This is from an interview I conducted with Ted for TitleTrakk.com. Read the full interview here.Ted's advice:
Finish the novel. Then write another one. And then, write another one. During this time you can look for an agent. You have to have an agent. No publishers will look at you otherwise. If you give up after your first book, you were never meant to be an author. If you give up after the second one, you still were never meant to be an author. Publishing requires writing and writing and writing. When you have three complete novels, you probably will be published. My fourth novel was published.
--Ted Dekker, author of Skin, Adam, The Circle Trilogy, House, and many other bestselling novels.
4 comments:
I'm a little backward, I guess, but I just read my first Ted Dekker novel for the upcoming CFBA tour at the end of February--his new one Adam. It will be very hard for him to beat that one for me. Outstanding. Not for the faint of heart, however.
Well, clearly I'm not Ted Dekker but I found my first publisher without an agent and you can to. Ah, but who listens to me anyway. BTW, I found my second publisher without an agent as well. It wasn't like it fell on me but neither was it difficult. Perhaps things are different now since when Mr. Dekker started. I would say that if you're an aspiring Christian author, finidng an agent that will represent you to the general market instead of a niche one is VERY difficult. :)
Hey, Sue! Thanks for commenting. I agree with you. It is still possible to make it without an agent, especially in the CBA, I think. You have to do your homework, but if you're willing to do that, then go for it. Some folks will want an agent if they get queasy at the thought of negotiating and talking to an editor! :)
Actually for the CBA market, an agent might be smarter! LOL Ha! Gothcha C.J.! Now let me tell you why.
Almost all CBA and ECPA affiliated publishers won't look at your work without one. Thus all Christian agents will represent your work primarily if not exclusively to a niche market and not the general market which BTW encompases the bulk of Christian publishers.
If you know you don't want to write for the conservative evangelical market, you better aske your agent who they'll be representing you to.
Dag nabbit, if you find one who will represent you to traditional Christian publishers and that's the market you want to hit, go for it.
But as a debut novelists, just hit the smaller traditional publishers. It's all about working your way up.
Hey, wait a minute. I'm not supposed to be giving advice. Nobody asked me. I'm outty! :)
Post a Comment