My agent has posted a very thought-provoking essay on her blog about listening to other people’s advice about writing. The most interesting point she made (in my opinion) is:
the operating assumption behind [this advice] is that all writers (and writing careers) are created equal. I would liken an author trying to “hitch a ride” on the career advice of another author or their agent as being akin to self-diagnosis based on a doctor’s medical advice to someone else.
What Madame Knight didn’t point out is that often writers, editors, and agents are trapped into giving a piece of advice or an observation, only to have that advice pr observation turned into a holy and unbreakable law that all writers everywhere should follow or risk the fires of everlasting damnation and lack-of-publishing-career (cf. eHarlequin on a daily basis). She writes:
I saw somewhere recently where a writer posted that I had said paranormals were hot, but then this same author heard a guest on an RWA-sponsored pro loop say paranormals were already past their prime and not selling anymore. The poster remarking on my RWC comments then said, “What am I to believe? Who am I to believe?”
Both of them. Neither of them. Either of them. Maybe the loop guest was an editor who just received a host of poorly performing sales records on the middling paras she put out last quarter. Maybe it was an agent who noticed that she wasn’t selling the vamp books as quickly as she was two years ago (I mean, Berkley’s schedule has to fill eventually, right?). Maybe it was an assistant who had just slogged through a waist-high pile of badly edited Sherrilyn Kenyon ripoff submissions and wanted to head off the next batch at the pass. Maybe it’s the kind of person who passes on Star Wars, then spends the next four decades kicking himself. And maybe after she’s finished saying all that, she’ll see the next Diana Gabaldon on her slush pile and completely revise her stance. And, just because another agent is selling them like there’s a run on ghoulies does not mean that yours will sell. Taking the opinion of any one editor or agent (even one as savvy as mine) as word-on-high, everlasting publishing dogma is just plain wrong.
They are not talking about your book. Editors are terrified to say “I’m looking for vampires,” and then, upon rejecting a vampire story, get slapped in the face with, “I just gave you what you said you were looking for! Liar!” (They are equally terrified of saying what they aren’t looking for, lest they miss out on a really amazing one of those as well.) Writers whine that they’re tired of hearing the same old, “fresh story, great voice” answer, but what other answer can they give? They may love vampires, but only vampires they love. They may be wild about YA, but only if it’s YA they’re wild about.
And, back to my original point. The main thing I’ve noticed about the difference between being an author with a publishing contract and an author without a publishing contract is that now, more people think I’m doing something right. But the problem is that what works and doesn’t for my publishing career might be diametrically opposed to what works for yours. Just because my book sold at auction in a week on a partial doesn’t mean that your book will receive multiple offers in a short time incomplete, nor does it mean that if it doesn’t do any of those things, your book is bad and won’t sell. And just because I hit that magic button this time around does not mean that every other book I put on sale will be equally well-received. In fact, there’s a certain pressure I’m trying to deny that I’m under on this very topic, a subject that will be saved for a later post.
These pieces of advice are probably good, don’t get me wrong. And it can never hurt to listen to industry experts and to try to copy the habits of highly-effective writers. BUt don’t listen to them and copy them just becuase they are who they are. Take what they say, apply it to your career. If it fits, use it. If it doesn’t, toss it out.
Here endeth the rant. 
May 26th, 2005 at 3:24 pm
Excellent points, Diana. We all have to sort through the information for ourselves and decide what works for us and doesn’t
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May 27th, 2005 at 7:33 am
Everyone seems to think there is some magic path to publication, and if you don’t know the secrets, you won’t be in the club. Especially those who have tried, tried, tried, and pulled out an empty basket every time.
I think it’s because it is such an unreasonable, irrational business–which is both a source of excitement and frustration. You can’t control it, predict it, etc. Only write as well as you can, and then pray
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May 27th, 2005 at 8:44 am
Ain’t it the truth, D?
I remember my very first RWA meeting (which is where I heard “Love the Book, Not the Scene) and Karen Hawkins was giving a presentation on writing humor. She suggested going through some of your favorite funny books and highlighting the various ways the author used humor. “You know, highlight funny dialogue in purple and slapstick in pink, etc.” And one of the attendees raised her hand and said, “Wait, dialogue in purple and character descriptions in orange.. and what in pink?” Karen said, “You can use any color you want, that’s not the point,” and the woman said, “But I want to do it the way YOU did,” as if highlighting the perfect word in the perfect color was going to be the last step she neeed to break the publishing code.
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May 27th, 2005 at 8:55 am
Great blog today Diana. I’ve had to learn to take what the publishers say at National with a grain of salt. You know the drill, they’re looking for a great werewolf story, would love more paranormals etc. I gave up trying to write what I think they want, and just write what moves me, and hope that an editor or an agent responds to it. I mean you have to be market savvy, but don’t just jump on a bandwagon because it’s hot, if that’s not what you want to be doing. Like YA is hot, but although I love reading it, I don’t know if I have the voice for it.
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May 27th, 2005 at 9:34 am
Another thing that is hard to put your finger on is timing. And that only happens when the time is right and 45 seconds later the time might not be right for another writer. My whole blog is on timing today:)
Teri
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May 27th, 2005 at 1:52 pm
Good point, Elizabeth!
OH, and apparently I’m not alone in this line of thought. Lynn Viehl (or whatever her name is) blogged about it at PBW…
http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/2005/05/trends.html
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May 27th, 2005 at 4:02 pm
D. is me, Daria — if you remember, that is! From MonthToWrite
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