BFLA Open Week: A Few Surprising Things About Publishing

Written by Caitlin Tubbs-Galley

On my first day interning at Blake Friedmann, I realised just how much I didn’t know about the publishing industry. Over just two weeks, I learnt so much. It was life-changing – to my career in publishing, and to my confidence as a young professional. The Carole Blake Open Doors Project sets a major example for the rest of the industry as does Blake Friedmann as an agency themselves. The internship was proactive, inclusive, exciting, and impressively tailored to my interests. I could probably talk about it all day, but instead I’d like to share a few things I learnt that may be helpful to writers and aspiring publishing professionals alike.

1.      Agents submit to specific editors not just ‘publishers’

If you get to the point where you have secured an agent (yay!) and you work with them to make your manuscript as great as it can be, it will then go out on submission. Your agent will send it out to publishers who will hopefully acquire and then publish it! Okay, you probably knew that already, but what I personally didn’t realise, is the agent isn’t just ‘sending it out to publishers’ for you, they are meticulously crafting a list of specific editors from specific imprints. They work hard to stay tuned in to every note the industry sings, their eyes constantly flitting from page to page, news article to news article. They spend a lot of time and energy to figure out, to put it simply, which editor wants what. All of this work gives your book the best possible chance at getting acquired. In fact, not just getting acquired, but getting acquired by the perfect editor for your specific type of book. I love this about publishing, it means agents, editors, assistants, and rights teams, are all thinking in terms of passion, of emotional investment, of real belief in the work. Of course, they are still very much thinking with a business mindset. They want to ensure lots of people will buy your book and love it, but alongside that comes a deep investment in your writing from everyone involved, and I think that’s pretty special.

2.      Imprints are essentially just branded lists of books

There is a bit of a joke in the industry about the confusing nature of divisions and imprints, so I think it might be useful to break it down a bit.

Division – one section of a bigger publisher, basically small companies owned by a big company (for example Dialogue, which is a publishing house owned by Hachette UK)

Imprint – the different lists of books within a publishing division (for example Dialogue has Dialogue Books which is more literary and Renegade Books which is more commercial)

The lists are branded to help separate them. So, Renegade Books is physically branded differently to Dialogue Books, as well as being very different in their goals and the books they publish. To clarify, a ‘list’ is literally just the list of books that specific imprint publishes. For example, Dialogue might say they have a highly successful commercial list, and they would be referring to Renegade Books. To make it more confusing, the books one specific editor acquires might be called their ‘list’. Someone might say, hey Caitlin, your list includes so many bestsellers! They would essentially just be saying, wow, every book you’ve personally acquired for the imprint has done really well.

Honestly, this sort of thing is more for people working within publishing. It is a way for editors to communicate clearly with agents, and vice versa. It is very useful for agents to know, in as much detail as humanly possible, what editors are looking to acquire, and what they have acquired in the past.  So, these imprints, these brands, are just another way to do that.

3.      Rejections hurt, but they are imperative.

There is so much that goes into taking on an author and their manuscript. Agents, especially those at BFLA, are looking to take authors on holistically – they want to support writers in the best way possible, hopefully for their whole career, and, if they aren’t feeling confident in your writing, they won’t waste your time. Know that, as a writer, agents are taking your work seriously. They understand how hard it can be because they have worked with so many writers and seen the struggles as well as the successes. But sometimes, even if they do love your work, they aren’t 100% confident. As you probably know, there are so many reasons why this might be, but, when it comes down to it, it just wasn’t right for them, it wasn’t the right match.

I know it might be hard to accept, especially if you were desperate to be represented by a specific agent – but these rejections are a huge benefit to your long-term career as a writer. Hear me out. I understand how hard it is to receive rejection after rejection. I got rejected from countless jobs and internships over the past year, and it felt plain awful. No frills could dress that mess. But then, eventually, I was offered the internship at Blake Friedmann, and here’s why I am so grateful for the time it took. I used to get emotional about every rejection, get attached to every role and question my ability to work in the industry. But when I got shortlisted for the internship, then had my first call with the lovely Sian, and eventually met the whole team, it became clear to me. As I sat on the train making my way home from my first day, I realised just how perfect Blake Friedmann was for me. An inclusive environment, creative people genuinely excited about the work they do, and a general work ethic I related to. There were times in my job search when I thought I might have to pretend to be something else, to fit a mould of someone who I thought would be successful in publishing. But sticking it out and persevering meant I eventually found the place that was the perfect match for me.

