Books that hook
March 2012
Published: February 3, 2012
"Change is good.” We hear that a lot these days, and that certainly seems true in today’s fiction book market. With the phenomenal growth of e-books (and self-publishing), publishers and bookstores are seeing “significant” increases in fiction sales—meaning there are more opportunities than ever to see your work in print.
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In “10 tips for getting your novel published” (page 43), literary agents
Marilyn Allen and Coleen O’Shea show you how to take advantage of the
current market and grab an agent’s attention in the best possible
way—not only by writing the best book you can, but by understanding your
audience, building your brand, and educating yourself about the
industry. “This is a great time for fiction writers to establish
themselves,” says Lou Aronica of Novelists, Inc., “as long as they are
willing to do the work.”
Allen and O’Shea surveyed other successful agents about
trends they are seeing in fiction: “Every one of them reported that
editors are looking for high-concept novels and novels with fresh
themes. The emphasis is on plot. Historically, great writing and
characterizations might have been enough to engage editors, but now they
are looking for stories with a hook. Why? Because this helps publishers
position a new work to appeal to an identified audience.”
Allen and O’Shea are former publishing execs and partners
in the Allen O’Shea Literary Agency. They recently co-authored The
Complete Idiot’s Guide to Book Proposals & Query Letters. Watch for
their expert advice every other month in their new column for The
Writer, Agent to Author. |