Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
Location: Monterey, Calif., planning our Books & Such clients’ retreat
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about how important it is for an author to understand the culture of a publishing house or the culture of a literary agency. What do I mean by culture?
I’m not talking about Beethoven or a fine wine. I’m talking about what distinguishes one publisher from another or one literary agency from another. It’s not that entity’s business plan or even its employees that form the culture. It’s who that company is.
People who happily work at one publishing house would languish in a pool of despond at another. Agents who function as a unit in one agency would be odd man out in a different agency. The culture of a company is what makes the difference.
As I think about various publishing houses I’ve worked with, I can identify their culture, even though it never has been explained to me. One publisher has a culture of disrespect for authors. Phone calls aren’t returned, authors languish in need of attention, contracted manuscripts aren’t read on a timely basis, employees are indifferent to authors’ opinions of titles and covers. What makes this a culture isn’t that one or two employees behave this way, but almost every employee does. And they enjoy working in the environment that publisher has created; it works for them. They’re a laid back and relaxed group of people.
Another publisher has a culture that I would describe as not only respectful to authors but also as seeing the authors as family members. Once you’re published by this publisher, the employees feel a significant responsibility to see your material sell well. If it doesn’t, the employees contemplate what they could do differently to make the material work–recover the project, retitle it, let it rest for a season and then come back at selling it again. As is true for the other publisher, the employees here tend to stay for many years, happy in their jobs and the expectations the publisher has of them.
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BREAKING NEWS. After writing this post, I learned that HarperCollins has purchased Thomas Nelson Publishing, causing the potential for huge culture clash between its three Christian divisions: Zondervan, Thomas Nelson and HarperOne. See my comment below.
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Literary agencies have cultures as well. One agency might label itself as the “premiere” agency, basing its identity on the number of best-sellers it has represented. Its culture is to sell each project for the highest dollar that can be squeezed out of a publisher and then to move on to another publisher if those significant advances aren’t earned back. The idea is to make as much money for the author and for the agency on every project without thought to the long-term affect.
Another agency might concentrate on the long haul for each client and be more invested in building a career by working toward increased advances that both the publisher and the author believe are highly likely to earn out. That results in a win-win situation, with the author staying at the same publishing house for a long time and living off of both advances and royalties rather than just advances.
See what I mean? An editor could work happily at one publishing house and be in a slough of depression at another if the culture doesn’t match. And an agent could work productively at one agency and be viewed as a failure at the other because the agent’s work style doesn’t match the agency’s culture.
What does that mean for you as a writer? When you consider publishing houses and agents you submit your work to, ask yourself what kind of culture do you want to be a part of. There is no one right answer. Some writers long to be with an agency that is considered a “shark.” Others want to be in an agency that takes a longer view of a writer’s career.
For the record, Books & Such is the latter type of agency. We’re all about career planning, wanting each book to earn back its advance, and creating a family environment among our clients. As a matter of fact, today I’m in Monterey working with the Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa event coordinator and Wendy Lawton to map out our bi-annual retreat for our clients. Our “culture” is to bring our clients together so they get to know each other, learn from each other, and help one another to figure out how to map a way forward in the increasingly complex jungle of publishing. Many other agencies would never bring their clients together; that isn’t their culture. The agents in those agencies tend to be competitive rather than collaborative, and they want to see that same spirit reflected in their clients.
Over the years of working at various publishers, I learned what type of culture suited me and what type imprisoned me. When I went to job interviews, I figured out what kinds of questions to ask that helped me to understand that employer’s culture. I didn’t always read the signs correctly, but I learned from my mistakes as well as from the choices that put me in happy places.
Here are some of the questions I asked (altered slighted to apply to writers) that could help you to determine the culture of a publishing house or an agency:
- Do you see your workplace as hierarchial, collegial, or highly individualistic?
- When the staff have meetings, what form do those meetings take–give-and-take; dispensing information from key sources; or reporting on results?
- How do you involve authors in decisions on their projects such as titles, covers and marketing?
- In what ways do you plan with authors to help them to grow their careers?
- When an author publishes with you, do you view the contract as we’ll-see-how-this-goes-and-then-decide-what-to-do, or do you look for authors you think could publish with you long-term?
You’ve probably had some culture shock experiences of your own. If so, what did you learn to look for in future relationships?
If you’re looking to form those publishing relationships, what questions have you found insightful to ask?
Janet, as soon as the thought popped into my head, “What questions should an author ask an interested publisher to determine their culture?” you provided them. Helpful, helpful, helpful. This is a subject I’ve thought on a lot the past year or so, and I’ve glimpsed these differences in houses through the experiences of published authors and others in the business I know personally. I just lacked a word for it until now.
Lori, I’m glad I could help not only to provide a word for that illusive “something” that defines a company but also some questions for you to try to ferret out just what a place’s culture is. Thanks for your comment.
Great questions. I didn’t sign with an agent when I received my contracts with Heartsong Presents because I hadn’t figured out where I would fit best. I decided I’d rather have no agent than sign with the wrong person. I’ve recently learned how important it can be to have a good agent on your side. When the next book is ready, I’ll definitely begin the search for an agent. It’s still difficult to gauge things like culture from the outside, but this post gives me some things to look for in an agency.
The biggest culture shock I’ve experienced was when I
joined the Air Force in ’03. There was a lot to get used to,
such as waiting for approval to leave the country on my
honeymoon, which came in at the last minute. At that
moment, I realized how “owned” I was. My experience
active duty caused me to grow personally and professionally
in so many ways, and I’m so grateful for it.
