Why We Say Yes: One Editor’s List

Posted by Marian Lizzi

My previous post seems to have struck a chord with some readers, including a few authors who found it a little…what’s the word...negative.

I will admit, upon further reflection, that I probably shouldn’t have revealed the little trade secret I’ll call SCLUF (“skillful, competent, literate, and ultimately forgettable”). A bit too harsh for author consumption? I apologize. But now you know.

Let’s move on to the much happier flipside. Here’s my personal list of reasons for wanting to buy—or at least bid on—a proposed book.

In some cases, just one of these reasons is sufficient. But of course, the more the better.

1. It has a great hook.  It’s the kind of book that gets people talking. Specifically, sales reps, buyers, bloggers, reviewers, what’s left of the mainstream media, and of course readers (each of whom is now a single-person PR machine capable of tweeting/linking/posting/blogging and otherwise driving interest and sales).

On a related note, it’s worth keeping in mind that we editors are constantly answering the question “So what are you working on?”  Help us be interesting (more about that in #10).

2. It teaches me something new.  After twenty years of editing general nonfiction, I’ve got a lot of little facts in my head (though the early 90s are a bit of a blur). And yet there’s always more to learn. Surprise me.

3. It’s the first. Or the best. Or both.  The editor I worked for back in the blurry early 90s had a knack for finding firsts. Every year she’d return from Frankfurt with an armful of books about trends that hadn’t hit the mainstream US market yet, but were heading our way from one direction or another. Newborn swimming? Vegan baking? Foot reflexology? These books were already successful in other countries—and thanks to this fearless and forward-thinking editor, they were first out of the gate here, filling an otherwise wide-open gap in the market. Many of these books are still in print, in the most profitable area of the publishing business: successful backlist.

Best works too. We call that the category-killer, and every nonfiction editor would like to have a few of those.

4. The author has the self-promoter gene (in a good way).  You know the type. They have friends, and they know how to use them. They have contacts, visibility, outreach, and a touch of the razzle-dazzle. Sure, this skill set can be taught. But if we have to teach you, we’re less interested. Get up to speed first, and then let’s talk.

5. The subject and/or author are particularly web-friendly. This is a variation on the previous point. Maybe the proposal grows out of a popular blog, or Twitter feed, or good old-fashioned meme. Maybe the author teaches online courses, or writes a popular e-newsletter.

Maybe the book would be a natural for digital editions, including enhanced e-books with embedded video, links, or other cool features that readers will want. Do your homework and figure it out for us. We will listen.

6. The subject lends itself to a great physical package. This might seem to contradict the previous point, but in fact they go hand in hand. As books become increasingly digital, print editions need to be more and more appealing. Maybe it’s a gift, an object, a curiosity, a thing of beauty. Or maybe it just looks really good.

7. It features a smart person writing on a fun subject.  This combination is a personal favorite of mine. Some projects—even at the proposal stage—make you feel like you’re having a pint with a favorite professor. (Not in a creepy way.) Or like you’re watching a great TED talk. I will fall for this type of project every time. And I’m not the only one.

8. It’s similar—but not too similar—to books we’ve done well with in recent memory.  Also known as our Strike Zone, our Wheel House, our Bread and Butter. You get the idea. Pointing to recent, meaningful comparison titles, preferably on one’s own list, is perhaps the most powerful tool an editor has. Ask a sales rep and see for yourself.

(Be sure to use this one selectively, though. Every era has its laughably overused comparisons. Here at 375 Hudson Street, we have a lot of love for Eat, Pray, Love…but we don’t want to hear that you’ve written its sequel. Does your comparison pass the say-it-out-loud-without-sounding-ridiculous test?)

9. It has crossover appeal.  Will the book appeal to kids as well as adults? Men as well as women? A core audience as well as a broader swath of curious onlookers? That’s a good thing.

