Happy Thursday everyone!!! It’s now been a week since we’ve attempted to re-launch our blog. What do you all think? Have you found this new variety of topic helpful? Are you more excited about checking in everyday? Let us know what you think! We have so many exciting things planned for the upcoming weeks, but again we are here for you. We want to know what you want to see!
In the meantime, it’s Q & A Thursday again! Due to travel schedules and other conficts I’m going to be the agent on hand again for this week’s thread. Next week we will get some new blood in here, I promise! Alright, I’m ready, I’ll answer the first five questions posted – What have you got for me today?!
In the meantime, it’s Q & A Thursday again! Due to travel schedules and other conficts I’m going to be the agent on hand again for this week’s thread. Next week we will get some new blood in here, I promise! Alright, I’m ready, I’ll answer the first five questions posted – What have you got for me today?!
posted by Elaine Spencer at 11:43 AM
16 Comments:
I've studied your website. Though it states that Knight Agency represents a variety of genres, the overwhelming majority of novels seem to be romance or women's lit. Is there a reason for this? Have you had a recent science fiction novel that I've missed?
If I've queried your agency and have been told that you'd like to re-read the manuscript after I do revisions, how quickly are you looking for that back?
How should a previously unpublished author go about pitching a novel that is first in a series?
I have just completed a novel that falls into this category. While the plot stands well enough alone, there are definitely bits that seem extraneous (foreshadowing, as they do, events beyond the scope of the present volume). I have pared them down as much as I can, but given the larger arc of the series, some "excess" necessarily remains.
I have read elsewhere that one should always pitch the novel on its own merits, mentioning serial possibilities only in best-case, hypothetic terms. I feel that to do so might raise the wrong questions about the novel in hand. At the very least, it might make me seem a bit disingenuous.
What would you recommend?
Thanks.
Why does it seem you publish the same authors over and over, and if you go to amazon, you will see a couple of these author's sales are dropping a lot and the reviews ar pretty bad. Aren't you looking for people wih fresh ideas?
How do you feel about people who want to cross genres? I know Gena does a lot of different types, with paranormals, YA, and alien huntress books (which all rock). Just wondering if when you sign a client, you initially hope to stay in a "mold" of some sort, or if you encourage experimentation. :)
This is so cool. I love this blog.
Questions are closed! I'll have answers up shortly! Thanks for everyone who participated, and for those of you who missed out, check back next week!
Question Recapped – Why are the majority of TKA’s sales in one area?
At the Knight Agency we represent and are actively seeking a wide variety of genres including, but certainly not limited to women’s fic. and romance. However, as in any field, specialization is key. We have created a niche in the romance market. We have built many strong relationships within this genre that have led to the overwhelming sales statistics.
One must also consider the market. Romance makes up between 40-60% of ALL book sales. It would only makes sense that these numbers directly reflect on the projects we are selling.
We never ever want to close our doors to a great idea, regardless of the genre. If a book is great, we will do everything that we can to turn around and sell it.
One of our agents, Nephele Tempest, loves science fiction and is actively acquiring top-notch projects. Keep on looking, I’m sure you will see more sci-fi soon.
Question Recapped – How long before an agent wants to see requested revisions?
We don’t have any set time-period for this type of situation. We want to see it when you feel it’s ready.
My advice though is to make sure you don’t rush the gun. Read, reread, make revisions, and when you think its ready, make more! Take it to a critique group, basically write until you have nothing else to give the story. This is when it’s ready.
Don’t send it to us in haste, because I can pretty much assure you we won’t want to see it again if it’s not right the second time around. The story will start to become stale in our eyes if its not ready after a second chance!
Question Recapped – How do you pitch a novel that is the first in an imagined series?
It needs to stand alone. Think of the reader. They aren’t going to be able to look through a crystal ball and imagine the other books you have planned while they are reading the first book.
You need to have a thoroughly engaging story from start to finish. For a series to be successful not only does a reader have to think “I can’t wait to see what happens next,” but they must also think “wow, that book was amazing, I want to read more from that author.”
The “excess” must make sense in all contexts it is being used in. That is the trick of writing a series. It must fit into several different molds all of equal importance.
Question recapped - Why do we continue to publish the same authors.
This is going to be rather sharp, but well I can’t help it. We don’t publish anything. We are agents. We represent authors. We sell the projects these authors write.
The Knight Agency has sold over a hundred titles thus far in 2006, and our sales numbers are up 275% from where they were a year ago. This week we have 6 authors on BookScan’s top 100, the industry’s top sales tracking benchmark. I don’t think there is much of a question of our ability to identify “fresh ideas.”
We have also have partnerships with said authors. We are here to help them, to encourage them, to build them up, to STAND BY THEM through thick and thin. We have moral and ethical obligations to our clients. And in return, we watch them grow into successful and powerful industry players.
Question recapped – How do we feel about our authors writing across genre boundaries?
This is a question far more complicated than this post will allow. I will say that we never box an author in. Although we may sign them on a certain type of work, that by no means indicates they are locked into that genre indefinitely.
An author will not produce a quality novel if that they are writing something that they have been forced into. We want all of our clients to be happy in the field they are writing.
That being said to be successful an author must create a precedent for themselves within a set market. We will first develop a game-plan, and then work to grow their name and their writing into other arenas.
Thank you so much for taking time to answer our questions. You must hear the same questions over and over. I appreciate your patience in repeating the answers.
We have also have partnerships with said authors. We are here to help them, to encourage them, to build them up, to STAND BY THEM through thick and thin. We have moral and ethical obligations to our clients. And in return, we watch them grow into successful and powerful industry players.
Very well said, Elaine! = )
Great answers, Elaine, especially to the testy questions. One would think you'd been at this for years. ;)
I agree. You answer questions like a champ.
Even the bitter, obviously-been-rejected one.
Hi,
I wondered if it would be possible for you to post the answers to these questions in new posts. I was waiting for the answers to these questions until the next post asking for questions came up! I suspect most people reading this blog through a feed will find that easier.
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