Seeing Spots

As an editor, I find that many manuscripts come my way. Granted I mostly work with writers who are plush animals, like me, but the concept with the book market I work in and the book market you write in are still the same. So, lets start with one of the bigger questions that every publishing company asks when reviewing a new manuscript: "Will it sell?"

Trending topics in today's society can be good starting points for finding stories that are going to sell, but such topics must also be approached with caution. For instance, if a certain vampire novel comes out and brings on a sudden vampire crave, it could either benefit or hurt you to choose a new novel that features the very same mysterious beings for publishing. As there is a demand for the subject, you could make a pretty penny by hitching on to the bloodthirsty train and going along for the ride, but if you can't find something that is worth reading or that adds upon what has already been said, you may end up getting tossed off the train.

When there is an extremely popular subject cropping up in society, especially within the young adult genre, it can sometimes be a bad idea to pick up new books with this same style. By following in the shadows of success stories you run the risk of getting stuck in those shadows. On the other hand, picking something entirely new and daring (or something that runs completely opposite of the trends) can fail to gain the attention that you desire. What I avoid most in books is something that is trying too hard to be original. Take this quote from one of my favorite human authors, C. S. Lewis: "Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it." Don't try to be original and, on the other end of the scale, don't try to copy successful stories either. Just write something from your heart and write the truth. If you are a good writer, that is really all it takes. That is what I am looking for in a book.

In the end, however, there are a lot of factors that must be considered when choosing a book to represent and one of the biggest ones just happens to be whether or not it will sell. Though I hate this factor myself, as I prefer to give any good story a chance, I too have to abide by the rules of book marketing if I wish to continue to exist. So I suppose I always ask myself, "Will it have an audience?"

So, what else factors into my decision when choosing a book? Well I like to take the good old fashioned route and choose the books that I enjoy reading. If I find a novel that intrigues me, that keeps my attention, that makes me care about the characters, and that changes me in some way, then I take it on. I try not to let myself think things like "Not another vampire novel" or "This sounds like Harry Potter" when looking at query letters or when receiving pitches from agents. Realistically, however, I cannot read every manuscript that is ever sent to me so, I do have to be picky about some things. If you can make me want to read more with your query and if you can leave me with all kinds of intriguing questions about your characters and about your story, chances are I will ask for the manuscript. I want to get the sense that you are a good writer from the few words in front of me. I want to see that you have a strong voice, that your characters are realistic and intriguing, and that your story is worth my time. All of that has to be in the query letter because if it is in the letter, it is in the book. You may have a great story, but if your letter doesn't convey that to me then it doesn't matter.

So, What do I look for in a good book? Well first I look for a good query letter...then we go from there. If you are looking for a check list, I suppose I can give you one.

Checklist:

• Voice = strong/unique
• Character = strong/believable/with realistic goals
• Story = strong/flows smoothly/makes sense

"Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become."
C. S. Lewis