OLD POST ALERT! This is an older post and although you might find some useful tips, any technical or publishing information is likely to be out of date. Please click on Start Here on the menu bar above to find links to my most useful articles, videos and podcast. Thanks and happy writing! – Joanna Penn
Last week I signed with literary agent Rachel Ekstrom from the Irene Goodman Literary Agency in New York. Thank you for all the congratulations I have received!
Many of you have been incredibly supportive of my independent publishing career so far and I know you will have some questions. Since I have always been transparent with my journey, I'm happy to share what I can.
I am a fan of publishing in all its myriad guises, and none of us know where the industry is going. It's also quite ironic that I feel like I have to defend my decision, since in the past, self-publishing has needed the defense more!
Why do I even want an agent?
I am an author and an entrepreneur, so my goals center around:
- Creating great books and quality products that will delight, entertain, educate and inspire my readers
- Building a long term career as an author and widening my reader base
- Growing a sustainable income that enables me to travel and spend my time on (1) above!
In working towards these goals as an independent author over the last 3.5 years, I have used business partnerships with professional editors, book cover designers and formatters. I also depend on distributors like Amazon, Kobo and BookBaby to get my books into the hands of readers. I use tools like blogging and social networking to market and I pay for internet hosting to enable this. I sell from my site so I use Paypal as a merchant service.
I could not run my business without these business partners.
I look at signing with an agent, and possibly a traditional publisher, in the same way. They are business partners who I will work with to achieve a mutually beneficial goal. I am not a newbie in this business anymore. I have been learning about publishing for nearly four years, so this is certainly done with forethought. I have also done a lot of research on contracts and legalities, attending the Rights workshop at the London Book Fair as well as poring over books on contract clauses. I'm not going to sign anything that doesn't fit with my goals.
Being an indie author is not only about self-publishing anymore. It's more about taking control of your career as an author and becoming a creative director for each book. The Alliance of Independent Authors has a fantastic definition here if you want to read more.
So signing with an agent and pursuing traditional publishing reflects on my overall goals above as follows:
(1) Traditional publishing is excellent at creating quality products.
I'm an ebook only author right now and although I have dabbled in print, I don't enjoy the process. I know a lot of indies do it successfully but I am a huge fan of doing things I enjoy 🙂
I currently employ several different editors during my writing process, and I absolutely believe this is critical for any author to invest in. Traditional publishing will hopefully take me to a new level with my writing and push me further. I will certainly be looking for a great editorial team as part of any deal.
(2) Traditional publishing will enable me to build a wider audience.
There are still many readers who will only buy print books in bookstores, or who hear about books through more traditional venues e.g. book clubs. I can reach an online audience myself but there are possibilities with traditional publishing that I also want to pursue.
(3) On the income question.
I am the kind of indie who wants a hybrid approach combining traditional publishing with self-publishing. After all, traditional and independent publishing are not mutually exclusive.
This approach can bring in spikes with advances, and then a monthly rolling income with self-publishing. I specifically went with the Irene Goodman Agency because they understand self-publishing can be an option for some of their authors at certain times, depending on the specifics of the author's career and goals. I know some of their authors who are already following this hybrid approach successfully.
Nothing changes right now in terms of my books being available for sale.
Here are some of the other reasons for pursuing this opportunity.
Authority, experience, social proof and let's face it, ego.
You guys know I am proud of self-publishing and absolutely intend to continue doing it in some form. Indeed, I recently re-released my first book on career change. But originally, this blog was sub-titled ‘Adventures in Publishing' and it was always my goal to have a traditional book deal one day.
In the UK, there are still bookstores on the high street and my parents read books in print that they buy from Waterstones. I do want to be on those shelves among the bestsellers. There is definitely still some authority and social proof with traditional publishing that I want to benefit from, so long as I can integrate it with my self-publishing goals.
I would also like to say I have ‘done it' so I can justifiably join in the discussions on traditional publishing that I can only report on second-hand at the moment.
Film rights and other subsidiary rights.
