Category Archives: nonfiction

December 06, 2012   Michael   bestsellers, controversy, e-books, fiction, media, Michael, New York Times, nonfiction, numbers  
7

The Times it is a-changing

For the first time since 2004, the New York Times has made changes to their children’s bestseller lists. Up to this change, there were picture book, chapter book, paperback and series lists, with ten titles on each list (see here, though you’ll have to scroll down and click on the link for each list individually). There were complaints about the list (there are always complaints about the list), and publishers had been pushing for more space, especially as children’s sales increased dramatically. For comparison, the adult hardcover fiction list has fifteen slots, plus twenty on the extended list, for thirty-five slots total. In addition, many of us in the industry have complained about non-fiction titles dominating the chapter book list, particularly some licensed, toy-based books. The bestseller list is an important sales tool, not just an indicator of sales, and we know that the “New York Times Bestseller” designation for a book and author mean more attention from stores, libraries and consumers. Those of us bothered by the inclusion of those books felt that there were other titles that would benefit more from the attention that making the list brings, whereas these branded books would sell the same number of copies, with or without the designation. It’s not that they don’t deserve to be on a list; the chapter book list just seemed an odd fit.

So, when I heard from a source that the lists would be changing, I was hopeful. Sadly, this is definitely a case of “be careful what you wish for.” In their statement that proceeds the new list, the Times says they’ve made these changes in the list to reflect the changes in the book world, i.e. e-books. So now they have a picture book, middle grade, young adult, and series lists. The lists are format agnostic, so all hardcover, paperback and e-book sales on a title are included in the count. In addition, the MG and YA lists now include a short, five-slot extended list.

This all seems like it should be positive. I’ve been arguing that e-book sales should count towards the list, and there are ten new slots. But looking at the results for the first week, it’s disappointing. In splitting the books onto MG and YA (I can’t wait for when the Times puts a book on the “wrong” list), all of the children’s non-fiction, including those licensed books that drive me nuts, moved to the MG list. As such, eight of the top ten are nonfiction, and only two of those are narrative. The YA list is free of non-fiction, which is great. And it’s nice to see the quality, depth and breadth of the books on the list. But digging into the sales numbers a bit, it’s clear just how disadvantaged MG books are. Without the non-fiction to compete with, the YA list features titles on the main list that aren’t selling as well as some of the titles on the MG extended list. I’m basing this on one list, but from what I can see, it’s going to be much more difficult to have a MG bestseller than a YA one.

Though we know the times is now tracking hardcover, paperback and e-book sales for each title, it’s also unclear how the sales are weighted (and the Times guards their formula closely). The biggest question in this regard are about e-books. Are they tracking self-published books that are categorized as YA or MG? Does the price of the book effect the weighting? Could a publisher put an e-book on sale and watch their book jump onto the list? Making the list has always had an element of gamesmanship (colleagues and I like to joke about which book will magically land in the #10 spot, oftentimes despite dismal sales), but I think we’re in for an intense period of experimentation to see how e-book sales impact recognition.

And, I have one last complaint. With the start of the new MG and YA lists, the Times has reset each title’s “weeks on the list” count to 1. That means that Markus Zusak’s THE BOOK THIEF went from 272 weeks on the list back down to 1. It’s going to make it awfully tough for the next few months to easily see which books have been successful in the long run. Over time, this would cease to be an issue, but I hope the Times figures out a way to restore those “weeks on” counts.

End of rant. Any thoughts about the new lists and their impact?

October 18, 2012   Stacey   advice, cookbooks and food writing, middle grade, nonfiction, Stacey, what we're looking for, why I signed up, why we are agents, writing  
4

Stacey Glick interview at Writer’s Digest

It’s been a while since I wrote about the kinds of projects I’m looking for, and since I answer that question and many others in an interview I did that was recently published on writersdigest.com, I thought it would be nice to share it with our loyal blog readers.

The interview goes into some detail on my background, my list, and my thoughts on many different aspects of the market, where it is now, and where it is going.

I thought Ricki’s questions were really targeted to my interests and as a result we managed to squeeze a lot of information into a fairly brief interview.

I hope it’s useful to anyone reading, and if I didn’t answer all of your questions or you have others you’d like to ask, ask away and I will do my best to respond to each and every one. Promise! Enjoy.

July 31, 2012   John   advice, controversy, John, nonfiction  
4

It’s all over now, Baby Blue

Oh, Jonah…

I’m sure most of you saw the news yesterday that somewhat-discredited writer Jonah Lehrer is now fully discredited, having resigned from The New Yorker after admitting he fabricated some Bob Dylan quotes for his book Imagine and then lied about it. It’s a shame, because, while I haven’t read Imagine, I’ve been impressed by his writing on-line—he’s clearly a smart guy. But while I was willing to let it slide earlier when it seemed like he was self-plagiarizing due to feeling overwhelmed/over-committed, it’s a lot harder when he’s putting words in Bob Dylan’s mouth.

