The importance of a good ending

I went to the SCBWI London Agents Party this week - I'm not great at standy uppy drinks parties, even less great at pitching - in spite of all the excellent tips from Michelle earlier this week, the fabulous free 50 business cards from Moo (which I left at home) and a lovely SCBWI friend who'd gifted me a much better-pitch-than-mine on a plate (now there's an idea).

It was a great do, lovely agenty types - all enthusiastic and hungry for something wonderful. Judging by Twitter everyone had a great time and I look forward to reading about all those positive outcomes in our Saturday Celebrations. But was it at the agents party I learned about the importance of a good ending?

No.

That was at The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at the Apollo Theatre that afternoon.

I had some birthday money to spend on a show so I picked up a bargain ticket a few rows from the front of the stalls ten minutes before curtain up. #rightplacerighttime

***Spoiler Alert***

It was great. The staging brilliantly represented the precise way that Christopher's mind worked, the acting was convincing especially Trevor Fox as the Dad and the story demonstrated wonderfully how the ordinary is really, extraordinary. Having said that, the play was not as great as the book which I loved. That is until the end.

Depending on your classification of spoiler, one may follow.

It was the puppy! When Christopher's dad brought the puppy out, I loved it! In a way it was a bit of a cheap trick but who cares, it was in the book and is the only resolution to the poor dead dog at the beginning. The cast reacted brilliantly to the cutest Andrex puppy you ever did see, the whole theatre aaaahed - everyone was smitten.  Then after the final curtain there was also a very satisfying bit of maths. I left the Apollo ready to watch the whole show all over again.

Isn't that how we, authors and illustrators, should leave our readers?

For fear of turning this post into spoiler city, do you have any endings that changed your feelings about a story? You don't have to say what happens...

This week we started a new month and a new theme - Diversity for Black History Month and our first post under that theme was Donna Vann's interview with one of our older members, Octengenarian and Jewish writer, Jose Patterson.  There was another cracking round up from Nick, including Mark Jones' latest post on Synopses - shock revelation from the Agents Party is that they're hardly read! 
Though many of you had already found our hidden page (linked to Agent Confidential) of excellent advice on choosing the right agent from the one and only Nicola Morgan, we thought it was so good we posted it again on Thursday. Friday signposted us to Anne Marie's great post on the Illustrator blog Big Little Tales and Saturday we celebrated with Bryony Pearce on the publication of her second novel.

In our box of delights next week, we have...

• Celia & Annie's report on the Nosy Crow Conference!
• Latest London Professional Series report!
• A new Slushpile Challenge!
• News from Central North!
• Sara O' Connor!

And no apologies for the exclamation marks!
Yay
!
Now for the great ending...
Have fun,

Jan Carr

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Jan Carr is the editor of Words & Pictures. Her fiction is older middle grade, she blogs occasionally and loves to write in magenta. You can contact her at editor@britishscbwi.org.

Nicola Morgan: How to find a good agent

Nicola Morgan

It's SCBWI's London Agents Party this evening so to accompany Michelle Newell's excellent party tips we thought it would be timely to repost this similarly excellent advice from Nicola Morgan. 

I want to help you choose a good agent, an agent who will do what good agents are supposed to do. But first, let me tell you what a good agent does.

Over the years of being published by different publishers in different genres, I have gleaned some knowledge about contracts and rights and how to fight for mine. Yet, if my agent decided to hang up her stilettos, I’d throw myself at the feet of another. Why? In short, because I want to write, not fight for my rights. And my agent, as all good agents will, does all the things listed below and does them so much better than I could.

...if my agent decided to hang up her stilettos, I’d throw myself at the feet of another.

Since agents only earn a percentage of their clients’ income, they have a vested interest in maximizing that income. That seems to me not a bad thing.

