"Personal" question(s) to John Jarrold

[John Jarrold]

It is a commercial business, so market research is vital. Apart from anything else, you might have a brilliant, original idea...that was used to death ten years ago and is considered old hat in the industry (which is what mainstream publishing is). You've already found that out, in character terms. No one is writing in a vacuum...

 

[Erin99]

That's why I'm trying to read a lot now! My family, who've read many, many books over the years, say my story idea (as much as one can claim anyway) is original once it gets going. So I have that notion to keep me ploughing on.

Yes, on with the market research!

 

[Daniel Ionson]

Rated R......

I remember when I read Brooks there was little (no?) cussing, the violence rare and implicit, and no one had a libido (correct me if I’m wrong… it’s been 15 years). On the other end is Gemmell. Characters sometimes cuss like sailors, violence is common and gory, and sex is often present (as well as rape).

So, how does the ‘adult’ content of a novel affect its marketability?



Thanks.

 

[John Jarrold]

Well, they both sell well - it's a big market and there is room for both. In general terms the top end of fantasy is more adult, darker and more sardonic than it was twenty to thirty years ago. If some of the enormous sellers in this genre produced their first books today, they probably wouldn't be published, but that is because they set the mark in the 70s and early 80s, and everything moves on...

 

[Brian G Turner]

I've got to admit, something I've learned from people such as John is to try and read recently published authors who may be writing similar to your own aims. I think it helps immensely, because not only does it provide suggestions on style and construction issues, you can also see if your "great ideas" have already been done and killed. And also you can use places such as forums to get feedback as to which character formats are fan favourites.

2c.

 

[Erin99]

I've got to admit, something I've learned from people such as John is to try and read recently published authors who may be writing similar to your own aims. I think it helps immensely, because not only does it provide suggestions on style and construction issues, you can also see if your "great ideas" have already been done and killed. And also you can use places such as forums to get feedback as to which character formats are fan favourites.

2c.

That's very good advice.
Personally, I'm finding I didn't really make too many style and construction errors, but that was mainly because I spent the first couple of years planning the series and the background to my world beforehand. During this time I'd also read a few books on composing sentences, grammar, and other things like that; and I'd also bought a few books on how to improve my storytelling. In short, I did everything I could to ensure I wouldn't fall into one of the many pitfalls that most new writers do. The only thing I didn't get to do was to read lots of "normal" books as well. As said, I know I should have (since that in itself is a pitfall), but, suffice as to say, since I don't want to go into details, I had a choice between wrting (which involved all the things I mentioned) or reading: I chose what I love best, writing. But I'm reading loads now! I just hope it's not too late...

As for ideas on character favourites, I've already got enough people in my story -- and they're all unique (hopefully). I spent a long while thinking up the correct personality for each, and, in fact, someone complimented me over how well I'd portrayed them. In my opinion a character fits the story; for me, I can't just say "Ah, people love that type of character, I'll have one of those in it". My writing just doesn't work that way...

But, I agree, this forum is definitely the place to chat, swap ideas, help other writers and such. I love it here! The only problem is the longer I'm here, the less time I'm spending on my writing. That's the problem: this forum's too addictive!
So thank you, Brian and John, this is a wonderful place for advice.

 

[Daniel Ionson]

Art

Back to the issue regarding cover art... Does the author/agent have any power to affect it? Surely no one asked Gemmell if that posted picture was ok. But once a book is set for printing, can authors/agents chime in regarding the art, or even bring in their own artist for review?

 

[John Jarrold]

Contractually, there is usually a clause that the author will be 'consulted' regarding cover art. I always involved the author from the concept through the roughs to final artwork. But that is in the UK - I'm not sure that is the way of things in the US. I know that David only saw final art for that specific cover, for instance...

 

[John Jarrold]

I've got to admit, something I've learned from people such as John is to try and read recently published authors who may be writing similar to your own aims. I think it helps immensely, because not only does it provide suggestions on style and construction issues, you can also see if your "great ideas" have already been done and killed. And also you can use places such as forums to get feedback as to which character formats are fan favourites.

2c.

It's something I say regularly to the new writers with whom I work editorially - know your market, know your genre. No one writes in a vacuum and you can't come in, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, assuming that what you are writing is brand new, if you don't know the genre well. That's naive, and naivety doesn't work in commercial publishing - or any other commercial enterprise.

