In a previous post I set out to explain the way in which big publishers operated and why this gave literary agents so much power. In essence, big publishers work on a model that predicts just a handful of titles making excessive profits in any given year. Publishers accept that most titles will make little, if any, profit and it is the handful of ‘successful’ titles which support the business. Since it is next to impossible to predict which titles will sell, publishers need to release a range of books, taking a scatter gun approach to finding the hits.
The agent’s role in the process is to shield the publishers from the mass of writers looking to get their books in print and, therefore, act as gatekeepers. Allowing in only the titles that agents feel have a chance of being a hit. Agents screen proposals, looking for the ideas that will slot nicely into each publisher’s portfolio.
This means that for writers looking to open the gate, they must work out what agents are looking for and then approach them in such a way that makes their book visible and attractive.
It is a writer’s duty to make their book as visible as possible to agents. Reading manuscripts is time consuming and agents don’t make any money from reading. This means that they are looking for a reason to NOT read your extract. When your book proposal arrives at an agent there is a three step process.
The first is to read the cover letter and make an assessment. If they feel your book is a match to their list then they move onto the synopsis. This second step is to get a feel for the story and if this suggests your book has potential, then and only then, will they embark on the third step, which is the lengthy process of reading your extract. This extract may be read by a junior and even an external reader before it gets anywhere near an editor who can make a choice to publish your work.
All through the process agents are looking for an excuse to say no. After all if they are able to reject your book after reading just the cover letter, then they have saved themselves lots of time and money.
So what happens if your cover letter/synopsis are poor? Well the book is rejected. It’s simple. You, as a writer, have given the agent an excuse to say no! Your extract and book are in essence invisible.
This means that a writer needs to ensure that there cover letter, synopsis and extract are all up to scratch. It is your duty as a writer.
This post will give a good outline on how to write a good book proposal or you can sign up for our free five day email guide to writing a book proposal - either way you have no excuse.
