"Personal" question(s) to John Jarrold

[John Jarrold]

Originally Posted by Leisha

So what does your book doctoring actually involve? Do you look through the manuscript and basically point out plot inconsistencies, overuse of adverbs, poorly written description, that sort of thing? And how does this differ from a four-chapter edit? For the shorter doctoring, would you mainly focus on bringing the best out of the opening chapters and creating more of a 'hook', or is it the same as the full manuscript service, only shorter, to give the author an idea of their writing ability?

Just curious, you see. I've been considering having my manuscript looked at -- if I can save the money, that is, since I'm signed off work at the moment, ill!

The 'hook' is mentioned in both sets of notes of course - sometimes, I've suggested starting the book in a completely different place, for instance!

[Leisha]

Sounds as if you get your money's worth! Thanks for clarifying. I think if my typescript returns rejected, I'll start saving! From what I read on one manuscript assessment agency, they charge about £607 for a full appraisal, then there's postage and return postage on top, which is a heck of a lot of money atm!

I'll have to look at all the options, then decide.

Thanks again!

[dustinzgirl]

John, I do a lot of ghost writing and underwriting work for professionals (esp in business proposals) and academia, like case studies (you would be surprised how many professors have thier tutor students write thier case studies, only those students don't write them, underwriters do!)

I have found that I really, really suck at editing. If something is already written, I have trouble finding things wrong with it other than the obvious, like grammar and spelling and continuity. My question is, as an editor of written works, what advice do you have to find the small and not so obvious mistakes? Do you have a good checklist that you go by?

Also, I recently won a contract to write a case study book on service marketing management and CRM, so this advice would help me out quite a bit, since this is the largest single contract I've ever had.

Thanks!

[John Jarrold]

I've always had a very good memory, which is extemely useful for an editor - seeing blue eyes on p.20, and grey eyes on p.300, for instance!

But I always read a book I edit at least three times. First time as a normal reader, only stopping to mark something if it really trips me up; second time, much more slowly, as an editor, making editorial comments about every page if necessary. Then I put it away for a couple of days before reading my notes, then read through again for final queries, looking in particular at the big picture - how the plotlines and characters work, when scenes go on too long and slow down the pacing - or sometimes where scenes should be longer...stuff like that.

I hope that helps somewhat...

[John Jarrold]

Originally Posted by Marky Lazer

Well, I'm not going to ask you your favorite meal... (at least, not now, maybe later).

I cook a mean jambalaya...!

New Orleans is one of my favourite cities. I've been lucky enough to go there five times, twice on business (the World SF Convention in 1988 and the World Fantasy Convention in 1994, representing UK publishers) and three times ENTIRELY for pleasure. I was last there in March 2005, and I intend to go back some time in the next twelve months to see my friends post-Katrina...

[Daniel Ionson]

So, you receive a novel which you believe has a chance… What is it like on your end when you send it to a publisher? Is it a detached process, meaning that you simply send it in to the publisher for review and they give a rejection or acceptance based on their reading? Or do you have some sort of a dialogue with the publishing company at the time you send them the novel, explaining why you have faith in that submission to be valuable before they read it?



Daniel

[John Jarrold]

I've known most of the genre editors in London and New York for over ten years - over twenty years, in some cases. We speak regularly about life, the universe and everything, and part of those conversations will include sounding them out about writers. Personal relationships are extremely important.

I may well target one or two publishers before a novel is complete and enthuse them, so they are very keen to receive it. I don't send every book to every SF editor - publishers don't all want the same thing, so it's a matter of being aware of a specific editor's interests and what their company publishes well. Having sat in an editor's chair for fifteen years, with three different companies, I'm aware of the necessities, not just for the editor, but also for their sales and marketing colleagues, who are ever more important when a company considers a new writer.

If you treat novels like cans of baked beans and just chuck them out on the market, you're not likely to get very far. Publishing is a subjective business, and getting a specific publisher to take on a specific writer can often be a long-term project. But occasionally - and I stress that - something happens like the World Rights deal I did with Simon Spanton at Gollancz in February, where I took on a terrific new US fantasy writer, Robert Redick, and felt his writing was particularly suited to Simon. We spoke, he read the book quickly and agreed and made an extremely good offer within a week of receiving the novel (which was also out with other publishers). I discussed the offer with the author, I spoke again to Simon and then accepted it with some changes, additions, etc. In January, Robert didn't have an agent, but by the end of February he had an extremely lucrative three-book publishing deal with one of the oldest and best SF and Fantasy imprints in the world.

That is unusual! But wonderful, when it does happen.

[Daniel Ionson]

Thanks.

On a purely selfish note, is there currently a pull for medieval fantasy-horror (my current novel)?

Daniel

[John Jarrold]

Er...not specifically, that I'm aware of!

Incidentally, it's not just a matter of a novel that I believe 'has a chance'. I have to love an author's work and completely believe that they have a major career in front of them. There are plenty of good novels around, and they get turned down every day by publishers who know that the bookselling trade is looking for new bestsellers, not mid-range novels. No UK publisher is looking to fill a list, in 2007. They are publishing specific authors, and thinking strategically about that author's work over a number of years and how it will be presented to the trade, rather than ticking off this month's 'dragon fantasy', 'military SF', 'funny fantasy', etc.

Things may be slightly different in the US, due to the size of the market, but that's the way it is in the UK.

[SJAB]

Originally Posted by John Jarrold

There are plenty of good novels around, and they get turned down every day by publishers who know that the bookselling trade is looking for new bestsellers, not mid-range novels.

May I ask you, John, if you think this is a good thing or not? This 'death' of the mid range/list author/novel? Because that is what seems to be happening.

[John Jarrold]

It's been 'happening' for twenty years, to be honest. As bookselling chains compete more with supermarkets and so forth, and following the end of the Net Book Agreement in the mid-90s that has led to ever more discounting, they only want to see books and authors who will sell very well. Whereas I reckoned that I had four books to work with an author in the late 80s, to build their sales, if a writer's first book doesn't work now, it's very difficult to resurrect sales, with computer sales figures being the basis on which future orders are predicated.

Thus, a UK genre publisher might take on one or two new writers over an entire year now, and put marketing resources behind them, to try as hard as possible to get that first book away - rather than taking on half-a-dozen, some of whom would work immediately, some of whom would build and some of whom would fail, as was the way of things in the 1980s.

[John Jarrold]

I mentioned that publishers look for ways to build interest in new writers. Here is a fascinating animation that HarperCollins UK have created for Stephen Hunt's COURT OF THE AIR, which they publish this month (he's one of my clients):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8ucLBDTthU

Nice one...

[Daniel Ionson]

Hi again, John.

I’d like to hear anything you’d care to share about Gemmell. I was saddened when he died, for I had hoped to keep reading him for another 20 years, and to meet him someday. What was he like? Were you friends, or simply professional associates?

Thanks,
Daniel

[John Jarrold]

I'll come back to you in the next couple of days on this, Daniel. Dave and I had a lot of fun...

[Culhwch]

Originally Posted by John Jarrold

I mentioned that publishers look for ways to build interest in new writers. Here is a fascinating animation that HarperCollins UK have created for Stephen Hunt's COURT OF THE AIR, which they publish this month (he's one of my clients):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8ucLBDTthU

Nice one...

I've seen that one around, looked interesting. Very schmick trailer, certainly one of the better ones I've seen. Looks like it'd make a good animated film... Might have to pick up the book.