"Personal" question(s) to John Jarrold

[Gary Compton]

Originally Posted by John Jarrold

Top ten novels in the UK are usually selling hundreds of thousands of paperbacks.
They also receive advances of FAR more than £5000 - and I'm sure what Ian Rankin is saying is true.

But if we are talking about first novels, expectations have to be sensible. It took Ian Rankin many years to break out, as it does most authors.

Yeah I read his first published novel only sold under a 1000 copies and its just been re-released.

Thanks John

[Gary Compton]

Congratulations John on 1000 posts...gold watch in the post!!

[John Jarrold]

Hoorah! And thanks to all of you for the questions. Keep 'em coming!

I don't have any alcohol in the house, so I shall toast myself with a nice cup of tea...

[Gary Compton]

Originally Posted by John Jarrold

Hoorah! And thanks to all of you for the questions. Keep 'em coming!

I don't have any alcohol in the house, so I shall toast myself with a nice cup of tea...

I'll send a bottle of broon down to you - special delivery.

[Sylvetra_Snake]

I was wondering that if an agent asked for more of my book (fingers and toes crossed), would it be all right for me to offer a re-written prologue and a longer word-count?

I am currently adding to the story to tie up a few loose ends and to extend the word-count a little longer. Also, i felt the prologue lacked a lot of the strength the rest of the book has. I wrote it a long time ago so the style was quite different and weaker as a result.

I don't think it will matter too much as i reckon i will get no's from the agents i have sent it to. No biggy, i think i received about twenty no's on my first ever novel, though i can look back and see why lol. It has been a month as well and no replies so i will move on now. I got the Writer's and Artist's yearbook 2009 and it has many agents in it. See what happens.

[Hilarious Joke]

Keep trying, Sylvetra! Remember ,we can try and help you here on the Chron with your prologue.

[Teresa Edgerton]

Originally Posted by Sylvetra_Snake

I was wondering that if an agent asked for more of my book (fingers and toes crossed), would it be all right for me to offer a re-written prologue and a longer word-count?

Send only the best that you are capable of at the time you send it out.

If you sent what you consider the weaker version and it was rejected, wouldn't you always wonder if the agent might have read far enough to be captivated by your plot and characters if only you had sent something that better represents the skill and insight you have gained since you first wrote it? But you would have lost your chance to find out, at least as far as that particular agent was concerned.

My advice is to keep right on revising until the manuscript goes in the mail, unless you are perfectly satisfied that you have the best and final version.

[Hilarious Joke]

Wow, that's great advice Teresa. I got the impression from some people that editing your manuscript feels like a neverending process, however. Wrong?

[Teresa Edgerton]

Well, some writers think that if they edit too much they will grow stale. In my case, I stop doing (minor) edits only when I send back the page proofs. I don't necessarily recommend that other people take it to that extreme.

But the point is that Sylvetra_Snake's instincts are telling her that she could do much better. I think she would be foolish to send out something that even she doesn't feel is good enough.

When I sent out a synopsis and sample chapters for the first time (no query, no agent, just over the transom and into the slush-pile, because you could do that in those days), I kept on revising while I was waiting for an answer -- then kept right on after I sent the partial to the next editor. When that editor said that she wanted to see the rest, I was ready with a book that I believed was the best I had to offer.

[Hilarious Joke]

Thanks, Teresa, interesting indeed!

[John Jarrold]

Originally Posted by Sylvetra_Snake

I was wondering that if an agent asked for more of my book (fingers and toes crossed), would it be all right for me to offer a re-written prologue and a longer word-count?

I am currently adding to the story to tie up a few loose ends and to extend the word-count a little longer. Also, i felt the prologue lacked a lot of the strength the rest of the book has. I wrote it a long time ago so the style was quite different and weaker as a result.

I don't think it will matter too much as i reckon i will get no's from the agents i have sent it to. No biggy, i think i received about twenty no's on my first ever novel, though i can look back and see why lol. It has been a month as well and no replies so i will move on now. I got the Writer's and Artist's yearbook 2009 and it has many agents in it. See what happens.

I know many agents who do not reply within one month, so your material may well not have been read yet. Apart from that, I echo Teresa's thoughts...

[SJAB]

I would echo John, a month is really nothing. I have personally found that the longer it takes to get a reply the further up the chain (with large agencies, that is) you have managed to crawl You have made it through the assistants onto an agent's desk, or as with small agencies there is only so many hours in the day for the agent, and naturally their clients' needs come before reading the latest batch of submissions.

I can sympathise, for the first time in my life I have two novels that have been requested in full. (both only six weeks ago, and I don't expect to hear either a yes or no for a while) I know even now it will be a very long shot if either make it any further, but it is a nice feeling to get this far.

[TheEndIsNigh]

Originally Posted by Teresa Edgerton

Well, some writers think that if they edit too much they will grow stale. In my case, I stop doing (minor) edits only when I send back the page proofs. I don't necessarily recommend that other people take it to that extreme.

But the point is that Sylvetra_Snake's instincts are telling her that she could do much better. I think she would be foolish to send out something that even she doesn't feel is good enough.

When I sent out a synopsis and sample chapters for the first time (no query, no agent, just over the transom and into the slush-pile, because you could do that in those days), I kept on revising while I was waiting for an answer -- then kept right on after I sent the partial to the next editor. When that editor said that she wanted to see the rest, I was ready with a book that I believed was the best I had to offer.

Teresa/John: This raises the question does the book have to be more or less finished when you send in your sample chapters. Would publishers get pi**ed off if they liked the sample then had to wait for the rest. Like when -as I understand it- people pitch a line at film and TV producers. At the time they only have an idea with no real substance. Presumably this is because they couldn't afford to employ the writers studios and the like to 'make' the programs first only to be laughed of the stage when the pilot was screened. Is it similar in the publishing world.

[Sylvetra_Snake]

Perhaps i am being a bit too impatient. Its just at the same time i have been sending my novel out, i have been waiting for jobs to come up cos at the moment, i am only a supervisor at my place, and i want something a bit more challenging. And its my b-day next week, though i will only be 22 so not that important, but it is perfume refill day (i always seem to get a new bottle of perfume from somebody).

Anyway, thanks for the advice, i am glad i have revised the prologue. I guess if one of the two agents reply that they want to see more, i can always offer it along with the original they recieved. Editing the rest will not affect much as they haven't seen it. It is just a little over 100,000 words now, so trying to make it a bit longer.

Fingers, toes, legs and eyes crossed SJAB! Hope it works out.

[John Jarrold]

Originally Posted by TheEndIsNigh

Teresa/John: This raises the question does the book have to be more or less finished when you send in your sample chapters. Would publishers get pi**ed off if they liked the sample then had to wait for the rest. Like when -as I understand it- people pitch a line at film and TV producers. At the time they only have an idea with no real substance. Presumably this is because they couldn't afford to employ the writers studios and the like to 'make' the programs first only to be laughed of the stage when the pilot was screened. Is it similar in the publishing world.

No. Never send out a novel until it is finished and edited - not even 'more or less'!. Editors cannot commission new writers, who have not proved they can finish a book superbly, no matter how good the opening chapters are. So if they do like those chapters and ask for the rest of the book, only to be told it isn't finished, they won't be happy.