How can I attempt to get my novel published?
May 22, 2010 9:09 AM   Subscribe

Is there anything I should be doing to try to get my novel published?

I wrote a novel over the past, oh, 14 years or so. I had two really good agent contacts, and those agents both rejected it. What should I do now to try to get published? Is there any way to get an agent when I am an unknown?

I know I can self-publish, so please don't tell me that.

Just wondering if there's any course of action I should take before I give up. (Note: I am not generally a "course-of-action" sort of person, but I would like to do whatever I can in this case)

This novel belongs to a genre I like to call Psychoanalytic Chick-Lit, and I've posted the first chapter here.

if you want to take a look (it's quite short). thank you. (I guess I could forget about having it published and just put the whole thing up on the web.)
posted by DMelanogaster to Media & Arts (16 answers total) 33 users marked this as a favorite
 
Two agents is nothing. I sent my novel to 97 agents before I got something right and then had to juggle multiple offers of representation. If you are ready to give up after two pitches this is likely not the right industry for you.

You need to hone your synopsis and your pitch letter until they sing. Then you need to research agents and contact them. Do not send the entire novel. Many will tell you what they want, many will just want the pitch letter and will let you know if they want more.

Note: getting an agent is no guarantee of getting published. They then have to sell your manuscript to a publishing house. When you find an agent, they will review your manuscript and suggest edits. You will then have to edit the manuscript so it is ready to be presented. And then when it's sold you'll get to go through that delightful task again.
posted by micawber at 9:21 AM on May 22, 2010 [4 favorites]


Your story confused me. It didn't reveal that it was in first person until the end. I felt like the viewpoint kept switching around.
posted by lakerk at 9:30 AM on May 22, 2010


There are some problems with the chapter you posted, not the least of which is that the opening sequence is a little odd and off-putting. There are also other matters of style -- dialog that's a little stilted due to exposition, unnecessary and distracting details like the origin of an oriental rug, on-the-nose lines like "since I hadn’t been able to keep Catherine from killing herself I didn’t deserve comfort." If I was an agent who has to read giant piles of submissions every day, I might very well not read this entire chapter (unless I was vetting it as a personal favor) because of how immediate and obvious the problems are.

I haven't read your entire book so I of course can't say anything about its overall quality or saleability. But I think that, judging from what you've linked to, it's a little early to be trying to sell it. If you're serious about getting published, you should concentrate on finding someone qualified to help you edit your manuscript whose opinion you respect but who will NOT go easy on you (ie simply telling you how great it is and flattering your ego). If you don't know anyone like this personally, I'd do some research and see if there are local or online writing groups/workshops that might help you bang your novel into shape.

Good luck! Revision is tough, but it's also extremely satisfying and rewarding to watch a better, leaner version of your book take shape.
posted by Narrative Priorities at 9:42 AM on May 22, 2010 [2 favorites]


Response by poster: micawber, I'm really asking if I should submit to agents without a personal connection. Does anybody read the manuscripts submitted in that way? ("over the transom") I wasn't complaining about the two rejections. I was just saying that I used up my contacts.

lakerk, that's the first time I've heard that, and a bunch of people have read it. I thought the "I"s througout made the viewpoint quite clear, but I'll definitely give your comment some thought. Thank you for looking.
posted by DMelanogaster at 9:44 AM on May 22, 2010


There are a zillion agent blogs out there you can look up for discussions of agent-hood. You should check submission policies of individual agencies to see what they're looking for and how. 3 chapters and an outline seems pretty standard, but, like I said, double-check, and have the completed novel ready in case you get a nibble (and make damn sure your outline is good -- it's a separate art from writing the rest of your book.)

Anway, in general, agents accept and read unsolicited proposals, and getting turned down by two agents (even with some sort of introduction) is probably more typical than not.
posted by Zed at 9:52 AM on May 22, 2010 [1 favorite]


To just answer your question, yes, agents certainly represent writers who "cold-query" them without any referral or personal relationship. Surveys I've read suggest that many agents get from a third to half of their clients this way, and I have also personally gotten an offer from an agent I'd never met and had no "in" with. You will probably have to send a lot of queries, and you will probably have more luck with agents who are relatively new and actively building a client list than with someone who's the head of a major agency and already has all the business she can handle. There may also be some useful advice for you in this recent thread about getting an agent.
posted by unsub at 10:19 AM on May 22, 2010


er, actually they usually like to be queried first (and check their submission guidelines for what the query should look like) and then they may or may not ask for 3 chapters and outline (typically.) Sorry -- typing got ahead of my brain.
posted by Zed at 10:24 AM on May 22, 2010


Best answer: micawber, I'm really asking if I should submit to agents without a personal connection. Does anybody read the manuscripts submitted in that way? ("over the transom") I wasn't complaining about the two rejections. I was just saying that I used up my contacts.

Yes.

