My Editorial Consultation with Allison McCabe, formerly of Random House

Every new fiction writer struggles with the same question – what the heck do agents and editors think when they read my stuff?

Because they don’t tell you. They send you a note that usually says “This is not right for me.” Or “Sorry but this didn’t hook me enough.” I once had an editor send back my query letter with the word “Sorry” written on it.

That’s it. It’s a standard reply that tells you nothing about why the agent/editor really didn’t want your work. Is my writing awful, unpublishable? Was one little thing wrong or should I just abandon this book and move on because it’s never going to happen? Or was it really honestly just not right for that agent?

The unfortunate thing about this business is that agents and editors pass on best sellers all the time. ALL THE TIME. Every best selling author always says they were rejected hundreds of times before finding someone who would take a chance on them, which means agents and editors rejected best seller for whatever reason – they found one. It’s the agent or editor’s fault – they get so much stuff they have to be picky.

Still that creates the all consuming question – What the hell are they thinking?

I got sick of not knowing so I did the only thing any respectable writer can do, I paid an editor to talk to me. =)

A quick word of caution – There are tons and tons of book doctor scams out there and a lot of people fall victim. I knew I could trust Allison McCabe because she was personally recommended in the Acknowledgement section of the novels she lists as editing, she had big creds that were backed up on other websites talking about her conference appearances and interviews, and finally she was not listed on the Predators and Editors website http://pred-ed.com/.  Please, if you decide to pay someone to give you advice or edit your book, do as much research as you can to make sure you are not getting scammed.

Allison McCabe has worked as an acquisitions editor at HarperCollins, Penguin Group, and Random House, which are major publishing houses. She now edits established novelists’ work. Some of the books she has worked on include:  Nefertiti by Michelle Moran, Howl by The Editor’s of The Bark, The Virgin Queen’s Daughter by Ella March Chase, The Dark Lantern by Gerri Brightwell,  Just Do It by Douglas Brown, In the Tenth House by Laura Dietz, and many more.

Allison also offers one hour phone consultations for a small fee. This is what I did. You send her your basic package, which includes your query, synopsis, first three chapters, a list of agents and editors submitted to, and anything else you think might help her evaluate your work.

She not only tells you whether or not your work is up to par but also gives you some insight on your strategy for pitching to agents and editors. This was what seriously made the difference for me. I can’t give away her advice because it was personally tailored to me and my work, but she helped me realize that I was doing some serious things wrong when pitching my book. Things that I had no idea I was doing wrong. They always tell you if your writing is good, everything else doesn’t matter but that’s just not true. Presentation, marketability, and in the formatting of the business is paramount. I read books about writing and publishing constantly and I’m always learning new stuff, but what Allison showed me, I have never gotten and could never get from a book.

The best thing was she told me nothing was seriously wrong with my concept or writing. She said my pacing could be better (that means the sort of questions or excitement that keeps you reading), and she said my concept was very desirable right now. This was the ultimate information. Because with every rejection, every unanswered submission, I have to ask myself if it’s good enough. Can I make something better? Are my characters crap or my voice nonexistent? And after four years you start to just wonder if it’s garbage and unpublishable. Do I give up or am I just a few submissions away from breaking in? It’s enough to drive you mad. But with that jewel of information, Allison gave me exactly what I needed. Hope. Thank you.

I highly recommend Allison McCabe’s consultations if you just want some insight from the other side. She was nice and personable and reasonable. I had a very good experience and got so much information from that one phone call. It was amazing.

Post any questions as a comment, I’d love to answer them.

Check out Allison McCabe at http://www.allisonmccabe.com/.  If you decide to seek out Allison’s services please read her entire website and make sure your book is in the same vein as the ones she edits. If you write sci-fi, for example, she probably will not accept your consultation request.