I'd read SF and Fantasy avidly for over twenty years before I started publishing it, and attended SF conventions for fifteen years, where I'd met and spoken to authors, editors and agents. That experience was priceless...

 

[John Jarrold]

Re: Art

Back to the issue regarding cover art... Does the author/agent have any power to affect it? Surely no one asked Gemmell if that posted picture was ok. But once a book is set for printing, can authors/agents chime in regarding the art, or even bring in their own artist for review?

And something else I should say is that authors will sometimes have a 'great' idea for the cover that simply doesn't work commercially, so as an editor you have to explain clearly why that is so - or why that artist they love is no longer working commercially...if you don't use a cover that the book-selling chains love, the public will never get a chance to read the book.

 

[Susan Boulton]

It's something I say regularly to the new writers with whom I work editorially - know your market, know your genre. No one writes in a vacuum and you can't come in, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, assuming that what you are writing is brand new, if you don't know the genre well. That's naive, and naivety doesn't work in commercial publishing - or any other commercial enterprise.

I'd read SF and Fantasy avidly for over twenty years before I started publishing it, and attended SF conventions for fifteen years, where I'd met and spoken to authors, editors and agents. That experience was priceless...

I suppose I have well and truly lost my bright-eyed and bushy-tailed look these last two years.

At present I am re-editing a work I thought had a good chance. But now looking at it in the cold light of what I have learned about writing and the market that is out there, I know I have to trim it. I have make the beginning sharper, in fact cut back to a later scene in the story. I know that this story has something (One agent requested a sample from a query I had submitted) so I know it can catch someone's interest. I now have to make my product hold that interest. It is painful to do and accept, but it is something I had to find out about the hard way to make it sink in. If I can do it with this story, even if I don't eventually sell it, I hope I can apply the lesson to everything I write from here on in.

 

[John Jarrold]

Yep, that's it. Everything you learn informs your next novel...it's a long haul and you need to think strategically.

 

[Triceratops]

Very much the proper attitude. It's taken me 27 years to get things off to a proper start (beginning chapters). Have had agents and publishers skip the first two chapters or so and love the book. But they'd write back and say, "Hellava character dump you have upfront." If it wasn't that, it was an info dump, or backstory. After 17 books you'd think I'd learned my lesson. Just recently accomplished that goal. It just took a while for my synapses to weld together to get the point across. Gak.

Tri

 

[John Jarrold]

99.9% of books from unagented authors are turned down by publishers after they have read fewer than ten pages...so it's really worth working on that opening chapter!

 

[John Jarrold]

I think enthusiasm is a very important point to consider. I've always loved being involved in publishing and making authors successful. Now I have the pleasure of seeing finished copies of books I sell to publishers. Last month, THE COURT OF THE AIR by Stephen Hunt, from HarperCollins. This month, NIGHT OF KNIVES by Ian Cameron Esslemont, the first Malazan novel from the man who jointly-created the world with Steve Erikson, from Bantam. It feels like Christmas when these early copies arrive. Whoo-hoo (in my Homer Simpson voice)...!

Be businesslike, but never lose enthusiasm.

 

[Triceratops]

Be businesslike, but never lose enthusiasm.

This is very important and what keep us going, John. When we forget the love and fun that is involved with writing and telling stories, we've lost sight of our focus. Then when we do hit with publication, it's great to learn and experience the business aspect of it.

We as writers also have an obligation to support the industry that we intend to enter, by purchasing and reading the works of others, always on a quest to better our output and monitor the ever evolving changes.

Tri

 

[Wayne Blackhurst]

Be businesslike, but never lose enthusiasm.

Well said!

 

[Erin99]

but never lose enthusiasm.

Call me naive, but if an author truly loves their work and has faith in it, is it even possible to lose enthusiasm? Doesn't, in fact, your love of the story and the characters only grow with each year? Or am I still viewing the world with my rose-coloured glasses on?!

 

[AphroditeMSC]

I have found that I've lost enthusiasm for certain stories, and moved on to newer ones. And I had a book half done....got desperate block and left it for a while, only to be unable to get back into it once I found the time.

Sometimes, I guess life takes over for a while and our imaginary worlds suffer for it.

 

[Erin99]

I think I'm the opposite! When life gets hard, I deal with it by spending even more time in my imaginary world. I suppose it's a way of blanking out what you don't want to face.