 WHAT A GOOD AGENT DOES

• Gives honest, expert feedback on your work, and makes you improve it if necessary – lessening the chance of rejection and egg on your face.
• Knows where to send your work – including individual editors and their preferences – and sends it for you, so you never have to worry about a submission again; discusses you with publishers who trust her judgment.
• Negotiates the best deal, including every aspect of the contract, having a finger on the pulse of what other agents are negotiating, especially in the changing arena of digital rights etc.
• Sells subsidiary rights – such as foreign, film and TV, and audio.
• Understands royalty statements and queries them if necessary – royalty statements are a minefield for writers. I tend to come over all faint when I see them. 
• Has an eye for new opportunities – publishers, particularly in educational and children’s markets, will tell agents what they are looking for and your agent can pass this information to you.
• Manages your long-term career, guiding you in sensible directions.
• Deals with problems, niggles and disasters. These things will happen.
• Plays bad cop with your publisher, so that you can play the part of lovely, calm, reasonable author.
• Increases your earnings – authors with agents earn more than those without.
• Allows you to write.

SOME AGENTS DO THE FOLLOWING AS WELL, BUT MOST DON'T:

• Create publicity for you – other than the obvious plugging of your name where possible.
• Organise your event programme.
• Edit your work – all agents should suggest important alterations, but detailed editing is not their normal job, unless they actually say it is.

You will hear people say that agents are sharks and will drink your blood dry. As with all professions, the bad drag down the reputations of the good. Find yourself a good one and you won’t regret it.

 HOW CAN YOU FIND A GOOD ONE?

Being an agent is not a job for amateurs. Obviously, every agent must start somewhere and acquire a first client – but this can only work if that agent already has substantial experience of dealing with publishing rights in another professional capacity. For example, many agents were publishers for years before they became agents and that is a good way into the business.

It’s also important that you actually like the agent. A perfectly brilliant agent simply might not be right for you and it’s important to allow instinct to come into play. So, meet your agent if possible. At the very least, have some phone conversations and remain sober during them.

So, what should you be looking for? Here are some questions; some you must ask directly, while others you may find out through asking around:

• What other authors does the agent represent? Check that these authors are properly published and have some success.
• What previous experience of publishing led to his becoming an agent? If there is no previous proper experience, run.
• Is this the agent’s only job? If not, how serious is he and how much time and energy will the agent have for you?
• How does the agent sell foreign rights? For example, he might use sub-agents or scouts, but there should be some clear answer to the question. Similar question for TV/ film rights, and merchandising rights if you write for young children. But avoid sounding as though you think your book merits TV/film/merchandising opportunities.
• Is the agent a member of the Association of Authors’ Agents? It’s not essential to be a member, and smaller independent agents often aren’t, but you should ask if the agent at least adheres to its code of practice, a code which you can read on the AAA website. In Scotland there’s also the Association of Scottish Literary Agents.
• Can you see the contract that you would sign? Get it checked by someone who understands: perhaps another agented author, or the Society of Authors if you are a member.
• Is the agent asking for money up front? If so, run a mile. An agent should not charge a reading fee, though they are quite entitled to charge for things like photo-copying. Such extras should be specified in the contract.

In short, be astute and cautious. 

Copyright © Nicola Morgan 2013

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@nicolamorgan

Nicola Morgan is a multi-award-winning YA and children's writer. She has published nearly 100 books. She also writes about the publishing industry and about how to get published. Her book Write to be Published, and her blog Help! I Need a Publisher! are renowned for their straightforward advice. Her other guides for writers include the ebooks Write a Great Synopsis and Dear Agent. She has also self-published some of her own books, including republishing her debut novel, Mondays are Red, as an ebook with extra material.

How to Meet an Agent and Impress Them

The SCBWI Agent’s Party is one of the events of the year… but whether you’ve got a coveted ticket or not, if an agent walks into a bar near you, it’s best to be prepared. After all, the SCBWI Annual Conference isn’t that far off! Michelle Newell, the Agent Party Co-ordinator gives us her list of tips, so that you can get set to meet your dream agent, whatever the occasion.


Agent Tip 1: Have faith (in you)
Those of us who’ve met agents before, or who have been lucky enough to secure our very own agent, have all been guilty of putting ourselves down in front of them. Maybe you think you don’t truly deserve to be in that ‘elite’ group of people who are published. Maybe friends and family have been shaking their heads at you for wasting your time for the last 10 years.

