Ask the HarperCollins editor: part 2

You asked the questions, we passed 'em on and nudged gently until we got some answers. This set come from a Senior Editor who works for Press Books, based in our UK office...

SUBMISSIONS PROCESS:

I assume that most of the books you first investigate with a view to taking on come to you through the hands of trusted literary agents. What are some other ways you might become aware of a book? (bluestocking/Maria Bustillos)
We look at journalists who are writing well about interesting subjects, at blogs, at writers' festivals and creative writing programs, at possible TV tie-ins and at recommendations.

Do you ever take a book from any source and tell the author to make specific changes in order to get a contract? (Jemstone/J E Murphy)
Yes, we do. We often suggest changes to proposals - either 'beefing them up' or adding elements that will make the book more saleable.

Will you only consider completed MSS – or, if the author has a strong ‘voice’, would you consider a work in progress? (Ali Mair)
For a first time author and a work of fiction, I would definitely want to see the full MSS. We need a guarantee that the author can actually follow through and deliver, completing the character and narrative arcs, tying up any plot threads that need to be resolved and leaving the reader satisfied.

Are you willing to take a chance on a large novel from a new author if the voice and story are good? (Jemstone/ J E Murphy)
Yes, as long as it's compelling throughout and the pace is sufficiently well-judged that it doesn't drag.

Why, when an author has researched the huge potential market for a book (mine has 1 million at least in UK CCs alone) do they still completely ignore it? (hallyally/Allie Sommerville)
Not sure who 'they' is but, if it's editors, we don't ignore potential markets if these are presented to us. Unfortunately, though, the existence of a large group of people with an interest in a particular subject is no guarantee that they'll actually buy a book on said subject. We have experience of buying books where the potential market was demonstrably huge, and where sales have failed to reach even a fraction of this.

Are agents worth their cut? (Mardi Johnson)
Yes, I think so, particularly for newer writers. They search out exciting new material, they represent authors through the often torturous process of negotiation and make sure that they are getting the best possible deal, and they step in repeatedly throughout the publishing process to make sure the author's views are being sufficiently represented, to confirm that the publisher is continuing to invest in the project as promised and to help explain the publishing process to the author where necessary. Good agents make the whole process smoother, more professional, more productive and more enjoyable.

Are you more biased towards British authors? (Jemstone/ J E Murphy)
Yes, I'm afraid so. It is much easier to publish and publicize books that are recognizable to a UK readership. It is also much easier to generate publicity for a book in the UK if the author is available for interviews, feature articles, etc.

Does HC (UK) publish American books? (RobRow/Robert P Rowley)
Yes, we do. We publish books from all over the world.

How do you feel about books that have already been self-published? (Jemstone/ J E Murphy)
Some are terrific success stories - e.g. Brunonia Barry's The Lace Reader which was self-published, had terrific reviews, went on to be picked up by HarperCollins in the US and the UK, and was a New York Times bestseller. Others can tend more towards vanity publishing, which obviously has a smaller potential readership and is of less interest to publishers.

How long does the acquisition process for fiction take and at what point is the author contacted? (Anthony Saunders)
Totally depends on the book, the author, the agent and the editor. Some books take months, others take days. It varies wildly.

Publishers tend to (traditionally) offer extremely succinct letters of rejection which are usually no help to the author at all. In cases where the manuscript has been received by a publisher and then been sent to the readers for assessment, is it true that the readers provide a report to the publisher/editor? If so, why can this report not be passed onto the author? (JamesG/James Guiney)
We sometimes commission readers' reports, though we mostly try to read everything ourselves (which is why it sometimes takes a while to get a response as we chew our way through our reading piles). The readers' reports are written for the publisher, rather than the author, so they don't usually contain editorial advice. They should point out strengths and weaknesses of the submission, in which case we try to convey these to the author with our rejection letter - but for the most part readers' reports would be of little use to authors looking to improve their MSS.

How do you approach novels with controversial topical themes – or do you prefer to avoid them? (Freddie Omm)
A little bit of controversy is never a bad thing if it's going to inspire debate or create publicity. This can backfire, of course, but if the editor believes strongly enough in the book he or she will usually be prepared to take the risk. It depends very much on the topic or theme and how solid the book's argument is.

