Hey guys-
I have read so many great blogs with so many great tips, that I had to put my own two cents in. Author Jody Hedlund has a great post on her blog http://jodyhedlund.blogspot.com/ about why publishers and agents are so picky. I have to agree with her - though like a lot of authors I DON'T WANT TO.
It is a huge risk for publishers and agents to take a risk on a no-name, but you also have to remember that the heavy weights at the top were no-names themselves - that is very important to remember as to what I am about to say.
As an author myself (I like to think so - but a no-name nonetheless), we believe our stories are so fresh and exciting that how could any agent or publisher turn us down? I mean I won the whatever award for best children's book of the century, certainly that gives me the right to an agent.
The problem I see is that there is just so much stuff out there. Everywhere you turn, people want to become writers, and it is an open market. By trade, I am a SAS programmer - haven't heard of that? Well that's good, because what I do partains to a very small group of people with a particular set of skills and good ones are hard to find. There is your answer to the publishing problem.
Writers partain to a very LARGE group of people with word processors - AND - wait for it - good ones are hard to find.
It is very rare that there is an overnight success, and it is very hard to guess at what the next story in the market will be. Anyone even see the vampire thing coming? I did not. The last thing about vampires I even remember was the movie "The Lost Boys" from 1987. You will never predict what the mass market will clamor for. The next thing I knew the YA bookshelf at B&N turned black (the color of the millions of vampire books that came out).
So it is hard for writers to accept the fact that a larger audience goes for one story, but not theirs, but in turn think to themselves - I write better than that person. But the masses my friend do not owe you a thing.
Jody is very clever in mentioning the "branding" word - but it is a very delicate matter. As new authors we need to build our branding one brick at a time, and that involves knowing our audience. You must remember that our audience is not a large number of folks - for example, the United States has over 300 million people, the world over 6 billion. If you sell 50 thousand copies being a first time author - then that is pretty big, but a very very very (infinite "very's") small part of the population, but that is the population you must focus on. Your audience is NOT the population of the world.
Every once in a while you will grab folks from another demographic, but your focus remains on your targeted audience. Go where they go and be where they be --- I mean are.
The children's market in the 90's was stagnate at best when Harry Potter hit. I only mention Harry Potter, because that seems to be the bar. JK Rowling couldn't have asked for better timing with a great new book. And even though her demographic is accross the board, she always focuses on her target audience - young 8-12 year old, working to middle class English readers (readers from England - not those that speak English). There is always a luck factor involved in what will be the next big thing, or if you become successful or not, but only one person can determine your success, and that is you.
If an agent passes on you, then go to the next one. You and her may not have been a good match anyway. Build your branding enough to where agents cannot help but notice you, because in such a picky industry, if you are standing out from the crowd and are a bright new face, and people are talking about your book, even picky people are inclined to look twice.
Try to have fun anyway. The internet and social outlets has made it possible for people to believe there is a super highway to the top - there is not. The road should start in your own backyard.
No comments:
Post a Comment