# Finished my first book, now comes the hard part.



## Tony-The-Tiger (Feb 27, 2013)

I recently finished my first novel, Astral Arcana, and now begins the process of trying to sell it.  I have so many questions I don't even know what they are yet.

My tentative plan is to look for an agent before anything else.  I have a list of potentials set aside, and I plan to investigate each one thoroughly and personalize my queries before I contact any of them.  I have heard that it could be considered rude or inappropriate to submit to multiple agents, but I have also heard that waiting around to hear from one at a time simply takes too long.  I don't want to step on any toes, but I don't want to wait months on only one query at a time.  Should I keep it to one and wait, ship it to two or three, or just send it to anyone I have interest in?  Should I send it to a publisher while waiting on an agent as well?

I'm not entirely sure how long or detailed my synopsis should be, though I guess it varies with who you send it to.  I've heard it's generally best to keep it short, as if it were a blurb on the back or insert of the cover.  Here's what I have at the moment.

Synopsis: Far beyond the view of Earth, civilizations and empires struggle for their place among the stars.  And beyond the stars lie the astral winds.


One million years in the past, our galaxy was controlled by an ancient race known as the mithrani.  The key to the mithrani's dominance was their advanced technology, drawing from a boundless source of energy outside our realm of existence.   The mithrani are gone, but their machines remain for younger races to exploit.  These relics are known among the people of the stars as arcana.  The infinite force that fuels them; the astral winds. 


This is the strange world that the Earth boy John Masters finds himself thrown into when a mysterious man arrives and takes him away in the Esper; a starship built from mithrani technology.  There he meets the ship's crew of aliens, and an unusual girl with an affinity for the mechanics of arcana.  They are chased relentlessly across the vastness of space by interstellar pirates, the corrupt and warlike Human Imperium, and darker forces whose aims remain unknown.  John and the Esper's crew must ally together to uncover the reasons for his pursuit, and their search will take them across planets, between stars, and beyond the barriers of the universe itself to unlock a power thought lost to the ages.   A power that John will need to save all that he holds dear.   If he can find it in time.

I am sure I have other questions, but I don't know what they are right now.  Any thoughts on the synopsis or just generic advice would be very helpful.  Thanks for reading!


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## moderan (Feb 27, 2013)

If it takes months for a response, then you wouldn't want that agent anyway. I wouldn't wait longer than a week, and would question even that. Remember that the agent works for you, not the other way around.
There's nothing seriously wrong with your synopsis. The plot sounds a little bit like Revelation Space and a bit like Gateway, but nobody's gonna dock you for that.


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## Nee (Feb 27, 2013)

Send your query out to around five, and give them at least 60 days. Yes, Mod is right they do work for you...but not 'til they accept you as a client. Even then it is better to look upon their relationship with you as part of the team that will make you a lot of money...so, be professional and respect their right to choose who they'll represent in the way that they are comfortable with.   


I would try saying a bit less in your synopsis and start off with your main character.


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## Dan (Mar 3, 2013)

moderan said:


> If it takes months for a response, then you wouldn't want that agent anyway. I wouldn't wait longer than a week, and would question even that. Remember that the agent works for you, not the other way around.



This is terrible advice, and anyone who follows it will be unbelievably lucky if they ever get an agent. The average response time is a couple of months, and most agents will state something to that effect on their website. Some are faster, and some are sloooooower. But it isn't reasonable to expect an agent to receive your submission (possibly via snail mail), read your synopsis/sample, make a decision, and respond within a week, seeing as they probably have dozens or hundreds of similar submissions to get through.

Like I said, most agents will give you an idea of their response time. Some will specify that they answer every query, whereas others will say something like, "If you haven't heard from me in x amount of time, it's a pass." They'll probably also mention if they're okay with simultaneous submissions to other agencies. Same thing for the synopsis; the agent's page will tell you their  criteria, so you'll probably end up writing a bunch of different ones tailored to their specific needs. It sucks, but it's how the game is played. Unless you self-publish.


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## Dave Watson (Mar 3, 2013)

I'd say your synopsis reads a bit too much like a back cover blurb. From what I've read in books and websites about publishing, your synopsis should be a sort of "blow by blow" condensed version of the entire story that tells the agent or publisher exactly what happens. Don't worry about giving away twists or details or about who lives or dies, and make sure you write how the story ends. 

Regarding sending queries, my method so far has been to send out batches of between 5 and 10 every few months or so. If I've not heard anything from an agent that specifies that they will reply with a yes or no within a certain time, a polite chaser email is the way to go I think.


