IC:  Do you handle paperback originals?

DM:  Yes. Original paperback publication has long been common in the romance, science fiction and western fields. In recent years, some authors in the mystery field have also made successful starts in paperback. Original paperback is not for everyone, though. Mainstream and literary fiction, which depend heavily on reviews, probably need the added boost of hardcover.

IC:  Would you care to make a guess as to what editors will be looking for two years from now?

DM:  Quality writing, by which I mean beautiful prose and flawless storytelling, regardless of category. The bar is so much higher now than it was ten years ago. I don't see anything on the horizon that might reverse that trend.

IC:  What might happen to a ms. after the author has been invited to send it, but before the agent actually decides whether or not to represent the author? In other words, how do agents deal with manuscripts when they receive them? Do they read a ms. 2-3 times? Do they wait and see what else comes along before deciding yea or nay? Do they throw out feelers to an editor friend to see what reception it might get?

DM:  I can't speak for everyone, but if the author is new I generally make my decision based upon the merits of the work. If an author has a track record, it's only natural that I consider it. Ditto their personal reputation. Heck, if there is bad news I would rather know it in advance!

As to pitching or even sneaking the manuscript to editors before shaking hands, that seems unethical to me. At any rate, I don't do it. What I do, however, is to take a look at the competition. Suppose I am being offered a literary novel about middle class India...are there already ten similar novels on the market? If so, it helps to know. I think that's especially true of mystery novels. Just how many cat and dog series can the market absorb?

IC:  While the agent is evaluating the full ms., how long should the author reasonably expect to wait for a decision?

DM:  Reasonable? Most authors, I imagine, would love to hear within five or ten minutes. At my agency, we aim to respond to partial manuscripts within six weeks. On complete manuscripts, the response time varies from overnight to several months, several months being the more usual timeframe. Six months is too long for anyone to take (although it happens). Now, here's a question for you: Can you make your current novel one that provokes an overnight response from me?

IC:  How does one know when your agent is getting too old to function?

DM:  Can you speak up...I didn't quite hear you? No, seriously, I think the answer to that is as individual as individuals can be. One of the most vigorous men I know is pushing ninety. (He's a cartoonist not an agent, though, which maybe tells you something.) Are your needs being met? Is your career improving? These are questions you might like to ask in evaluating any agent, young or old.

IC:  I've just finished a mystery novel, not a cozy. It features a female homicide detective, set in Miami, she and her team chase a killer when she discovers she is the ultimate target. Highly suspenseful ending. Question: what is best to include in my query letter?

DM:  First: category. An "un-cozy mystery" is sufficient. Having a hard time choosing your category? Pick one of the four most common retail designations: Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense, Fiction/Literature (what in the trade we tend to call "mainstream" and "literary"). Narrowing it down more than that is useful, but only if you can be really clear and objective. Is your Miami mystery closer to Edna Buchanan or Carl Hiaasen? Can't say? Then don't try. Just leave it at "mystery."

Next: summary. Many authors have a hard time with this, but you really only need three things to hook me on your story: 1) setting, 2) protagonist, 3) problem. Anything beyond that is probably unnecessary. Remember, the goal of a query letter is to get me to read the material, not to make up my mind about it in advance.

Last: you. Or rather, anything about you that is relevant to selling your novel. Are you an ex-homicide detective? That is relevant. Are you a third grade remedial reading teacher? That is not relevant.

Avoid: Hype. For instance, your claim "highly suspenseful ending" makes me feel suspicious. I think, "Oh yeah? I'll be the judge of that!" See what I mean? It's like me announcing, "I am an extremely powerful agent." That may be true, but what an arrogant thing to say!

IC:  Which editors do you like working with the most?

DM:  Mostly the ones I've known the longest.

IC:  Would you consider sending a manuscript to a small publisher?

DM:  I do that, but in most cases I first logically or actually (by submission) eliminate the major trade houses. I hate to say that, because there are some small presses with wonderful lists. Still, working with small presses frequently inolves problems, not the least of which are poor distribution and difficulty in collecting money from them.

IC:  What do you consider your most productive activity?

DM:  That's easy: developing story ideas and manuscripts with my clients. Brainstorming. Reading. Commenting. Pushing my clients to make the most of their talent and skill. Everything else is important, too: marketing, deals, sub-rights, etc. Nevertheless, the ultimate transaction in this business is between author and reader. What can be more important than making my clients' stories the best that they can be? Of course, as the author of fourteen pseudonymous novels of my own, I perhaps have a natural enjoyment of development. Still, I think it has become a common practice among agents. If not, it ought to be.

IC:  Is there a time when you consider your plate full and turn away new clients?

DM:  No. There are times when it is tougher to land me as an agent than others, of course, and unfortunately now is one of those times.

IC:  How do you manage to get through the deluge of queries and manuscripts?

