Guest Blogger: Agent Susannah Taylor
February 17th, 2007 by LaDonna
I’ve been an avid collector of quotes for years. No one can remind you of the important things like a great wit. As I am not a great wit, I’ve chosen a few of my favorite quotes to illustrate a few salient points.
“Times are bad. Children no longer obey their parents and everyone is writing a book.” Cicero
There are many, many, many days when I think that Cicero had it right. At least about the books. As someone who reads thousands of queries a year, I can tell you that the only way to stand out (in a good way!) is to let your individual perspective and voice come through. So many projects get rejected because I’ve seen the same hook or plot over and over again. It may seem the safe bet to model your work on an established concept, but instead it’s one of the quickest ways to guarantee a rejection.
“The first page sells this book. The last page sells the next book.” Jill Barnett
I love the pithy way Jill Barnett sums up the importance of consistent quality in a manuscript. I see a lot of polished, pacey fifty page partials. Unfortunately, too many of the manuscripts don’t match the level achieved in the partial. It’s important to take the extra time and effort to craft the complete manuscript. If the reader (whether a book buyer or publishing professional) fell in love with the style of the first fifty pages, that’s what they want and expect from the full.
“The difference between fact and fiction is that fiction has to make sense.” Tom Clancy
One of my biggest pet peeves is when something in a book doesn’t make sense. It’s hard, when you have the full story in your head, to make sure every action and word flows logically from the plot and not the denouement–but you have to do it. Fiction has to be written with a superior sense of clarity and logic. Nothing can be taken for granted or be assumed because you are the only source of information the reader has.
“Don’t compromise yourself, you’re all you’ve got.” Janis Joplin
Keeping the market in mind makes excellent business sense. But the market doesn’t determine who you are as a writer–you do. Don’t abandon your strengths because they’re ‘not hot’. Writers who are successful both financially and artistically find ways to match their style with the demands of the market.
“Have no fear of perfection-you’ll never reach it.” Salvado Dali
Isn’t that a wonderfully bitchy quote? I understand how tempting it can be to give that manuscript one more revision. Unfortunately, it’s too easy to lose the focus of a work with constant tinkering. Every time you revise, have a specific goal and always keep your original vision of the work in mind. This is where the prep work you did at the beginning (an outline, detailed synopsis or a collage) can pay dividends.
“Honesty is the hardest thing to get and the hardest thing to take.” Anon
Take heart, agents and editors know that each manuscript has an emotional value to the writer. That said, it’s our job to give honest comments and advice on how to make your work the best piece of fiction it can be. We don’t criticize with the intent of taking you down a notch or belittling your work. If a comment is offered at least give it a fair hearing. We’ve honed our skills by reading millions–ok, thousands– of manuscripts and partials. We actually know what we’re talking about most of the time.
“Be a rat with an island.”-Jenny Crusie
I especially love this quote because it’s so relevant to the romance writer and reader. After all, every time we pick up a romance aren’t we letting hope into our lives? We’re giving ourselves permission to want and believe in happy endings, no matter what is going on in our lives or the world. For writers, who so often work in a vacuum, it’s a wonderful reminder that hope has a tangible value and you should never apologize for your dreams.
(For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, take a look at Jenny Crusie’s blog for the background to those rats with islands.)
Happy writing!
Susannah
www.richh.addr.com
18 Responses to “Guest Blogger: Agent Susannah Taylor”
Susannah, I loved your blog! Your comments on the Anon quote are right on. Your name is still at the top of my dream agent list!
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for such a wonderful quotes, and the great advice. I just read about Crusie’s rats, and the timing was perfect – thanks for sharing.
Susannah, that was a fantastic blog, thank you. I particularly loved your Janice Joplin quote.
First, I’d like to say thanks for taking the time to break it down, because for me, the agent/editor world has been scarier than facing a needle in my eye.
Second, and more importantly, you’ve removed my fears/paranoia by defining the agents’/editors’ jobs. That what they really want is for the writer to realize their dreams.