Wherever those niggling negative voices came from, when you come face-to-face with an agent, you’re going to hold yourself tall, look him or her in the eye and talk with confidence about your work. On this occasion, you’re going to believe that it can happen to you, because you and your work deserve it.

On this occasion, you’re going to believe that it can happen to you, because you and your work deserve it.

Agent Tip 2: The elevator pitch
The elevator pitch is so called because the premise is that you step into an elevator and find you’re sharing it with the agent of your dreams. They don’t know you, and you only have a few precious minutes in the lift before the doors open to convey the essence of your picture book or novel. You need to engage them and compel them to want to know more.

A great elevator pitch should:

- introduce the main character/s
- touch on the central conflict
- set up the action to follow
- be unique and fresh

So plan your pitch, draft, write, read aloud, revise and write again. Why not practice on your family and friends, the dog, your children… anyone who will listen?

You can read a couple of examples here.

Agent Tip 3: Agents are people too
For most writers and illustrators our work is pretty all-consuming. Despite this, we know that we’re more than the sum of the parts of our picture books, novels or illustrations. We have other hobbies outside this work and interests we share with non-writing/non-artistic friends.

Ditto agents. Although they’re pretty darn busy professionally, they don’t spend all their time editing, reading manuscripts or perusing portfolios in the quest for the NEXT BIG THING. Nope. They have hobbies too. Families. Pets. They even go on holiday, sometimes.

So relax and have fun. You’ve got your elevator pitch perfected, but don’t forget to talk about things that interest you beyond your book/portfolio and the world they’re wrapped up in. Show the different dimensions of your personality. Ask questions. Be interested in the agents as you would be in a potential friend you might meet at the gym or a barbeque. That way, you’re all guaranteed to have a fantastic evening.

Show the different dimensions of your personality. Ask questions.

Agent Tip 4: Leave an impression
Agents are often looking for more than just a great writer or skilled illustrator to represent. In fact, when you first meet them they won’t know how talented you are yet. So what else might they be looking for?

- Are you personable? Can you successfully market your work to your audience? Agents will by struck by the excitement in your voice, the confident way you express your elevator pitch, or the ease with which you talk about the broader themes of your work.

 - Are you presentable? Dress to impress. For the particularly bold, you might even consider dressing in a way that reflects your work and personality.

- Are you traceable? Consider what an agent might find if they Google you after they meet you. A simple blog is a fantastic way for illustrators to showcase their range, and for writers to highlight their ability to engage an audience. And don’t forget Twitter. Love it or hate it, it’s a unique tool for meeting other writers, illustrators, agents and publishers. Retweet and comment on things that inspire you and post interesting snippets to establish your voice.

- Are you genuine? The final tip for making an impression is simple - just relax, and be the best version of yourself.

Agent Tip 5 – Business Cards
SCBWI events are a great opportunity to meet new friends as well as agents. Many people come away from them with a writing buddy, a critique group or a social support network; and that requires exchanging details at some point.

If you want to be prepared when an agent, writer or illustrator is interested in you, think about having some business cards at the ready.

A business card is a neat little snapshot of your personal details and creative work. With carefully chosen images and text, you can also use a business card to reflect your brand identity.

Business cards don’t have to be expensive: anyone with a computer, printer and scissors can make their own! There are also some fantastic sites that allow you to create your own cards by uploading images or choosing from a stock library. One of the best is moo.com.

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@michelnewel

Michelle was born and raised in a country town in Australia. She taught History at an all-girls school before moving to England a decade ago to take up the thoroughly modern job of designing new schools. Michelle still loves anything old, and has compulsively collected ‘junk’, as her bemused family call it, since she was a girl. Her flat in London is crammed with fluffy 1950s ball gowns, daintily painted tea sets, and well-worn children’s toys. The stories she imagines behind each of her vintage treasures ultimately inspired her to fulfil a long-held ambition to write novels with an historic twist for young adults. Michelle is currently working on her first novel and is represented by Jenny Savill at Andrew Nurnberg Associates.