Speaker 1: Welcome back to the Bookend's YouTube channel. Today we are talking about revisions and I had like this epiphany. I'm telling you, I messaged Jessica at random and I said, what about a video on revisions or a negotiation? Because I think in publishing, there's a lot of emphasis on negotiation, right? Especially in terms of literary agents and getting the book deal. But I think a lot of publishing is actually one giant negotiation. Marketing can be a negotiation, even getting readers to want to read the book, right? All of that comes down to negotiating in a way. And I think revisions are the biggest example of that. And the reason why I say that is because revisions, there's a lot of emphasis on getting that feedback and then feeling like you have to implement that feedback. But that's never the case. Yeah, I always have a huge concern

Speaker 2: when I offer to a new client or take on a new client that they're going to receive any revisions or revision suggestions I make as final and that we could royally screw up a book if an author feels like they have to defer to me on this because I am not the author. So it would be wrong to defer to me. So that's why I'm really excited about this video because I think it's super important because I do feel like the more successful authors see revisions as a discussion point,

Speaker 1: not as a fight. I've had so many clients be like, oh, well, they're the publisher and they bought the book, so I should write the book they want. And I think, well, frankly, I think it's bullshit. So I don't think that's how this works. So our job as agents, there's two levels of revisions, right? There's with your agent and our job as agents is to make a book rejection proof. We want to make sure that we can get someone to love it enough to want to buy it, someone being an editor. And I think that an editor's job is once they love the book, right? And they're giving you feedback to make it something that will reach and intrigue and delight as many readers as possible. But I don't think that that one person knows exactly what's going to do that.

Speaker 2: It's all subjective. Everything about this business is subjective. I mean, it's the same way when we read a book, if you give the same book to five different people, five different people have very strong opinions that are all different opinions on what they thought the book should be or was or could have been or whatever.

Speaker 1: Yeah. And we can't revise the book without the author. It just doesn't happen that way. And I hate when I see an author kind of take that step back and not have some sort of driving.

Speaker 2: They lose their agency.

Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 2: I mean, it's your name as the author that goes on the book.

Speaker 1: Yeah.

Speaker 2: Not the editor's name, not the agent's name. And that's the most important thing to remember. I also think that revisions should be bringing out the best in the book and then the author's writing and not making it not make it something that's not. And I think that's really important to remember on all sides. And it's really easy, I think, for an agent or an editor to give suggestions to try to make the book something that's not or to unknowingly give suggestions that would make the book something that's not. And it's OK for the author to stand up and say, I hear what you're saying, but that's not what the book is.

Speaker 1: I know I've said this on the channel. I think it's Neil Gaiman who said it, but he said that if somebody tells you how to fix your book, they're wrong. But if someone tells you something needs work, they're right. Yeah, I think that's how I try to approach all revision feedback, where it's like change this to this, but this is not quite working for me. Maybe we can try it this way. Or do you have another idea? And I think that's the kind of given pull of negotiations that I'm trying to apply to revisions is it's not just we need $100,000 and we're not going to budge. It's usually like, well, we can't make it there, but what if we do it this way? There's usually that give and take of no, but what about this? Or why don't we try it that way? And I think that if you're not doing that in revisions, there's a big chance you're going to lose the soul of the book that you've written,

Speaker 2: that you want it to be. Right. When I'm in revisions, I give suggestions, not because I think I know better than the author, because I don't, but because I feel that saying this isn't working doesn't help the author understand why. But if I say this isn't working, I don't feel connected to the character. What if you tried this? I'm not telling the author that that would be the way to go. What I'm saying is maybe this idea will help you think about this differently, because I know how easy it is for an author to feel like, but I can't think of another way to write this. Whereas if I give a suggestion, it might be like, boom, and you might think of five different ways to write it and find the one that works best for you, for the book, for the characters, for the plot. Yeah. It's like turning the flashlight on and

Speaker 1: suddenly you see everything. I think it's really easy to just sort of close out stuff when you're writing. I do it. And then your agent is kind of like, okay, but look over there. Maybe there's another way to do it. So I think it's that back and forth when you're revising. And sometimes, sometimes you have a great negotiation where it's like, nope, this is perfect. You can have everything you want or the other way around where it's just like, this is not working at all. And I think having that conversation about why and what can be done and is this the right book or do I go to the next book? Being open and fluid and able to bend a little bit is crucial on an author's part, also on an agent's part, but I think it's really crucial on an author's part to see what their business partner is telling them about the book and how it can be transformed into

Speaker 2: their next best strategic career step. Yeah. I think that the best negotiations are with people who are willing to be flexible and to lose a little, to gain a lot more. And that says for the agent. In other words, I have to be flexible enough to know your limitations as an author. And I might make suggestions, but I might have this vision for the book that doesn't match yours. And I have to be flexible enough to go, got it. This is where you see things going and you're going to go with that. And I'm good with that. But the author also has to understand that I'm coming in with your best interests in mind with the best book we can make. And you might not need to also rethink like, I thought the ending was perfect and that's the way I wanted to go, but now I can see it's not working. And if you don't think it's working, somebody else is also going to think it's not working. So I need to rethink things. So it's, everybody has to come in with a bit of an open mind and trust, trust each other. Like I trust what you're saying. What I, what I usually feel is that if I, if somebody comes in with revisions and is struggling with something and see something that's not working, they're not going to be the only one. And that's an important thing for the author to understand. The editor might not have the exact right idea for how to fix it, but if it's not working for them, you're going to guarantee you're going to see a review that says the same thing. Yeah. And these are people that work with

Speaker 1: story day in and day out. I hope they know something a little bit about what they're talking about. And when they see it, they are picking up on something that is going to be picked up elsewhere too. Yep. Yep. So, okay. I think that pretty much covers it. And I think it's, I think it's a lot easier to approach your revisions, particularly if you get a lot of revisions or a big revision letter or, or document with all the track changes. I think it's a lot easier to approach and feel comfortable with the feedback. If you're saying like, okay, not quite for me, maybe there's another way or saying just flat out. No, if you have to

Speaker 2: Also get on a call. Yeah. I mean, you'll get that letter, you'll get that email, but if you're really just thrown by the whole thing, get on a call to have the conversation, because I can make all the difference in understanding where everybody's coming from.

Speaker 1: I agree. Yeah. Okay. Well, I hope that little analogy was helpful. So don't forget to like and subscribe. We post new videos every Wednesday, and we'll see you back here next week. Bye.