“Freedom is what you do with what’s been done to you.” ― Jean-Paul Sartre
By PJ Parrish
I apologize ahead of time for being crabby today. Had two encounters with unpublished writers this month. This is kind of like a Yeti sighting but in some ways more terrifying. Because you never know if they’re going to turn on you.
I like helping folks get their manuscripts and careers off the ground. Maybe it’s partly because I set out in life to be a teacher but way back in 1972 when I got out of college, I couldn’t find a job. But mostly, it’s because I was an unpublished author once, rejected by every publisher in New York (yes, every single one) before someone took a chance on me. (Thank you John Scognamiglio at Kensington books). I know the heartbreak. I know how hard and utterly confusing this all is. But I also know — learned this through a couple decades experience publishing books now — how important having the right attitude is. In fact, attitude might be more important than talent in this game. So when I meet an unpublished writer with a bad attitude, I have learned not to waste my time or breath trying to help. Well, actually, this isn’t true. I still haven’t really learned my lesson because it’s hard to know what kind of attitude you’re dealing with until you get knee-deep in their weeds and, as Jean-Paul says above, you don’t always know what’s been done to a person and how that will manifest itself in their attitude.
Back to the two writers. I had known both of them for a while and had even worked in the newspaper business with one for years (Shoot, he had even been my boss briefly). I offered ahead of time to read the first 30 pages of their works in progress and give them my feedback. One lived nearby so we met for coffee. The second had moved away up to Pennsylvania but I told him we could talk via emails. Here’s the thing: I pretty much knew before I read their manuscripts which one was going to get published and which one wasn’t. See if you can:
Unpublished writer A:
Wrote eight books.
Tried writing both romance and mysteries.
Has had all eight books rejected by editors.
Just finished a ninth book.
Queried 12 agents and got one to take her on.
Agent-submitted ninth book was rejected by five New York editors who all said book had promise but was too slow and lacked suspense.
Is still working on Book 9 trying to fix pacing problems.
Is reading books on how to write suspense.
Attended Killer Nashville over summer.
Is thinking she should submit the book to small presses instead of the biggies just to get her foot in the door.
Is working on a new idea and outline about a female PI series just in case an editor wants a series instead of a standalone.
Unpublished Writer B:
Finished one book.
Bought an established author’s critique at a writers conference charity auction. Established writer sent back critique of the first 50 pages with suggestions to improve book.
Didn’t change a thing.
Sent queries to agents. Was very offended by the “lack of personal tone” of the rejections.
Got an eager Florida-based agent to take on him on.
Didn’t change title after agent suggested it wasn’t very marketable.
Book was rejected after multiple submissions.
Didn’t change a thing.
Is looking for a “more connected” agent.
Self-published the book and sent a copy to the established author asking for a blurb. Finally started a new story.
Didn’t like my suggestion that he hone his story down to a single POV and make his plot linear, cutting the confusing flashbacks. Said the book “needed multiple POVs because of the story’s complexity demanded it” and that his book was “not really genre fiction but more literary, like Mystic River.”
Thinks there is a cabal in New York publishing designed to keep authors who have self-published from participating in the traditional system.
Has lots of ideas…
I think you get the idea. Too bad unpub B never will. Yes, you can still write the book you want to and get it published. No, you don’t have to sell out. But you have to be smart.
Being smart means learning your craft and walking before you run. (I’m guessing Unpub B never read the five Pat Kenzie Angie Gennaro books Dennis Lehane published BEFORE Mystic River…even though Mystic River was one of the first manuscripts Lehane finished.).
It means listening to good advice when you are lucky enough to get it.
It means not taking every rejection personally. An agent or editor sends out a hundred SASEs a week and when they say no they aren’t rejecting you. They are rejecting your work. There is a difference.
It means writing maybe ten books before you get it right.
It means not automatically expecting the “big” writers to reach down and pull you up. If it happens, consider yourself blessed and give back when it’s your turn. But don’t whine if it doesn’t happen.
It means increasing your chances by making your work as marketable as you can without being false to the writer you are.
It means not not looking for short cuts.
It means not giving up.
It means having the right attitude.
{{{Sound of me taking in a big inhale and bigger exhale}}}}
Wow. I hope that didn’t sound mean. Thank you, dear friends, for listening to me vent.
_____________________________________________________
Postscript: As I was finishing this Sunday night, I got an email from Unpublished Writer A. She got a nice response back from a small press asking to see a full manuscript. I will keep you posted. I think she’d going to make it.
You’re right. It’s easy to see which one is likely to be more successful. Happily, I find I can identify more closely with Writer A, although I’m dissimilar in that I’m not querying publishing houses (and I wish I had 8 novels done already but only have a couple so far).
It’s good to look at these 2 examples and examine my own path to see if I need an attitude adjustment. I’m generally good at accepting feedback though I don’t adopt every bit of feedback I’ve been given. I can also say in one novel’s case that I finished and stuck in the electronic drawer, someone gave me feedback that I disagreed with but after putting it away for a few years and pulling it out, I realized they were right. So I am teachable. Slow, but teachable. 😎
You just gave me an idea for a new blog post here, BK — when to REJECT feedback. Or maybe how to make bad advice work in a positive way for you. I have had that happen on occasion, and it’s equally important to know when to have the good sense to ignore someone — even if that someone is important or maybe even in a position to influence you career.