EDITORIAL PROCESS:

Do you agree that it is the role of the literary agent to perform, or demand, substantive market-oriented editing of the book before the publisher’s editor has seen the manuscript? (Seamus33/George LeCas)
I think any work the agent can do or encourage to facilitate a sale is to the author's advantage. Editors have a lot of books on their plates and are less likely to commission something that is going to need substantive reworking. There can be a fine line, though, between editing the work in good conscience and reworking it to such an extent that it could be construed as a misrepresentation of the author's actual abilities. This I am very much against, and I think does no one any favours.

Which of these would you be prepared to work with an author to get right, and which do you consider a prerequisite: structure, characterisation, pace, voice? (Sandrine/Dan Holloway)
I'd be prepared to work with an author on all four, but the one I think is hardest to 'fix' is voice, so if that wasn't there from the outset I'd be less inclined to take the book on.

Why does HC not take up many manuscripts on Authonomy that, whilst full of colour and great ideas, still need a polish? Why do they have to be perfect to be considered? I thought that was part of an editor’s job, to knock a good book into a great one? (Mechanical/R L Jones)
They don't need to be perfect to be considered and yes, an editor does work with his or her authors to polish any elements that need improving. But we simply don't have time to spend days and weeks working on books that may or may not work out - though I am always happy to reread something if the author has taken editorial suggestions on board and reworked an MS.

Will you simply bin my book because I cannot polish it to your standards or do you genuinely look for potential and advise? (Patrick Barrett)
We genuinely look for potential. As an editor, there is nothing more frustrating that finding a book that you're keen on then being denied the chance to try to address the editorial issues that you have with it. There is a limit, obviously, to the amount of time we can invest in uncommissioned manuscripts, and we are more likely to advise more fully on books that are closer to what we're looking for, but we all want to find great books - whether they're ready-made or diamonds in the rough.

Is it true that when writing a true life/non-fiction work, it doesn’t have to be complete before a publisher will accept it? (Sue1960/Sue Edwards)
We often buy non-fiction books on proposal and sample chapters, the assumption being that the author needs the advance at an earlier stage than a novelist would, in order to fund his or her research.

CURRENT ECONOMIC CLIMATE:

There is a great deal of rumour flying around in the current economic climate. In your opinion, will it be harder for unknown authors to get published before the economy picks up again? (Lallie/Laura Jarrett)
I'm afraid I think it will... Debuts are not easy to publish - it's hard to get reviews and it's tough to get unproven authors into retailers in any real quantity or in the promotions that drive sales. That said, if we can see real commercial potential, or a possible award-winner, or if we believe very strongly in the quality of the writing and the author's future, then we're still going to go for it. Publishing is an optimist's game.

The media stated that during the last economic recession, book purchases did not suffer. Why are publishers insisting that they cannot take on new writers in light of this fact? (hallyally/Allie Sommerville)
Books sales are already suffering in the current recession. Most of the big publishers have lost market share (see http://www.thebookseller.com/news/86954-first-quarter-hitting-the-big-publishers-hardest.html) and have had to make several people redundant.

WHAT IS HARPERCOLLINS LOOKING FOR?

What are you actively looking for at the moment? (Jemstone/ J E Murphy)
Great fiction with a strong voice and compelling storyline that either has obvious commercial potential or is of a high literary calibre. Non-fiction that is contemporary, intelligent and engaging - books to appeal to smart young things who want to be entertained and educated on their tube rides home.

How much is your present catalogue of authors and books an indication of what you’re looking for in new submissions? (Alexandra Marell)
Our catalogue reflects the breadth of our list, as well as our historic strengths. However it's always useful, too, to look at the gaps in publishers lists - if a non-fiction list is very heavy in military history by established authors, e.g., they probably don't need to commission another five books on WWII from first-time writers.

Would you ever take the risk of publishing a work you loved but that did not fit a pre-existing marketing niche? (Lord Biro/Kevin Lester)
We do it fairly frequently, but it's tough. It means arguing passionately in house for a tiny advance, then trying to squeeze it into a marketable category so that the retailers are prepared to take it on, then clamouring for the next year to make sure the book gets the attention you think it deserves.