As well as my lovely agent, Rachel Ekstrom, the Irene Goodman agency has a couple of great rights agents who focus on specific areas of subsidiary rights. I am interested to see what they can do with my books.
Lee Child talked at Thrillerfest about the upcoming movie Jack Reacher, starring Tom Cruise. Very exciting. I want Morgan Sierra to be the next Lara Croft, so I need people with the right contacts to make that happen. I know the film deal is a lightning strike type of luck, but some authors make it, and I have always had stretch goals and dreams!
Peer respect, blurbs and networking.
At Thrillerfest, I was excited to meet some of the big name authors who I call my writing heroes. Much as I love self-publishing, even in the current market, I think I am more likely to be able to get blurbs from big name authors if I get a traditional book deal. I have to build my author brand over time and peer networking is critical for this.
Entry into prizes.
This is an arena that is slowly opening up to indies, but most prizes are still currently based on traditional publishing. I think nominations and awards can help marketing and enable the expansion of readership.
Speaking opportunities at festivals.
I already have a professional speaking career but it doesn't currently include talking specifically about my fiction 🙂 The festivals in the UK especially are only about traditionally published authors, and this is an area I want to break into. (btw, I'm speaking at Zurich WriteCon in October if anyone fancies some Swiss chocolate with their scribbling!)
Why a New York agent when I live in London?
I am British but I moved back to London last year after 11 years in Australia and New Zealand. In the last four years, I have learned about online marketing from mainly US blogs so I am enmeshed in their business models. My Mum also lived in the US for many years so I have visited a lot. I love my homeland but in terms of publishing, I believe the Americans are still ahead of us in terms of the new paradigms in publishing. I wanted a forward-thinking agent at an innovative agency.
It's also a bigger book market in the US and my current sales are about 4:1 US: UK split. I wrote for the US market and even use an American spell-check. My traffic for this site and my podcast is over 50% US so most of my existing audience is there. In publishing terms, books that make it big in the US are more likely to be picked up in the UK and in other countries. So it is a business move that hopefully will put me in a better position for achieving my goals.
I have years of writing ahead of me.
The books I have out right now are not the end of what I can create. They are not precious snowflakes (much as I love them!). I have stacks of ideas and I am writing more books. At the moment, I am mostly in the library working on edits for Exodus, ARKANE book #3 and researching my next book, Hunterian, which is possibly a stand-alone or the beginning of a new series.
This is a serious career for me. I want to sell some books to the right trade publisher and self-publish others.
I am 37 with (hopefully) 50+ years of writing ahead. The decision to sign with an agent and pursue traditional publishing for some of those books opens possibilities but it certainly doesn't stop me from doing all kinds of exciting things in the future.
This is just the beginning. I hope you will join me for the ride!
Congrats Joanna! That’s fabulous news. After following your blog for a while now, I can completely understand why you want an agent… isn’t that what most of us ‘indies’ really (secretly) want? I know I do. I’d love nothing more than to see my books on the shelves of bookshops along the US and UK High Streets and to get that elusive film deal, of course!
Good luck with it all. I hope you’ll continue to share your journey with us.
All the best
Suzy Turner
Author of YA Paranormal & Urban Fantasy
Joanna: Congratulations! Great news for you. And that’s an excellent agency you’re going with. During my searches for an agent a while ago, I had some dealings with one of Irene’s agents. She was the most professional and most helpful of all the people I dealt with. Good luck with everything!
Thanks Giacomo – and by the way, I am seeing you and your books everywhere online right now – well done on the promotion 🙂
well done joanna! i think you made the move at the perfect time in your career. The Irene Goodman Agency is a really good one! I’m awaiting to see Morgan Sierra on the big screen 😉
First I want to say congrats. I came across your blog a year or so ago and it has helped me tremendously as I pursue releasing my first novel. I know there are going to be people who SCREAM that you are selling out the self-publishing diehards but I am not one of them. I believe that publishing is about putting out the best possible work. Whether that is traditional, DIY model, or any othey way you work to get your book out. I know that in the beginning I struggled with the idea of sending out those query letters and trying to get an agent. For me it was just an idea. I never pursued it because I am comfortable going down the path I am on. Not to say I would never get an agent or sign with a traditional publisher, but I think you have to do what’s best for you and your career.