By the way, I am traveling today up in the wilds of woodsy Michigan (leaf peeping!) but will check in here as we go.
Kris, the New York publisher’s cabal is real. It was started years ago by the Templars and is perpetuated today by the Masons. If you want I can send you their secret handshake.
Joe,
So great for you to visit TKZ. Miss you.
I’d like to learn the secret handshake too, but I think I just spotted a yeti in my yard. Gotta chase him down.
Kris,
Sartre’s quote is terrific. You might be venting, but they’re words of wisdom.
When my husband and I were in business, we always hired on attitude. One candidate might have a stellar resume, but a know-it-all attitude, while another had little experience, but showed a hunger to learn. That’s who got the job. Someone with an eager attitude can be taught to do most anything, including writing, as JSB often points out from his own experience.
People would love to find a short cut to Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hours, but there’s no substitute for hard work, hard time, and good attitude.
Of course this isn’t something unique to publishing, Debbie, as you point out. When I was in a position to hire someone back in my newspaper days, it was always the hungry one who caught my eye.
Sounds like a Sholes-Moore book to me. 🙂
This is a great post. I also checked myself to see which, A or B, I had patterned after. I have written six novels and over fifty short stories and continue to pitch, but am independently published. I will never give up. I read, and reread, books on writing. I feel like I’m patting myself on the back, but maybe I need to because I haven’t given up!
Thanks for the post to show me where I am lacking, but what I have achieved!
Enjoy your day leaf peeping!
We had a great leaf peeping day! Couldnt get back to talk to you all yesterday because we were over on Mackinac Island and the internet was a little spotty. To be expected on an island where the only mode of transportation is bikes and horse carriages.
Thanks, PJ, for letting me know I’m not the only one running into Writer A and Writer B. Every once in a while I have to vent to the Universe (my blog). Why? Because Writer A doesn’t need to hear my frustration with Writer B. And he’s not listening. My last post about this subject was back in June. I guess I’ve had my head too deep in projects to run into Writer B lately. A blessing indeed!
Yeah, I sort of took out my own bad attitude on you all. 🙂 Luckily, it passed quickly. A day or two of being outdoors watching the leaves turn colors is a tonic for the soul. Even if I didn’t get any writing done.
Well-presented argument about attitude. My personal strategy is to ignore any discouraging data about the present market, to keep writing and learning, and to keep telling myself when it’s good enough good things will happen. So thanks for the affirmation–I need it, and these types of columns keep me going.
Dont mention it Rick. Thanks for dropping in.
Totally agree. Attitude is 80% of the battle; the other 20% is bum glue:) Too many people seem to think that (a) writing is easy (!); (b) that they can nail it on the first draft and if anyone questions their work they must be idiots; and (c) if everyone isn’t salivating over publishing it then there must be a conspiracy against them…ugh…
Your right, of course. The next question that popped into my mind was why do we do this to ourselves? Still working on that, buy now I need to re edit my WIP chapter 3. I want it to be the best I can make it before it gets rejected.
Why do we do it? We’re human, and writers are like turtles. Hard on the outside maybe but soft inside — and easily flipped over.
The first book I wrote was published…after I rewrote it 10 times in 6 years. And yes, I did send it out too soon and got the rejections by return mail until email came along and then rejection came quicker. But I preservered and kept writing and learning. And right now I’m putting together a proposal for John Scognamigiio. 🙂
Good luck with John! Kensington is a great house.
A high school friend I reconnected with had aspirations of being published, and we were in touch, sharing progress, reading each others’ works. We’d talked about indie publishing, and I stressed the importance of an editor. He found one, and sent me her comments for my opinion. I told him I thought she was very gentle. What he wanted/expected was for me to tell him she was wrong to touch his prose. We haven’t communicated much since then.
Oh dear…
Well, what can you say about that? Heck, we all want to hear “wow, this is the best thing I have read in decades.” I think, though, in our deep heart, we sort of know we need help. I had an editor once who never questioned or changed a thing. Big help she was!
People like Writer B puzzle me. I wonder sometimes if they don’t set themselves up for rejection on purpose. That way they can reinforce their own insecurities.
I could have added to Writer B’s list a need to strike back once the book is out there. I have a book reviewer friend who had a guy near stalked her via email and flaming her on line after she had the nerve to say some not-so-great things about his novel. Not sure, but I am pretty sure he’s out of the business now.
Great article, thank you, PJ!
Also self-publishers, especially the successful one,s choose the road of the writer A, meaning listen to the well-meaning critique, learn from it and apply to your writing.
Most writers are helpful to each other, as well as readers who agree to read our unpublished manuscripts. So, if one stumbles upon something in our book and have problem with it, then it is almost guaranteed that there will be other readers (either they are agents, publishers and/or readers buying books on Amazon or a bookstore), who will have the same problem.
The easiest way to get the book out there and make it having success is to follow advice of well-meaning reviewers, and learn+practice, then again learn+practice, and again and again. Resisting their advice is actually building the highest and the biggest brick wall for oneself.
Amen sister!