I'm currently undergoing the query process for a YA fantasy novel. I've contacted about 30 agents, unsolicited, and at least had a few ask to see part of my manuscript (two fulls still out; oh god, the waiting). I wouldn't have been able to do this without the agent blogs that Zed referred to. Query Shark is one; Nathan Bransford is another. I'd also highly, highly recommend the forums at absolute write. Join, but lurk for awhile, reading up on their "query letter hell" section of their "share your work" forum. This will help you see how and how not to approach query letter writing.

Then check out querytracker.net to search for agents in your genre who are accepting unsolicited queries. Read agent interviews and descriptions of what they want--both in terms of manuscripts and query letters--closely. Feel free to MeMail me if you want some query letter feedback. I'm always glad to take a look.

And get started on another novel while you're doing all of this. There's always the possibility that no one will bite on this manuscript (I'm starting to entertain that notion, myself), but remember: it's not a rejection of you, but of your project. There's no reason not to have another project in the works if you're serious about this writing thing.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 10:34 AM on May 22, 2010 [9 favorites]


I agree with finding a fair but tough non-friend to read and critique, attempting another edit, and then doing some research and finding lots and lots of agents who market work similar to yours.

I realize after 14 years it's tough not to be both attached to your novel as it is and tired of working with it! Serious kudos to you for actually writing a book; someone once told me that the difference between an aspiring novelist and a novelist is that the latter actually sits down every day and puts her words on the page. Not many people have the fortitude to do that.

I read some chick-lit, but not a lot (and nothing I would characterize as psychoanalytic chick-lit), so I may not be your intended audience, but if you want my feedback (just one opinion): the very first line pulled me in, but Dr. Engelhardt's response and the rest of the dialogue (there weren't quotation marks, so I'm thinking it's imagined?) after it pushed me away. It seemed a little too unrealistic--which you can get away with in nonfiction ("but it really did happen!"), but not in fiction--even if it was just Dr. Engelhardt's fantasy about how she wanted things to turn out for Catherine. It would be like you having a daydream about getting published by walking up to the counter at Barnes & Noble and handing your manuscript over to the clerk. You would never daydream that because you have enough knowledge of the field to know that's not the way even the most unexpected big breaks happen; Dr. Engelhardt, in my imagination, would be fantasizing about giving Catherine a brilliant insight about herself, and Catherine saying "God, I never saw it that way before," and having Catherine go home and get a little stronger each day. She'd know better than to think that the idea of going shopping at Barney's could turn Catherine right from a person who seriously thinks she has nothing to live for into a person who can't imagine thinking that, in the space of a few minutes.

I know this is a lot of thought about a small thing, but I think it will be very important to get this first bit just right. The opening needs to be as close to flawless as you can get it. You want the agents to read past it, but more importantly to be influenced by its greatness. A bad opening can cast a shadow on the rest of a chapter; a good opening can get people to forgive or accept a lot of things they might have been on the fence about otherwise.
posted by sallybrown at 10:39 AM on May 22, 2010


Another way of going about this is to buy a book like "Guide to Literary Agents" and creating a spreadsheet with the agents who might be good fits for your book. The 2010 edition of the book also comes with a subscription to WritersMarket.com (I'll be more than happy to send you mine once my novel is published ;) )

Generally, it seems to be true that connections will allow you to get your foot in an agent's door but there are ways to create such networks. You can join local writers groups, attend conferences or try to build relationships online with people who might be able to help
posted by Nemo Niemand at 11:52 AM on May 22, 2010


Response by poster: I really really appreciate these answers. The criticism of my writing seems dead-on. Obviously after all these years I can't hear the damned thing anymore. That beginning is about the 50th one I've written.

And I also appreciate the advice about networking and getting an agent.
posted by DMelanogaster at 2:28 PM on May 22, 2010


Obviously after all these years I can't hear the damned thing anymore. That beginning is about the 50th one I've written.

Yeah, how come someone hasn't invented some machine to let us read our own writing as though it were someone else's? I guess that's what writing groups are for, but I still wish I didn't usually feel blind to my own words. It's the most frustrating thing about writing.

If it will help, here are things I particularly liked:
-"rub the length of her body against my bare legs"--something about saying "the length of her body" instead of just "her body" made it really cat-like, great
-the four lines of dialogue starting with "If it's upsetting, why don't you sound upset?" where you have Dr. Engelhardt and Harold do this quick psychologist-couple dance that's very comic and also rang true, like they have these typical couples' counseling discussions in miniature all the time because they're so well versed in the technique of it, but it's unclear whether they really mean what they know so well how to say, if that makes sense. Funny and sad and mysterious.
-"'I understand,' I said, and it was almost true." Great job letting the narrator describe herself, establishing that we're hearing her true voice, which builds our trust in her and helps elucidate her relationship with her husband.
-"I washed down a pill with some flat Diet Sprite." I liked that even though I usually think brand names can bring in associations better left out. The specificity and slight grossness of that detail works really well there. I can taste it.
-"A bloated man in a tuxedo appeared on the screen." I love this detail.
posted by sallybrown at 2:56 PM on May 22, 2010 [1 favorite]


I, an unknown debut author, got my agent on an "over-the-transom" query, on the basis of a query letter that was well-targeted. Said agent ended up representing my book...and it didn't sell. But my second one did (non-fiction, FWIW, but agents do acquire fiction and are actively acquiring fiction, contrary to a lot of the hysteria you'll hear everywhere and anywhere of late; my point is that I am agented utterly without fabulous contacts), and it's coming out this fall.

