"Personal" question(s) to John Jarrold

[itsmelen]

John, thank you so much for taking time to answer questions about the industry. Your answers are insightful and frank.

I have a question for you: Is the decision to pick up a new book affected at all by the author? Once a publisher decides that a book may be worth the risk, do they meet with the author and ask questions, do they try to gauge the marketability of that author? Or is it more standard practice that an agent gives a book to a publisher, the publisher reads it, could be intrigued by it, but ultimately decides yay or nay without ever having met the author?

Thanks so much.

 

[John Jarrold]

Yes, it's the book that matters. 99 times out of 100, when someone picks up a book in a bookshop - unless it's by a famous writer - it's the genre that matters, not the author. I think I met new authors twice before making offers over fifteen years. Obviously when one takes on a writer who has already been published elsewhere, as an editor you know them...

 

[scalem X]

Mmm it does make me wonder. If it's the book that matters, how come usually agents charge like 5% to 10% extra for taking on authors from overseas. I can agree on that when the country lies far off, but consider me:
I can get to London in 1 hour and 40 minutes for £55. I can imagine that's about the same ratio to get to London, from say Glasgow (by train then). Or am I just mistaken and do agents really look upon each writer and his or her situation in particular to come up with a charge? Or is it just harder for an agent to present a novel that's written by a foreigner?

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I think you're confused scalem (or you know something that I don't). In my experience, agents charge an extra percentage to sell foreign rights not foreign authors, and the reason is because they need to use a sub-agent who works in that country. Not surprisingly, the sub-agent wants a cut of the percentage, too. I'm not sure how they split up the money, but obviously there needs to be more of it, to make it worth either agent's time.

 

[scalem X]

Ah, maybe I am confused. Actually I'm not at all familiar with rights in different countries and such. I automatically assumed that they meant where one was based and charged extra because it would be harder to meet in person and would need either a contact or do things by mail/phone which makes it more time consuming and such... Anyway makes more sense now

If you see how many contests are exclusively for americans for example, one starts to wonder about things I guess lol.

Thanks for clarifying.

 

[Shell_Kracker]

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...

The first published author that I ever talked to online had a massive outburst at me, for asking whether there was a market for the kind of fiction I wanted to write, and subsequently drove me off his message board with abuse, despite my politeness. I found it hypocritical that he despised commercialism, yet used commercial publishing. I understand why he was so venomous now (not that I forgive him, or agree).

Personally, I have always wanted to explore India as a setting for science fiction and fantasy. I guess this at least has novelty value to publishers in an age of Indian economic growth.

 

[Ian Whates]

Personally, I have always wanted to explore India as a setting for science fiction and fantasy. I guess this at least has novelty value to publishers in an age of Indian economic growth.

Yes, an area of rich potential, although you wouldn't be the first author to explore it. Jan Lars Jensen produced a dazzling novel set in India with Shiva 3000 (1999), Ian McDonald has written a series of excellent stories set in a wonderfully-realised future India, most notably the Hugo shortlisted novel River of Gods (2004), and there have undoubtedly been others, but it's an area that is certainly far from exhausted.

 

[John Jarrold]

Ah, maybe I am confused. Actually I'm not at all familiar with rights in different countries and such. I automatically assumed that they meant where one was based and charged extra because it would be harder to meet in person and would need either a contact or do things by mail/phone which makes it more time consuming and such... Anyway makes more sense now

If you see how many contests are exclusively for americans for example, one starts to wonder about things I guess lol.

Thanks for clarifying.

Teresa is dead right. Usually, an agent charges one rate for deals in their own country, or other deals they conclude themselves, and a higher rate overseas, where a sub-agent is usually involved...the author's nationality doesn't come into it.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Yes, an area of rich potential, although you wouldn't be the first author to explore it. Jan Lars Jensen produced a dazzling novel set in India with Shiva 3000 (1999), Ian McDonald has written a series of excellent stories set in a wonderfully-realised future India, most notably the Hugo shortlisted novel River of Gods (2004)

Also Liz Williams's excellent SF novel, Empire of Bones. Which shows some interest in that area on the part of publishers.

 

[John Jarrold]

Interesting to see Ian McDonald's new novel, too, BRASYL. We are looking at wider frontiers now, which has to be a Good Thing!

 

[John Jarrold]

And Jon Courtenay Grimwood's ARABESK novels, beginning with Pashazade, feature an alternative North Africa in the 21st century, which is also an interesting setting...I commissioned them, and we had a long discussion about Lawrence Durrell's Alexandria Quartet and the nature of truth! Must have been the red wine...

 

[JonCG]

speaking of which... just reading *debatable space*. Not sure if it's very brave, insane or simply brilliant (mind you, only a third of the way through so have time to focus opinion). At what point did you know you were going to take it on. First page, end first chapter, end of the book?
Interested to know.

 

[iansales]

...and we had a long discussion about Lawrence Durrell's Alexandria Quartet and the nature of truth!

One of my favourite books. One of my favourite authors, in fact. Er, Durrell, that is.

I heard JCG speaking about alternate history only the weekend just gone at the BSFA AGM. Very interesting.

 

[JonCG]

I heard JCG speaking about alternate history only the weekend just gone at the BSFA AGM. Very interesting.

thanks... not wanting to hijack jj's thread or anything.

 

[iansales]

Your story about the woman wearing a hijab and breast-feeding was... bizarre. Can't say I ever saw that when I was in the Middle East. But once I was in a lift with a local woman, who was covered head to foot in an abeya and completely unrecognisable... when she said, "Hello, Ian." Turned out to be someone I worked with. Still gave me a shock, though.

 

[Mark Robson]

thanks... not wanting to hijack jj's thread or anything.

Nice to see you here JCG. Another author enters the fray! Before you know it, we'll have taken over the joint.

We need to get a few more discussions about your work going so we can set Brian the task of putting up another author board with an 'in residence' author to answer questions and encourage more readers. Welcome.

 

[JonCG]

Your story about the woman wearing a hijab and breast-feeding was... bizarre. Can't say I ever saw that when I was in the Middle East. But once I was in a lift with a local woman, who was covered head to foot in an abeya and completely unrecognisable... when she said, "Hello, Ian." Turned out to be someone I worked with. Still gave me a shock, though.

Ian: It was in Marrakech which, being berber and very megrib, tends to be slightly different from the more eastern parts of North Africa if that makes sense.

John: thanks. Good to be here. Still interested to know about *disputed space* (finished it last night, late, probably says it all...)

 

[Ian Whates]

Echoing Mark's greeting, welcome aboard Jon; it's good to see you here.

 

[John Jarrold]

speaking of which... just reading *debatable space*. Not sure if it's very brave, insane or simply brilliant (mind you, only a third of the way through so have time to focus opinion). At what point did you know you were going to take it on. First page, end first chapter, end of the book?
Interested to know.

Philip Palmer's writing grabbed me on the first two pages, which is the most important thing of all with a new writer, and the story and characters (as well as the writing) kept me reading to the end of the book!

I can turn down 90% of my submissions in the first ten pages, because the writing simply isn't special enough. Wonderful ideas don't matter a damn, if you can't write wonderful fiction and create outstanding characters.

Good to see you here, Jon!

 

[John Jarrold]

We need to get a few more discussions about your work going so we can set Brian the task of putting up another author board with an 'in residence' author to answer questions and encourage more readers. Welcome.

Hear, hear!