Congrats again and I look forward to continuing to read some of your outstanding blog posts. Maybe something you write in the future about your new journey will inspire me to alter my path.
Take Care
Congratulation Joanna. I have been reading your blog now for about six months and I love the way that you have taken us the reader along on your journey to developing your career as writer and entrepreneur. This is a milestone for you. I am thrilled to join the others in rejoicing with you.
Congratulation Joanna. Thank you for sharing your experience. I love that self publishing, including e-books, allows more authors to get their novels/books into the world. Many fine books can’t get past the agent/publisher gatekeepers. But if you don’t understand how to promote it, self published books won’t get read. I friend of mine self published through LuLu and has only sold 95 books so far.
Getting an agent doesn’t guarantee you’ll get a publisher, but it increases your chances. Publishers now days expect the author to do a lot of promotion and are happy that an author has a following. Moreover with a publisher the book will get into libraries and bookstores and on radio much easier.
Good for you Joanna. I have followed your website for about a year now and enjoy every update and blog. I hope to follow in your footsteps as my first book comes out at the end of August.
Congratulations on moving your writing career foward and thanks again for all your information.
Ian
Congratulations! I’m going through a similar situation between the two worlds of publishing, so I really appreciate you sharing your journey. I’m fortunate to have an agent who supports me doing both, and it sounds like you’ve found a great supporter of your hybrid approach, too. I love so many aspects of being in control of my own publishing, but it’s so much work that I wish I had more time for writing!
Best wishes,
Gigi
Congrats, if that’s what you want. On the ego and marketing side I think it’s a win. On the income side, not so much. Don’t think I’d ever want to make 25 cents per sale, but to each there own! Personally I think traditional agents and publishers are a dying breed, but take advantage of them before they’re gone if you can!
I like your sensible approach. I’ve done all but one of my nine books with one or more agents and have appreciated their help. Keep us posted!
Joanna —
I’m thrilled for your success in signing with a talented agent and moving into traditional publishing. Your success is a reward for your talent, energy, vision, and drive. No need to apologize, it’s just part of the evolutionary process that all successful authors go through.
Before digital publishing, authors usually went through the free lance, short story, and magazine publishing channls with a couple unpublished novels in the drawer until they secured an agent.
Your evolution has been through digital publishing, a sign of your ability to use the new world of technology to build a market and have readers find you.
Best of luck in your new venture! I look forward to following your progress in all the channels you work.
Jack
Joanna,
I appreciate your honesty and your willingness to share your journey, even when your decision may not be popular among those who have chosen to exclusively self-publish. The most important thing, IMO, for any writer to do is to thing through choices rationally and based on the best information they have at hand. It appears to me you have done that, both about your decision to get a traditional deal and to use an agent to assist you.
I personally agree that agents are one more possible partner in publishing. The key is to find someone who understands the market, has an unblemished reputation, has the contacts you need, and has a contract you feel comfortable in signing. Each person makes their own decision on whether they believe the 15% fee in perpetuity is worth it.
Each of us is responsible for our own careers, and we live and die by that responsibility. I love that you understand that and that you have the confidence to make those decisions on your own. That is all any of us can do. Thanks for standing up and taking responsibility for your decision and how it fits in your personal business plan. Far too many writers don’t even have a business plan.
Good for you, Joanna! I’m a hybrid author, too. There are definite pros and cons to both indie and traditional publishing–I often speak about this and so I wrote a short comparison a few months ago on my blog (http://www.pamelabeason.com/2/post/2012/04/traditional-publishing-vs-indie-publishing.html). To me, one of the biggest factors is that guess what–I need time to write! If an agent and a publisher will actually work with me to build name recognition and get my books “out there,” I definitely want their help and will share the proceeds. Readers and writers should support all authors, no matter how they are published–we are all risking our reputations and our livelihoods by sharing our creativity with others.