Anyway, I bring all this up just as a simple plea: if you’re writing nonfiction, don’t make stuff up!

I know, it seems self-evident, but there’s a long history of smart writers plagiarizing or fabricating material for a variety of reasons. And while publishers can protect themselves to an extent with the warranty clauses in their contracts, which place the burden of truth squarely on the author, as an agent all we really have is the author’s word. Yet if a problem arises, we certainly catch our share of the blame (witness the silence of Lehrer’s agent on this).

So, for my sake and yours, please don’t pull a Jonah—otherwise, to quote (accurately, I hope) the man in question, “a hard rain’s a-gonna fall…”

March 29, 2012   Michael   commercial, fiction, memoir, Michael, nonfiction, thrillers, what we're looking for  
14

Not about middle grade

I have to apologize that this week’s post isn’t a continuation of my middle grade conversation with Molly O’Neill (you can find posts here and here). We’ve both had some fun recently, being sick on back-to-back weeks (me earlier this week), and we just haven’t had the time to connect and get you the conclusion to our conversation. But we’ll bring you more informative goodness next week, and we really appreciate all your comments–it’s been a fun experience for both of us!

Since I’m not talking about children’s books, I thought this might be a good time to remind blog readers that I also represent projects on the adult side of the business. And, at the moment, I’m very actively seeking new adult projects, both fiction and nonfiction. As for novels, I’d love to find a compelling thriller with a fresh point of view, maybe even something a bit more literary that the usual. And I’m always in the market for something that’s upmarket trashy, like A Secret History (and yes, “upmarket trashy” is a compliment–A Secret History is in my top 5 books). I love those books that have compelling (and even provocative) plots, but also have a little more going on. Dark and psychological never hurts, either, and things that border on horror (but don’t quite get all the way there) definitely appeal to me.

On the nonfiction side, I’m always on the hunt for great memoir. I love authors with a sense of humor about themselves, even in the toughest of circumstances. Though addiction and affliction memoirs are probably tough at this point, adversity seems to be at the core of most of the books I’ve sold, and having a strong personal conflict is an important piece of the puzzle. I’m not as drawn to political books as I once was, probably due to the 24-hour news cycle, but I do enjoy investigative reporting about political issues, both at home and abroad. I especially appreciate writers who can explain the big issues through smaller, more personal stories; it’s hard to sell a book when there isn’t an individual story at the heart of it. I’m particularly interested in finding science writers who can distill complex concepts into something people like me can understand; if you’re the next Neil deGrasse Tyson, please find your way to my inbox.

So in addition to sending me your amazing middle grade and young adult, be sure to keep me in mind for your fantastic adult projects, as well.

March 21, 2012   Stacey   cookbooks and food writing, memoir, nonfiction, parenting, Stacey, what we're looking for  
8

What I’m looking for now

It’s been a long time since I talked about what I’m looking for so I thought I’d share a few words about projects I’m working on, projects I recently sold, and projects I wish I’d sold.

If you check me out on Publisher’s Marketplace, sales categories over the last year include cookbooks, memoir, narrative nonfiction, commercial fiction, children’s fiction, and a business book (full disclosure: the author is one of my oldest friends who came to me to help him after being approached by a publisher). The last few weeks have brought several nice sales and new projects in categories that include narrative nonfiction, cookbooks, commercial fiction, and young adult fiction.

My list has always been eclectic and continues to be comprised of a mix of projects that excite and inspire me. I’ll admit the formula is unpredictable and timing and instinct have a lot to do with it. I think most of my colleagues would agree that they know a Stacey project when they see it (public thanks to Jim for the recent referral), even if that might seem hard to define.

Given the market, the size of my list, and raising 4 kids, I’ll admit I am very selective about signing up new authors, but I am doing it and I’m eager to see new submissions.

In particular I’d love to see more science-based or medical nonfiction, like the upcoming book by pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Robert H. Lustig about his groundbreaking research about sugar’s effect on our health. Or Dr. Dale Archer’s Better Than Normal, which talks about how key traits of human behavior can be seen as strengths rather than weaknesses.

I’d like to see more smart, original parenting – I just sold a soon-to-be announced book about a particular component of our dysfunctional parenting culture, and my most recent staff recommendation is Mind in the Making, a research-based parenting title that was widely praises as one of the best recent books in the category.

I’d also like to see more food and nutrition narrative. The latest book by Marion Nestle just out, Why Calories Count, is a great example of that, and I’d love to find a book to rival Gabrielle Hamilton’s Blood, Bones and Butter.

For cookbooks, I’m always interested in smart, savvy food bloggers who bring a new twist to an existing topic, and can open up conversations about family and food that draw readers in. And I’m open to hearing from chefs and food writers who are doing something original and different.

