to work out a strategy with you, in order to make your next book do better. Perhaps you're better off without this agent. Find a new one. Don't pretend your first book doesn't exist, or that it did better than it did: just be honest. Write a new book, move on.

midazolam · Dec 10, 2016

Thank you both for the replies. I'm not sure the second project had major issues - I think the publisher planned to reject it no matter what given my sales history with the first book (my original editor was fired around the time it was published, so they really felt no loyalty towards me). My agent essentially told me to what to write for my second book to ensure it was something marketable. He rejected five other full and partial manuscripts I'd submitted to him after my debut came out - said he didn't like them and couldn't sell them.

Old Hack, yes, my agent is willing to submit this second book more widely, but I'm trying to decide if that's what I want. I don't feel particularly passionate about this project nor the direction it might take my career (I don't really enjoy writing thrillers; my debut was more of a coming-of-age romantic adventure). It's just hard to write a new book and think some other agent will take me on, especially since my own agent rejected so many of my attempts to write a second book until he told me what to write. I've lost faith in myself as a writer.

I don't want to give up on my career, but I'm starting to think maybe this is it.

Toothpaste · Dec 10, 2016

Except your agent rejecting your other work doesn't make it bad. It makes it work your agent personally doesn't like. I can't tell you how many author friends I know who had one agent like and sell one work of theirs but then dislike and reject the rest to the point that it almost drove my author friends crazy. The solution? Leaving that agent and finding a new one. And all of them did. And they all found agents who appreciated their work and agreed with the direction the author wanted to go in her career.

Your work isn't inherently bad because your agent rejected it. Your agent just isn't the right agent for you.

waylander · Dec 10, 2016

My crit pal recently went through this and now has a new agent. It did take her a couple of years though.

Old Hack · Dec 10, 2016

If your editor left before your book was published, your book was then an orphan in publishing terms, with no one at your publisher who championed it, who made sure marketing and publicity teams were working on it, and so on. So it's no wonder your sales weren't great. This doesn't mean your work is not publishable: just that it was published badly, in the end, through no fault of yours. Your agent should know this, and should be supporting you, not criticising you that your sales were bad. Your publisher should be, too.

I don't expect you to share your sales figures, but you probably can work out how many copies your publisher expected it to sell by working out how many books it would have had to sell to earn out its advance, and from that you can work out how far below your publisher's expectations your sales were.

However, none of that matters now. What you have to work out is what you want to happen next. If you feel disillusioned with your current agent and publisher then you're better off moving on. Find an agent who loves your work, who supports you, and who you want to work with. And meanwhile, write your socks off!

kentsmith · Dec 11, 2016

I would agree that if your agent is not giving you a positive feeling, you might want to move on.

I definitely recommend you write something you are passionate about not just something which someone tells you is marketable. Life is too short to spend your time working on things you hate.

Published author with poor sales querying new project

midazolam

Aggy B.

Not as sweet as you think

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman

midazolam

Toothpaste

THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!

waylander

Who's going for a beer?

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman

kentsmith

Writing myself into a new career