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## moderan (Mar 3, 2013)

Dan said:


> This is terrible advice, and anyone who follows it will be unbelievably lucky if they ever get an agent. The average response time is a couple of months, and most agents will state something to that effect on their website. Some are faster, and some are sloooooower. But it isn't reasonable to expect an agent to receive your submission (possibly via snail mail), read your synopsis/sample, make a decision, and respond within a week, seeing as they probably have dozens or hundreds of similar submissions to get through.
> 
> Like I said, most agents will give you an idea of their response time. Some will specify that they answer every query, whereas others will say something like, "If you haven't heard from me in x amount of time, it's a pass." They'll probably also mention if they're okay with simultaneous submissions to other agencies. Same thing for the synopsis; the agent's page will tell you their  criteria, so you'll probably end up writing a bunch of different ones tailored to their specific needs. It sucks, but it's how the game is played. Unless you self-publish.


I'm allergic to agents. I don't think they're worth having.


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## shadowwalker (Mar 3, 2013)

Patience is the name of the game for authors. Agents aren't just looking at one query each day, after all. And you definitely don't want them making a snap decision. As to whether they're worth it, IMO definitely. They typically get you a better publishing deal, more money, and have access to publishers who don't accept unsolicited manuscripts. They can also help with problem areas with the ms, make sure you're not signing a contract with parts you really don't want as an author, and act as a go-between for you and the publisher throughout the process (even after publication). They know much more about the publishers, author contracts, and publishing in general than most writers, and particularly new ones. They're _your _advocate.


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## Dan (Mar 3, 2013)

moderan said:


> I'm allergic to agents. I don't think they're worth having.



I tend to agree, at least for me.


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## moderan (Mar 3, 2013)

Dan said:


> I tend to agree, at least for me.


Yeah, it's like, the drugs and violence thing. Don't recommend it for everyone, but for me, it works. Depends on the material and the market and how much responsibility you're comfortable with.
I like short stories best. Agents tend to disagree.
I still think that waiting too long is indicative of inattention, disorganization, or a love for ceremony. Let's say a month to be charitable.
Today's self-publishing climate has improved enough that you can make your own way if you know what you're doing.


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## shadowwalker (Mar 3, 2013)

Short stories would be different, as you'd typically be looking for magazine/journal submissions. But I have heard from others that self-publishing those can be difficult in terms of sales, even compared to SP'ing novels.


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## moderan (Mar 4, 2013)

shadowwalker said:


> Short stories would be different, as you'd typically be looking for magazine/journal submissions. But I have heard from others that self-publishing those can be difficult in terms of sales, even compared to SP'ing novels.


I imagine they can be. There are really a lot of outlets for short story exposure, so many so that none actually stand out for me. Some are sales tools depending on your niche. Bear in mind that this is largely theoretical as my first book hasn't come out yet, and I'm basing my data on pre-sales and requests for authographed copies, but there is definitely a market out there.
I believe it was you that commented earlier that patience is the author's game. For me that works more on the sales end. It just doesn't do to try to break the bank. That's too predictive and to me, hubristic. My aim is to make a couple grand off of each book. 
Still haven't done any extensive promotion or done anything really remarkable to try to create "buzz". All I've done is to promote the book on Facebook, where I have the advantage of a pool of people that have read my work, and occasionally put up a story or a section of a story here and there, mostly on Smashwords, but occasionally on my webspace.
The book is a collection of previously-published pieces that have been expanded and in some cases extensively rewritten for this appearance.
Based on the traffic to my website, the facebook page and to those cameos, and taking into account the aforementioned pre-sales and requests, a little bit of projection puts me right there. A little bit of video promotion, some friendly arm-twisting, and I might double it.
I have enough material to release a book a month for the next two years if sales are brisk, at risk of glutting the market. It may be that one book gluts the market. I don't think so, but one has to be prepared for the possibility.
Your mileage may vary. That's probably more than anyone wanted to know, but there you go.


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## movieman (Mar 4, 2013)

shadowwalker said:


> Short stories would be different, as you'd typically be looking for magazine/journal submissions. But I have heard from others that self-publishing those can be difficult in terms of sales, even compared to SP'ing novels.



Right now I'm making more from one of my self-published short stories than my self-published novel (which, admittedly, is in a much less popular genre). I'd definitely agree with submitting short stories to pro-level magazines and other markets first, as I'll still need a couple of years for that story to make as much money as one pro-level sale, and it would have been good advertising if it had sold to a big magazine.


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## Caragula (Mar 11, 2013)

I've just finished my first book too, well done you  I'll try agents first, then publishers, then go self publishing.  I guess I'll have to be flexible about how long I leave between sending to more agents based on what each of the ones I've submitted to quote for a response.


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