I never thought I would admit it, because I am a strong advocate for the fact the job search slog can be soul-crushing. But it’s true, the rejection, the perseverance, is imperative. Please, don’t change your writing for anyone – and I don’t mean stop editing, workshopping, accepting feedback, because those are all vital - what I mean is don’t go against your morals, don’t try squeeze yourself into a mould you just don’t fit into. If you do, you’ll simply burn out down the line. Please remember – agents love books, they love the type of books they represent. This is an industry of highly invested, spirited people. So, please, stick to your craft, be undeniably you, and if you can write a cracking book, I promise you will find the perfect agent, the perfect match.

BFLA Open Week: Rejections – An Agent Explains

Written by Sian Ellis-Martin

Rejections are a big part of publishing: authors get rejected by agents, manuscripts get rejected by editors, books get rejected by readers, and often we’re not given a reason why.

At Blake Friedmann, we respond to every submission we receive but we aren’t always able to give individual feedback. We receive hundreds of submissions a week and simply don’t have the capacity to do so. It’s easy to assume that your writing is bad if an agent passes on your manuscript, but it’s often not as black and white as that.

 There are lots of reasons why we might pass on a manuscript. Here are some of the main reasons I’ve passed on manuscripts recently:

 Wrong genre

The quickest passes for me are the ones that are simply not in genres I represent. I’m often sent fantasy and sci-fi novels, or scripts and poetry, and these are areas I don’t work in. Not every agent represents every genre, so if you’re submitting to agents, make sure you check agency websites to find out which genres the agents are looking for. You can see more about the Blake Friedmann team here: www.blakefriedmann.co.uk/team

 Pitch is too vague

The first part of your submission we look at is the cover letter, so you’ve got to make sure that your pitch is super strong to make us want to read your chapters. If your pitch is quite vague (e.g. John meets Sarah and they fall in love and live happily ever after) and doesn’t tell us what’s unique about your work, then we might not feel inclined to read the chapters you’ve submitted.

 The opening takes too long

Sometimes people feel that they need to spend a long time setting the scene and introducing the characters at the start of a book. We definitely want to get a sense of the world you’re building, but pages of long description don’t always make for the most exciting reading. Personally, I like a book to start as late as possible i.e. as close to the main action/storyline/narrative thread as possible so that I can get straight into things. Those details about setting and character can be woven into the story as it unfolds.

 The proposal is not detailed enough

In non-fiction, we ask for a proposal outlining certain things about your book, alongside some opening chapters. Make sure you include that detail – the total word count for a proposal is often around 10,000 words including a synopsis, a chapter plan for the entire work, two sample chapters and some information on where your book might sit in the market (and how it stands out from what’s already out there).

 We don’t connect with the voice

This one’s a tricky one as voice is very subjective. Sometimes a book can be well-written and do everything we say we want it to, but there’s just something that we’re not connecting to. Quite often, that’s the narrative voice. As this is so subjective, there’s a big chance that someone else might connect to the voice better than we do.

 Place in the market/target audience

Offering representation to an author is about more than whether we enjoyed the story or thought it was well-written. We also must have a commercial vision for the novel. Obviously, we don’t want to have an exact copy of another book, but we want to be able to imagine where a book sits in the market i.e. some authors and titles it might sit alongside on the shelf. This is why using comparison titles and mentioning who your story is aimed at in your cover letter is very helpful.

 Lots of people say ‘my book isn’t like anyone else’s!’ or ‘every type of person will enjoy my book!’ but these statements are unrealistic, and don’t help us understand what you’re writing. If we can’t think of a way to pitch or market the book, other people in the chain – editor, marketer, bookseller, etc. – may have the same problem.

 Not following submission guidelines

I would never reject something just because it doesn’t follow our submission guidelines, but if we don’t have all the material we need to consider your submission, it makes it more difficult for us to make a decision or consider your work as fully as we’d like to.

 All this is to say that we understand it can be disheartening to be rejected but there are many reasons – beyond the book simply being bad – why an agent might pass.

BFLA Open Week: Top 10 Tips on Submitting to an Agent

Here are Juliet Pickering’s top 10 tips on submitting to an agent…

  1. Once your (whole) novel, or non-fiction proposal, is finished and polished, you’re ready to go! Consider your genre, e.g. is your story crime, romance, literary, speculative – or memoir, history, business, nature writing etc. – or a crossover of two?!

  2. Do your research! You could start somewhere like  Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook or the Acknowledgements in a book’s endpages to check which agencies represent which genres, or simply search online. Then…

  3. Look at agency websites and individual agent pages. Most agents list what they’re looking for & who they represent, to guide you on their tastes. Many also tell you what they DON’T represent! Check you/your book are a fit.

