Table Of Contents
WRITER'S GROUPS, AGENTS AND PUBLISHERS
There is a down side. Some of our clients belong to the groups, and I said before, mutual support is a good thing. What happens, though, when it becomes something else? Some groups become fan clubs and ego boosters for the dominant personality in the group. A point comes when a writer must develop his or her own voice. This is impossible in a dysfuctional group.
One of our clients sent us work. Two stories had been extensively reworked at the behest of his writer's group, and one story had never been exhibited in the group. The two that had met group approval were liberally sprinkled with references to obscure classic Greek Mythology. They were quite frankly attempts at literary masterpieces that would have proved unsalable. The story he had written from his heart was well constructed and had reader sympathetic characters.
I am not saying that it is wrong to use references from classical literature. I am an avid fan of all mythologies, folk, fable, and fairy tales, but I still need to care about the story and its characters. I need to hear each writer's own peculiar voice and believe that he or she cares also. If the group robs us as readers from this experience we can't help but feel cheated.
One "Catch 22" a writer faces is the question of agent representation. Some publishing houses are reluctant to deal with a writer who is not represented by an agent. By the same token, a writer would be a fool to deal with a large corporation without representation. Legitimate, non-fee charging agents may not want to deal with a writer who has never been published unless recommended by a professional in the publishing field. Our letterhead has served to get a few of our client's work read by agents.
Publishers are the strangest animals a writer encounters. They have no business without a steady influx of writing talent. What they get is a river of poor grammar, bad spelling, overused plots, predictable character profiles, and lackluster scenery. If this seems a harsh assessment, put yourself in their shoes for a moment. Before they realize a profit, they have to deal with typesetting, editing, artists, printing, binding, distributing, and advertising before the final critic, the reading public, may or may not buy it. Because of these costs, a publisher will not gamble on a writer (even a good writer) if the work doesn't meet their criteria of what they think they can sell.
You as a writer had better know what the publisher, to whom you are sending your material, wants. How does a writer do this? Send for their guidelines, read what they publish, and, above all, keep writing and rewriting until your manuscript is the best it can be before you send anything to a publisher.
