Scouting out fresh talent
I’ve been reading a lot of agents’ blogs lately. Not because I’ve suddenly changed my mind and decided to go the traditional publishing route, but because they’re interesting to read.
One thing I’ve noticed, though, is that in each case, the agent is asked (repeatedly…learn to search a site, people) if anyone in the editing business surfs around blogs, websites, and online writing groups looking for fresh talent. Every single time, the answer is that it’s not worth an agent, editor, or publisher’s time to swim through all the people who need to retake high school English to find one potential gem.
Okay, like everyone else, this group of people is very busy and would rather spend their time in other ways they view more productive. I can respect that.
Until I start thinking about other fields.
Scouts scour the country looking for the next great sports star. They take in a play, making sure to note and potentially contact someone who really stood out to them. They approach that one kid who always sings the solo for his church choir. They’re looking for fresh talent.
I’m pretty sure they have pretty busy schedules, too.
So if sports and entertainment can take a little time out of their schedule to check for potential up-and-comers, why can’t publishing? What makes them different? Is it a matter of tradition? Fear that people won’t want to approach writing, instead sitting around hoping for their big break? Fear that it’s giving up one more hallmark that will eventually unravel the publishing industry as a whole?
I suppose it might be a question to be posed to the agents I read. The worst that could happen is that one of them will dub me a nitwit, but seriously, that’s small potatoes after being told repeatedly by students that they hate me (even if they never mean it).
November 28th, 2006 at 4:21 pm
That’s a really good point. I mean, one could make the argument that they already have to slog through enough simply with what gets submitted, but theoretically if they confined their searches to writing competitions and other venues that would have people possibly looking for a publisher, it wouldn’t be as big of a hassle as they’re making it out to be. Certainly not more than a talent scout of another sort, because the agents wouldn’t even have to leave their city to do so (just get stuff mailed to them).
I think part of it comes from the “ivory tower” atmosphere of publishing; the idea that it’s a place only for the intellectual elite. Even within that published elite there’s a hierarchy from things like romance novels to academic works.
November 28th, 2006 at 11:41 pm
[…] Scouting out fresh talent […]
December 1st, 2006 at 12:39 pm
What’s really funny here is that last night a coworker told me that I needed to stop publishing online and focus on querying magazines. Otherwise, I am apparently dooming myself to only by thought of as a writing hack, and I’ll never be taken seriously.
I argued that I wasn’t entirely sure that i wanted to be taken seriously anyway, but I suppose I might have gotten father if I’d started explaining the moderate success some of my blogs enjoy. I must be doing some thing right…
As it was, I just explained to him much of what I’ve read repeatedly over the past year, and that surprised him a great deal. He doesn’t live online.
On the upside, though, he has offered to edit some work for me. But I suspect he;ll give it back to me and start pressuring me to go a traditional route, and I’m not so sure I want to do that.
I’m sitting in the middle of watching traditional publishing vs. the changes that seem to be coming, and it’s just odd.