Spotting Talent
How hard is it for new writers to break into the publishing world?
I have to be honest, and say it's quite hard for new writers to break into the publishing world these days. Publishers are narrowing their lists, and publishing fewer books, and this has consequences for writers. This also makes finding a literary agent all the more important. I would advise new writers of fiction, certainly, to look at greater writing courses which are springing up all over the country, because they can provide a way 'in' to agents, and publishing houses, which otherwise doesn't exist.
What makes a good book?
What makes a good book for me is good writing. The use of language in an interesting and colourful way. I think it is about as simple as that.
What makes a commercially successful book?
I think if one could answer the question of what makes a commercially successful book, one would be very rich. There is no secret. There are certain genres of writing, of course, in fiction, that are popular. And one can go to book shops and one can look at the bestseller lists and study these books and try to copy the styles of successful writers. But in the end it's completely mysterious what makes a commercially successful book and one of the things that we like about publishing is how often we are surprised by books that become unexpected bestsellers.
Are 'good books' and 'successful' books' the same thing?
Good books and successful books are not necessarily, or perhaps, not even often the same thing. Some very successful books are quite bad, and lots of very good books are not successful. Of course, there are many successful books that are good, but these two things do not necessarily go together.
What's the easiest genre to get published?
The easiest genre to get published in is the most popular one, which is commercial fiction, because there are simply more of it than any other kind. Literary fiction is getting harder these days, and nonfiction of most kinds is getting harder. So it's popular fiction which--really, I suppose, quite understandably--is the easiest genre to get published in.
How much of what you read is good enough to get published?
A very small proportion of what is sent in to a literary agency is publishable, but then a very small proportion of what is written generally is publishable and that's probably a good thing in the end.
What are the most common failings?
In fiction the most common failing is over writing, is straining too hard, and is using too many images, too many metaphors, similes, magic themes and so on. I think you will find that writers at the beginning of their craft are simply trying things out and that as they master their craft their language becomes simpler and more direct
What's the difference between commercial fiction and literary fiction?
The difference between commercial fiction and literary fiction is something that can be debated until the cows come home. I think, simply put, that commercial fiction is telling the story, and literary fiction is trying to arrive at the heart of something, the truth of something.
