I was at a writer’s conference this weekend and I met a lovely lady that had a YA novel about a paranormal creature. For the purpose of this blog we are going to say that the creature is dark elves. It wasn’t dark elves but that’s not the point.
Two years ago this lady came to the same conference with the same book. She sat down with a big time agent and pitched her dark elves manuscript. That agent told her that dark elves have never been and will never be a book in YA. Ever. She told her that the historical aspect of the book was especially off-putting and if she changed the dark elves to vampires and set it in contemporary times she’d have a chance at publishing her novel. Maybe.
Saturday this lady pitched me in a ten minute session and explained all of that. I got the lovely job of explaining to her there’s a book exactly like hers. EXACTLY, down to the eco-friendly subplot being published by a big house in a big way in May. I also got the fun job of telling her that there are no absolutes in this business.
Say it with me.
THERE ARE NO ABSOLUTES IN THIS BUSINESS.
If an agent tells you your book is never going to happen they are lying. There is no such thing as never in this business.
What that agent should say to you is that this project isn’t right for them. They don’t owe you a why. Books are art. Art is subjective. Tastes are so different that there is never a never, ever.
When you you go to pitch in person at a writer’s conference you should leave that table feeling energized and ready to work on your novel. If you don’t then that wasn’t the agent for you anyway. No one is going to offer you rep without reading your pages. What you want from that meeting is a request for pages. Nothing more.
And remember the next time you sit down with an industry professional that there are no absolutes.