  4. Follow submission guidelines. Each agency will have submission requirements/a page of info, e.g. www.blakefriedmann.co.uk/submissions. Most will ask for cover letter, first three chapters + 250-word synopsis (fiction), or synopsis + proposal if non-fiction.

  5. A non-fiction proposal would usually include a longer synopsis of 500 words max, two sample chapters including introduction/1st chapter, and a detailed chapter plan.

  6. For fiction, if you have shorter/longer chapters and/or a prologue, take the recommended three chapters to mean up to 10,000 words (i.e. stop at a point that feels natural but don’t send a lot more!).

  7. Synopsis should include entire plot/narrative arc of your book, so tell us what happens at the end, or how you conclude. We need to know: main characters, main events/turning points, main emotional journey (fiction) OR narrative style, argument, research (non-fiction)

  8. Cover letter should be personable & professional, introducing book with comparisons to similar books/TV/film, genre, TITLE & word count. Then one-paragraph blurb – intriguing, setting up hook & main characters! – and a short bio about you/your writing.

  9. Let us know you’ve done your research, and why you’re sending to that agent in particular, e.g. ‘You’re looking for a big love story involving older characters and my novel offers that too’; ‘I see you represent *** and my work has similar themes…’

  10. Submit to several agents at once, check in politely after the period indicated on their website and, when one asks for a full manuscript or first meeting, let all the others know! GOOD LUCK!

BFLA Open Week: Resources & Resourcefulness – Some Tips for Writers

Written by Isobel Dixon

So, you’re a writer. You’ve been putting in the hard yards, sitting at your desk/kitchen table/in bed, with your laptop/iPad/notebook and writing, WRITING, whichever way you can. In fact, you’ve written a lot – short stories, one that’s turned into a bit of a novella, a full War-and-Peace-sized novel manuscript even. Or you’ve started and abandoned books half a dozen times, but now you know that this one, this is The One That’s Not Going to Get Away. But you need help, some guidance, a boost in the right direction. Your family and friends are sick of you going on about your book, or are wondering why you keep disappearing, because you’re too shy to tell anyone that you have ambitions as a writer. What to do now?

There are many resources for writers, at many stages of their writing careers, and though I won’t go into extensive detail here, below are a few ideas and waymarkers. Some pointers, starting with your own practice and reaching out further. If you scroll down you’ll find a list with some links – not an exhaustive list and mostly a UK-focused one, but it will give you some idea of the kind of things you can look out for, wherever you are.

Already, as an observer and chronicler, you are watching and recording. Being ‘someone on whom nothing is lost’, as Henry James said. You’re alive to the world around you, noticing, and writing things down. Robert Louis Stevenson said he always carried two books at any time – one to read and one to write things in. And as a writer, you’re also going to be reading widely and closely – for pleasure as a reader, but also with an analytical eye to understand how plot , structure and narrative form work in practice. You can see a bit more about this in a piece I wrote about ‘voice’ (with some emphasis on poetry, given that I am a poet myself).

As a reader, and a writer aspiring to publication, you’ll be curious about how books are sold and received, so you’ll want to spend some time in bookshops and libraries. Whether you’re buying or borrowing, and whatever genre you are writing in, there is so much information to be absorbed there.

In your reading journey, ask questions of booksellers and librarians as to what they’ve liked and what they recommend in your chosen field. If you’re pressed for time, remember that you can listen to audiobooks via your library too. (And a note here that writers love the royalties they get from book sales, but in many countries, authors, translators, illustrators and audio narrators receive a small amount every time a library book is loaned, if they sign up to the national system, called Public Lending Right in the UK. So borrowing lots of books is good for writers too! If you’re published and haven’t registered your books for PLR yet, there’s no time like the present… And while you’re on the admin, check out the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS), who also make payments to authors for registered titles, where there has been photocopying or other licensing use.)

Also ask questions as a writer – libraries and independent bookshops will have knowledge of book clubs and writers’ groups in your area too. At some stage you will need to ‘declare and share’ – acknowledging your goals as a writer, whatever your day job, and showing your work to someone else. This may be via an informal local group or a taught course, in-person or online, but it will be transformative, even as it pushes you beyond your comfort zone.

Beyond your local library, local universities may offer writing workshops – in London I started attending Michael Donaghy’s evening poetry workshop, a short course given by City University, which led me to the poetry friends I still informally workshop with, decades later.

