What To Do When Someone (Inevitably) Wants to Change Your Nonfiction Book
When I send out finished book proposals to literary agents, my clients and I receive at least one message that says
I love this but . . .
Followed by suggestions to —
Change the audience (from individuals to couples!)
Switch up the positioning (less business, more big idea!)
Make the title or subtitle worse (“it’s too bold”*)
. . . And my authors email me almost instantly.
What do you think?
Is my idea TERRIBLE?
Are they right?
Is EVERYBODY going to think this?
Meanwhile, I'm at my desk completely unsurprised because this is a normal day in publishing. Every single one of my clients has received an email like this . . . and usually not from the literary agent or editor they end up with.
Something you need to know is that one of the more aggravating and confusing aspects of publishing — both for authors and pros like myself — is that a lot of the decisions made are subjective.
In other words, these are opinions. And remember what Salt-N-Pepa had to say about those?
Sometimes, the points made are completely valid.
Sometimes, they’re so wrong I have to resist laughing out loud.
Like anyone anywhere in any situation, the literary agent offering suggestions is just one person bringing their own experience and perspective to the proposal.
So while my clients and I could take the note and revise the proposal accordingly, we certainly don’t have to.
Especially because we usually have a literary agent interested in the proposal just as it is.
*In my opinion, there is no such thing.
