The Debut Author: A Gamble or a Gift Horse?

Posted on October 15, 2006 in Uncategorized

‘How many debut authors have you read this year?’ This was the question posed by Cathryn Summerhayes, an agent from David Godwin Associates, as she kicked off the evening’s discussion.  She continued by observing that in today’s competitive market most book-buyers are attracted to an already established writer on the shelf, and as agents and publishers, we must strive to persuade the consumer to take a chance on something new. Yet, conversely, this is a concept we in the industry sometimes seem to lose sight of, even as customers ourselves.

So, with the inevitable risk that the public might disregard a debut author, why bother at all to represent new talent? Cathryn explained that the first-time author is an investment on the part of both agent and publisher, and to illustrate this she used the analogy of the football manager who spends £20 million on a new player: the manager feels it will pay off in the end, because even if the new signing breaks a leg the first time he plays, it is the long-term gain that counts. Similarly, the new writer’s first novel will probably not sell a million copies (with notable exceptions such as The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger), but the hope is that, in the long run, the fledgling author will establish themselves.

The second speaker, John Bennett is one such newcomer that Cathryn foresees becoming an enduring talent. John’s debut novel, Sea Otters Gambolling in the Wild, Wild Surf (pitched as ‘a coming-of-age story with a twist’), was acquired by DGA through the recommendation of one of their existing authors, Ben Rice. When John was made redundant a while back he turned to writing; his fiancée showed the resulting novel to her friend Ben, who in turn passed it on to his agency. Cathryn subsequently managed to place the book with the right publishing house and editor to cultivate John’s work.

John emphasised that his book was very much a team effort, and not purely down to him. His editor (Jason Arthur, Vintage Editorial Director at Random House) was excited about taking on the book, not least because he perceived launching new talent as being the key to developing the growing Vintage Originals list. John commented that the success of a book is 90% down to the publishing house, where the editor must first ‘sell’ it to the publicity, marketing and sales teams. Beyond that, the importance of selling the book to the trade should never be underestimated, particularly the impact of getting into the multi-buy deals: since publication, Sea Otters … has made it into Waterstones’ 3 for 2 promotion, representing a significant boost in sales.

The spotlight then shifted to the second pair of the evening, who between them spun a truly heartwarming, Cinderella-esque publishing tale. Charlie Sheppard (pictured below right, with Dean Carter), Editorial Director for Random House Children’s Books, is living proof that passion for one’s author is essential for nurturing a successful product and working relationship. Her protégée, Dean Carter, author of The Hand of the Devil, has worked for years (and still does) in the post room at Transworld, from where he sends a weekly email informing the company that the Bookseller has arrived. Charlie has always loved receiving these round robins, which quirkily include puzzles, stories and amusing anecdotes invented by Dean; so at a Christmas party one year she introduced herself by shouting unceremoniously across the table to him. Following their subsequent chat, Dean sent her part of the adult novel that he was writing. Not only did Charlie see its huge potential, she also recognised that Dean’s core market was, in fact, that of the teenage reader. She then sensationally stirred up in-house enthusiasm by handing chapters round, without telling anyone who the author was … and before long, the ink was drying on a signed contract.

But such is the closeness of this editor/author relationship, it didn’t end there – to date, Charlie’s proactive dedication towards Dean’s book has even seen her dress up in a bee keeper’s outfit and distribute flyers outside countless bookshops on Saturday afternoons, in an impressive bid to reach out to new readers. It apparently worked: since this London-wide stunt was performed, The Hand of the Devil’s sales have increased by a significant margin!

Perhaps surprisingly, Charlie suggested that it is often easier to sell a new author than an existing one, because the trade is forever looking out for ‘the next best thing’. It can be more difficult, she feels, with the second or third book. Charlie agreed with Cathryn that both investment and risk play a huge part, as 40% of books sell fewer than 5,000 copies and don’t earn out their advance. Furthermore, 80% of all profits come from only 20% of authors. But these authors will eventually stop writing and need replacing – which is why publishers must continue to take on debut writers.

At the close of the packed-out event (whose audience included Michael Fishwick, Publisher at HarperCollins and author of Smashing People), several punters took a risk on John and Dean’s books by purchasing their own signed copies. The evening continued at the local Pitcher and Piano, where admirers were able to learn even more about these two talented new authors, albeit in a more relaxed fashion!