As for memoir, I continue to be drawn to deep, dark psychological stories (and as previously mentioned, I seem to have found a successful niche of powerful mother/daughter stories that began long before I had my 4 daughters!) that showcase real people overcoming crushing adversity. Jennie Perillo’s in-the-works memoir about the sudden loss of her husband is an example. Soon-to-be published titles include Perfect Chaos, a mother/daughter bipolar memoir; I Am Intelligent, a mother/daughter memoir about a nonverbal autistic girl who learns to communicate; and Have Mother Will Travel, Claire and Mia Fontaine’s second memoir following the remarkable Come Back.

And for children’s, as well as adult fiction, I am drawn to strong, believable protagonists who find themselves in difficult situations that require an emotional epiphany to survive and thrive.

Thanks for listening and hope this gives you some more insight into my interests and that I’ll hear from you with new projects soon.

March 19, 2012   Jane   e-books, future of publishing, Jane, nonfiction, opinion  
12

The demise of physical copies of reference books

I knew this day would come and am actually surprised it didn’t arrive sooner.  On Thursday it was announced that there would be no more copies of the physical edition of The Encyclopedia Britannica.

Many years ago, before I became a literary agent, I was the publisher of The World Almanac.  During the years I was there its circulation increased from a million copies a year to two million copies a year.  Indeed, my colleagues thought the sky was the limit, but hearing the initial stirrings about this strange phenomenon “the Internet” I had a feeling things were going to change.

Change is exciting; in this case though, it is also kind of sad. As a kid, I remember always being told to refer to the encyclopedia or the dictionary or the thesaurus when I needed to know something.  Now, at least for the latter two, I always go online.  And the time has finally arrived that if I want to use an encyclopedia, I will use the Internet as well.

Soon there will cease to be printed copies of the phone book that will (or has that happened already?) and then, what’s next?

Last week over dinner with a client and old friend, she asked me if I thought there would come a time when physical copies of books wouldn’t exist.  I replied that I certainly didn’t think so; but for reference books of any kind, I do believe that end is upon us.

What do you think?

January 03, 2012   John   children's books, fiction, John, lists, nonfiction, opinion, what we're looking for, YA  
3

A new year, a new wish list

Happy 2012, everyone! I trust you all enjoyed the holidays and had memorable New Years Eves—and if you can’t remember them, so much the better…

Well, now it’s back to work. As promised in my last blog post, here’s my wish list for 2012. Dedicated readers of the DGLM blog might recall I posted similar lists at the end of 2010, but now with a full year of agenting under my belt I’ve tweaked the list a bit to reflect the areas I’ve found myself focusing on, as well as the areas where I’ve had the most success:

ADULT NARRATIVE NON-FICTION: This is definitely the most exciting category to me right now. If there’s an amazing book-length true story out there, I want to hear it. History, memoir, sports, music, immersion journalism, popular science, health, animals—whatever the subject, if you’ve got the credentials to write about it, send it my way.

ADULT MEN’S FICTION: I’m certainly still in the market for good, original thrillers and mysteries. However, after falling in love with THE ART OF FIELDING and enviously witnessing its success, I’d love to expand a bit into more literary territory. I’d love to find a Tom Perrotta, a Nick Hornby, a Chuck Palaniuk, a Don Winslow—in other words, a great storyteller with writing chops. And if it’s genuinely funny, so much the better.

MIDDLE-GRADE FICTION: I’m still looking for that great middle-grade adventure to take the place of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson—who’s going to step up in 2012 and deliver?

REALISTIC YOUNG ADULT FICTION: Looking at the YA clients I’ve signed this year, I’m realizing that while I certainly enjoy a well-done YA fantasy, more often I’ve been drawn to realistic teen fiction. Now, that doesn’t mean they can’t be high-concept or have a fantasy/sci-fi element—think Pete Hautman, Libba Bray, David Klass, M.T. Anderson—and historical fiction is certainly viable if the era hasn’t already been done to death. Basically, what I’m really looking for are those teen characters, perspectives, and issues that feel true to an actual teen’s experience, as opposed to the more escapist words of paranormal/dystopian fiction.

PICTURE BOOKS: Nothing really has changed here: I’m still pretty much only interested in professional illustrators who can write. It’s about time someone created the next great children’s book character or a high-concept project like Bob Staake’s LOOK! A BOOK! One new thought: if anyone’s got a good nonfiction project, I’d love to see it, too.

Being that it’s the first day back in the office, preceded by two nights of staying up late to watch the Giants and Rangers (bless you, DVR!), I’m still a little foggy and probably forgetting some key areas. But hopefully that’s enough to open up the floodgates, and I’ll probably revisit as the year goes on. After all, to me that’s one of the most enjoyable things about agenting—as the market shifts, so can your areas of interest.

