Category: Professional Network

How I got an Agent

5/31/2016

How I got an agent…
So, how did this happen? What led me to sign with this particular agency? Who did I know (because you have to have contacts in this industry!)?

Well, like a lot of stories, it starts kind of randomly. I was at NorWesCon, and I’d just gotten out of a panel, and I was waiting for the next one on my list to start. Across the hall, two guys were talking about the changes in the publishing industry, and new genres that one of them was interested in, including fantasy and urban fantasy. Well, I just so happen to write in that genre, so I deftly joined their conversation. Somewhere along the way, we all traded business cards, and I learned exactly who I was talking to: Trodayne Northern, from Prentis Literary, and Lawrence M Schoen, a Nebula nominee for science fiction. As we went on, I mentioned that business was so good for urban fantasy for me that I had out-earned Jim Hines last year, (but quickly pointed out that I hadn’t out-SOLD him). It was about here that we decided this conversation was a lot more interesting to us than whatever the panel was on, so we wandered over to one of the little sitting areas, commandeered a table and proceeded to talk about publishing, self-publishing and sales. At the end of things, Trodayne invited me to have dinner with him the next night so we could talk further, and I could meet the other two agents from Prentis.

So, the next night, I pitched some of my upcoming work over dinner, and they told me about what they had in mind to help capitalize on what I had already done to get me the best deal possible going forward. I’d already done my research on them, and I knew by then that they had represented Patricia Briggs. They asked to see some of my current work, and for something from my pipeline, which of course I sent them immediately. The thing was, as much as it actually was a business meeting over dinner, it also felt like I was having dinner with friends I’d also just happened to be doing business with for years. They answered a lot of my questions without me having to ask. I walked away feeling pretty positive about things.

So, NorWesCon came to a close, and I went home feeling pretty good about my career. And the truth was…I hadn’t shown up intending to pitch to an agent.

Over the next few weeks, we exchanged a few emails, as Trodayne and Leslie hit other conventions leading up to the Nebula awards in Chicago. Then, on a Wednesday afternoon as I was driving out of Springfield on my way to X-Con, my phone rings, and it’s Trodayne and Leslie. I pulled over to take that call, and got the news I think pretty much every author wants to hear: They wanted to represent me. We went over the details for a few more minutes, and I resumed my journey on cloud nine. I signed the contract a few days later, and made the announcement today. Now it’s starting to feel real.

There are a few things I’d like to mention.

First thing to remember here is that I didn’t come to the table with just a manuscript. When I showed up to NorWesCon in late March, I was already writing full time, with six books of my own across two series, and a seventh that was a spin-off from another successful series. I showed up with a solid base of readers and a track record of being able to earn with my work. I gave them a solid set of numbers to work with.

Second, while I showed up at NorWesCon with only one contact, I left with half a dozen. A lot of folks say it’s who you know in this business, and I think that knowing the right people can be extremely helpful. The thing is, a lot of folks also seem to think that if you don’t have contacts, you’re out of luck. The truth is, you can and will make them as you go. Just ask my friend Ronnie Virdi, who has recently made friends with Jim Butcher and Kevin J Anderson. So, yeah, contacts are important, but just because you don’t have them doesn’t mean you can’t make them. You just have to get out there and talk to people at conventions.

Finally, kind of a double point. Don’t give up hope and keep your options open. You never know who you might meet or what might happen. So keep your business cards with you, keep a quick pitch rehearsed and stay professional.

Trodayne Northern (l), Lawrence M. Schoen (c), Me (the dorky one on the right)

1 Comment
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6/5/2016 02:13:11 am
I agree with this article. I’ve read a lot of interview articles with the famous authors today and it was kind of similar to the one that was mentioned. You need to get yourself out there for someone to discover that you have the potential and the talent to immerse the readers of your book and that’s why you need to attend seminars like this one. I am a big fan of books and thankfully, my favorite authors have companies that can publish their works. I believe that it is the only thing for your book to be known by your targeted readers. It is really hard to live as an independent writer because you’re the only one who provides the money and you also need to work hard so that your work can be published. I will share this article to my aspiring writer-friend so she would be brave enough to join in a conversation that they all can relate with and maybe she would also get an agent in doing so.