This was a great post. Each of us are affected by and
contribute to our work culture. And although reaping
the benefits of a positive work culture is desirable,
it’s a two way street. Thanks for the great post!
Creativity. That is what I have found to be the one of the most important factors in a publisher. In a crowded market all elements of the publishing strategy need to have something unique that sets your product apart; for example, a creative cover to catch the wandering reader in the book store, creative approach to marketing on a budget, and a culture which encourages clients to not be afraid of writing what they are capable of writing. Doing otherwise builds resentment and hostility, which is no way to conduct any relationship, much less one which is so public.
Wise words, Janet. I’ve been involved with writing long enough to begin to see your descriptions play out in some real situations. I’ve been fortunate enough to avoid the bad cultures, but it’s distressing to realize that, even in the area of Christian writing and publishing, they exist.
Thanks for sharing.
Excellent post, Janet. In my new relationship with Books & Such, I’ve found everything you said to be true. I’m thankful for an agency that looks at the big picture and is looking to develop my writing into a career rather than a one-book wonder. Thank you for that!
As a middle-grade/YA writer in the early stages of seeking an agent, I very much appreciate this piece. It’s one I’ll save and refer to often. Thank you, Ms. Grant.
Because of Christ,
Sharon
I’m kind of relieved by the notion that different cultures exist in the publishing world. It creates a greater determination to find that “fit” and thrive. And allows me to shrug off the idea that I must be a “shark” (so not my style) to make this career work.
Thanks for the valuable insight, Janet.
Color me so proud to be your client . . . to be in the Books & Such family. We are blessed by the culture you fine ladies have established. Thank you!
Speaking of publishing cultures, I just learned that Harper Collins has bought Thomas Nelson. So Harper now owns Zondervan, HarperOne and Thomas Nelson–and all three of these Christian publishing venues have very different cultures. It’s mind-boggling to me to think about what Harper will do to bring any kind of synergy to this mix. Should Harper have read my blog post first? Well, this will be something to watch…
Well said Mona. I also am blessed to be part of the Books & Such family. This special culture is defined not only by the agents but by the writers they choose to represent as well. There is a true spirit of collaboration, mentoring and encouragement.
So much of the culture is hard to observe from the outside. I knew Books & Such was my dream agency for years due to observations at writers conferences and talk from other writers, but I didn’t realize how fabulous it was until I became a client. I feel spoiled.
As for my publisher, that was a happy accident! I submitted to Revell because my book seemed like a good fit with their line-up. I had no idea how blessed I was. They treat their debut authors with the same respect and care as their bestselling authors. I know it’s a contractual, conditional business relationship, but it does feel like family.
Coming from a journalism background and having to do advertising through ghostwriting just to get the next job, my “culture” wore off. To the point my answer to a question like, “How much is two plus two?” was, “How much do you want it to be?” While it always got me the job, it landed me in some very uncomfortable work places. Not to mention an identity crisis that led to questions like, “Am I a real writer, or aren’t I? Am I just fooling myself?”
During one of those internal spats, advice like, “Write what’s on your heart” seemed about as helpful as “Show don’t tell,” and I couldn’t see the relevancy. Real world stuff, and all that. But i had a secret life going, writing quirky novels on the side. I had to do that to get through, or I would have gone crazy during those years. I sent the manuscripts out once in a while, but they were rejected. Usually with comments like, “This lady should see a psychiatrist.”
Then I stumbled onto a company that liked my quirky ladies. Which would have made me happy enough, except I also discovered I would be working with nearly a hundred other authors that seemed like the most wonderful people in the world to me. I thought I found heaven. So, explaining it as “different cultures” really rings a bell with me. Because I think there are a few square holes in this world only a “square peg” will fit into. A place where round isn’t good enough.
What an affirming post this was — thank you!
Janet, I echo what several others have said here. I feel so incredibly blessed to be a Books and Such client! To know that your agency looks at the “bigger picture” concerning each client is indeed cause to celebrate!
(…Oh, and how long should I stand underneath the light before the logo on my Books and Such nightshirt begins to glow in the dark? It’s been a while since conference and my legs are getting tired. *Kidding* 🙂
Thank you, Janet. I think some writers are so desperate to get published that they’ll take all and any scraps thrown their way instead of discerning what’s best for them. I confess that sometimes, I’m “some writers.” But I’m learning—one step, one mistake, one success at a time. Posts like this one are an important part of my learning curve.
Thanks to each of you for your comments describing how the idea of a culture for a publishing house and for an agency resonated with you. Brad, I learned about culture mostly through personal experience. My good choices and unfortunate choices taught me a lot. But we can learn by observing, too. Or by reading blog posts. Thankfully.
Cynthia, don’t know how those nightshirts ended up so glowy on our group shot. Mine has emitted no such light since then. I think the shirts were all so happy to be brought together they all beamed. Well, we were beaming to be together too.
Great post, Janet. Thanks for this.
I’ve been thinking a lot about culture lately, especially with respect to Christian organizations.
I’m coming to think that culture is the sum of everybody’s character within the organization. Immoral or immature character development hurts the culture. It plays out in how authors, clients, and customers are treated. It shows a concern (or lack of concern) for people…
Anyhoo, I commend you for the culture you have created at Books and Such… a testament to you and your team’s high character.
Blessings.
Bill
So glad I checked back today to see your comments on the Harper/Thomas Nelson/Zondervan news. Interesting!
And what Brad said about waiting and discerning what’s best for us…I think sometimes God does that for us in the form of rejection letters. Maybe He shuts some doors because there are more appropriate paths down the road a bit?