Regional writer development organisations do invaluable work with and for writers, offering courses about the craft, information on publishing, creating networking opportunities, running festivals and prizes – so do check what there is in your region. At the agency, we’re big admirers of the National Centre for Writing in Norwich, with whom I have worked closely for years, New Writing North, Writing West Midlands, Writing East Midlands, Literature Works, Scottish Book Trust, and more. The Royal Society of Literature and the Royal Literary Fund also provide support for writers in different ways – see their websites for more.

The Arvon Foundation runs creative writing courses in Devon, Shropshire and Yorkshire. The Word Factory helps support short story writers, bringing established and emerging writers together for mentoring, helping to develop craft and contacts. They run an Apprentice Award Programme for this. Attending festivals, local author events and live literature nights like Café Writers (Norwich and online) will bring you into contact with more useful organisations and creative people! The many online and hybrid events and festivals now available provide wider access: do investigate online festival passes and what discounts are offered for students and those on low incomes.

Arts Council England, Arts Council of Ireland and Creative Scotland provide information and funding for writers and projects – see what applies to your region and what they showcase online. Literature Wales lists writers’ groups and literary societies across Wales and beyond on its site.

In London, Spread the Word also does excellent work, and Apples and Snakes supports spoken word artists. Recently, my colleagues Juliet, Sian and I enjoyed talking about agenting with the Black Girl Writers group: a free mentoring programme for Black women who write, pairing them with established authors and literary agents and hosting online workshops.  Other towns and cities will have their projects too – too many to mention individually, so do your local research. Sign up to newsletters from organisations like these, and also festivals and venues that offer events and courses that could help you in your writing practice.

If you’re interested in finding out about the publishing industry in general, this year in the UK the Association of Authors’ Agents, the  Publishers Association and the Booksellers’ Association joined together to create a platform called OpenBooks – an initiative designed to reach the next generation of book industry talent, through a series of free, accessible online events. Aimed primarily at 14 to 19-year-olds from underrepresented backgrounds, OpenBooks showcases a range of book-related career options across publishing, bookselling, literary agenting and beyond. Speakers on various panels help to demystify publishing career options and identify routes into the book trade. Various publishers and literary agencies run paid internship programmes, like our own Carole Blake Open Doors Project.

Carole Blake, the brilliant co-founder of the agency, also wrote an excellent book, From Pitch to Publication, about finding an agent, and the path to publication. It’s due an update on some aspects like e-books, but the core principles are timeless and valuable.

The Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook is a practical compilation of industry advice including agent listings, author interviews, and information on editorial services. If you want to move beyond courses and workshops, don’t have an agent, and choose to pay for one-to-one editing or writer mentoring, there are many companies and individual freelancers who offer these services. The Literary Consultancy is one that is long-established and supported by the Arts Council.

The Society of Authors also hosts a number of excellent creative seminars and panel discussions around writing and publishing. Membership eligibility covers all types of writers, illustrators and literary translators at every stage of their careers – including journalists, scriptwriters, bloggers, novelists, biographers, translators, poets and games writers. The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) is also a trade union representing professional writers in TV, film, theatre, radio, books, comedy, poetry, animation and videogames.

Do also take a look at the various practical pieces written by Blake Friedmann colleagues over our Open Weeks!  There is lots of information on submitting to agents, what agents do, and much more, and you can access these here

Here are just a few good books on writing and creativity (much more to say on this another time!):

Happy writing, and exploring!

 A (non-exhaustive!) list of some links and resources

Open Books – joint UK book industry initiative:
https://agentsassoc.co.uk/2022/11/04/press-release-the-pa-ba-and-aaa-join-together-for-openbooks/

Open Books website
https://www.publishers.org.uk/openbooks/

Carole Blake Open Doors Project
http://blakefriedmann.co.uk/carole-blake-open-doors-project

Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook
https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/

Spread the Word
https://www.spreadtheword.org.uk/

Apples & Snakes
https://applesandsnakes.org/

Black Girl Writers
https://blackgirlwriters.org/

Word Factory
https://thewordfactory.tv/about/

Arvon Foundation
https://www.arvon.org/about/arvon-home-of-creative-writing/

The Association of Authors’ Agents (AAA) – UK
http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/

Association of American Literary Agents
https://aalitagents.org/

The Australian Literary Agents’ Association – Australia
https://www.austlitagentsassoc.com/

Arts Council England
https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/

Arts Council Ireland
https://www.artscouncil.ie/home/

Royal Society of Literature
https://rsliterature.org/

Royal Literary Fund
https://www.rlf.org.uk/helping-writers/

Society of Authors
https://www.societyofauthors.org

Writers’ Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) – UK
https://writersguild.org.uk/

Authors Guild of America
https://www.authorsguild.org

PEN International
https://www.pen-international.org/

Society of Childrens’ Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) – International
https://www.scbwi.org/