Thanks for providing that important paving stone in my path toward realizing my dreams.
Susannah, this is a FABULOUS blog! You should do this as a workshop at RWA National. And thanks for the Jill Barnett tag. I’ve been saying that quote for a year, but I didn’t know who to attribute it to.
Great blog, Susannah. Those quotes are all right on. Loved the one by Tom Clancy. Ever so true. I write paranormal/futuristic and always try to take extra care with my world building. If I can draw a reader into my world … a world that exists solely in my head, I’m golden.
Thanks for the welcome ladies!
Edie-I believe we both got the Jill Barnett quote from an old issue of RWR.
Kathy Calarco-Rejections are inevitable in this business. The good thing is that every writer has some, which means they aren’t fatal to your career.
Thanks for the wonderful quotes, Susannah. Being a perfectionist at times, I especially like the one from Dali. It takes a load off my mind. Will I go with it? Well…some habits are hard to break, but I’m working on it.
Susannah,
Valuable wisdom that needs both saying and repeating.
Thanks for the reminders.
Joan
I have to admit, I’ve been remiss in searching for an agent. I’ve tried maybe five or six times and the rejects came fairly quickly, except one. The agent had the manuscript for a year and then told me to read Donald Maass’s book and make it bigger. And please query her again if I had anything else.
I haven’t done anything with the book.
I write for three publishers under two names and I’m so busy my head is spinning. And then a couple of months ago, the proverbial high concept came to me. My critique group immediately told me to save this WIP for a bigger house. Hence, I’m back to thinking about agents again. It’s so much harder for me to query an agent than a publisher…and while I would’ve never said I’m emotional about manuscript, I think this one might be different.
Thanks for the words of wisdom… Salvado Dali has always been an inspiration to me with his art…of everything you’ve written, I’ll think of this the most. And worry about Janis’s quote…and go find out about Jenny’s rats.
Thanks,
Brit Blaise
Knights of the Magical Realm: Warriors Gone Wild – Triskelion – 2007 EPPIE nominee
Wild Cowboy Domination – Triskelion – Mar ‘07
Wanton Warrior – Amber Quill – April ‘07
Thoroughly Mannerly Millicent – Avalon – April ‘07
When I entered my MFA program, I made friends with writer Fred Zackel. His first advice to me: Your first line sells your current book. Your last line sells your next book.
I always believed he was right. Thanks for reaffirming that Fred’s the savvy guy I always thought he was.
Brit-It’s important to lift your head up every once in a while,especially when you’re busy, to see where you are, if you’re happy with where you are, and where you want to be.
Your comments reminded me of one of my all-time favorite quotes;
“Leap and the net will appear.” Orson Welles
I think it’s telling that Orson doesn’t say the net will CATCH you. Still, the point is to to change. Change is inevitable and it’s really a choice of changing at your impetus or changing at someone else’s impetus.
Now may not be the right time to change for you, only you can decide that. But keep on asking yourself the questions.
Susan-Hmmm…Great minds think alike?
Susannah, your comment is in reply to Brit, but it resonates with me. I’m learning to embrace change and I’ve doing a lot of free fall jumping. It helps to have great CPs to my break my fall.
I jumped! I just spend the morning sending email queries. This is always hard for me. I’m published with Amber Quill through their Heat Wave Contest…Triskelion approached me through one of their authors and I pitched to Erin at RWA. None of the previous experiences were a trial, not cold-call queries. I’d say… what can it hurt, but trust me, I can always find ways to embarrass myself with ease and usually get a good laugh.
Edie and Brit-Good for you!
I wish you both all the best.
Hi, Susannah! I really enjoyed your post–particularly your comments about revisions. I definitely think it’s easy for writers to get lost in a revision fog. Having specific goals in mind can make that hard process so much easier.
Hi Susannah,
Thanks for a great blog. *Lifting my hand up* for the lost in the revisions fog, comment. Since revisions are my favorite part of the process, I often get lost in the fog.