Creative writing advice from Roy York

Getting published

The sixth in a series of articles by Roy York.

You may have finished or almost finished writing your novel or short story and have just breathed a sigh of satisfaction. However, you must not be too eager to send it off in the next post to an agent or publisher, now is the time for you to treat your hard work with the respect it deserves.

Too many beginners have spoiled their chances of having their work accepted by not making sure the material is quite up to the standard expected by an agent or publisher. This does not necessarily mean the work is not well done but is it as perfect as you can possibly make it?

In nearly every instance a first draft can be bettered. It is the writer's responsibility to make sure the material looks professional; the story honed and with surplus wordage cut out. Writers have to be multi-talented. Be original and creative when you are writing; open-minded and ruthless when you are redrafting; informed and professional when submitting.

You will often hear agents or publishers talk about desks being piled high with unsolicited manuscripts sent in by authors. Spare some time thinking about this situation. Agents and publishers are busy people and most of their time is already spent looking after their existing authors and taking on new clients. Add to this the huge heap of unsolicited work awaiting their attention and more arriving each day, then you can clearly appreciate that your submission has to shine above the rest to be considered. Do this by good preparation and perfection.

Agent or publisher?

"Is it better to send my work to an agent or a publisher?" This is one of the questions most frequently asked by beginners. Unfortunately there is no overall answer to this. A good agent is worth his or her weight in gold. Most agents are taking around 15 per cent of your publishing deal - do not let this put you off. You could be offered, for instance, £5000 or £10,000 by a publisher but this sum may be pushed up to £20,000 or more by a good agent. It makes economic sense for the agent to negotiate for the best deal he can possibly get for your work, therefore increasing his or her earnings. So a good agent is worth having but they will only accept you on their books if they feel your work has a decent chance of being marketed.

Market research

Whether you are considering approaching an agent or a publisher you must do some market research. First you must approach your chosen agent or publisher to find out what they require you to send. The Writers’ and Artists Yearbook, (pub. A & C Black) is one of the books that will give you most of the information you need. The book is worth every penny of its cover price but if in these difficult times you feel unable to afford a copy of your own, do not worry as most public libraries have at least one copy in their reference section for you to study.

I will give you a couple of examples from The Book Publishers UK section.

Harper Collins state: "all fiction and non-fiction must be submitted through an agent." It then goes on to give details on how to submit unsolicited manuscripts online. Random House Inc does not print this stipulation but in most cases publishers do appreciate being contacted first. This will give you an idea of what they would prefer you to send - most do not want the whole manuscript sent. However you decide to send your work for consideration you must send a covering letter telling them what you are offering.

It is also a good idea to visit your local bookshop to see which publishers are producing books of a similar genre to the one you are offering.

Market research is just as important if you are sending a short story to a magazine. Before you send off your work study several recent copies of the publication in which you would like your story to be published. Look at their house style, length and the type of stories they publish. It will also pay to find out the name of the current fiction editor - it shows your interest when you are able to use this name on your covering letter.

With regard to agents, you may have heard that a publisher will take more interest in a manuscript submitted by an agent than one sent directly from an author. There is a lot of truth in this especially when dealing with major publishing houses. Many of the big publishers today state they will only accept work through an agent, although this does not apply to all of them. Look in the Writers' and Artists Yearbook under Macmillan Publishers and you will find the Macmillan New Writing imprint. No advance is offered but the author will receive a royalty of 20 per cent on all net sales; this could be your way forward.

Agents

Getting an agent is not an easy option either. Good agents are busy people so as a writer you need do your bit of homework to show commitment in your work.

I must inject a slight word of warning at this point. Most agents are not interested in taking short stories from a new writer. Sorry if this dampens your spirits but aim your short stories at competitions and magazines. Some writers have been recognised through the quality of their writing in a magazine by a publishing editor or agent, and have been given opportunity to go forward from there.

The Writers' and Artists Yearbook also has a section on literary agents UK and Ireland. In most instances the information given under each agent is invaluable. Just look up the Darley Anderson Literary, TV and Film Agency then you will see what I mean. Many other agent entries are just as informative, so make a list of three or four agents and ‘Google’ them to see if they have written any articles etc. When you introduce yourself in your covering letter you want the agent to notice you and take you seriously. For instance you would present a professional approach if you were able to mention that you read an article by, or about them, in a magazine and thought they might be interested in considering your novel. Making your initial approach professional will move your submission one step nearer to grabbing his or her interest. You can either approach one agent or target a couple. However, if you do submit to more than one at a time it is important to say this in your covering letter (you do not need to give the name of the other agent). An agent will not be pleased if he thinks he has an exclusive submission and then finds out another agent has already shown interest. I do not advise sending out your work to more than three agents at once as this shows lack of faith in your own work, also in the agent you are targeting.

Submitting your work

If you are submitting a novel you will need a one page letter with your contact details, including your phone number and email address; a paragraph introducing your novel, word length, genre and one or two sentences on what it is about, then a paragraph about you and anything that adds to your writing record.

You should also attach a synopsis outlining the overall story and your main characters. This is usually no more than one or two pages, single spaced and written in the present tense.

An agent or publisher generally requires your first three chapters, not random ones. It is also advisable to have your completed novel to hand so it is ready to send if the agent requests to see the full material.

The agent's decision whether to take your work is down to the quality of your writing and an engaging story. Even if you have redrafted several times and you are convinced you cannot do any more revision, have one last read. Once you are confident that it all reads smoothly, this also applies to your covering letter and synopsis, print it out and read it again. Check your presentation - standard type - Times New Roman font, 12 point, double spaced, pages and chapters numbered.

Does each chapter begin with the narrative left justified and is each subsequent paragraph indented? Do not forget to indent dialogue and have the spoken word inside double quote marks. Examples of this can be found in the Dialogue section on this website.

Remember, to become a successful writer you need to be creative, original and view your craft professionally; you also need patience and perseverance.

You have not chosen the easiest of professions but it is certainly one of the most gratifying and rewards each success with a great feeling of satisfaction, achievement and sometimes a decent cheque.

I look forward to seeing your work on a bookseller's shelf or a magazine stand. Work hard, learn your craft and enjoy your writing.

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