The career novelist

THE CAREER NOVELIST

er is not at fault, well... perhaps it is time to take an objective look
at your storytelling.
Certainly there are problems for which only your agent is to
blame. Blown deals. Lost manuscripts. Misunderstandings with
your publisher. That kind of thing is just bad business. Even here,
though, I advise caution. Are there mitigating circumstances? Did
your agent's spouse recently die? Is she facing surgery?
Once you do decide to move on, try to maintain a businesslike
demeanor. You will thank yourself later. Dignity is a precious pos-
session.
And when you hook up with your new agent? Well, you begin a
new honeymoon. And soon thereafter, the bumpy part. But if you
have taken my advice you will have learned a lot about yourself dur-
ing the divorce. And that self-knowledge should serve you well as
you stride toward new levels of success.

THE ULTIMATE TRANSACTION
I hope that all this talk of agents has left you feeling empowered.
There is, however, one relationship that is more important to an
author's career than any other: his relationship with his readers.
When you publish your first novel you invite readers into your
imaginary world. If you have painted it well, they will probably
return. Repeat customers are the foundation under your career. Give
them good value, reopen your store on a regular schedule, and they
will make you successful beyond your dreams.
Remember, too, that your fans are unique to you, a discrete sub-
set of all readers, to borrow a phrase from mathematics. They want
your characters. Your settings. Your style. Ultimately, your readers will
know your writing better than anyone else.
Think about it. Your query letter gets you, perhaps, one minute of
an agent's attention. The cover on your book gets, maybe, a few sec-
onds from a buyer for a bookstore chain. But once that book is sold
to a customer, taken home and opened ... ah! You have hours upon
hours in which to lure that reader into your story, then take her on
a ride she will never forget.
Given that, where should you put the lion's share of your time
and energy? The answer to that question is easy: into your writing.