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Ken Wright Answers Our Questions About Rejection (from a Literary Agent)

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Thank you for all of the questions submitted to Literary Agent Ken Wright through our blog post Rejections or: Why is the There a Form Letter in My Inbox?

Below are his answers to many of your questions. Thanks for all the great advice, Ken!

Hey Ken, I am working on a nonfiction book proposal. Is it up to me to identify a possible market for the book? How much market research might I be expected to do? I can take an educated guess, but is that good enough? --PENQUIN

Thanks for writing in and for your really good question. There is often a lot of uncertainty about how much marketing information an author should include in a proposal.  My answer is pretty simple: A LOT. It really is your job as the author to indicate in the proposal that you have a full grasp and knowledge of the market into which you want to publish a book.  If it’s a nonfiction book, presumably you are an expert on the subject, which means you have, or should have, what we call a “platform,” a wide variety of contacts and information about the market that the publisher and you can use to help market and sell the book once it’s published. 

The kinds of information that goes into this are: competing and comparable books; websites; magazines and journals; organizations. There are tons of others. But the point is to indicate very clearly that there is, if there is, a large base of potential readers for your proposed book in the marketplace AND that you have a pretty good sense of how you and the publisher can reach them. Hope that helps.

Hi Ken, Thanks for taking our questions! Here’s mine: what is the most common reason that you to pass on a query that’s competently written, and has a good premise, but just doesn’t do it for you? Is it even possible to say exactly why you pass this type of query, or are you just kinda looking to feel inspired, and pass if lightning doesn’t strike? Thanks! --BEN L.

I am so glad you asked me this. Because I think most agents grapple with this every day. The long answer is that it is strictly gut or instinct. At least that is pretty much how I decide. I have to LOVE something to take it on.  MAYBE one time out of a thousand submissions will I see something that I am very sure I can sell and will take it on, even though I don’t love it. But to be honest, it usually comes back to haunt me. Because these are usually one-shots, and as an agent who wants to work with the best talent, and help nurture that talent and help with career building, I need to take someone on who I feel has staying power, who has more than one book in him or her and who wants to grow, with my help. And for me that starts with the first book that I have fallen in love with.

The short answer is, as you say, I am “just kinda looking to feel inspired, and [I] pass if lightning doesn’t strike.”

This is, more than anything else, a subjective business. Lightning may not strike for me, but that doesn’t mean your work isn’t good and that lightning won’t strike elsewhere. That's why you just gotta keep trying. Don’t give up.

PS  I think this may answer Jennifer Gibson’s question too. You and Ben are sorta asking the same thing…

Ken, This one has been bugging me for a while. Why do so many agents require us to put a word count in our query letters? Is this truly critical information, and do you automatically pass on word-count-less queries? --JOHN

This is a new one to me. I never ask for word count. Having said that, I usually get it, so you guys must be well trained!  It is tremendously useful to know word count. If I get a middle grade novel in, for example, with a word count of 150,000 words, I am likely NOT going to have a look. It just tells me that the author doesn’t really have a grasp on his or her audience. I can’t waste my time reading it—even if it’s only the first 20 or so pages. After all these years, I know a red flag when I see one, and that’s one.  So knowing word count helps. Thanks. Good question.


I know that most of your rejections probably come in the form letter variety, but I was wondering if you ever provide authors with more detailed feedback, despite a rejection. If so, how often do you do this? Is it to encourage the author to make changes and resubmit to you, or just to keep their hopes afloat? --ANNE

Rejections can be cold and harsh and mean and critical. Or they can he thoughtful and helpful and encouraging. So, good question. They take all shapes and forms. And I am quite guilty of writing both of the kinds I mentioned here, sorry to say. But if I really like something, and I have read it all the way, but in the end I don’t think it’s quite right for me, I feel an obligation to be clear (and helpful) to the author as to why it’s not right for me. So, yes, I will provide some helpful (I hope) feedback and encourage the author to go back and do some more work on the manuscript.  But generally it’s not because I think I want to consider it again. I usually do not. It’s because I DO think there is something there, he or she should work on it some more, but it’s just not right for me.

Having said that, I have, and no doubt will again, reject something, provide feedback, and invite the author to resubmit when he or she has revised.  But that is rare.

