What happens after you get a book deal?

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Welcome to another #AskMeAnything session! In this series, I'm responding to your questions about the publishing industry and how to write a better book. Leave me any additional questions in the comments and I will add them to my list for future videos!

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TODAY'S #ASKMEANYTHING :
01:21 - What happens after you get a book deal?
04:00 - Do comparable titles have to be from authors the agents represents?
05:24 - What to do if you're feeling bad about your book

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ABOUT ME:
My name is Alyssa Matesic, and I’m a professional book editor with 7+ years of book publishing and editorial experience. Throughout my career, I’ve held editorial roles across both sides of the publishing industry: Big Five publishing houses and literary agencies. The goal of this channel is to help writers throughout the book writing journey—whether you're working on your manuscript or you're looking for publishing advice.

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[Ruylopez]

For anyone feeling overwhelmed during your writing, Neil Gaiman has spoken about having that feeling and telling his agent midway through a draft that it was absolutely hopeless. And his agent remarked that Gaiman was at 'that stage' of his manuscript - in total despair - as in every single thing he wrote. Even high profile published authors go through the same insecurities and doubt, every time. They just learn to trust in the process.

[brindlebucker]

NEVER delete! Absolutely right, Alyssa! For any disillusioned writer out there who's considering this... Just don't. Make a graveyard folder in your computer. If you get that disgusted with your manuscript, banish it to that folder. But do not delete it. You never know when 9 months later, a light bulb might go off in your head and you'll think, "I can use that passage from that chapter!" Or even if you just use it as a learning tool. Keep writing and growing. Then in a couple years, revisit that banished manuscript. It might make you cringe, but you can then compare it with your current work and then honestly say to yourself, "I have definitely improved since then."

But never delete. Even if you just think, "I'm going to delete these three pages..." Don't. Make a new copy and label that one as an earlier draft. Then edit the copy and keep the old draft in your records. You never know when you might change your mind. Or, worst case, you might want to demonstrate one day that you actually wrote your novel and you can use your earlier drafts as a proof of your work process. A Word document takes up a negligible amount of space on a hard drive. It's not like you're breaking the bank data-wise by keeping it.

[alainiskandar]

Thanks for your reply to my comment. I went back to the story after watching your video and today I’m 78000 words in and on second round editing. And I think the story even it not publishable, it’s definitely something I wanted to write to keep in my own bookshelf ❤

[littleaspiringwriter]

Hi Alyssa! Thank you so much for all the feedback and advice you've given us thus far on your channel! It's absolutely amazing and I'm so glad I found you :D! My question for the #AMA is about prologues. I'm currently working on my 4th novel and have a prologue in it (2 pages). I love it as much as I love my first chapter, and I think it adds a lot to the story. However, I've been hearing that many agents/industry professionals hate prologues. So it's been advised that when querying writers send their sample chapters they should either cut the prologue out entirely or turn the prologue into the 1st chapter. Apparently the latter is common practice but I'm afraid doing that may come off as dishonest. But doing the former makes me hesitate, even though it's said that you should do it no matter how good you think it is or else you risk a higher rejection rate. What's your take? To prologue for sample pages or not to prologue?

Thank you :D!

[andyclark]

Great advice Alyssa. Revising a terrible draft is hard, but not as hard as revising a blank page. My question is how much do published short stories help with agents? Right now, the short story market, at least in fantasy, is most open to drabble (100-word stories) and flash. Do these carry any weight?

[j.xavierscott]

Hi, Alyssa! Great video like always. This is for your #AAA #AMA #AskMeAnything

I'm trying not to get hung up on comp titles, but I'm having a hard time finding anything similar to what I've written. The elements that exist in my story are space when compared to anything from the last 5 years (I know that literary agents want more recent titles). I want to give agents realistic expectations for my manuscript, which great comp titles can help with. So I'm wondering, how similar do comp titles need to be with my work? Is it important to be as close as possible or can there be some elements? And what if I'm finding that my story is too unique when compared to anything recently published? (Key word, recently.)

Would love to hear your thoughts and can't wait for your next videos!

