When editors leave...and when agents don't like your books!

And more honest answers in this Q+A based on your real questions about the publishing industry.

Hello everyone!

Firstly, a big thank you to everyone who has subscribed in the last few days, and to those who have decided to support this Substack by becoming paid subscribers - it’s so kind of you and I appreciate it so much. (There is no obligation, I promise, but I do this for free because I want it to be helpful and transparent, so the voluntary support means a lot. Thank you!).

Today I wanted to honestly answer some of your questions! (I did a part 1 of this post here). Thanks to those who have submitted, and I hope this is useful for you all! These are real questions from real individual readers, but I think they will apply to many of you reading and hopefully provide some insight.

1. What do you do if your agent doesn’t like your subsequent books?

   So this is a tricky one, but my advice would be to talk to your agent, listen to their feedback, and take it on board. After I wrote my first book, The Doll House, I wrote another book that I shelved (I secretly still love it) - my agent read it and gave feedback, but the feedback was extensive and I could tell she didn’t feel it was the right second novel. So I started again and wrote what became The Girl Next Door. I also think that when you sign with an agent, it’s important to ask at the start of your relationship about how they see your future career panning out - i.e. would they want to hear other book ideas from you early on, do they want all the books to follow suit, etc. Make sure you are aligned before you sign on the dotted line! And talk to other authors who are represented by that agent, to see what their experience has been like. (There is more about getting an agent here). If there is a book you feel very strongly about but the agent isn’t keen, you can always revisit it further down the line, when perhaps your career is a bit more established, you have a working relationship in place with an editor, and you have more of a steer as to how your career is starting to take shape. But above all have the honest chat with your agent - they should want what is best for you, and will have your overall career success in mind. It is true that publishers often want more of the same, so if you’re pitching a totally different kind of second novel, the agent might have legitimate concerns. If their thoughts are more about structural changes, perhaps have a think about whether you could do those - i.e. is your existing script salvageable? There is always a way through.

2. What do you think about writing for multiple audiences in general? Do you look at authors who write across multiple genres?

   So my honest advice on this is that I prefer to build authors in one space, at least to start with. We’re always thinking about readers, and so if you have launched your career as a thriller writer, readers often want another thriller to follow up (I don’t mean as a series, just in the same sort of style). I completely understand the need for creativity, experimentation, and changes of style as you change as a writer and as a person, but in the early stages of a writing career, it is largely preferable for agents and publishers if an author can write in the same overall genre. When you become more established, there tends to be more freedom, and you can also write under pen names. Many huge authors now started in another genre - Lisa Jewell for example, who began writing commercial women’s fiction but now writes incredible thrillers - and though she didn’t change names, some people have (Paula Hawkins is a famous example). Sometimes, bestselling authors will pivot to write in another genre because it is something they have always wanted to do and their editor supports it and thinks it will sell due to their name. Our worry as publishers can be that if you are writing in many genres, readers won’t know what you stand for as a potential brand, and it makes it more challenging for marketing, sales and PR to position you clearly in a very crowded marketplace. I am fully aware that some people will find this take reductive, but it is my view based on experience in the commercial fiction sphere. Some authors do write both fiction and non-fiction, but broadly speaking, one tends to perform better than the other - usually the primary one they are known for. Some authors decide to write memoirs, but I’d only advise this if you have a really good story to tell. So it is always your call, but agents might be nervous about a genre switch early on, and we also as publishers do worry about your time if you are committing to writing and publicising several books in several genres at once - it can slightly dilute the message and you might be more successful writing a couple of books in one genre over a period of time, and promoting them to readers, so that down the line, if you want to pivot to another genre, you have a dedicated following to reach out to who will hopefully back your writing enough to give the new approach a try!