The Writers Union of Canada (TWUC) – Canada
https://www.writersunion.ca/

We Need Diverse Books
https://diversebooks.org/

Public Lending Right (PLR)
https://www.bl.uk/plr

Authors Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS)
https://www.alcs.co.uk

Literature Wales
https://www.literaturewales.org/for-writers/writers-groups-literary-societies/

Conmonword
https://www.cultureword.org.uk/

Literature Works (South West)
https://literatureworks.org.uk/

New Writing North
https://newwritingnorth.com/

Writing West Midlands
https://writingwestmidlands.org/

Writing East Midlands
https://writingeastmidlands.co.uk/

Scottish Book Trust
https://www.scottishbooktrust.com/

Publishing Ireland
https://www.publishingireland.com/

Publishing Scotland
https://www.publishingscotland.org/
https://www.publishingscotland.org/about-publishing/

Independent Publishers Guild
https://www.independentpublishersguild.com/

Publishers Association of New Zealand (PANZ)
https://publishers.org.nz/

Publishers Association of South Africa (PASA)
https://publishsa.co.za/

And for those in the book trade who are in need, see what BTBS the Book Trade Charity has to offer:
https://btbs.org/

BFLA OPEN WEEK: Bookselling, from a Publishing Perspective

Written by Tabitha Topping

I was a bookseller from May 2018 to March 2020. The bookshop I worked in was a small branch of a well-known book retailer – which, for obvious reasons I am not going to name - but suffice to say my experience of bookselling was, and will be, very different from those who work in independent bookshops. Obviously, the aims of all booksellers are the same (to sell books) but the way this is done differs hugely depending on the bookshop you work in.

I want to say now that the reality of bookselling does not match the cosy image often portrayed in films and books. There is no time within the workday to sit and read and very rarely do your encounters with customers lead to a Notting Hill or You’ve Got Mail experience. But bookselling is invaluable experience for those who want to work in publishing.

Looking back from my current publishing vantage point, I can see the many ways in which my years as a bookseller equipped me for the role I do now. The most obvious being the constant close contact with customers. As a bookseller you see first-hand how customers interact with books; which ones they are drawn to, the ones they buy, the ones they don’t. You talk to them: you hear their likes and dislikes, the books they love, the books they hate. Frequently your opinion is sought – they want a recommendation for their seven-year-old grandson, their sister, their friend.

The nature of the job means that as a bookseller you are constantly surrounded by books – giving you an excellent knowledge of the current market. This sort of first-hand knowledge is invaluable if you want to work in publishing, no matter the department you might be considering.

Something I think that is also helpful if you want to take the leap from bookselling to publishing is the regular interactions you have with authors when working in a bookshop. Most bookshops hold frequent events with authors (whether that is part of a larger literary event or a simple talk or signing held within the bookshop itself) and authors often dropped in to check we had their books on the shelves. Not only do these events and interactions help dispel any common preconceptions about authors (it turns out that they are regular people after all!), but being able to navigate the slightly trickier situations that may come up (e.g. not having any of the author’s titles in stock and having to explain it to them) will prove extremely useful when working with authors within a publishing context – again, this applies to whichever area of publishing you end up working in.

Something that I was keenly aware of as a bookseller (and perhaps even more so now as I work in publishing) is the value of booksellers. Booksellers can make or break a title. Customers trust them. Back when I was a bookseller, we had regular customers who would buy books simply on the recommendation of a favoured bookseller. Even when it was something they would never have picked up before they would unhesitatingly hand over their card or cash if a bookseller loved a book enough. ‘Alright then,’ they would say. ‘I trust you.’

As a bookseller, we had a few glimpses into the publishing industry through the copy of  The Bookseller (the trade newspaper for the publishing world) that we received every Friday morning and the advance copies of upcoming books we were sent from book publicists. We were sent the latter in the hope that we would read the book, love the book, then sell lots of it to our customers.

We would also get occasional visits from the publishers’ sales reps. I enjoyed these visits as it meant we got a sense of what was coming up and what books the publishers were really excited about. Publishing can be very insular and those visits were (and are) an ideal opportunity for publishers to learn from booksellers and their expertise regarding what was (and is) actually selling in their bookshops. Recognising the knowledge booksellers have is valuable and worth using would contribute a great deal to the books we publish and the way we publish them.

The bookshop I worked in was in a small town in the North of England, so my experience likely differed to booksellers in London and other major metropolitan areas. I value my time as a bookseller immensely and would heartily recommend all those looking for a role in publishing to get some bookselling experience – I don’t think I would have got my job without it!