[Daniel-Clay]

After watching this video, I now feel better knowing that feeling overwhelmed is perfectly normal and that other people feel it, too. Something I would like to see a video about is: dream scenes. Are they really a writing faux par, as I've heard from other people? In my first draft, I introduced a protagonist who suffers with anxiety by beginning with an anxiety dream, to hopefully convey what is going on inside her head. What are your feeling on this? Should I delete this scene or not? I am torn. From my perspective, it is pertinent to the story. But now I'm doubtful. Help.

[jasonhobbs]

Haha. This literally happened to me yesterday. I’m in my final chapter, at 85, 000 words so far, and I decided, “The problem with my writing is bad characters… and poor plotting… oh, and a noncompelling voice and setting.

[maevemorgan]

Hi, Alyssa! It probably varies from publisher to publisher, but how many ARC copies and/or finished copies do publishers give their authors? I've seen some authors on YouTube receive whole boxes of their books, which is really cool! Are authors allowed to do whatever they want with those copies (e.g. give them to their family and friends), or are they suppose to use them for promotional purposes?

[joannabenitez]

Great advice, Alyssa. I have been considering a number of questions. I am currently
working on a number of folklore inspired short stories. 13 in fact. All together the word count is roughly 50, 000. I have had 7 of them published in various journals/magazines.

I’d like to get the stories published as a collection so I was wondering should I continue trying to publish the rest of the stories or stop here?
Also, should I try to get an agent for the collection even though short story collections are tough sells or is submitting to a small press a better route?

I am also in the early stages of writing a novel. Should I wait until my novel is complete to start my search for an agent even though that might mean waiting a year or two?

Another option is to self publish the collection and try to traditionally publish my novel later.

Do you have any thoughts or advice? It’d be a big help. Thanks.

[author.gabrielavrivera]

#askmeanything Hi, Alyssa! I was just wondering, when your agent sells international rights for your book, how does that work editing wise? Will the international publisher wait for you to finish edits with the American publisher or will they have their own team look at it? Is it possible to sell international rights before selling rights in the American industry and if so, again, how does that work?

[viktoriadorina]

Hi Alyssa, great video!
#AskMeAnything I was wondering how much flexibility agents would have on comp titles. I see a lot of queries on twitter pitched using two movies as comp titles. So my question is, can you comp movies and tv series that aren't necessarily books at their source material? Thank you in advance.

[davidclark]

I was scammed by Amazon KDP for over $3000 dollars. They knew my book was turned down by Amazon to be on their book list but continued to get more money out of me for promotion and will not give a refund.

[ARTwithSYLVIA]

Hi alyssa I have a question for you.. I'm not an American citizen so Is there any problem with publishing my book in the United States??

[therapybee]

Can you speak on memoirs seems like the content is geared towards fiction?

[donemigholzjr.]

I have a great idea for a book that would explain a new movement in the way people look at religion and Jesus. It is very different. It is easy to explain. It is an idea that every person over thirty should have thought of for their self. Of course there will be lots of people disagreeing and making up holes in the idea. There are many ways an author could easily make the idea his by changing a few things.
Like every single book written about Jesus or that time would have to be rewritten different.
Done right I could make a lot of money. But what stops a Literary agent or a publisher from using my idea but with a better writer(s)?

[dianahaugh]

My manuscript is polished and it’s more compelling than most of the Drek I’m reading. But I have gotten five rejections from agents. How many rejections would you accept before you accept that it’s hopeless?

[Victoriaearth]

Hi Alyssa, I'm writing about my story that I'm afraid that no one will want to read. I'm not even sure what genre is in?

[vCoralSandsv]

I have a story where part of the story line includes a real life LGBTQ helpline. Do I need to get permission to use it in my book? Also I am planning to donate part of the proceeds to that helpline. Is this something I should mention during my query process?

[culturalcrowns]

Let's say that I finished a book and I'm pitching it to an agent. I tell the agent in the query that I've had some beta readers for this finished book. Now, do agents care enough about the reader reports of beta readers that they would also read the reports (along with the sample pages)?