Is age important?

[John Jarrold]

Sue

51-year-old mother of two! Great promotional point for the marketing and publicity departments, with a first novel!

But - and I've said this before - the book is the most important thing of all. If an editor doesn't consider the book good enough, it won't be taken to a publishing meeting, for others to consider.

We've become a bit sidetracked with the 'age' question, so here is a digest. No, your book will not be turned down because you're not a teenager. No, your book will not be turned down because you are ir aren't ANY specific age. The reason most books are turned down is because they ain't special enough.

Again, I talk about the UK market here. Being 'good' is nowhere near good enough to get you published. Most UK editors see thirty books every week and might take on two first novels a year. So they have to enthuse their sales, marketing and publicity colleagues, as well as their MD and senior editorial colleagues. They have to be able to say, hand on heart, that the author they are talking about is quite wonderful, immensely special. If they don't believe that, passionately, they will turn the book down and nothing else matters.

[John Jarrold]

Originally Posted by Teresa Edgerton

Well, I'm sure you know your own business far better than I do, but I'm still having a hard time figuring out what use sales and marketing could make of an author's age -- unless the author were either very young or very old -- much less why it would be important enough to include in a cover letter.

But times change, and maybe the information age is teaching readers to expect to know as much about the authors they read as they do about their favorite actors and other celebrities, even if the information ought to be irrelevant. Depressing thought.

Teresa, you don't promote a seventeen-year-old in the same way you promote a forty-year-old. This isn't a matter of one being better than the other, but of angles, ways of getting the book trade interested in a new author when they would really rather that publishers only gave them long-term bestsellers. You look for every possible way to ignite that interest. So, if a forty-year-old who has written their first SF novel has a twenty-year background in physics, you use that. If a seventeen-year-old is considering university, you use that. Marketing, for sure, is more important in publishing than it once was. So, as an editor, you use that, too.

[GrownUp]

I can see that, definitely. You need a picture of the person with their art inside it. When an author introduces themselves and their work, or they are introduced by someone else, the picture is painted by showing where on their life's journey they are.

[SJAB]

Originally Posted by John Jarrold

Again, I talk about the UK market here. Being 'good' is nowhere near good enough to get you published. Most UK editors see thirty books every week and might take on two first novels a year. So they have to enthuse their sales, marketing and publicity colleagues, as well as their MD and senior editorial colleagues. They have to be able to say, hand on heart, that the author they are talking about is quite wonderful, immensely special. If they don't believe that, passionately, they will turn the book down and nothing else matters.

That's the trick isn't it? To get someone to believe in you, and the story you have told.

Strangely I find positive comments from agents and editors on my rejections harder to come to terms with than a standard form. With a standard form you know you didn't make it off the slush pile. Comments always leave me thinking whether they chewed their pencil and wondered if it was worth giving it a go, even for a few seconds.

This has merit, but

A strong idea, but

Inventive and well written, but...

There is always a but, perhaps one day there won't be a but lol.... Maybe it's the submission out at present, maybe not lol. Anyway the writing keeps my mind ticking over

Sue

[John Jarrold]

It's certainly true that any author needs both an agent and an editor whose vision chimes with theirs, Sue. Again, it ain't easy - as you've found. Do remember that someone as good as Iain Banks took fifteen years after his first submission to get a publishing deal...

[Patrick Mahon]

I had an interesting experience, perhaps paralleling this discussion, last week. I got invited to a lunch at short notice, primarily because all the important people in my company couldn't go. When I got there, I realised that the main reason for the invite was so the company who'd set the lunch up could try to sell their services to us.

The parallel to this discussion is simply that what they do is good - really good. And having spent a lunchtime talking to one of their sales people, I could see all the potential benefits of their service to my company.

But I still sent an email to my CEO that evening, saying "here's what they said, and here's why we should turn them down."

The reality for me was that what they are offering will be great for lots of potential clients. But it's not right for us.

John - is there any valid parallel to the publishing business here?

Cheers,
Patrick.

[John Jarrold]

The reality for me was that what they are offering will be great for lots of potential clients. But it's not right for us.

John - is there any valid parallel to the publishing business here?

Cheers,
Patrick.[/quote]

Yes, Patrick. I've turned down authors as an editor, and as an agent, when I could see they were good but they just didn't work for me. This is the case with every editor I've ever spoken to. An author has to work both personally and professionally. Twenty-odd years ago, as a British editor you'd buy a ready-made fantasy series from the US for £1500 or less and bang it out - genre publishing as product. More recently, we have all spoken about publishing specific authors, not simply chucking books at the trade to see what sticks.

[WriterDoug]

i actually never tried publishing when I was younger for honest fear of not being taken seriously and laughed at for being just a kid. now that I am older, i do not think it matters anyhow; the truth of the matter is that my writing has developed so much over the years, I am glad I did not try and represent myself with such an early (and clearly underdeveloped) style.

i am now seeking publication for some various little things of mine; I feel the time is right. Hint: think of how old Crane was, right around the time he wrote and received publication for The Red Badge of Courage.

[John Jarrold]

Doug

Yes, it entirely depends on the author. Some are damn near fully formed at 16, 18 or whatever. Others blossom at a later stage. It's extremely important that publishers deal with authors as individuals, not as a 'commodity'.

Good luck with publication!