10. It’s quirky/surprising/memorable.  In publishing, as in life, there’s no substitute for being interesting. 

I probably shouldn’t admit this, but being interesting alone can erase just about any other flaw. Lousy track record? Zero platform? Author who doesn’t own a computer? I’m telling you, we’ve seen—and published—it all…because the author and the book were so irresistible. I don’t recommend this Hail Mary, #10-only approach, but I’m here to tell you it can work. We sometimes call this a make book. On paper, it shouldn’t work, but with a lot of effort and focus it can. And it can be the most appealing type of project for those of us with a masochistic streak and a soft spot for life’s long shots. In other words, book editors.

 

So who’s going 10 for 10? Ping me….

And please feel free to link, tweet, comment, argue, and otherwise keep the conversation going.

 

Comments

[Drew Patrick Smith]

I think this is a great addition to your previous list. A lot of times, I've noticed that publishing professionals, especially when talking to authors who aren't published, tend to focus on the negatives.

It's true, though (and this is coming from someone who works as an editor and a writer), that sometimes, it is all a Hail Mary pass about a project that's simply too interesting to pass up. This must be true for the writer, as well - they're writing something they couldn't stop writing if they wanted to.

[Mira Bartok]

just tweeted this...great info (as is your "Why We Say No..." article. I get a lot of questions regarding this subject from my blog readers (Mira's List).
Thanks,
Mira Bartok, author of THE MEMORY PALACE

[Laurie Hurley]

OH, found the YES version. Very nice! Will refer to both of these as I move forward with my book. Thank you for such useful info!

[Sue W]

Thank you, Marian. As an new writer, I am happy that you shared both the YES and NO. It was good to get the NO first and now I feel hopeful after the YES post. It's good to aim for all 10! I have shared your wisdom with my writing group.

[KC Frantzen]

Being the glass half full type, this was more fun than the Top 10 No's, and just as informative.

Thanks for pulling back the curtain just a bit! :)

KC Frantzen
www.maythek9spy.com

[Perigee Books]

Thanks, everyone. Glad you liked it -- and I agree: Saying yes is much more fun.
--Marian

[Chris Tomasino]

Marian, these are both great, and useful for agents, too. I hope you don't mind if I quote you liberally from now on!
--Chris Tomasino

[maureen basedow]

To ask a question posted by author Laura Fraser (All Over the Map), why can't there be more than one Eat, Pray, Love? Can there be only one interesting book out there about women traveling in search of personal goals and self-discovery? You may be getting a lot of bad manuscripts in this particular genre right now, but not sure what why pitching a different woman's journey and story would not pass what you call the "say-it-out-loud-without-sounding-ridiculous test?" What would you prefer they say?

For the record, I thought Eat Pray Love was just OK. But I would like to read more books like it.

[morag Lloyds]

Loved this, it was positive and fun to read and gives me hope!!

[Perigee Books]

Maureen, thanks for your question. It's not that there couldn't be another Eat, Pray, Love -- in fact, finding the next big thing is what gets a lot of us editors out of bed in the morning. The problem is that the claim comes off as a bit cliched and overblown, even if it might be in some ways apt. It's like an online dating profile that says "I'm a dead ringer for Julia Roberts." Maybe you are...but my experience here on earth tells me that you probably aren't. There are more effective ways to use comparisons.

...And I will make this the subject of my first post over at my new site. Details coming soon.

Sorry for the teaser. Busy days.

-- Marian

[Chris St. Hilaire (author of 27 Powers of Persuasion)]

I've forwarded both of these posts to aspiring authors...and both contain useful information articulately communicated. Thanks for posting.

[Mahita]

Very interesting article. About Eat, Pray, Love which is often used as an example of "The Next Big Thing" - I find it odd that this book in particular gets picked. I had read a few reports that it had sold a mere 18,000 copies and wasn't really going anywhere until it was featured on Oprah. Personally, I found it quite a boring book and can't help but wonder how many editors would have said "No" if the manuscript had landed on their tables.

[Toni Sciarra Poynter]

You've said so much, and said it well. And honestly, but not brutally--like a good editor. I'll share it. Thanks.

[Greg Dinkin]

As a lit agent, I wish I had this list 10 years ago! It would have saved me a lot of time explaining things to authors. Marian manages to be funny, economical and super-informative--something I'm striving for!