3. Would love your perspective on inheriting an author from another editor, when that editor has left the publisher?

   This is a great question as honestly, it happens quite a lot. Publishing is a small industry, and editors do move around, either for new opportunities, promotions, or to follow colleagues, and it is always the hardest part for me when I have to leave authors behind! It really is heartbreaking when you have worked with someone for years not to be able to take them with you, but most contracts mean this can’t happen as the contract is with the publishing house, not the editor. I completely understand why authors worry about this - you feel abandoned, you worry that another editor might not like you or your work, and particularly if you were acquired by the outgoing editor, you may feel that the second editor is not going to prioritise you. My honest take on this - and I do try to be honest - is that yes, this does sometimes happen. It isn’t fair and it’s really sad but I cannot hand on heart say I haven’t seen instances of it. In those cases, my advice is to stick it out and then find a new publishing home as soon as your contract expires (or if you are REALLY unhappy, talk to your agent about cancelling the contract, which can be done). BUT, and I do mean this, it doesn’t happen very often! Most editors are very diligent, and care deeply about their authors, and that means that when an author is moved to their list, they become their author too. Editors and authors all want the same thing - to sell books - and no editor wants a list full of authors who aren’t selling, so logically speaking it is in everyone’s best interests to do the best job. As publishers we think carefully about who authors should move to - sometimes they will be moved to an internal editor, and sometimes to a new incoming editor (the person replacing the outgoing editor). When I joined my current company I inherited some authors and bought some authors, and in my mind there is no longer a distinction between them - maybe at the start, but once I began working with them and engaging with their books, they became my list! My advice would be to try to meet or have a call with your new editor if you can, get to know them a bit, and go in with an open mind and heart. I have seen editors do amazing jobs with authors they inherited, and because it is so common for editors to move, most editors are very capable of understanding the handover process and stepping in. Sometimes, there ends up being a gap, but you should always have a point of contact, even if it doesn’t end up being your primary editor down the line. The other thing I’d say on this is please do not worry too much about being given a more junior editor - junior editors are usually really hard-working, keen to build their lists, and often have more space on their list than more senior editors so there will be a reason behind it, and being with the most senior editor on the team is not a guarantee that your book will find success. I understand why people might think it is, but genuinely, it isn’t - it’s about being with an editor you can talk to, who understands your genre, who likes your work and who communicates well, with a clear strategy for how they are going to reach readers. If, after a try, you really feel the new editor isn’t working out, then talk to your agent. They will talk to the head of the department, and there is likely a solution (placing you with another editor). I have seen this happen (it is rare but does happen) and we never want authors to feel unhappy. Remember, too, that you have a publishing team, not just your editor - you should have a marketing and publicity contact (hopefully, though not all books have these as direct contacts but they are there as part of a wider team) and there are SO many people involved in bringing a book to market, not just one editor.

4. I have had a publisher approach me directly after reading an article I wrote online. Should I reach out to agents at this stage?

   Yes, I would do so if you’d like to have a literary agent. I’d definitely hear the publisher out if they have approached you - what are they thinking, what is their idea for your writing etc - and then say you are going to talk to some agents and come back to them. You can them email agents and explain that you have interest from a publisher, and see if they would like to talk more. It’s your call as to whether you want to get an agent or not - some authors do work directly with us as publishers, and there are some agent interviews here and here that might help shed more light on the role they play.

5. GIFTS! Do you buy gifts for your editor/publicist? Do your authors buy them for you? Do you get them for authors? And what about for your agent? So I know this one is about social etiquette and it is not a silly question! To answer - as a publisher, we send publication day gifts to all our authors when the first format of their book comes out, and these are usually flowers/chocolates/drinks. We sometimes do publication day lunches too. For you as authors - you do not have to buy gifts for your publishing team at all, there is no obligation, but like with any circumstance, I would say they are gratefully received. I have had authors buy my gifts in the past, at various jobs, and it is always incredibly sweet of them. I think we are not supposed to accept gifts over the value of £50, or we have to declare them (I need to check this!) but most gifts are below that anyway really, and they can just be a token if you want to express gratitude in your own way. But I must stress we do not expect this and are not offended if you do not (it doesn’t cross my mind - it’s always a lovely surprise if an author does but not something I notice if they do not!). Over the years I have had gifts from my agent, too - she sends a publication day gift every time (I had some amazing safari themed wine glasses for my fourth book, some little book earrings for one of the others, flowers, etc) and I’ve bought her agency gifts (last time I visited earlier in the summer I just took them chocolates to share, and around Frankfurt I sometimes send the agency treats as I know it’s such a busy time for them to get through). Around Christmas authors do often send chocolates or cakes for publishers to share in the office - this is quite common. If I am going to an author’s launch party as their editor I usually bring flowers and a card; if I am going as a friend I’d probably say I usually do similar - definitely a card. But of course, it all depends on your individual relationships, your financial circumstances, and what feels comfortable. There is no set rule, so please don’t worry, and buying a gift for your publisher will sadly not turn you into an automatic bestseller!

That’s it for now, but please do get in touch if you have a question you would like answered here. (As you can see, they are anonymous). Thank you again for reading - I have some exciting interviews coming up so do subscribe to make sure you don’t miss them!

Phoebe x