There really is no one way to do this.  Each case is different. But usually a “pass” is a “pass.”  We get SO much to read that it’s tough to go back to something we’ve passed on. Thanks for writing.

Next up Ken will be answering questions on the Author-Editor-Agent relationship. Post your questions in the comments section below. Want more insider info from Ken? Check out his entire column: ASK THE AGENT.

Rejections or: Why is the There a Form Letter in My Inbox?

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Literary agent Ken Wright has returned to take some more of your questions! To make the exchange as productive as possible, we’re going to direct your questions in the next two weeks around a few broad themes. Ken will take a look at your questions and answer the three that he feels are most helpful (and creative!). What’s up this week?

Rejections: Any and all things related to why agents pass on certain manuscripts and accept others. The business is known for is subjectivity, but it’s always great to hear some of the reasons that agents reach for their form letters.

No doubt this theme will inspire a ton of questions from your literary brains. Hit Ken with everything you’ve got!

Wanna write? Enter our One-Syllable Challenge! Wanna read? Rate some PageToFame submissions!

The Fun Part: Choosing an Agent

Greetings WEbook. Sorry to be gone so long. I was on vacation and it‘s been hard getting back into the swing of things. But I haven’t forgotten where we left off … so far, I’ve written about why writers need agents and how you can find an agent who might be simpatico to both you and your work. We’re now going to take a small leap and suppose that you have sent your beautifully crafted query letters out to a bunch of agents and you got great responses from some of them, all of whom have now read your novel. Now, several of THOSE have called and left messages saying they love your work and would very much like to represent you. First thought: OMG!  Second thought: Holy shit! Now what? How do I decide between these guys?

We should all have such problems, right? Well, while it CAN be tricky, there are a few things you can think about in order to guide you to a good decision.

First, return the calls. Immediately. One by one. Listen carefully to what each agent has to say and start asking him/her questions about your novel, the working relationship you’d have together, the process of getting the manuscript to publishers, and anything else that comes to mind.

Here’s a quick laundry list:

• What does she like about your novel?
• Why did she pick yours out of all the submissions she must get?
• Does she think your novel needs work?
• Will she be providing extensive notes for revisions?
• When will she get those to you?
• Will she read it again after you have revised?
• What if she thinks it still needs work then?
• Does she have a submission plan?
• Which imprints/editors would she approach?
• Will she send the manuscript out widely to many editors at once, or to a smaller, more selective group? Why?
• Does she have a sense of timing? Is timing important?
• Has she thought about the kind of advance he might get you?
• What is the commission structure? [Correct answer: 15% is the norm on all domestic sales; 20% for foreign sales.]
• Does she handle foreign/translation rights, or does she work with sub-agents? Or would she expect the publisher to do that? Why?
• Should you expect to have any out of pocket expenses? [Correct answer: no.]
• Are there any hidden charges involved in working together? [Correct answer: no.]
• How does she make payments to you once a deal with a publisher is made?
• Does she or her agency have a standard author agreement?
• Are parts of that agreement negotiable?

Then, get her to talk a little bit about herself and how she actually works. Draw her out. Who are some of her other clients? Will she be generally available to you when you have questions? Will she keep you informed of the submission process along the way? And how will she do that? How involved will she be after he has sold your book? Does she prefer communicating by phone or email? Even ask her questions about her own reading habits.

Finally, ask her some basic questions about the book publishing business. After all, you want a sense that she is experienced and knowledgeable, and knows her way around, don’t you?  Ask her about the marketplace. If your work is literary fiction, get her to tell you about other literary novels that are selling and being published now. We all know the publishing industry is in a state of flux. Does she feel optimistic about the future of book publishing? What are the advantages and disadvantages of publishing with a small publisher vs. a large one? Ask her about things like the Google settlement, the rise of e-books, and her opinion about the Kindle vs. the Sony Reader. 

