You've just hit send on your submission, and you heart is pounding. Somewhere, a few miles or a time zone away, an email notification pops up in an agent's inbox. Your submission waits in line with countless others to be reviewed by the gatekeeper. You can't help but wonder who this mythical gatekeeper really is and whether or not there's a real person behind all the form responses you seem to be getting. Such is the life of a querying writer. One thing I can assure you of is that real people exist behind the looming gate into the publishing industry. I think people often see gatekeepers as people standing in their way--attempting to keep them out of somewhere they'd like to be. However, I think this gives gatekeepers a bad reputation and a negative connotation. What they're trying to do is keep the bad writing out and let the good writing through. Just because you've been rejected though, doesn't mean you're a bad writer they're trying to keep out. There are lots of reasons for rejection, but know that gatekeepers exist in this industry to hold writing to a high standard. If anyone could write something and get published, why would you spend countless hours pouring your heart and soul into a novel or another work? It's nothing special if everyone does it. I think writing loses its magic and meaning when we lower our standards. All that to say, gatekeepers serve an important role in the publishing industry, and hopefully by meeting a few of them here you'll be able to better understand how to navigate the industry and make good relationships. Meet the Interns: Both agents and publishing houses have interns to help them comb through the submissions pile. Submissions never take a break or holiday, and the reality is that it's always piling up. Agents and editors are busy people who have book projects, clients, and contracts to deal with on a daily basis. For how slow the industry may seem, there's certainly never a lack of things to be done. Most interns are upper high school or college/20 somethings who want to get experience in the publishing world. They're told what to look for and given responses to send to authors. But here's the secret: no matter what guidelines they've been given, interns just want to read a captivating story. If they like what they read or see potential in it, they will pass it on to someone above them. The key is to make their job hard. They want to find gems they can recommend to their superiors. And remember, most interns aren't paid, but they're doing this because they love writing and reading. Show them something worth their unpaid time. Tell a great story, and chances are pretty good you can make it past the first gate. Meet the Agents: The second gate is the agents themselves. If an agent has received a submission from an intern, he can be sure the writing is good, the platform is good, or both. Once again, I want to stress how important it is to respect gatekeepers' time. Agents are busy, and most of them have a day job while agenting is their "side hustle." Make sure your submission is ready because first impressions are vital. Gate two goes beyond just your writing abilities. An agent is going to look at your submission from a business standpoint. Can he sell your book? Do you have a platform and an established audience? Will this be a good investment? I know this seems kind of cold, but it's easy to forget that the book industry is indeed a business that needs to think about making money. Be prepared when you submit to show an agent you mean business. Do your research and spend time reaching out to people online. Build a platform/brand to show people you have something of value to offer them. There are lots of great websites that offer courses on building platform as a writer. Remember, you want to make the agent's job hard. Great writing and great platform make the double-edged sword that gets you through gate two. Meet the Editors: This brings us to gate three: editors. After getting an agent, it's pretty easy to get your work in front of editors. Editors and agents build relationships, and this means when an agent submits your manuscript to an editor, it goes right to the editor's inbox rather than the publishing house's slush pile. You may decide to forego the first two gates and submit to editors at publishing houses, but it's becoming harder to submit to traditional houses without an agent. The thing is, editors want agented submissions because those manuscripts have already been through at least one if not two, three, or four gatekeepers. That means the submissions they receive from agents will be quality work, and editors will keep relationships with agents that regularly send them top notch clients. This industry is all about who you know, and trying to make a go of it on your own without the gatekeeper system is hard. It's possible, but it's a lot of time and money on your part. I hope this helps you understand the gatekeeping system better, and though it's not perfect, it helps us become better writers by holding us to a higher standard. Gatekeepers remind us that revision is vital to the writing process, and writing is as much about the community as it is about the individual work. Gatekeepers are real, but they don't have to be your enemies. They can be friends, mentors, and colleagues who keep pushing your writing to reach that next level. What other questions do you have about "gatekeepers"? I'd love to answer them in the comments!
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AuthorI'm spilling the ink on all you need to know on the publishing industry. Stay tuned for more posts! Archives
May 2019
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