Hello, dreamers. We’re now about halfway through October, and this past week I received my fifth rejection. I gotta admit, I had a good feeling about that agent. To be fair, her rejection made it clear she liked my work, but it just didn’t fit with the list she’s currently building. I did end up sending one final query, which I hope to hear back from sometime before the end of the month.

As I prepare for #SFPit, and the effective end to this query window, I’ll admit I feel buoyed by that last rejection. It suggests I may simply be looking at a poor market at present. As the literary market changes rapidly, that could bode well for the next several windows. And the possibility that I have something that really will appeal to agents has me thinking about what comes next…

When you first learn about the query process, finding an agent feels like the finish line. But as you start to feel you’re ready to hear that “yes”, you come to realize it’s not the end of the line. Rather, it’s the end of one process and the beginning of another. I’ve likened it to reaching the top of a mountain and finally seeing the next mountain behind it. And for those unfamiliar with this process, here’s what the next mountain looks like…

What Comes Next

So you did it. An agent liked your query and your full manuscript, and offered to represent you. Congratulations. Take a moment to celebrate, then get back to work. Because it ain’t over yet. Not by a long shot. There’s still a lot to be done before you finally publish your book.

The Call

Once an agent offers to represent you, the next step is “the call”. Your prospective agent will want to speak to you. During the call, they will offer their vision for both your work and your writing career on the whole. At this stage, your first duty as the writer is to listen. And ask questions.

It can be easy, after the lengthy process of finding an agent, to just jump at the first one who offers representation. I know that, for me, the urge will be tough to resist when I get there. But it’s important to remember that this is the start of a business relationship, one that you hope will be long and lucrative, for both you and your agent. You need to pay close attention to their editorial vision for your book, their plan for your career, and their style (how communicative are they? Are they hands-on or hands-off? How would they respond to you changing directions as a writer?). Hard as it may be to say no, if the agent doesn’t seem to share your vision for your work, that might be the best bet.

In any event, you’ll be given two weeks to make a decision. This period is meant not only to give you time to consider their offer, but also to inform any other agents with active queries that you’ve accepted representation from someone else. There’s always the possibility that one of them, upon hearing you’ve got an offer from someone else, will offer to counter. Even if you’ve largely made up your mind, it doesn’t hurt to hear them out.

Editing (Pt. 1)

So now you have an agent. If nothing else, at least you’re not alone anymore; you now have an advocate on your side, one with the industry connections you lack. Somebody who can make things happen. And someone who probably has thoughts on your book…

Though your agent offered to represent you based on the manuscript you sent them, that doesn’t necessarily mean they believe your manuscript is ready to publish now. They’ll have notes, and that will form the basis of an editing process. It will not be your last.

Editing a book is a slow, collaborative process. It generally takes the form of a debate: the editor (in this case your agent) will offer changes, and you can either accept those changes, reject them, or offer alternatives. Experts suggest you should accept the majority of changes a professional editor recommends, but the precise wording of edited passages can still take time to iron out. However, once the process is complete, you’ll have a new manuscript both you and your editor can be proud of.

Now, you’re ready to actually seek publication.

Submissions

With your edited manuscript, you then go on submission. You’ll put together a pitch for your novel, and offer it (through your agent) to literary editors working at publishing houses. Despite what many writers think, it’s editors, not agents, who are the true gatekeepers of the publishing industry.

If this sounds a lot like the query process, well, that’s because it is. Very similar, in fact. But this time you’re working with your agent. They can offer guidance, but in the end, you must make your pitch to editors. Like the query process, the submission process can take time. You’ll get a lot of “no’s”. But with any luck, eventually you’ll find editors who are interested in your work.

Interested editors will make an offer to you, which your agent will help to negotiate, and advise you on whether or not to accept. Each offer will deal with four main criteria: your advance, your royalty payments, rights to your work, and future work.

The advance is the bulk of the payment. It’s kind of like a signing bonus in a sports contract: a large sum of money you’ll get up front. However, the stated purpose of the advance is to cover expenses so you can continue writing, which means at least some of that money should be put to writing purposes (attending workshops and conferences, investing in better software, etc.). Royalties determine the percentage you’ll receive from each sale of your book. The publisher may also seek to sign you for additional books beyond the one you’ve written, constituting a long-term commitment.

Once you’ve found a publisher you can work with, you’ll sign your contract. It is at this point that your agent will finally be paid for their services, by receiving a percentage of your payout. But your work, and theirs, isn’t done yet.

Editing (Pt. 2)

Remember, you’ve signed your deal after submitting to an editor, and editors edit. Like your agent before them, they’ll have ideas on how to improve your book and make it more marketable. Your agent will (or at least should) have negotiated your contract so that your book cannot be altered without your consent. So you begin your editing process.

There’s a reason why authors, even famous ones, often give a lot of credit for their success to their editor. As with an agent, a good editor can form a lasting partnership with an author, helping them to fully realize their vision for their work. After editing, your editor will assign you to a copy editor, who will ensure your book is properly formatted for release in all media.

Publication (At Last)

Once that’s done, your book will go to print. You’ll receive proofs, which allow you to see the book in its published form for the first time and make any final changes. Then, your book goes to shelves. Authors generally receive a number of author’s copies of the novel, for their own purposes. Most authors offer these copies to friends and loved ones, as well as select individuals who were instrumental to their success. By this point, it will likely have been years since you first began querying. A novel can, under the best circumstances, go from representation offer to shelves in as little as two years. But it usually takes longer.

The books you see on the “New Release” shelves at your local book store aren’t exactly new; most of them were written between three and five years ago, at best. When you hold those books in your hands, what you’re feeling is the culmination of years of hard work. The ink and paper, long nights, pots of coffee, hopes and dreams of many different people, all rolled up between two pieces of cardboard with a barcode. It takes one person to write a book. But it takes a lot of people a lot of time to put it in the hands of readers. – MK