How do you feel about books that do not fit any genre? (Jemstone/ J E Murphy)
I love to read them, but they can be very difficult to publish. Books get presented to buyers at book retailers on a monthly basis, and it's terrifying to see how quickly decisions are made. If a book is difficult to communicate, it makes getting retailers on board that much harder.

VOICE:
What does a ‘fresh voice’ mean to you? (And is this really THE one thing you look for?). Please could you illustrate with an example – by that I mean could you tell us someone who’s burst onto the scene as being fresh and new, and explain, by referring to what was around at the time, why they are fresh and new. The example we hear so often is Zadie Smith – could you say WHY she was fresh? Was it her style, her subject matter, her slant on things? (Sandrine/Dan Holloway)
It's one of the main things I look for, along with great characterization and a compelling plotline. I guess what is meant is a voice that rings true from the first page, that reads unlike anything else either because of the voice itself (its cadences, accents, idioms, etc) or because it provides a new viewpoint on a subject that previously seemed familiar. I loved Ross Raisin's book, God's Own Country, for this reason. The narrator's voice is different from anything else I've read, the idiom totally idiosyncratic, and his point of view very, very different (thank god) from those we're usually presented with.

Could you try to pin down what you mean by ‘voice’? (Freddie Omm)
To me, it's the voice you hear in your head as you're reading. It sets the tone for the book, establishes the truth of the characters and is, I think, the backbone of any good story.

POD:

I know academic presses like OUP use POD because they can keep manuscripts constantly updated with new references etc. As an editor, do you think the possibility of updating a manuscript as easily as POD allows an exciting new development because a book can grow and change and evolve, or do you think it squeezes/changes your role because publishers will be more tempted to let a book through with less editing on the grounds it can easily be fixed? (Sandrine/Dan Holloway)
I think it's a real opportunity for publishers. It means, as you say, we can continually update our more topical books, we can keep books in print, and we can print quickly and efficiently when orders come in. However although technically we could alter the files every time we print, we certainly wouldn't want to - every change to the text costs money and takes time, so unless changes materially add to the value of the book or are absolutely vital to correct an egregious error, we try to avoid this. In any case, we can't afford to be any less rigorous with our editorial process not only because we have a reputation to uphold, but also because the books that we send out for reviews have to be the best we can make them, or they're not going to get the reception they deserve.

AUTHONOMY:

Do HC editors have input into how Authonomy works? (Jemstone/ J E Murphy)
Yes, we were consulted at the early stages while Authonomy was being built, and continue to feed back to the Authonomy team.

How well do you think it is working for you? (Jemstone/ J E Murphy)
I have yet to commission a book from Authonomy but I know others have and I'm continually impressed by the calibre of work up there. The main difficulty for editors is finding the time to read as much as we want to, so the fact that Authonomy 'pre-filters' submissions for us is enormously useful and, to be honest, a great relief.

Do you search through books on the site besides simply waiting to see what it kicks out? (Jemstone/ J E Murphy)
Yes, I do, although not as much as I should or would like to.

PROMOTION & MARKETING

Given that personality (or maybe public persona) counts towards an author's success, and therefore attractiveness to a publisher; do editors want a chance to edit that public persona (e.g. encourage more outspokenness or confrontation)? (Robin Helweg-Larson)
I don't think most editors are that calculated, to be honest. Obviously it is a boon if an author is happy to publicize his or her book and confident doing so - but the main thing is the book.

Where on the scale from philosophical discussion to obnoxious confrontation does a publisher want an author to be? (Robin Helweg-Larson)
Definitely not obnoxious! As with any colleague, I'm sure most editors hope that their authors are intelligent, amenable, courteous and engaging, not merely in terms of publicity but because we work closely together over the course of the publication

How much is a book tour expected to be a flamboyant act? (Robin Helweg-Larson)
I think intelligence and genuine charm win out over flamboyance any day.

Discuss this and much more in the authonomy writers' forum.

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