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Building a Readership (The one thing I did right the first time)

1/15/2015

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In my last post, I talked about the costs of publishing a book as a response to how another author had invested her money and time in publishing a book of her own. In talking to Lisa, however, another topic came up, and that is in getting the best return on that investment. It has also been the subject of a couple of posts in other groups I participate in on FB.

Now, usually, I would tell you that my example is the last one you should follow because I tend to do everything either wrong or backwards the first time and only end up getting it right from sheer luck. Somehow, that’s worked out for me, but this is one thing that I think I got right the first time, even if it wasn’t by design.

The Obvious

I’ll start with the one thing that is pounded into us as writers from day one, to the point that it’s the First Commandment Of Publishing: Writeth thou a Good Book. It’s something we hear all the time, and it’s irritating. It’s one of those trite sounding clichés that sounds like you read it off a bumper sticker. But, it’s a cliché because it’s true. If you write a crappy book, no amount of marketing is going to build a readership for you because no one is going to have good things to say about your book, no matter what YOU say about it. This also falls under a point I’ll be making later. Now that part is out of the way...

Gilt by Association

Back in the Eighties, those halcyon days of big hair, big glasses and boom-boxes, I worked with a woman from Colorado while I was in the Air Force. Now, at the time, I was considered a nerd and a social misfit. I didn’t hang out at the NCO Club, I didn’t smoke or drink and I didn’t do small talk. So to my co-worker I was not associated with anything interesting. Back then I was also active in the SCA, so I would spend my weekends off camping with a bunch of other cool folks in funny clothes. One weekend, after an event, I came in to work to pick up something before I went home, still in the clothes I’d been wearing at a camping event. Almost immediately, Rene perked up and asked if I’d been camping. When I told her about the event I’d been to, she started talking to me about camping out in Colorado before she’d joined the military. Now, I had mentioned the SCA, and camping events, but until I walked in with my clothes smelling of woodsmoke, she had never associated me with camping. That one moment made the connection in her head, and suddenly, we had something in common, and my weekend hobby wasn’t quite as dorky to her.

What does this have to do with publishing?

Good question, I’m glad you asked. One of the first things I did when I started down the path to publish my first zombie book, Zompoc Survivor: Exodus, was to start talking to other fairly successful authors. Not schmoozing or fanboy praise, but actually talking to them. I asked questions, I talked up their books, talked TO them, and acknowledged their help publicly. Some people might think of this as networking, but I approached it as becoming part of a community. As zombie authors go, I’m sort of a freshman as far as semi-successful authors go, one of the new kids who is just getting my name known a little.

What that means to me is that on occasion, authors like Shawn Chesser and David Forsyth will engage with me or mention my name. And their readers see that. When I released ZS: Exodus in March of 2014, it was doing alright at first, but nothing special. Then, Shawn mentioned my book as a result of the release party I’d held online and my sales rocketed into the top 100 in my genre. I had become a part of the community that surrounds the zombie fiction genre, and people saw me as a good writer because of who I was associated with.

Which leads me to the next important point…

Truth In Advertising.

On the one hand, people say “Perception is reality.” To a certain extent, that’s true. If people see you as a good writer, they will expect you to be one. If they see you as a jerk, you’re going to have a hard time shaking that opinion.

That being said, if you paint yourself as the next Tolkien or Hemingway, and you’re really just a hack writer…no amount of marketing is going to fix the damage you’ve done to yourself. People hate being misled. Early on, my tendency was to under promise and over deliver. Writers are especially good about this, since we are constantly second-guessing our skills. Truth is, it’s the bad writers who praise their own work the most.

So, as a writer, if you hang out with successful people, make sure your work is the absolute best you can put out and try to avoid singing your own praises too loudly. Be genuine, try to stay humble, and try to deliver the best story you can to your readers. Don’t brag…well, not too much, anyway.

Make It Easy For Your Fans.

My first book was a write off from the moment I hit publish. I came at it thinking I might never make a lot of money from it because I started it off with a price of $.99 for the first month or so that it was out. My return on that book wasn’t money. My return on my first book was readers. It’s easy to look back at the number of books sold that first month and say “If I had priced it at $2.99, I would have made so much more money.” But I also know that if I had, I might not have sold as many books. I priced my book low to make it easier for readers to buy it. And they did.

