Mary Martin, Ph.D.

Yes, Editors Will Change Your Book

I received a hilarious e-mail from a friend whom I've been consulting during his process of writing his book and getting an agent and a publisher.

He has a great deal that includes a movie, a television series, and a bunch of money (like, hundreds of thousands of dollars), and this is is first book and he's not even a writer.

Here's the e-mail:

I received the editors edits yesterday. My book is now in a mostly unrecognizable form. What had been a low brow, puerile, jejune adventure in ******** is now a thoughtful, mature story of life passage.

I suppose this is normal, or is it?

Yes, in fact it is normal. And you can fight it if you want. You might even win a couple of battles. But the editor's job is to use your manuscript to create (recreate) the book that is the most marketable. A team of people (not including the editor, often) crafts the sometimes-new angle (or voice) of your book, and the editor's job, like the film editor's job, is to cut the product to fit the vision of the director (publisher).

Though many people would respond: How on earth can you complain about anything when you have a deal like that, imagine if there were things about your book that someone tinkered with. A lot of things. Things on every page.

I hope that someday you're in a position to even have the opportunity for such a problem.

The Outline: A Double-Edged Sword

I've been busy with several projects, including my daily blog, Animal Person, which unfortunately takes precedence. But I'm back on track and there's an issue important to two jobs I'm currently working on: a documentary and a book. The issue is that an outline can be your best friend or your worst enemy.

In documentary filmmaking and nonfiction book writing, you can begin working with what you want to say. Perhaps you already know what your topic and your thesis is. The outline process, then, is about listing evidence/research/details/statistics that explain your topic and support your thesis. Your work, then, is about finding that evidence and then writing it (or filming it) and editing it. And you end where you began: with your thesis that you've just proven or illustrated.

The problem with the outline is that, depending on who's using it, there might be a propensity to stick to the outline and thereby prevent other interesting information or angles from emerging, as the priority is sticking to the outline. This can easily result in a great product, but it can also result in a product that could have had more depth or character or complexity. It could have been far more intriguing.

There's an uncertainty and often an anxiety of flying without a net when you toss your outline completely or at least veer from it. But that's usually when things are beginning to get really interesting.

I won't say that disregarding your outline is something everyone can do and then create a different, better project in the end. But I do think it's something everyone should try, because the more you do it, the better you get at coping with the feelings of insecurity (and often terror) that accompany letting your story tell itself and not imposing yourself on it so much by directing its every twist and turn.

Please note that letting your story emerge always takes longer than deciding what your story is in advance (in my experience). And if you're hiring people to help you, it costs more if you're putting the decision making into the hands of editors (as then their job is technically development, as well). But it usually results in a richer end product, and that makes the uncertainty, the headaches and the extra expense worthwhile.

Creating Your Own Book Intensive

The Book Intensive is my best-selling, yet most-expensive service. It's $3,000-$5,000 per day, and here's what happens:

• We start at about 9 am and end after dinner.
• We go for a walk in there somewhere or maybe do some yoga and/or meditate.
• And in between, I sit across from you and help you learn how to write your book (or article or chapter), sentence by sentence.

Now, if you don't want to do that, I can just either write your book for you or edit what you've written. But if you want to be the one to write your book, or you want to improve your writing, there's no substitute for having someone coach you in real time.

I'm in South Florida and I don't travel nearly as much as I used to. I used to have a huge carbon footprint, mostly from traveling, and I decided that was unacceptable. So there are fewer Book Intensives in my life these days. Maybe a total of 20 days over an entire year.

But who needs me?

You can create your own, do-it-yourself Book Intensive with a writing partner. If you each pick a project and swap days, you'll be providing one another with a service, cost free, that is likely to help you improve your writing.

And you don't even have to know all the rules and have perfect grammar because part of the process is looking up any questions that neither of you can answer. From usage to rules for reference notes to vocabulary (such as by enlisting the Visual Thesaurus), you learn together and become better at writing, editing and researching together. You challenge each other about your diction and syntax, and act as devil's advocate for each other.

