This was an interesting read! I've read quite a few lit agent interviews, but this one felt fresh--from both angles.
The questions from Alyssa were *good* questions, targeted to audience and guest. Most others I've read have been generic, and vague. Google-able, if that makes sense. And--whether or not I agree with the conclusions--Gideon made some good points. His suggestions actually feel actionable; he didn't give the same tired, sugar-coated "just my opinion" "everyone's writing is wonderful" "everyone has different taste" responses.
All that to say, this was well done. Thank you for posting. 😊
"The best thing to focus on is trying to write the best book you can and see how the universe responds."
This is the publishing version of what I've been learning in my own mess: there's so much you can't control, so you focus on what you can. Write the best book. Right now. From exactly where you are. Then see what happens.
Also that bit about readers classifying books as "full attention" or "partial attention" made me laugh and then immediately feel sad.
It's good to read this interview with Gideon Pine. He was one of the agents I queried last year when I thought my manuscript was the best it could be. This year, I have my manuscript to the point where it is the best it could ever be, and puts last year's to shame.
As I read this essay I can’t help but feel it’s heavily misguided and if not “Life-threateningly” dangerous.
The “Debut Writer” is a dying concept. It either takes a tremendous amount of investment 10~12 years to have a chance, and if you do succeed the reward is nonexistent. You’ll get maybe 1/5th of whatever minimum wage job offers in your country.
This is because “Fiction” is a “Loss-Leader” in most publishing industries, what is a Loss-Leader? It means it makes no money, because it has little to no value to the reader. Why would any sane reader spend their time and money reading these “Debut books?”
I can only think of one: “They know the writer and want to support them.”
That’s why in this essay you’ll see lines like “Word-of-Mouth,” which is actually “a Pyramid Scheme” in disguise. “Word-of-mouth” occurs through significant quality: think Michael Jackson, Muhammad Ali, Jim Carrie, these men benefit from “Word-of-Mouth” because they’re phenomenal. Historically speaking, most writers have never hit that stage, I can’t name one in the 21st century, perhaps Neil Gaiman?
The problem with essays like this, is that it doesn’t care about the investment of the “Writer” It doesn’t care that a writer has to spent 5 years in the darkness, it doesn’t care if the writer is taken well forward afterwards. Worst of all, it’s not even malice. The author just probably never thought about it from this perspective.
“Better a wrong answer than a vague one” they always say.” But I must remind the author: “That encouraging a person to write” in this dying industry, means you are effectively destroying their careers perhaps even their lives without any form of insurance or responsibility.
Which is an immoral act that should never be condoned without a proper disclaimer.
My concern, at 51 years of age, and just beginning this new journey of writing - is the need for a online social platform. Is it a must for debut authors to have an instagram etc following?
“For novelists, read high-quality contemporary fiction (and please don’t tell me everything being published today sucks).”
Except, it does. That’s part of the reason why literacy rates and book sales are on the decline. But since this take is coming from a literary agent who has to promote mediocre books, this is not surprising.
“If your manuscript is “nothing like anything that’s out there,” then that’s probably not a good thing.”
Even if your prose is objectively better than the average contemporary novel today? And didn’t you say you have to stand out to be a successful writer? Doesn’t that mean being “nothing like anything that’s out there”? Do you realise how contradictory your statement is?
This was an interesting read! I've read quite a few lit agent interviews, but this one felt fresh--from both angles.
The questions from Alyssa were *good* questions, targeted to audience and guest. Most others I've read have been generic, and vague. Google-able, if that makes sense. And--whether or not I agree with the conclusions--Gideon made some good points. His suggestions actually feel actionable; he didn't give the same tired, sugar-coated "just my opinion" "everyone's writing is wonderful" "everyone has different taste" responses.
All that to say, this was well done. Thank you for posting. 😊
So glad you enjoyed it and that it felt fresh! I want these interviews to be as helpful to querying authors as possible.
I just came across Gideon's profile while searching for authors to query. Wild.
*Wrote a thousand words today.*
*Looks at my laptop after reading this post.*
A thousand more it is!
Love the momentum!
"The best thing to focus on is trying to write the best book you can and see how the universe responds."
This is the publishing version of what I've been learning in my own mess: there's so much you can't control, so you focus on what you can. Write the best book. Right now. From exactly where you are. Then see what happens.
Also that bit about readers classifying books as "full attention" or "partial attention" made me laugh and then immediately feel sad.
I'm curious with the word of mouth thingy
Is that how best sellers achieved what they achieved? Referring to the best selling title
Or is it peculiar only to new authors
Knowing what’s out there is half the reason I started this sub stack!
Enjoyed reading your insights. Great info as I finish my current WIP. Thank you!
It's good to read this interview with Gideon Pine. He was one of the agents I queried last year when I thought my manuscript was the best it could be. This year, I have my manuscript to the point where it is the best it could ever be, and puts last year's to shame.
As I read this essay I can’t help but feel it’s heavily misguided and if not “Life-threateningly” dangerous.
The “Debut Writer” is a dying concept. It either takes a tremendous amount of investment 10~12 years to have a chance, and if you do succeed the reward is nonexistent. You’ll get maybe 1/5th of whatever minimum wage job offers in your country.
This is because “Fiction” is a “Loss-Leader” in most publishing industries, what is a Loss-Leader? It means it makes no money, because it has little to no value to the reader. Why would any sane reader spend their time and money reading these “Debut books?”
I can only think of one: “They know the writer and want to support them.”
That’s why in this essay you’ll see lines like “Word-of-Mouth,” which is actually “a Pyramid Scheme” in disguise. “Word-of-mouth” occurs through significant quality: think Michael Jackson, Muhammad Ali, Jim Carrie, these men benefit from “Word-of-Mouth” because they’re phenomenal. Historically speaking, most writers have never hit that stage, I can’t name one in the 21st century, perhaps Neil Gaiman?
The problem with essays like this, is that it doesn’t care about the investment of the “Writer” It doesn’t care that a writer has to spent 5 years in the darkness, it doesn’t care if the writer is taken well forward afterwards. Worst of all, it’s not even malice. The author just probably never thought about it from this perspective.
“Better a wrong answer than a vague one” they always say.” But I must remind the author: “That encouraging a person to write” in this dying industry, means you are effectively destroying their careers perhaps even their lives without any form of insurance or responsibility.
Which is an immoral act that should never be condoned without a proper disclaimer.
Great read.
My concern, at 51 years of age, and just beginning this new journey of writing - is the need for a online social platform. Is it a must for debut authors to have an instagram etc following?
“For novelists, read high-quality contemporary fiction (and please don’t tell me everything being published today sucks).”
Except, it does. That’s part of the reason why literacy rates and book sales are on the decline. But since this take is coming from a literary agent who has to promote mediocre books, this is not surprising.
“If your manuscript is “nothing like anything that’s out there,” then that’s probably not a good thing.”
Even if your prose is objectively better than the average contemporary novel today? And didn’t you say you have to stand out to be a successful writer? Doesn’t that mean being “nothing like anything that’s out there”? Do you realise how contradictory your statement is?