Congrats Joanna! Good stuff.
Paul
Congratulations, Joanna. This is fabulous news and a wonderful opportunity. For all of us! You’ve shared so much over the years, and now we’ll get to go along for your ride with traditional publishing. I can only imagine what adventures you’ll have along the way and the people you’ll meet. More and more I’m stumbling upon writers who self-publish, as well as work with traditional agencies. Like others who have commented, your statement that being indie isn’t just about independent publishing any longer, it’s about taking control of your career. You set a wonderful example of doing just that.
It’s unfortunate that there’s a need to defend your decision, but you’ve done it very well. I’m about as hard-core as it gets when it comes to reading, and I’ve recently gone back to buying books I can hold. It’s enjoyable, and I love the small of a favorite book read over and over again, but may the gods protect anyone who touches my Kindle 🙂 There’s a place in the world, and a single person’s life, for both forms of books, and I see it as an expansion of possible experiences, not an either-or situation. It’s been lovely reading your take on it from a writers perspective and seeing how having a foot in both worlds also expands the writing experience and opportunities.
Good luck on this new adventure, and enjoy every second of it.
Cyd
Thanks Cyd, I am looking forward to some lovely print versions of my books 🙂
Don’t go feeling like you need to justify anything Joanna. You have worked damned hard to get this far and deserve every success, whether it be self-published, traditionally published or a mix of the two.
The important thing is to be proud of the fact that you are Joanna Penn, successful author, blogger and speaker, and that you have done it your way, on your terms and not how others think you should do it.
So shut your cake hole, keep on doing what you do, and I look forward to seeing you giving a recital at the next olympic opening ceremony 🙂
Thanks Dave 🙂 I shall shut my cakehole and go do some writing!
Joanna,
This was an intriguing piece of writing followed by an impressive comment thread. Yes, it did seem you were defending, but I choose to see it as you continuing your policy of transparency about the process and your career. Seen from that angle, your anguish and struggle is much more visible, which is noble of you, and educational to us. That gem of an indy icon, Joel Friedlander, had it right when he suggested you can be a pioneer in blogging about blending indy and traditional, and I sincerely hope you do. What a great source of new experience for all of us to benefit from! I encourage you to follow your impressive instincts, and look forward to following your blogs about them.
One further word, if you don’t mind. Michael Kingswood’s comments and your replies were particularly fascinating, and I would suggest they provide fertile ground for blogging. Each point you responded to made me yearn for more; the pros and cons, what went into your decision making, fears and challenges of forging ahead in this blended/hybrid new direction.
Please continue to explore these topics and keep us in the loop as you blaze a trail many of us would like to follow.
I sincerely wish you every success. Congrats.
Hi Christopher, I’m glad you appreciate the transparency. I really do want to share the journey with all its ups and downs. I have agonized over this initial decision and will of course, continue to have sleepless nights over the next steps! I’m defending my decision to myself as much as anything. I also love to review the blog posts I write later as it is a great way to capture a snapshot in time. I may feel differently this time next year 🙂
I’m not going to blog in defense of agents now as I have only just signed with one and so I don’t have experience yet. But I’m sure I will 🙂
So happy for you! Congratulations on ALL of your literary achievements.
Your words are so inspiring to me as I travel this long, winding path as a writer–thank you 🙂
Congratulations Joanna on such a tremendous achievement. This is so well deserved as you work so hard at your writing and marketing. Your agent will love an author who drives so much activity.
Well done.
Wow, Joanna! A real agent! This is awesome news. You must be very excited and I am very happy for you. All the best with your writing career and congratulations on proving once again that self-pub, hard work, intensive marketing and your generosity online as well as your friendly approach can lead to writing success!
I am still working on my novel, planning another two in the meantime, and your blog keeps encouraging me all the time 🙂
Thank you and all the best!
Roy Eynhallow.