Two heads really are better than one when you want to become a better writer.

Get Thee a Writing Partner

Nothing provides motivation to write (or revise) better than a looming deadline when your publisher has already paid you your advance.

However, for those of you whose deadlines are looming only in their minds, the resulting motivation may be, shall we say, less urgently experienced.

Accountability is of course a blessing and a curse, but when you want to get something done, if you create a system for accountability you dramatically increase the probability that you'll get it done.

Why?

Because you'll be mortified if you don't.

A writing partner who is currently writing something is ideal, as you can set goals together and your processes might be similar. I recommend weekly goals for, say, 90 days. You should speak or e-mail once a week, and report what you have done to your partner and even give them something to read and comment on (it hurts, I know). This way, you have someone to talk to about your writing and your struggles, and that someone can even give you feedback if you want it (sometimes you won't. Instead, you'll simply want a congratulations for doing what you were supposed to do.).

Not everyone is surrounded by writers, however. Or maybe the writers you know aren't people you'd feel comfortable going on a 90-day journey with. If that's the case, who in your life--whom you trust and wouldn't mind speaking with once a week--is either working on a project or hasn't started a project they've always dreamed of (i.e., their "someday" never arrived). Ask that person if he wants to get down to business and explain how you can help each other with your goals by being accountable to each other.

Create a spreadsheet with deadlines, actions to take, goals to be reached, and even your feelings during the process, for the entire 90 days (or maybe just 30 days--whatever time period works best for both of you). Make two copies: one for you and one for your partner. Once a week, talk about what you've done and how you felt. A regular set of topics will likely emerge in your conversations, which will end up being like therapy: who is supportive of your work, who resents the time you spend on it, where you get your best work done, when you get your best work done, how you feel about being accountable.

You might revise your schedule based on how things go during the first week or two. Many people find they were unrealistic when they created the schedule, not factoring in all of the vicissitudes of daily life that keep them from their plans.

Finally, remember to give yourself something wonderful upon reaching your goal. Do something fun with your partner--celebrate your accomplishments!

And then set some new goals and begin again . . .

What is "Voice?"

I've written a book about my experiences with animals who have died shortly after they've met my acquaintance. After over 100 animal deaths, and about the same number of animals who didn't die after meeting me, I came to certain conclusions about the place of animals in our lives. These conclusions are far from what mainstream Americans believe, and I understand that my book is a tough sell and needs someone with a unique set of traits to champion it.

One of those traits, unfortunately, is an appreciation of the macabre and a sense of humor and irony. And those come through in the "voice" of the book, which two agents have told me they found, shall we say, not to their liking.

Now, I can easily write something in a different voice, but I am a bit dark and twisted by nature. Furthermore, what the world doesn't need is another sweet book about a person whose relationship with a dog or cat makes them realize that there just might be something more to nonhumans than instincts and reflexes.

Voice is very subjective, and though there are many criticisms that you shouldn't take seriously, voice isn't one of them. Your voice is the personality--the person--behind the writing. And when someone doesn't like the voice of your writing they're sort of saying they don't like you--the way you present yourself in your work.

If you're a journalist, voice should be something no one notices, as you're reporting and your personality shouldn't be noticeable. But if you provide commentary--think Andy Rooney--people will react to what you say, but they might react more to how you say it. Your diction, syntax, tone, inflection and pauses tell your listener a lot about you and how you see the world. And the same is true of your writing.

If an agent or publisher doesn't like the voice of your work, it shouldn't be entirely surprising as you should choose agents and publishers wisely, based on whether they have appreciated writing or topics similar to yours in the past. If your work has a distinctive voice that you know isn't for everyone, here's my advice: Your topic is secondary to voice when you're searching for agents and publishers (unless you change the voice, which I can do with a rewrite of about a month, and it will be far more acceptable for most people, but that's not the book I want to write). For instance, though it's important to find someone who wants to read about animals, it's more important to find someone who appreciates quirky or dark voices.