The point is, ask lots of questions like these, and really listen…  And then say thank you for her time, you’re very excited at the prospect of working with her, but that you would like to think about it all for a day or two. Then make the call to the next agent, and the next. When you’re done with the calls, you have to decide. And, frankly, your decision will mostly depend on instinct, because there really is no right or wrong answer for most of the questions you’ve asked (except for the basic business questions, of course). Bottom line: you ultimately want a good rapport with your agent. You need to like her. You need to trust her. You need to have faith in her style and taste and openness. You need to feel you have a partner. She is someone you will, with any luck, have a relationship with for many years. So, it’s got to FEEL right. If you have asked a lot of questions like these, and if you have LISTENED, chances are you will find this decision pretty easy to make. Trust your instincts.

Next? Sleep on it. When you wake up, think about it for a half hour and then call the agent you have decided on and tell her how friggin’ excited you are that he wants to work with you and that you are thrilled and yes, yes, yes…

Congratulations. You have yourself an agent. You are on your way!

 --Ken

Ken Wright is an agent at Writers House, a leading NYC-based literary agency with a wide range of bestselling and award-winning authors. Read more of Ken's columns.

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The Big-Big Question: How Do I Find a Good Agent?

Greetings WEbook. So, if you’re serious about getting your writing published, you’ll probably need an agent eventually, right? But how do you find one? Who do you ask? What tools are available and where do you find them? And finally, how do you know if you’ve done everything you can to find an agent?

All good questions, and the ones I hear most frequently. Asked all at once, they can feel overwhelming. But if take them one at a time, each can be conquered with a little work and good decision making.

WHO do you ask? Well, start by asking yourself this: Who do I know who might know someone who might be dating (or married to or friendly with or working for) someone who might know an agent? What I mean is, if you’re serious about your writing, then you probably know others who are too; and referrals are--even by several degrees of separation--the most reliable way to start the process. So, start asking everyone you know.

WHAT tools are there? There are many websites and other resources devoted to agents--their interests, specialties, client lists, how to contact them, submission guidelines, etc. One popular site is www.1000literaryagents.com. There are also a couple of good annual print sources: Guide to Literary Agents and Jeff Herman’s Guide to Book Publishers, Editors & Agents. Or check out PublishersMarketplace.com, which has become one of the best sources for everyone in the industry--editors, agents, and writers--and many of us use it every day. It lists new books sold/deals made every day organized by category, and it provides the names of the agents and editors involved. So if you have written an amazing new romance novel, go to PublishersMarketplace and search by fiction, then romance, and zero in on recent sales made in that category, and by whom. You’ll quickly have a good long list of agents who handle the kind of book you’ve written, which is one of the key things you want in an agent.

WHERE can I go for help? If you’re in a writing group, ask others in the group who they know. If you take a writing class, do the same, starting with your teacher. If you’ve never attended a writers conference, do so, soon. Most conferences feature agents, editors, and published authors as speakers, and they are all there to help you (that, and the all-expense-paid trip, is what they’re there for). The more people you meet in the business, the closer you’ll be to finding an agent.

HOW do I know if I have done everything I can to find an agent? There’s always more you can do… One last tip? You know that novel you read recently and really enjoyed and thought to yourself, the novel I’ve just written is every bit as good as that? Open it up and go to the acknowledgments page. In addition to their parents, their loving partner, their local librarian, and a zillion other people who helped make their wonderful book possible, authors thank their agents. They thank their agents for finding their book a good home, for sticking with them when the going got tough, for hand holding, and sometime for just being a good friend. For whatever reason an agent is thanked, his or her name is there. Write the name down and you’ve got the start of a list. And then go to other books you’ve read and liked and jot down the names of the agents acknowledged there too. Soon you’ll have a good, focused list of agents to start querying.

Looking back at some of the questions and comments from last week’s column (thanks for those, by the way), Brian, Keisha, and Misty all seemed to want to know the same thing. And that is, does a young person (say, 15 – 20 years old) have a chance in hell of getting the attention of an agent or a publisher? The answer, of course, is yes. There are many examples of young people getting published. Christopher Paolini of the Eargon series is one such “kid” who, not too long ago, wrote a wonderful book and got the attention of a very good agent. The writing process and finding a home for your work has no age requirements. Regardless of how young or old you are, if you’re smart about your search for an agent, you’ll have a good shot of eventually getting your work into the hands of one. And that, after all, is the goal.

--Ken

Ken Wright is an agent at Writers House, a leading NYC-based literary agency with a wide range of bestselling and award-winning authors. Read more of Ken's columns.

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