My friend Rebecca suggested I write this post. She felt authors might be curious to look beyond the curtain of this agency and see the rationale behind the NO.
I agree, so here we are!
In my last post, I talked about nefarious publishing practices. In response to that, one writer asked me (politely!) why I have such a high threshold of platform numbers as I consider a client, and that their no was possibly based on the lack of those numbers. My response was that platform is a reality of publishing, and that if I want to make a living as a literary agent, I have to take on projects that have a strong potential to sell. But I said platform is not usually the reason I say NO. Read on for all the reasons my assistant Christen and I turn down a project.
Here are Seven reasons I say no
- Lack of platform. The author was right. My assistant says no if the platform numbers are low. This demonstrates to us that the author doesn’t yet grasp the business nature of publishing. You have to have a way to sell the books, and the first thing a publisher will ask is, “Will this book sell?” Now, I’m not tied to instagram numbers. I’m actually far more partial to an author’s email distribution list. The author’s relationships in real life matter too. Hear me: I understand how frustrating this is to read. It may make you want to quit. As an author, I’m really worn out from building a platform, and it sometimes pushes me to burnout. This is a tough industry. And although we hear a lot about the importance of platform, I’m not fully convinced it sells books as much as we’re led to believe. What really sells books is that elusive word of mouth. Platform is one way to have that, but it’s not the only way. Still, as a businesswoman myself, I have to recognize that I have a finite numbers of hours in a week. I can’t spend them on authors who I can’t sell, or Mary DeMuth Literary will fold.
- Already done. So many projects come across our query transom that are derivative or done over and over and over again. I will not look at a worth/identity book for that reason. And my assistant has become quite skilled at discerning whether a book idea is fresh and new. Before you pitch your book, do a search on Amazon or Christianbook.com and see how many books like yours are already in the world. On top of that, we look at writing that is not laden with overused cliches, the same old illustrations, and language that doesn’t resonate with the next generation.
- I already have an author in that space. Sometimes the project is ticking all the boxes, but I am already representing an author in that same space. It’s not a good practice to have authors competing on my list, so we decline those.
- The writing is not there. Typos, bad grammar, immature sentence structure, weak verbs–all these signal to us that you’re simply not ready yet. If we give you this feedback, a good next choice is to hire an editor (if you have funds) or go to a writers critique group where other authors can read your work. You can also have your writing read by professionals at writing conferences.
- You come across as arrogant. Christen and I can’t tell you how many times we’ve received queries that are boastful and full of magical thinking. Promising your book will be a NYT bestseller is an automatic no. Comparing your book to a classic (unless you really are as good as Faulkner) is another indication that you’re not teachable.
- You don’t understand the industry. I often get direct messages from people wanting to publish a book, then asking me to publish it for them. A little bit of knowledge of traditional publishing would prevent a correspondence like that. Learn how the process works. First, query an agent. Query a lot of agents. Go to conferences. Once you land an agent, THEN your book is shopped in proposal form. If that book is picked up by a publisher, you sign a contract, deliver the manuscript a few months later, and then you’ll hold your book in your hand a year after that. I simply don’t have the bandwidth to teach you about the industry. There’s plenty written about the process for free on the internet. Learn. Don’t display your naïveté. You only have one chance to make a first impression with someone in publishing. Learn, then make it count.
- You haven’t done your research. I do not represent fiction, and I rarely represent children’s books or memoirs. I am also very cautious about the theological tone underneath the book. In light of that, you may simply not be a theological fit for me because I want to represent something that resonates with me. There have been times I’ve recommended an agent with a different theological bent simply because we’re not a good fit.
I hope that gives you a glimpse behind the whys of no. To be honest, we say no about 98% of the time, so please don’t feel bad about rejection. See it as a step toward growth and learning. I didn’t land the first agent I queried. In fact, it took me attending an in-person writing conference to meet face to face with agents. This industry is truly based on relationships, so meeting in person gives you a different chance than merely querying. I’ll be at this conference in March/April. Perhaps we’ll meet?
Question. How did you get your first book published without having the criteria you lay out here?
And did it help to have a collaborative work with a well-known author?
It was back in 2004 when platform wasn’t a thing. I went to a conference, wrote a proposal, signed with an agent, then they shopped my proposal.
Thank you, Mary. Very enlightening. . . I always learn something new from you.
What a blessing to spend some time together a few weeks ago! Many thanks!
Thanks Ruth! So good to see you!
What makes you different than all the other literary agents? What do you offer that someone else doesn’t?
That’s hard for me to say, but if my clients want to chime in, that would probably be more helpful to you.
One thing that I love about having Mary as my agent is that she is constantly giving back to us as her authors. We have monthly meetings that are always teaching us. Ew and relevant things. I literally learn something valuable about worrying or the industry every single month. My other agented friends don’t have this.
Mary gives me incredibly fast feedback on projects. Like, 1-2 days usually. I have friends that wait months for feedback.
Mary truly picks authors and projects she can champion. I’ve seen her go to bat for me with publishers for my projects, both in terms of getting contracts and compensation for those contracts.
The last, but most important, thing I’d say is that Mary is distinctly kingdom-focused. While she understand this is a business, she is always telling us to beware striving too much for success or measuring our worth by our success. She’s told us multiple times that sales does not equal personal value or the worth of a project even.
As one of Mary’s clients, I am so grateful the Lord brought her and I together as she offers such honesty and integrity. She prayed with us, her authors at every meeting and never fails to point us to Jesus. Is is the same person on the pages of her own books as she is around chips and salsa and the agency table. She is truly a gem in a world of tangled words!
I can only echo the comments above. As someone who was previously represented by a different agent, I would say the major difference is that Mary cares about people more than she cares about profit. Now, she does have to care about profit because it’s a business, but she prioritizes people. That’s HUGE and I’m so grateful. I thank God for her every week!
I can only echo the comments above. As someone who was previously represented by a different agent, I would say the major difference is that Mary cares about people more than she cares about profit. Now, she does have to care about profit because it’s a business, but she prioritizes people. That’s HUGE and I’m so grateful. I thank God for her every week!
I appreciate your candor!
Thanks, Lindsay May!
As one of Mary’s clients, I think that Mary’s integrity, vision and the ways she advocates for others (and herself) is reflected in not only her work as a literary agent but as a lovely human being. Mary has boatloads of experience in this industry and willingly shares her knowledge with us. I also love how Mary has cultivated a safe community amongst her signed authors. I have been grateful for the support and friendship with these peers vs a competitive spirit.
How much does a person’s age factor in to a “no” response? Either with you or with agents in general?
That depends, actually, on a number of factors–platform, idea, execution.
Thanks, Mary, for your reply and for the article!
If my platform includes Patreon or paid newsletter supporters at $5 a month, how many of those you’d want to see as part of a platform?
Would 100 be solid?
Thanks for this golden info.
Hashim, platform is multi faceted. That you have patrons on Patreon is a good sign of engagement, but if you have 100, it would not necessarily interest a publisher. They’re looking for tens of thousands of followers.