"Personal" question(s) to John Jarrold

[Doctor Sax]

Originally Posted by lin robinson

I don't know about "generally considered", but I'd consider the idea that newspaper hacks are "impartial" or even knowledgeable is absurd. Maybe things are different in UK.

They certainly are! That's Her Majesty's Press you're talking about!

[Havlen]

Just my opinion, but I wouldn't think that the average person puts enough thought into blurbs to consider whether or not the source was reliable or impartial. They simply read the words, and if those words are attached to a name that is familiar to them, all the better.

[John Jarrold]

Originally Posted by Hilarious Joke

I bought a book by Jude Fisher because it had a quote on the front by Robin Hobb.

Out of curiosity, do you think quotes from acclaimed, best-selling fantasy or sf authors are better than excerpts from a review in a mainstream newspaper?

As a publisher, you try to mix and match both. Not just for the reader, but also to involve the bookselling trade and get the book on the shelves. W H Smiths and Waterstones like a review from The Times or Guardian, as well as quotes from Robin Hobb or Iain Banks (usually when stocking the paperback edition of a previously-published hardback or trade paperback, that has been fully reviewed in the mainstream press as well as genre magazines and blogs).

[Kissmequick]

I've seen a couple of debut novels with blurb by famous authors. How does that happen? Are they mates, did the publisher ask as a favour? Was a Jeffrey Archer style brown envelope involved? I've often wondered.

BTW, as for the US / UK thing, I had no nibbles in the UK, but I've got several fulls out at the moment in the US.( Admittedly I trimmed the word count and tweaked my letter first.) I e-mailed one publisher before I queried, asking whether they accepted subs from the UK, and they replied saying they love UK authors, please query ASAP.

[John Jarrold]

No brown envelopes. Sometimes they know the writer - in some cases they have read their work over a number of years - sometimes they are published by the same company and the editor asks them to read the book, or they just know the editor. But they'll only give a puff if they like it.

As a publisher, I did the latter regularly. If you are in touch with or publishing , say, a bestselling writer in the epic fantasy field and you have a debut novel coming in that field, it would be stupid not to try to get a quote.

[Scarfy]

Originally Posted by Kissmequick

BTW, as for the US / UK thing, I had no nibbles in the UK, but I've got several fulls out at the moment in the US.( Admittedly I trimmed the word count and tweaked my letter first.) I e-mailed one publisher before I queried, asking whether they accepted subs from the UK, and they replied saying they love UK authors, please query ASAP.

Are they willing to except email partials do you know..?

[Kissmequick]

e-mail everything in fact. After I asked, I sent a query and first 3 chaps, seems fairly standard.

The ones I've been talking to are pretty specific in the genres they publish, but with a bit of research I'm sure you could find someone. e-mail first, and ask if they allow / like UK subs. Not one of the ones I asked had a problem with it. ( and like I said one was more than keen on UK writers)

No brown envelopes. Sometimes they know the writer - in some cases they have read their work over a number of years - sometimes they are published by the same company and the editor asks them to read the book, or they just know the editor. But they'll only give a puff if they like it.

Thanks John. I thought it might have been something like that, I just kind of wondered.

[John Jarrold]

When I published Maggie Furey's first novel, AURIAN, a dozen years ago, we had a cover quote from David Gemmell. This was for two reasons: Dave had worked with her at a writer's group, and he liked her writing and characters. And I'd known him for some years by this time, and he was also then published by the same imprint for which I acquired Maggie: Legend, at Random House UK. So I asked, and he gave us a good quote, having read the entire book.

[Scarfy]

John: I always wondered about that - Are copies sent out to guest / established readers before the final prints are made?

World War Z has a quote from Simon Pegg on the front cover and I always assumed that was a reaction to the first print run?

[John Jarrold]

If you have book proofs (which might be available six to eight months before publication), they are usually sent to the people you have targeted for quotes, but sometimes you send the final typescript even earlier than that. Getting quotes as early as possible is very useful, when the sales director discusses the book with W H Smiths, Waterstones, etc, at head office level over six months before publication, and also for use on the cover proofs, which are printed several months before the book is published.

[HowardSW]

John,

How long does it usually take for you to reply to a new author's submission of the first six chapters?

Thanks in advance.

[John Jarrold]

It varies on the specific workload at the time. I TRY to get back within three weeks, but I often fail - I ask authors to nudge me if they haven't heard within two to three weeks to give me a reminder. So if you're waiting, e-mail me now!

[HowardSW]

Thanks for the swift reply, John. I'll send an email now...

All the best,

Howard.

[Karen Dales]

This is my first post to this forum so please treat me gently.

I'm wondering how self-publishing affects an author's ability to find an agent and/or publisher?

I.E. an individual has tried for quite some time to find an agent and/or publisher and hasn't found one, but they decide to self publish and try and market their book on their own while still trying to find a professional publisher. Will an agent and/or publisher frown upon self-publishing OR if the author manages some level of success in marketing and selling his/her novel, will that possibly attract a professional publisher/agent?

Thanks

Karen

[John Jarrold]

There are self-publishing threads, which address this, so check them out!

Here is one: The pros and cons of self-publishing

And here is another: A question for those who are self-published


Best of luck.