Some folks will tell you that pricing a book low is a sure sign to readers that it’s not very good. I say that they are selling readers short. For an unknown author, a reader is going to buy a book on impulse if it appeals to them a whole lot faster if it’s cheap. For the reader it’s a low risk proposition. New author? Risk. New series? Risk. 99c price point? Not much lost. Buy now with One-Click.

If you’ve written a good book, you just made yourself a loyal fan. They just paid 99c for a book they would have happily paid $2.99 for, so to them, they got a good deal and they’ve already made the decision to buy the next book you put out. By then, your hard core fans are already with you, and you've already established for them that your next book really IS worth the higher price.

Engage, Engage, Engage.

Really, this is something you have to do once you actually HAVE readers, but it’s important because it helps you keep them. There as many do’s as there are don’ts with this.

Be nice to your fans. Pretty obvious, right?

Do respond to your readers as often as you can outside of reviews

Don’t turn into a spam bot.

Do talk about things other than your book.

Don’t push an agenda.

Be interesting. Be friendly. Be helpful. (This last trait has landed me several speaking engagements and podcast spots). Be knowledgeable when you speak. Research the things that you say. As I discovered recently, the best piece of advice will automatically be ignored if someone can’t back up even the most minor of statements with their own truth. Likewise, knowing what you're talking about and sounding like you do can help keep you visible in your community in the right ways.

Be positive. Talk about how things CAN be done, instead of complaining about problems. People like reading about success and how they too can have it. Don’t complain about how things are going bad, about sales slumping or bad reviews. People deal with enough negative BS of their own every day. Don’t’ saddle them with yours, too.

Randomly post cool stuff from other authors, too. It helps keep the sense of community strong, and that goes back to the beginning, be a part of the community you write in.

Most importantly, be grateful to your fans. Don’t talk shit about them, not even the ones who act like jerks. Don’t respond to negative or positive reviews, except to highlight something good a fan said. Randomly thank folks for your success.

Your Wordcount May Vary

None of this is guaranteed, of course. This is just what has worked for me, and what I hope works for you. And remember….

Do epic shit. Be a force for the Awesome.

1 Comment
Steven Wolff link ( AuthorStevenWolff@gmail.com )
1/22/2015 03:47:46 am
Lots of great advice! Thanks for sharing and opening up my eyes. I can't wait to try the tips mentioned above. :-)

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Milestones

5/4/2014

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As an author, there are moments when your life changes noticeably. The first time you type "The End" on a rough draft and realize you just wrote a novel. The first time one of your books gets published. Holding the first copy of one of your books in your hands. Big, exciting moments.

For me, one of those moments happened on March 6th, 2014. What happened that day? Several things all at once. Zompoc Survivor broke the 10,000 ranking on Amazon. It also broke into the top 100 in the post-apocalyptic genre. It even spent some time in the top 10 in both the post-apocalyptic and the dystopian genres, and it was the number 2 new release for a week or so.

Sounds like I'm bragging. Okay, yeah, I am. Just a little.

Today I also realized that I'd passed a sort of milestone recently. See, as I write this, I am comfortably on the far side of eight weeks in that same zone.

And this is where I REALLY brag, but not on myself.

It's no coincidence that the same day Shawn Chesser mentioned Zompoc Survivor on his Facebook page that my ranking skyrocketed. Nor is it a coincidence that people have had good things to say to me about my cover after Tony Baker helped me refine the design for it.

Every time David Forsyth mentions my book (and he has several times, not to mention giving a great review of it) more people seem to buy it. Likewise, Jeff Clare, the mastermind behind All Things Zombie page on Facebook has been a huge help in keeping ZS: Exodus and several other zompoc books visible with his efforts.

Because of the terrific work Linda Tooch did proofing Zompoc Survivor, it also stands out among self-published books as being remarkably error free, and readers notice that. Danielle Pascale's ATZ Book Club has also been a huge help for me in seeing how readers experience the story, which helps me immensely in the process of writing the next book.

Once again, it all comes down to community. The zompoc and post-apocalyptic community is very close knit, and without the help of a lot of people, I wouldn't have the success I've enjoyed.

So, yeah...I have the beginnings of a writing career now. Because I'm part of a community.

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How I got an Agent

Building a Readership (The one thing I did right the first time)

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