Not What You Think

Some elements of an author’s proposal are not what you’d think. They seem like a good thing, but may make the opposite impression from the one you’re looking for.

“I’m in the process of having a professional website created/updated.”

What that really tells an agent or editor is that the author isn’t aware that one of the agent’s/editor’s first actions in going deeper if a proposal concept appeals is taking a look at the author’s website. If it is missing, under construction, or “in the process of being created,” the proposal submission is likely premature. It rarely happens that an author receives a contract without already having an active and engaged website in place. It is the writer’s primary home. If your website is outdated or non-existent, consider waiting to submit your proposal until it is functioning well and can offer an agent or editor a warm welcome to your primary online home.

“The longer the proposal, the better, right? More insights? Plenty of ways of telling what my book is about?”

It’s not what you think. A proposal that is repetitive (same info in multiple places), or adds many more sample chapters than the guidelines suggest, or one that includes a massively long synopsis or page-long chapter summaries earns a quick reputation as a proposal that is more work than the editor or agent has time to invest.

If an editor or agent wants to see more, they’ll ask for it. Offer a proposal that is simultaneously thorough and succinct.

“My past sales numbers are not great. If I don’t list them, the editor won’t know.”

Not what you think. Another early step for an agent or editor who wants to go deeper, learn more, is asking, “What else has this author written?” They can quickly discover those books you didn’t want to mention because of bad covers, lackluster reviews, or poor sales.

Be honest, but also be aware that self-published or small-press books that did not sell well are not stepping stones to something better. They are more often hurdles to overcome.

“This manuscript has been professionally edited by ______________.”

How can that be a bad thing? Many authors believe the best they can do to make a good impression is to have their manuscript professionally edited. But what that tells us is how skilled the editor is, rather than how skilled the author is. Agents need to know the skill level of the author they’re offering to represent. Editors need to know if the author can replicate that manuscript’s level of excellence with their next book and the next.

Is editing sometimes useful and needed? Yes. When?

If the professional edit of a yet-to-be-contracted work is for flow, for grammar and punctuation, for typos, or for clarity, and if the edit is a classroom for the author, then it may be useful. The goal of a good edit is to equip the author to adapt healthy writing habits on their own. No author should count on leaning on an editor to clean up their work before it’s sent to an agent or acquiring editor. Count on learning. Count on growing in your craft. Depend on improving with each project.

We will ask, “How much of this manuscript reflects the editor’s work compared to your work? Can you show me a sample of a chapter before and after the edit?”

“You’re not saying a professional edit is wrong, are you?”

No! Professional editors are important in the process. And agents do sometimes suggest an aspiring author or even one of our current clients consider hiring a professional editor when a particular need arises. With a caveat.

When self-publishing, a professional editor is always recommended. With traditional publishing, your book will go through three to five rounds of edits after your manuscript is complete. A substantive or content edit, a copy edit, a line edit, and a galley edit/proofreading. But the cleaner the manuscript that’s turned in, the easier a process editing is for all involved.

Again, the people to whom you’re submitting need to know your writing style and ability, not a pre-contract editor’s.

We value and respect good freelance editors and their role. Be aware that their role isn’t to rewrite or co-write your book. An editor may polish your already shiny book, but in turn that should give you the tools to do more self-polishing the next time. Some freelance editors will disagree. It is, after all, their income producer, and they can offer beautifully beneficial insights. The key is not hiding behind an editor but learning from one, and offering the prospective agent or acquiring editor a clear picture of how well you write on your own. Ideally, that’s what’s replicable for future books.

Watch for more info in a few weeks that will help you make decisions about pre-contract editors, what kind of edit to ask for, how much you can be expected to pay for a pre-contract edit of different levels, and how to avoid other “It’s not what you think” advice you may have been given about your proposal.