What Kind of Revisions do Agents Ask For?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ธ.ค. 2021
- A few of our agents at BookEnds consider themselves more of an editorial partner. This means that before sending your book on submission, you may go through several rounds of edits. There are different types of revisions you may encounter so literary agents Jessica Faust and James McGowan break them down in today's video.
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Jessica Faust’s love for books is what first brought her to open BookEnds Literary Agency. It is her desire to be an advocate for all authors that pushed her to create her blog, the BookEnds TH-cam channel and to maintain a vibrant presence on Twitter.
Jessica is proud to have grown BookEnds to an agency that represents authors of all genres for children and adults, allowing her to reach more readers and help more authors and illustrators achieve their dreams.
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James McGowan is a Literary Agent at BookEnds and writer for children. He began working with the agency as an intern in the summer of 2015, and basically never left. He represents a talented group of authors and illustrators working in everything from board books to middle grade graphic novels. He also works in adult nonfiction, and adult mystery and suspense projects. James is the author of GOOD NIGHT OPPY, which is available now.
Connect with BookEnds!
Twitter: bookendslit
Instagram: bookends_literary
Website: www.bookendsliterary.com
Connect with Jessica: bookendsjessica
Connect with James: jmcgowanbks
An experienced author once told me that your editor is like then air traffic controller to a pilot. Ultimately, the pilot controls the plane and decides where the plane will go. However, the pilot is mindful of the air traffic controller because they see what the pilot cannot. In the end, their goal is the same...to land safely at the airport.
Thank you for insights I wouldn't get normally. It's a scary world to enter. Thank you for your committed work. Picture books are the hardest to write because they're like 300 to 600 words. It's like the saying, "I would have written a shorter letter, but I didn't have the time." Each word has to be perfect.
I really enjoy watching you guys. My suspense transcript needs one more round of editing before I start sending out query letters. Keep up the great work!
This series is soooo awesome. As I explore the query process, you all have magically posed and answered my questions, just as they occurs to me :) THANK YOU!! Maybe you should make these into a webinar course
Great tips. I actually love when an editor gives me revisions. I’ve learned so much from those types of edits. I think that’s how writers improve. On a side note since it is Christmas, would love to know what types of gifts you get from your authors.
I’m getting ready to start querying early in 2022 and this thought scares me. I know it will have to happen (if I get an agent and it moves forward to publishing) but it is a scary thought.
You've got this!
Thank you for answering this! One thing I've always wondered is how agents know to sign a novel if they aren't 100% happy with it? We as querying writers are always told to submit our best work - but how do agents know it's our best work if they know when they're going to sign the author that the book needs extensive changes?
Sometimes we're taking a chance, sometimes your writing makes that clear to us!
I love getting feedback from an agent and an editor about revisions. That said it is important to know when to say no because a revision might change the entire story. When do you think is the right time to actually say no about a revision suggestion?
Thank you for this video. This was useful for writers like myself. Happy Holidays!
Thank you for this video. I’m hoping to start querying in 2022 and this makes me feel less nervous and more excited.
Good luck!
I always equate revising a book to writing computer code: Your fixes will probably break something else.
True. Books and stories and all projects can be "over-polished" unto destruction.
I have been watching a lot of your videos, but this was one of the best! Each time I learn so much, and I get motivated to finally finish the "last" edit of my book, at least on my side. Other blogs or videos only provide 10 per cent of the information in the same amount of time. Your professionalism and experience are a source of inspiration, and I can't wait to embark on this process myself when I start querying to find representation. Best, Ana
Could you do an episode on the most common mistakes you see in endings?
Good idea. Adding to our list
Uh. And me newbie I actually thought that the main Work in the book is done when you query... Duh. But you gave me an idea about a POV change I have to make in my current work. So all is good. Thanks.
I can’t imagine that this is ever a popular conversation to have with an author. As I watch this I can’t help but think about how I would respond to these requests with my own novels. Some of them I would be fine with, others there is no way I would be willing to change. I wonder how much control an author has over this. Can they just say; “no, I want that part to stay the same,”? If they did say no, would that be the end of the agent/author relationship? Would an agent ever sell a book that had parts in it they believed needed to change that an author refused to change?
Yes, unless the author has signed away their rights on the book. Generally speaking, the revision requests aren't over story substance but rather the way the story is delivered. Remember, if the agent has such major problems with your story they likely would not have accepted the book work to begin with. Steven King once said, "There is no such thing as a 'final draft,' just the author's personal favorite draft and the one that gets published." Sell books. Entertain and engage people. This often requires burying your ego and pride. It's worth it.
@@jamesgossweiler1349 that’s probably good advice, thanks!
Yes, the author can say no. It's always a conversation and a brainstorming together with the agent and author
Hey James and Jessica! I was wondering if editors and even agents are using software like Autocrit to review manuscripts. I know they probably don't rely on these kinds of programs throughout the entire editing process, but I have this theory they might throw a prospective novel in there just to see how it scores overall and to get an idea of major issues. Thanks, and hope you had a wonderful holiday!
Not us
Hey James and Jessica! Could you please do a video for those of us who write novels as well as screen and/or stage plays? Are there certain agents that represent them all, or would any lit agent help us with those other mediums? I’m sure there are many nuances, and your thoughts would be invaluable.
I'm interested too :)
Book agents do books, not screenplays.
Usually two separate agents
This is scary stuff. I removed a POV from a book (as yet unpublished.) That was work. This whole revision thing is scary stuff.
If it wasn't for the English small issues and it getting the once over for my whole book ,I would have gone to an agent already after the ghost readers having read it.
I am respectfully confused, because many agents advise a book stay off submission until it’s polished and perfect, but this video leads me to believe most submitted books still have a long way to go.
Am I missing the middle ground in this?
Do your book the best you can, then an agent might see something they'd like to tweak.
@@ClintLoweTube thanks!
Your book should be the best it can be. An agent and editor will still most likely have suggestions for revision
@@BookEndsLiterary thank you for the clarification
Do you think a first time author should hire an editor before querying?
It's not a requirement and is completely up to you. Have you explored critique partners?
Jessica's background here causes a lot les vertigo :D
What is a POV?
POV = point of view, or the perspective that the book is written from! 1st POV uses words like "I/my/mine" in the narration and 3rd POV will use the characters' names or "he/she/they" in the narration!
Explains the bad writing out there.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Weird flex but okay 🤔🤨
America of the states, united!