Our guest literary agent explains what he wants from a manuscript submission. It may surprise you...
Once I get through the hyperbole and overblown salesmanship of most covering letters, it is all about my relationship to the prose.
In the case of fiction (which it usually is) I am looking for a voice. Simple as that.
I am not so concerned about plot or setting to begin with – I just want to feel that I am setting off on a journey with a writer who just for one moment or two can grab me, make me forget I am reading a book and who might just might change my perception of the world around me.
A great writer can accomplish all that and more in a paragraph. Think of the opening of Catcher in the Rye or Great Expectations and you are totally drawn in as a reader. If a writer’s prose is bland, derivative or just plain clumsy, then I won’t read beyond the first page. If I get beyond that then I want narrative. Big time.
In a world where we are bombarded with micro-messages, greatest hits and tweet-sized chunks, I am convinced that all we yearn for is to be taken back to those bedtimes when we were nicely tucked up and having a wonderful story being read to us. ‘In the beginning there was a Princess who lived in a castle in the middle of an enchanted forest...’.
So basically if you want me to keep reading your work (and maybe even take it on) I want the simple conditions to be met:
- spell my name right
- check my website and see that I actually am looking for your kind of writing
- write me a letter that makes you sound great but not so arrogant that working with you will be a nightmare
- be the creator of sparkling life-changing prose, and
- take me on a wonderful journey somewhere with your narrative.
Get it? Got it? Good. Now back to the enchanted wood and the Princess...
Yours,
Grumpy Old Agent*
*Grumpy Old Agent is Simon Trewin, CEO of Simon Trewin Creative: Literary and Media Rights Agency. He tweets as @TrewinAgency and is currently open to submissions.
P.S. I was generalizing when I said that Harry Potter is about a teenage boy. It's about so much more, but that's a book of its own, let alone a post.
All best!
Well, let's go in chronological order of posts and replies.
"Response to the post of the Grumpy Old Agent", said she with a smile...
I agree that the opening paragraph and page should pull a reader in faster than a black hole.
As far as the points that 'a writer seeking an agent' are concerned, they make sense. I think that it is immensely important to write the name of the agent properly.
Imagine if your book was out there being printed as we speak and your name was misspelled on the jacket of the book!!! And why would you send your book out there to an agent if you think it is less than perfect?
I would be ashamed to send it out unpolished and in the peak of perfection.
A response to reply of michaeldakin...
"Does that mean that they can be arrogant as long as they know their place at the end of the day?"
How do I even begin to comment this?
Let's start that we must have understood the lines from the post completely differently. I understood them like this;
That the writer should be confident but also aware of his own personality traits and everything concering the work, so to say. I agree with michaeldakin that the post sounds as if it was written after a very bad day, but so what? It's a reminder that agents are only human. And a small thing, people shouldn't judge, cause the reply to the original post doesn't sound so well-intended either.
Second bad reaction. It's all about money?!?!
Okay, I'll play along and admit that money plays a big role in everyone's life, especially in a career, but it still isn't the thing that makes the world go around. Sorry to disappoint anyone, but I've checked. It's my friend, Zeus, that does the planet-evolving thingy.
I don't think it is necessary for people to be asked "why they write"-- I think that all the stuff necessary right now are just okay. It gives the agent a glimpse into the mind of the writer, be it through the covering letter or through the first three chapters. The point in publishing business is not to make friends but to publish books of excellent quality (something which certain publishers neglected recently...)
With regard to the taste of michaeldakin --- I am glad that people can still enjoy good literature. But in that process, people tend to get a wee bit exclusive. Just because Tolstoy is amazing, it doesn't mean that J.K.Rowling is horrible or whatever opinion one might have of her, just because she didn't die of starvation or some illness. Thankfully, she wrote amazing series that I personally enjoy reading very much. Just because it's about a teenage boy doesn't make it any less good or any less thought-provoking.
But alas, that is why we all have different tastes.
At last, I agree with Ms Downing. Looking up things on blogs and various other sites and asking for advice are good things which can only improve writing skills and awareness of the writer.
Actually, I am thinking of starting a blog, just to hone my writing skills and have a sort of portfolio...
All best to everyone!
Until the next time.
I think eight thousand words and a synopsis would enable agents to decide if the work has potential, if it captivates their interest concerning voice, premise and resolution (just my opinion).
I agree voice cannot be taught, but it's said it can be learned by writing more and more.