My advice basically echoes PhoB's. Learn from others who have tread the path before you. Get outside feedback from a beta reader (here's one new place to find a critique partnre). Most of all, focus on writing the best book you can and you won't have to worry about who you're connected to. Finishing a book is one of the hardest things in the world, so give yourself credit for your accomplishment and don't get too down on yourself if it doesn't sell...just about every author I know has about 20 trunked novels hanging around.
posted by mynameisluka at 8:30 PM on May 22, 2010 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Pay a vicious professional manuscript editor to line edit your work, because this sample, as it stands, is not going to get you an agent or a publisher.

There are many people who do this for writers seeking representation, and if you choose one who is already an agented writer, you will have made a connection with someone in a position to personally recommend you if they feel your work is worth it. You can expect to pay between $30 and $50 an hour, or you can join a workshop circle and get some peers to help you.

You have written a book! This is a great thing to have done. Lots of people say they want to, or say they're going to, but you have actually done it. You can work with what you've got to make it much better. I encourage you to keep at this. Even if it never sells, you will learn a lot by disassembling it and rebuilding it.

I absolutely do not say this to pick at you or hurt your feelings, but I can tell you exactly what would make me stuff this back in the envelope. The sample you've put up has a lot of flabby exposition 1, some scene-setting that says you wrote it 14 years ago (or are 14 years behind) 2 and an unorthodox structure, which requires the reader to be able to trust your ability to get information across, which is not currently warranted 3. It is also too small, at 1500 words without synopsis, for me to be able to assess whether you have a structurally sound house with an ugly front door, or a pile of lumber from which something might be built.

1 "Abigail, with borderline personalities, something horrible's always happening," said Harold. "Come on, you know her history better than I did -- the mood swings, impulsive behavior, prostitution--" "Please don’t list her symptoms. Not now." is the same as "Rod, as you know, Poland fell to the Nazis in 1939, leaving thousands in terror, poverty, and upheaval for the next six years!" ""Yes, Don, and the Sudetenland, the history of which is difficult to separate from that of Bohemia, was also annexed!"
2 "ballet flats" "Barney's" "latte" Are we supposed to think Engelhardt is this specific about banality? Does she also drive a BMW? This is bad, and it is 1996 bad. Its 2006 equivalent would be dropping in the words "Manolos" "Anthropologie" and "matcha". In 2016, maybe it's tarsal implants, the Pituiweb, and soy mist.
3 "I missed the intubations of the new formulation this morning and some of the litters apparently displayed an unusual type of cardiac arrhythmia. I have to supervise the next set of procedures or we might lose all the data." You could be saying "Science! Science, science, because I'm a scientist. Science!" Does this person really need to sign the death certificate?

posted by Sallyfur at 12:04 AM on May 23, 2010 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: Sallyfur, I wanted to comment about your footnotes, which are great:

you point to a basic problem in my writing -- or at least my writing in this novel -- tone.

As she says "ballet flats, Barney, etc." I am picturing the tongue-and-cheek style of the Coen brothers. Same thing with the science science science.

I'm not writing this stuff in deadly seriousness. However the death of the patient etc. IS deadly serious.

So I have a number of tones going on at the same time, which could be great, except -- it isn't.

I guess, given the responses.

If you think about e.g. The Sopranos (tv series), one scene can be very funny and broad, pointing to cartoonish ethnic stereotypes and the next scene can be deadly serious, with the characters appearing much more nuanced and human.

I can't really say that that's what I was "going for," because at the time of writing this I wasn't conscious of that, but, if it worked, that's what it would be like.

The point is -- the whole "ballet flats" thing and the "science! I'm a scientist!" and even the too-deliberate exposition stuff -- well I'm aware that that's what's going on. But I guess my readers would have to be aware that I'm aware, and obviously they're (you're) not, so, in sum: I suck.

Moving ahead.
posted by DMelanogaster at 9:58 AM on May 26, 2010


I wouldn't say suck, but yeah, if it was meant for dry wit from the characters, it isn't quite showing through in the sample you put up.

Part of this is that whatever you show the reader first is going to be what they calibrate their wit-o-meter to, so you might get a better rapport by starting with the nuanced and human part.
posted by Sallyfur at 1:08 PM on May 27, 2010


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