Agent Terry Burns On Publishing And The Economy

Here’s an excellent article by CBA agent Terry Burns.

This article is a MUST READ for all pre-published authors.

Terry Burns addresses the state of publishing, and in particular Christian publishers, in the current challenging economic climate. Terry Burns has gone out of his way to get quotes straight from the mouths of editors, many of whom are sourced.

His conclusion is as follows:

“I guess what I think it says is that we’re going to see a more cautious approach to acquisitions over the next months and see it taking longer to get decisions.

The advice at the beginning of this talk to stay calm and have patience is appropriate. That gives us time to make that submission as good as possible, because the competition is going to be stronger than ever.

Books that are simply “finished” won’t get it done, because the market is looking for books that are excellent. Should we quit writing and quit submitting? Of course not! Just keep doing business as usual . . . with a little more patience.”

So there it is again! Make sure your manuscript is the absolute best it can be before you submit it.

To back this up, Terry quotes Nancy Lohr at BJU Press, who says this:

“So what can authors do? They can work to write fine literature that will stand the test of time, that can remain in print without looking dated or faddish. They should wait to submit a manuscript until they are truly finished.

We read too many pieces that look more like a draft than a polished submission, and even if my assistant passes me a diamond in the rough, I can’t spend the time it would take to help finish the piece … I won’t take a draft through the review process.”

The going is rough, but that mountain CAN be conquered!