Hemingway and Writing Style

Listen up Hemingwaywantabes because if you want to learn from the master, you might consider reading Hemingway, The Final Years by Michael Reynolds. It is a fascinating book in terms of telling the Hemingway story, but it is also filled with jewels of information regarding his writing style.

For instance, at page 145, the biographer notes, “[Hemingway] never knew precisely what was going to happen in any book he wrote; whatever plants he had always went astray when the story got away from him. So he lived in the book, inventing it day by day, letting it develop organically.”

Yes, some great words of wisdom. Are you living in your book?

Hemingway and Agent Submission Record

Finding the proper literary agent to represent your book is a key ingredient to becoming published. I know firsthand about this since my New York agent recently sold a book of mine after only two weeks. He believed in me and the subject matter of the book, knew the editors who might be interested, and then sent off the book proposal to them. Last Thursday night, I received the good news that a terrific publsher had purchased the book and that a fresh biography of the spiritual guru Thomas Merton (see my blog at http://www.mertonandfriends.wordpress.com for more about him) will be published in the fall of 2009.

Hemingwaywantabes, here’s a tip for you from How To Become a Published Author: Idea to Publication mentioned above. When you start the process of seeking an agent, keep an “Agent Submission Record.” Here’s one to guide your efforts:

Agent/Publisher Submission Record

Document: Book Proposal—Las Vegas, A Novel

(Tip—Prepare one sheet for each submission. Print and collect in loose-leave notebook marked “Submissions.”)

Submission Date – June 12, __

Agent/Publisher Information – Rosalie Thompkins Agency

56 West 57^th Street

New York, NY 20002

212-789-7890

RThompkinsAgency@aol.com

Contact at Agent/Publisher – Jeanette Furber, Agent

Four – Six Week Reaction – No response, telephoned agency. Spoke with Furber’s assistant. Proposal in stack to be read. Estimated time—two weeks.

Follow-up – 6/17—Furber’s assistant telephoned. Requested full manuscript. Forwarded by Fed Ex.

Revisions, if an ___________________________

___________________________

Decision – Hooray! Jeanette has agreed to represent book. Suggested revisions being forwarded.

Outcome – Revisions completed. Submitted to Jeanette. She submitted it to four publishers. Riverhead books’ offer accepted. Hooray again!

(Tip—First submit material to four or five literary agents. Follow-up, keep four to five in play at a time. If no positive response, then repeat process to selected editors at publishing companies. Continue process until successful, but keep good records for future use.)

Being organized and keep track of submissions will come in handy while searching for a literary agent. And remember – it only takes one liteary agent to say “yes.”

Hemingway and Book Scope

Hemingwaywantabes, many beginning writers with traditional publishing aspirations decide to write a book about a subject too small in scope. One writer told me his book idea about a cyberspace killer stalking fellow players of a video game. The idea was unique, but the stakes weren’t high enough to garner interest from agents or publishers. I suggested one of the players be the son of the Secretary of Defense. The twist elevated the story to provide a national scope, one affecting an official of the United States government.

The non-fiction arena provides similar challenges. Whether your work is a biography, chronicle of an event, or debate of an important issue, the scope must be of significant importance to gain national interest. Otherwise, agents or publishers will pass, believing the book audience is limited.

Many aspiring authors want to write an autobiographical story about special events occurring in their life. There are exceptions, but most often the scope of such a story is too limited to interest a literary agent or publisher. One writer focused his book on a youth summer camp he attended where a tragic death occurred. The story was important to him, but too personal to interest a broad readership. I suggested he write about another topic. When he becomes well established, perhaps the summer camp story will have a greater chance of success. Once again, uniqueness is the key – will readers really be interested in your story?

Assessing the market potential for any book you contemplate is essential. Literary agent Caroline Carney suggests aspiring authors estimate anticipated sales before contacting a literary agent or publisher. “One of the easiest benchmarks,” she states, “is to look at the size of the most popular association in your field (or, in the case of fiction, in a field reflecting the enthusiasm of your main character).” Carney further advises writers to visit the library and consult Bacon’s Magazine Directory to discover the circulation size of the largest magazine catering to their primary reader’s particular interest, or to note sales figures listed on paperback reprints of popular titles in a particular genre.

Carney believes the aspiring author must pay attention to guidelines within his or her field of interest. “Those contemplating a sports book,” she explains, “should adhere to the old saying, ‘the smaller the ball, the higher the sales.’” This means literary agents and/or publishers, based on past sales figures, will be more interested in books about golf, tennis, and baseball than they will about football or basketball.

Good tip, one applicable to all book genres.