DM:  Organization and discipline. We get six thousand queries a year, read several hundred partials and scores of manuscripts. We have a weekly query meeting, every Friday morning, during which each letter is read by more than one person. Once manuscripts arrive, we track their progress closely on computer. Out of all that effort, we feel lucky to find a handful of clients.

IC:  Is the midlist mystery series as dead as everyone is saying it is?

DM:  Dead? No. In ICU? Maybe. It's tough out there. Consumer resistance is high, and at $25 for a hardcover and $6.99 for a paperback who can blame them? Still, new mystery authors must come from somewhere. Publishers will continue to gamble. What's different today is that the trial period for a new series can be awfully short. Three or four novels and that's it...unless you magically find your audience. (And wonder or wonders, that sometimes happens.)

IC:  How much commission do you take?

DM:  15% of domestic revenue (including movie/TV) and 20% overseas.

IC:  What's the best way to get you interested in representing me?

DM:  Write a great novel, send a brief and businesslike query letter with SASE, compare yourself -- narrowly and accurately! -- to known authors, get recognized writers to recommend you to me. It helps if they have actually read your work. You asked. That's it. (BTW, we do not accept email queries.)

IC:  How many unpublished writers have you accepted as clients during the past two years?

DM:  Five, and so far I've sold the work of two. Of the remaining three, two are very new clients. The fifth and I recently parted company. Although his first novel was declined nine times with very specific comments, he grew impatient. Apparently, some long-published friends had advised him that his novel "should have sold." (I agreed, but the marketplace did not!) So, we parted amicably. My associate agent, Jennifer Jackson, has taken on more unpublished writers than I have, I think.

IC:  Elmore Leonard and a few others can sell standalone mysteries. What is the prognosis for standalones by other than the big names?

DM:  In my experience, the prognosis is poor. Of course, all rules are made to be broken. You just have to break them with panache.

IC:  Other than a novel that starts with a bang and keeps on going, like Absolute Power, can you tell us what characteristic might keep your interest?

DM:  Is there anything that keeps us turning the pages other than conflict? Maybe, but not for long. The secret of successful storytelling is no secret: conflict on every page. I do not mean crude, gun-in-your face action; I mean real, immediate, unavoidable tension, obstacles, problems...whatever you want to call them. Look at the great novels, Absolute Power or Jane Eyre or anything in-between: They've all got tons of conflict.

IC:  I mailed out my first novel to ten publishers who handle mysteries of that ilk, and immediately received an offer of a 2-book contract. I researched the pratfalls of literary contracts, negotiated the contract and signed. I am committed to the second book by January 1st which is nearly finished. Also there is a stipulation in my contract stating that they have first option rights on books 3 and 4. I very much like my publisher/staff. They are great people. The first book is coming out early October, and the second in October of next year. My question is: when/if I should search for an agent?

DM:  When you are dissatisfied with your current arrangements, or feel that your publisher cannot do everything you would like to have done, or is not paying you/earning for you as much money as you feel you could get. That's my advice. What does everyone else think?

IC:  Let us suppose I am unpublished and have finished my first book and believe it really has possibilities. However, I still have a "day job" and limited funds. Does it make more sense to seek out an agent now or try to find a publisher on my own?

DM:  When considering the sale of a first novel, I suggest that the decision about whether or not to work through an agent be independent of financial considerations. Here's why: In most cases, what you will earn on a first novel will not be enough to allow you to chuck your day job anyway. So, why not agree to a commission (which is paid only after a sale, you understand) and start yourself off with a strong ally and, hopefully, a good contract? You might thank yourself later for a wise investment.

IC:  If a person is unknown, what is the best way to go about finding an agent?

DM:  That sounds like two questions. First, you can get "known" by selling short stories, joining a writers' organization, studying with a recognized author...any number of ways. Second, you can find out about agents by networking, checking guides (like Jeff Herman's Writer's Guide...), or by cruising the membership list of the Association of Authors' Representatives (AAR).

IC:  Generally speaking, given that the manuscript is a good one, do you find a book written by a male author any easier/harder to place than one written by a female?

DM:  Neither. Once, men dominated the mystery field. More recently, women seemed ascendant. Today, I think there's no difference between men and women. Well, not in terms of placing novels, anyway.

IC:  It goes without saying that some agents are better than others. What are some of the things an author should be sure to check up on before signing with a particular agent?

DM:  Experience. Current clients. Work load. Business style. AAR membership. Editorial acumen. Understanding of your needs. Their plan for your career development. Sound like a lot? It is. Think you can decide knowing less? You can, but I do not recommend it.

Thanks to all for your questions, and best of luck in your writing careers. If you'd like to know more, you might want to check out my book The Career Novelist, published by Heinemann and available through amazon.com. Thanks again.

Donald Maass Literary Agency
157 West 57th Street, Suite 703
New York, NY 10019 USA

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