What's the most distinguishing quality of your book? Is it the topic, the genre, the voice? Whatever it is, find someone who appreciates that quality, and assuming your writing is great, the rest should fall into place eventually.

On the Lack of "Fairness" in Publishing

A friend just received a $200,000 advance on a book that is about something timely and has a significant celebrity and beautiful-people component to it, and let's just say it's not what one might call serious literature (nor is it meant to be). Another friend commented on how "unfair" that was.

Here's my advice: If you think about the publishing business in terms of fairness, you'll drive yourself to fits of rage. Publishing is a business and, generally speaking, its goal is to profit from the sale of books (and rights and ancillary products, etc...). If a large mainstream publisher has a choice between signing an author with a sexy book that will appeal to enormous numbers of women (we are the ones buying most of the books), or a more artful book with a more narrow appeal, who do you think is getting a book deal?

Now, small and independent publishers often have missions that do not begin with: Make as much money and appeal to the most people as possible.

If your niche-y idea, well-written of course, is rejected by large publishers, that's probably because a large publisher isn't the right place for your book. If you want a huge publishing house to sign you, you have to offer it a huge publishing house-kind of book, including a great platform.

Do yourself a favor and eliminate the word "fair" from your vocabulary. Think instead in terms of matching your work with the right publisher and doing your part to demonstrate you have what it takes to work with that publisher.

On the Science of Calculating the Advance

A client of mine is in the wonderful position of having a bidding war on his hands. This means that his agent pitched his book to several publishers, all of whom are interested, and presumably his deal will go to the highest bidder.

What kind of advance are we talking about for a first-time author? How is it calculated?

I read a formula once but have never seen anything like it be able to explain any advance I've ever seen, so I won't print it here. I did find a great article in the New York Times from a year ago called "The Greatest Mystery: Making a Best Seller," by Shira Boss, that sums up what I've experienced over the last decade.

The advance payment to the author is often an estimate of the first year’s royalties, usually 10 percent to 15 percent of expected sales. The advance is a liability for the publisher because it is a fixed cost. It doesn’t have to be repaid by the author if it turns out to be an overestimate, which it usually is. But when earned royalties exceed the advance amount, the author is paid more.

Calculating the advance accurately would be a prized skill, but no editors claim to have a scientific handle on how a book will sell. Instead, they emphasize the role of intuition and say that while big unexpected losses and gains do happen, somehow it all works out.

But results are not spectacular, for an industry that had $34.6 billion in net revenue in 2005. Net profit margins hover in the mid-single digits for the $14 billion trade segment, which covers adult, juvenile and mass market titles, with an estimated 70 percent of titles in the red.

When it comes to advances and what might be a best seller, it's really all about being a good guesser. Several books I was not at all excited about ended up being best sellers, and the books of my favorite clients didn't do that well. I was frankly shocked that at least one best seller did so well, and doubly shocked that a certain timely book by an expert didn't do so well.

There are many variables at play, and the most anyone can do is do their best during each phase of the process and consult experts to help with the tasks that they don't have a lot of experience in. There are no guarantees, but completion of a book and getting it published is no small feat, and should be considered a significant achievement no matter what happens when the book hits the shelves.

What Are You Waiting For? Write!

I've received several e-mails (you can reach me at mary@marymartin.net) from people who know, deep down, that they are writers, but who haven't tried to write anything (for publication or otherwise), and haven't tried to get a job that involves writing.

I have nothing to say other than: What are you waiting for? Do you need permission? And if so, from whom? Is some person in your life supposed to acknowledge your writer-ness, after which time you'll find it acceptable to write? Do you feel like if your job involves writing that doesn't make you a real writer (I suffered from that one for years)? Is it that the sheer quantity of writers in the world is so intimidating that you can't possibly imagine anything good coming of you beginning to write (when there are already millions of writers)?

