Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
A misconception writers have about agents is that, when a client submits a proposal, the agent downloads it, adds his/her contact info to the submission and blasts it out that same day to every even-vaguely possible editor. Speaking for myself (and the other agents at Books & Such)…not so much.
Here’s what I do to prepare a proposal for submission:
- Make sure the author used our agency’s template. Yup, all of our proposals have a specific look and format. We want editors to recognize the distinctive look of our proposals. That’s payoff for years of working hard to establish a strong reputation of sending viable and targeted projects to editors. If my client doesn’t want to fuss with taking the time
to put the proposal in that format, ultimately said client is asking me to do that work. And while I know how to quickly create the headers and toss other easy stuff into the mix, some aspects of our proposals require a lot of thought about how to present THIS project. Sometimes I can spend hours moving proposal pieces around to highlight the idea and the author’s strong points. And the client who has decided to use her own idea of what a proposal should look like, including all sorts of bells, whistles and other doo-dads…it could take me weeks to shift through all the glitter to get to the gold. - Think through how to tell what the project is in the most compelling way possible. I’m pretty critical when it comes to how the manuscript is presented: Does the proposal provide a strong hook for the book; is the book’s description clear, succinct, yet compelling; has the author shown why the book will appeal to the selected audience; is the project’s title and subtitle the best possible?
- Dig into the detail. What about grammar, punctuation and spelling errors (you’d be surprised how often well-known potential endorsers’ names are misspelled); does the marketing section stand up to scrutiny; has the author showcased where he/she is strong in social media; are obvious titles listed in the competitive section; is the competitive section a true examination of what makes this project unique or does it skim over the top in a pretense of looking at the competition?
- Add the author’s past sales figures. Many clients don’t keep track of each title’s sales history. If I were an author, I’d turn into a cranky accountant when it came to these numbers because they foretell much about the agent’s ability to garner a new contract, but many writers seem to prefer not to know. Fine. I add these numbers in since the editors need them and will ask for them if I leave them out. If I were an editor, I’d suspect the numbers aren’t good since they aren’t being given up voluntarily.
- Make sure the author has highlighted the most relevant aspects of his/her bio. Reading bios in proposals is a reminder that we tend to be inept when it comes to writing about ourselves. Clients frequently don’t know what’s important to put in a bio or the order in which to present the material (and, surprisingly, the correct name of awards they’ve won).
- Envision how the idea unfolds through the synopsis or chapter summaries. If the book’s idea feels helter-skelter, the proposal will need to go back to the client for some additional thinking. I’ll make suggestions of what might work better, or how to use the organizing principle in a way that isn’t as heavy-handed, etc.
- Are the chapters in tiptop shape? If the writing isn’t ready, then in essence, nothing is ready. The proposal heads back to the writer for additional work based on my comments.
Now, aren’t you glad I didn’t just whip that proposal on over to a long list of editors? If even a small percentage of these aspects of a proposal aren’t ready, my client and I are begging the editor to turn down the project.
Every proposal I send out involves, at minimum, hours of work on my part; some involve days; others weeks. And many pass between my client and me several times. The process of readying a proposal, like many aspects of publishing, requires patience, diligence and dogged determination to get it right.
As I often tell my clients:
You only have one chance to get a yes from an editor. Don’t squander it.
Which part of the proposal is hardest for you? Which part is the easiest?
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The comparable titles are difficult for me. I understand that I am trying to find the group of people who would love my book. Are they kids that read My Friend Flicka, Harry Potter, FableHaven, The Star in the Storm, The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe, The Magic Bicycle, and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever? Great, I’ve found my comparable titles…right? OK, but some of these titles are too popular to mention and some of them are too obscure? Also, some of the titles don’t appear similar enough. Now what? How do I find that magic middle, popular but not too much so. Similar to what I write…but different. It is harder than it looks, I’m finding.
Kristen, when you have disparate titles your comparing your book to, it can work if you put the titles into categories: classic YA, little-known YA, etc. Whatever major connection between your manuscript and the one you’re comparing it to become the category. As long as you explain what makes your title like/not like the one you’re comparing it to, it’s okay to pick classics.
Interesting post, Janet, and I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving.
* I can’t really say anything meaningful. I’ve written two proposals; one was vetted by a mentor, but I received no feedback from an agent on the proposals themselves.
Andrew, as long as no one who read the proposal came back and gave some response that made you think, Well, that’s not accurate, then you probably did a good job of showcasing what the manuscript was about.
Which part? Hmmm, the synopsis… and the rest of it.
Comp titles were hard, but mostly because the whole “Native American man survives a prison camp then gets sold as a slave” comparative novels was kinda scarce.
I am VERY thankful to have the Books and Such template!
*were
Jennifer, I think most novelists struggle with the synopsis…how to tell the story succinctly but fetchingly.
That’s why agents are so important! 🙂 Writers need help, guidance. It’s hard to know if your doing what you need to do properly. Should I dig deeper here? Should I be more creative here? You know you can do it … but sometimes you need to be pointed in the right direction. Have your strengths and weaknesses pointed out by a trusted professional.
The hardest part? Handing my baby over to an agent and humbly accepting said agent’s advice with grace and gratitude. Sometimes it is hard to navigate between “I can do this. I CAN write a book!” and “I need all the help I can get!” But the truth is, I do need all the help I can get. That’s why I hang out here.
Shirlee, I know it’s hard to labor over a proposal only to have an agent or editor not scale large buildings to sign you up. People who envision writers lolling about and snacking on bonbons just don’t know. Well, the chocolate part might be accurate.
Chocolate, indeed. I just sat down with my laptop and a few M&Ms! All of which are manufactured within smelling distance of my workplace. Which explains why I crave chocolate as I walk from my car to my office 🙂
I would be really surprised if you were just a traffic officer. That would be out of character completely. You are too thorough and professional to do that, but I wouldn’t either. As much as we sell our work to you and have to get through loops to get to the top of the pile, so you face competition with the publisher and need to get to the top of their pile. I suspect that, even then, editorial reviews and business considerations come into play to assess a project against factors like the prevailing market wave, opportunity costs, risk factors and so on. I would suspect an MS has to be sold right through the line and hold up to scrutiny before it gets the final green. That brings perspective to the respect and humility needed in the phase over which we have the greatest influence …. the query letter and submission. The higher the quality, the more ground it can concede as it is cut down by the many trials it must yet face. I can also, given the challenges, see why a doubtful starter needs to be set aside as early in the process as possible, in deference to the agent-publisher relationship and other works in the works.
Peter, you’re absolutely right that a project can be shot down at any point before landing a contract–even if the publishing committee likes it, but the projected sales are inadequate. Then everyone walks away from the deal disappointed it didn’t work out. Among other issues that neither the author nor the agent can predict is if a publishing house has a contracted project that’s too close to the one submitted. That’s a case of bad timing, which is an unpredictable element in the process.
The dreaded “S” word. The synopsis. I struggle with the synopsis. And waiting for a reply is hard, too.