A
Writer's Road to Publication, Part Deux
From Signing with An Agent to the Book Deal
By Jennifer Minar
It
happened. Finally. I landed an agent*!! And not just from
any agency, but the perfect one for my book. It took 20
grueling months of cold querying, networking, and sprouting
unsightly gray hairs, but it happened!
What's
more, I have two agents, not one--a literary agent and
a film agent--since the New York City/Beverly Hills-based
agency that represents me primarily only signs clients
whose projects they consider to be marketable for New
York and also for film adaptation in Hollywood.
I
met them in their West coast office, we went to lunch,
and they discussed what they liked and didn't like. From
there, we talked about minor changes. Easily agreeable
to these changes, I left to embark on a minor rewrite,
and after a year of rewriting, the novel manuscript is
back at the agency and in the hands of a third-party reader
whose coverage will determine where it goes next.
I'm
on pins and needles waiting to hear what she thought.
Will it be ready for the publishers? Or, will there be
yet another rewrite? Obviously I'm hoping for the former,
but we'll see! I just feel extremely blessed to be on
this journey.
I've
learned a lot getting to this point. But, perhaps, above
all these five things:
REWRITES
AREN'T EASY
"Books
aren't written, they're rewritten. Including your own.
It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially
after the seventh rewrite hasn't quite done it." -Michael
Crichton
First
of all, even a minor rewrite feels major. . . and should
be treated as such. One small change could set off a chain
reaction of necessary small, or maybe even big, changes
in other parts of the book. At least that's what happened
with mine with it being a suspense novel that's written
from four different third person points of view.
I
didn't really get this at first and made some spot changes
that, to my horror, led to other necessary changes that
weren't, at first, obvious. Ack! So whenever faced with
a rewrite, realize that it will involve not only making
the specific changes your agent/editor asks for, but also
re-reading cover to cover to ensure that all of the changes
made sense not only in their respective areas, but also
throughout.
I
ENJOY DINING ALONE
I've
never enjoyed dining alone in public. It stems from the
elementary school cafeteria and the stigma & social ramifications
of being seen alone there. In my life, I've attended 13
schools and one of the most difficult parts of transferring
mid-year was sitting alone at lunch that first day.
This
fear quietly slinked its way into adulthood and for years
I resisted dining alone. Then came the rewrites and the
discovery that not only was I more productive working
in restaurants versus at home, but that there are ancillary
benefits.
For
one, sitting down solo makes me feel very adult-like.
Okay, that's not exactly a benefit, but it's true. Dining
solo also allows me to eavesdrop on other patrons' conversations
without my dinner companion telling me that it's rude
and me arguing (albeit unsuccessfully) that it's merely
research!
Case
in point, the other night I was eating alone in a Japanese
restaurant and (um, coincidentally) overheard a conversation
between a couple who were on their first date. Not only
was the conversation intriguing, it landed me a great
article idea that I'm sure one day I'll use.
Not
only that, but between my edamame and tuna sashimi I was
able to edit five pages. Then, between the sashimi and
green tea ice cream another three. In short, dining alone
allowed me to edit a grand total of eight pages, be more
observant, and garner an article idea. Oh, and I think
I also looked more mysterious. ;)
IT'S
CRUCIAL TO ENJOY THE PROCESS
I
realized that I truly enjoy the process. . . at least
most of the time. As we all know, the publishing process
for most is long, arduous, and has its difficulties (writing-wise
and mentally), so it's crucial to enjoy it every step
of the way. They say life is a journey, not a destination.
The same goes for writing. If you don't enjoy the process--at
least somewhat--then, really, what's the point? Of course
writers get frustrated, their energy wanes, they experience
periods of hopelessness and ensuing doubt. Our egos definitely
take a beating. All of these emotions and experiences
are completely normal and should be expected. But if there's
no enjoyment to accompany all of the angst and suffering,
then we're probably dreaming of making it in the wrong
profession.
Becoming
successful as a writer or being able to write full-time
are never guaranteed. For anyone. It's one of those careers
where hard work doesn't always translate into success.
Other factors come into play, namely perseverence and
timing.
YOU
CAN'T AFFORD TO BE SHY
Most
writers are shy to some degree. As a child I was painfully
shy which is probably why I always dreamed of becoming
a writer. I, like most, mistook writers for solitary people
who could hide behind their computer monitors. . . in
the shadows of their words. Not people who actually had
to be out there, selling, networking, and interdependent
with others.
The
realization that writers need to be at least a little
extroverted disturbed me at first and sometimes still
does. A recent example of this is that my literary agent
told me that I needed to get 3-5 pre-publication blurbs
for my book. Now this meant that I was required to ask
strangers for favors. What's worse is that they were strangers
who I admire. I've never liked to inconvenience people
or ask for favors and now I had to ask established writers
to read my book and comment on it! I was horrified. But
I managed to overcome some of the horror and now I have
four solid blurbs.
On
your journey, you'll be required to do many uncomfortable
things. The trick is learning to make peace with them
and become--if not completely, then maybe just
a little more--comfortable.
YOU'RE
NOT ALONE
Writing,
as we all know, is a solitary career riddled with rejection.
But we're not alone in our quest or in what we're feeling
as we work towards our goals. It's pretty easy for me
to remember this as a majority of people in my town (Los
Angeles) are either established or aspiring writers. Rarely
do I walk into a Starbucks or Coffee Bean without seeing
someone working on a film script or book manuscript of
some kind. Heck, even the clerk at the gas station is
writing something.
But
those of you who aren't working in such creative towns
or are working from suburban or rural areas should know
that most, if not all, of what you're feeling is being
felt by countless writers around the world. If you doubt
this, join an online writing group or two. You'll learn
quickly.
We
at WritersBreak.com wish you great success--writing and
otherwise--in 2008! See
you next month & enjoy the issue.
Until
next time,
Jennifer
Minar
Editor In Chief
WritersBreak.com & Writer's Break Monthly
For past columns in this series, visit our home page at
www.WritersBreak.com
and pan to the bottom.
*Technically
my agents are managers because they're also film producers,
but for the purpose of this newsletter--since most will
wonder what a manager means in this regard--I'll use the
term agent.
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