Best wishes for 2012, and let’s see what you’ve got!

November 30, 2011   Miriam   controversy, fiction, memoir, Miriam, nonfiction  
9

Fact or fiction?

On long road trips with my six-year-old, as parents have from time immemorial (or, okay, since cars and freeways were invented), we often while away the minutes between bathroom stops with games like “Fiction or Non-fiction?” and its first cousin “True or False?” What’s interesting to me about this exercise is how hard it sometimes is to explain to a child how certain things can be true/non-fiction, even if we haven’t experienced them ourselves. Case in point? Dinosaurs. Literal minded kids (or kids under a certain age) think that because they don’t exist now they must be fiction or part of a great left-wing conspiracy.

Anyway, my point, rambling though it might be, is that gray areas exist when trying to categorize fiction and non-fiction. Certainly, this is something that is daily evident in my line of work. You have only to read an artfully crafted memoir to wonder how much is true/non-fiction and how much is the author’s imagination/ambition/skill/lousy memory at work and, therefore, false/fiction. As far as I’m concerned, as long as things are clearly labeled—i.e., “I remember it this way but I confess the years may have dimmed my powers of recollection”—I’m okay with narratives that are more well wrought than truthful.

For me, in fact, the thornier issue is fiction, where anything goes. Right? Or does it? This piece in Jezebel about Alexander Maksik’s much lauded novel skeeves me out precisely because it raises uncomfortable issues about what and how much is allowed when an author puts on his/her novelist hat. Using fiction to tackle difficult subjects is de rigueur in literature, accomplishing creative expression while avoiding legal liability. But what about the collateral damage? Is it okay for Mr. Maksik to exploit his alleged experience with a student for literary fame and success? Must we defend his right to do so as elemental to the whole concept of creative freedom? Or do we just call a sleaze a sleaze?

Help me out on this one folks. I don’t want to condemn Mr. Maksik out of hand but given all the recent headline grabbing scandals about authority figures abusing their power over kids, I wonder if instead of praise for his artistry, we should be censuring his alleged behavior. What do you all think?

October 21, 2011   Michael   e-books, fiction, future of publishing, Michael, nonfiction  
16

Thinking large

I have to admit, I have no idea where I found this link. I saved this post to the “Reading List” in Safari earlier in the week, but didn’t save the place I linked from, so I apologize for the lack of credit!
No matter where I found it, it’s a piece worth reading. As I know I’ve mentioned on the blog before, I think we all need to expand our minds when it comes to the e-book revolution. With better and cheaper tablet technology flooding the market, there’s more opportunity to create products that take advantage of the power and connectivity of those devices. While many of the ideas in the post interest me, the one that strikes me as most achievable and productive in the short term is continuously updating content. It made me think of a book like Game Change, and how that could have been a regularly-updating book as it was being written. In fact, I’d be willing to pay quite a bit if Heilemann and Halperin were to cover the upcoming election in a similar way, but with new content being delivered as the race unfolds. I’d still want something more comprehensive and reflective after the fact, but why couldn’t the book be both? The technology is certainly there.
I think it could work for fiction, too. There are a few authors to whom I’d pay a handsome amount for a continuously updating story. How about a novel fed to readers in serialized chunks, but delivered as the author writes it, not just doled out slowly once the book is written. An author and editor could agree on an outline and number of chapters, but each chapter would be delivered, edited, and then automatically uploaded to readers as it was written. Not only would it be unique, but it would also encourage readers to read along at the pace the story is delivered, opening up great social networking possibilities as readers discuss the latest twists and turns.
I’m so excited about the possibilities for publishing and books, and I’m even more excited to be a part of it. Are you enjoying the ride?
September 29, 2011   Jessica   Jessica, memoir, nonfiction, relationships  
6

All in the Family

In their interview with siblings-in-writing Ben and Jen Percy, Salon points out that similar instances of “brother sister acts” are rare.  When I stopped to consider this I came up only a handful, most of which came from literary families of centuries past: the Wordsworths, Brontes, Alcotts, Rossettis, etc.  I can think of sisters—Margaret Drabble and A.S. Byatt—but their strained relationship might argue that most families can raise only one writer. Do any of you have siblings who write? Is it a bond, a point of contention, competition, or (in this market, especially) commiseration?

Apropos of siblings, New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik and his sister Alison, a psychology professor, have produced a joint review of recently published THE SIBLING EFFECT by Jeffrey Kluger   In hindsight, the piece seemed more about the clever Gopnik clan than the Kluger book, but I suppose that further makes the point that some topics–sibling relationships among them–are ever-green, and for this reader (the youngest of five children) endlessly fascinating. Kluger’s argument, that siblings make us who we are, is not especially earth-shattering, but is a fine example of the way in which an artful blend of personal narrative and research-driven reportage can render the familiar new again.

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