So, like I said yesterday, I read a manuscript for an awesome agency this week. And I figured I’d share my scatterbrained ponderings with you as I consider the agenting biz.
Random thoughts from my first manuscript reading assignment:
-People love to have and give opinions, but I gotta tell you, it’ s a lot scarier to want to tout that opinion when your job or livelihood is on the line. Other industries like to back up their opinions with statistics, etc. It’s comforting to be able to find (as a lawyer or businessman or what have you) at least a few other smart folks who agree with you. If you work in an agency, you might be able to pass a manuscript around to get a few second opinions, but also might want. If you’re a one man show, then it’s just you and your gut.
-In law school, they like to tell us not to waffle. You’ve got to decide. Only in law school you can use a lot of qualifiers like “probably” or “most likely.” If you’re an agent, you could say “probably” or “most likely” all you want, but you’d be talking to yourself. The only words that matter are “Yes” and “No.” Yes, I’m going to spend my time trying to sell this manuscript. Or, no, I’m not.
-Most of us read finished, published books. Books that have gone through an agent who has edited and an editor who has edited. These books have shiny covers and thick pages and look like, well, books. Agents have to look at only a word document written in plain Courier and know that it can turn into one of those shiny books. It’s hard to know when a Twilight is going to be a Twilight without the aura of the hardcover.
-Reading takes a long time. I mean, I read the manuscript in less than a day, which doesn’t seem too long. But assuming that if I were an agent and I had no idea whether I would take that client on. I had no idea whether if I chose to offer representation that author would accept. That’s a lot of sunk cost. Then again, it’s not all that different from prospecting in other businesses.
4 Comments
July 11, 2009 at 10:20 am
Awesome site. Keep up the great work!
July 14, 2009 at 5:18 pm
wait so you want to be an agent now? not a lawyer?
July 15, 2009 at 12:47 am
Interesting. Some of that stuff was very insightful, Chan.
July 22, 2009 at 8:27 am
I really liked this book too. My book; http://www.eloquentbooks.com/TrueLoveIsNotCommon.html, has similar main characters. I grew up reading this author. Hope my book one day will reach many readers as this author.