Both Sides of the Publishing Coin

By MJ Moores

As a writer working toward finding an agent and getting that all-elusive contract with a large (or even medium-size) publishing house, I have felt the burn of futility. At the same time, now that I’m an Acquisitions Editor for a small publishing house, that burn is leaving a surprising mark on the “other side”, too. I never really thought about what agents and publishers experienced.

In fact, I had no idea just how many poorly prepared manuscript packages existed regarding queries and submissions.

I swear, I’m not making this up.

As a professional writer, I prepare my own cover letter, synopsis blurb, 1-pager, and full synopsis along with a professionally edited manuscript prior to reaching out to agents and publishers. So, it boggles my mind when I get anything less in my in-box as an Acquisition’s Editor.

I’ve been to conferences and attended workshops where agents and publishers claimed they might get any of the following across their desks:

• Impersonal address (dear agent)
• Typos
• Poor grammar
• Blubbering
• Attitude
• Unnecessary Bios
• Little info about the manuscript
• Boring first chapters
• Unedited manuscripts
• Poor craft quality (this is huge!)

I never really believed them – you know, the agents and publishers – because they’re agents and publishers, right? They’re going to find a way to say it’s not them. I know what getting published means to me. I see other writers at the same conferences and workshops and I know I’m not the only one trying to make a good impression, and I’m not the only one going through the same push back.

The problem is, for every one writer who takes the time to research:

• How to write a query letter
• How to put a proposal together
• How to write a synopsis
• How to tighten your prose
• How to engage your reader
• How to raise the stakes & increase tension
• How to infuse an emotional connection
• How to write conflict
• How to work within your chose genre(s)
• How to write (period)

there are dozens more who either do just enough nosing around to think they know what they’re doing, or don’t even bother. Regardless of which one it is, the impression that comes across is sloppy and unprofessional.

This shocked me.

I’ve put out a call for manuscripts, I’ve participated as a publisher on #PitMad on Twitter… but 98% of the submissions I receive fall short of any one or multiple items listed above. I thought, geeze, as a writer I’m having such a hard time finding an agent for my MS, there must be a ton of great writers out there, so why aren’t any of them submitting to me?

There are a ton of great authors out there, but they’re continuing to hold their breath waiting for that big-name agent to get that lucrative publishing contract with a top-5 house. And getting a contract with that publisher is like catching lightning in a jar. What a lot of writers forget is that with a little research, they can find a small publisher willing to bend over backwards for them.

As an AE for an amazing, small local publisher who delivers only high-quality books, I worry about the quality of queries and manuscripts filtering through the system. While I applaud Indie authors for being brave and organized enough to self-publish (I know what it takes, because I’ve done it), I have to wonder how many amazing writers are bi-passing “the little guy” but aren’t ready to do this themselves? Are these writers, perhaps, lacking the experience and drive to do their book-babies justice, and might they be better off with a smaller publisher?

It’s a shame when I hear, “I might as well do it myself instead of split my royalties with a small publisher who’ll make me do everything anyway.” Because it’s not true – but that’s conversation for another blog.

Even though the “pickings are slim” right now for my imprint, I know these are just the early days. But I tell you, if we are talking about whether it is an agent or mid-sized publisher determining who to take on, and who to not take on, or if it is me with a small publisher:  I do exactly what they do – pass over the ones with errors.

I am very specific in my feedback:

• If a story has merit, I let the author know.
• If a story is good, but doesn’t fit the imprint, I let the author know.
• If a story is good but doesn’t jive with what I’m looking for, I let the author know.

… Because I, too, hate those form rejection letters.

But I, too, send them out.

You might think I could afford to give someone a chance when pickings are slim, and you’re right – I would. But I need more than just the germ of an idea to work with. I need evidence that the writer submitting their project has a heightened awareness of their craft and a solid understanding of good storytelling.

SPOILER ALERT

I will not devote my time to teaching someone how to write during this stage of the process.

Sure, I give workshops and provide manuscript critiques – but as a fellow writer. That is for another place, another time. As an Acquisitions Editor, time is money. I will not deny that. It’s not just my time and my money. It’s the company’s time and money. And I will not spend countless months working with a new writer who either isn’t open to learning, or doesn’t already have a good grasp of the basics.

A writer doesn’t need to have studied the craft in college or university to be good at what they do. They don’t even need to have paid for a single workshop or attended a conference. If they are able to teach themselves via YouTube, PodCast, Free Webinars, whatever – then all power to them.

They’ve got a grounding.

And this, I think, is what separates the good small publishers from the ones simply trying to make a buck. This is also what separates the well-prepared writer from the not-so-well-prepared writer.

However, even with my unique insight into being one of the small “gate keepers” of traditional publishing, I still feel slighted when I get a form rejection from an agent about my latest book query. It doesn’t happen often anymore, but when it does, I know I need to take a serious look at what I’m submitting to make sure I’m not the problem 😉. And the takeaway from all of this is? So does each writer who submits to any publisher – large, medium, or small. It’s a matter of switching “hats” and perspectives: remembering what both sides need to make this process a success.