First, let me say that you're not writing for anyone else, unless your job is to write. And if you are actually getting paid to write, you should consider yourself lucky because for every job you do and get paid for, there are writers who would agree to do the same job without pay, just for the experience.

If you are writing for yourself, you aren't in competition with anyone else. It doesn't matter how many romance novelists there are. If what's screaming to get out of you is a romance novel, What are you waiting for? Write!

An exercise I'm fond of doing with my clients is The Excuse List. List all of the reasons you haven't begun (or finished) writing whatever it is you want to write. Then, play devil's advocate with yourself and address each of your excuses. I promise you, it will be very easy to debunk all of the myths you've created for yourself that allow you to not pursue what you say you want to pursue.

Confront all of your excuses and, next to each one, write the objection to your excuse that makes it look ludicrous (that's how it usually happens). No one else is watching. Be honest with yourself and put all of your excuses to rest, once and for all (or at least for today). Finally, ask yourself: Am I able to devote 20 minutes to writing today? No? How about 10? Whatever number you come up with, write for that period of time, today. Then tomorrow write for that period of time, as well. If you can't, ask yourself why not? Repeating The Excuse List exercise will take at least a couple of minutes. Wouldn't you rather use that time to write?

What Are You Waiting For? Write!

On the Importance of Publisher's Weekly

Publisher's Weekly (PW) has many benefits and one significant drawback--the cost. A one-year subscription to the magazine in print is $239.99, and a one-year subscription to the virtual edition is $180.00. If your business is writing, you'll get special offers that will save you some money, but no matter how you look at it, this is not an inexpensive venture.

There is a lot of great material online for no cost, however I recommend the purchasing the virtual edition (who needs to recycle another magazine, plus you save nearly $60!) because PW has so many useful features that you'll be shocked you ever lived without it.

What's so great about it, and is there anyone who won't benefit from it?

I'll deal with the second part first. There are probably people for whom it is less necessary, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that they wouldn't benefit. People who are going to write what they're going to write and don't care about what's actually going on in the industry will find it less helpful. However, even if no one can persuade you to alter your focus, give up on your idea, or make it fiction rather than memoir, you can still benefit from PW, and here's why (i.e., here's the answer to the first part) . . .

If you're a writer, publishing is your industry and it behooves you to keep abreast of its ever-changing landscape. PW tells you who is coming and going, as well as what companies are merging or going out of business. It tells you what books are coming out and who the agents are (and that could be your cue to write an agent if your book is similar to one listed). It devotes entire issues to mysteries, romance, health, and many other topics and genres. It reviews books (that's where the coveted "starred review" can be seen) and has author interviews.

Because there's so much useful information online, here's what I suggest before purchasing any kind of subscription: Spend some time on the site, and also purchase a copy of the magazine. Determine which sections are helpful to you and which aren't and whether you can get everything you need online. If you're in the business of writing, you always need to weigh how much something will cost against its advantages and disadvantages. This particular purchase, similar to a subscription to the Oxford English Dictionary, is one that requires deliberation.

Some of My Favorite Writing Books

Whether writing is a hobby, a passion or a career for you, it would behoove you to read about writing. I was recently asked to list some of my favorite books about writing, grammar, punctuation and style. Without further ado . . .

• Lapsing Into a Comma and The Elephants of Style by Bill Walsh (who has a great blog at TheSlot.com.
• The First Five Pages and A Dash of Style by Noah Lukeman.
• Woe is I by Patricia T. Conner (who has some great grammar myths here).
• On Writing Well by William Zinsser.
• Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott.
• Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss.

The dominant theme in most of these book is that they're funny, and I like to laugh. There's a decent amount of overlap in the material, but considering repetition is the mother of mastery, the overlap can't hurt and is likely to help.