Category Archives: writer’s voice

An Interview with Literary Agent Chip MacGregor

by
Sandi Rog and Chip MacGregor

Today we’d like to welcome prolific agent, Chip MacGregor. 

Here’s a little bit about this amazing man. Just a little bit:

When Chip was in first grade, he hurried home one day and announced to his mother, “When I grow up, I’m going to be a book guy!” He clearly could see the future—from high school literary magazine editor to writing bestselling books, from speaking at writing and publishing conferences to representing renowned writers, Chip MacGregor is a book guy. Creating MacGregor Literary was part of a natural progression.

Chip has a comprehensive knowledge of the industry—from book development to writing, acquisition to production, marketing to sales. A former Associate Publisher with the Time-Warner Book Group, he has secured nearly 1,000 book deals for authors with all of the major publishers, including numerous imprints at Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, HarperCollins, Thomas & Mercer, Jossey-Bass, Llewellyn, Zondervan, Thomas Nelson, Baker, Tyndale, Waterbrook, Howard, B&H, Worthy, Revell, Harvest House, and dozens of others. As an editor, he discovered Phillip Gulley, worked with bestselling authors such as Andy Andrews and Karen Kingsbury, and helped craft books for some of the best names in publishing, including Vince Zandri, Chuck Swindoll, Mindy Clark, and David Jeremiah. He has also written more than two-dozen titles, including two books that hit #1 on the bestseller lists in their category, and he has been the collaborative writer on nearly three-dozen other titles. During his tenure as a publisher at Time Warner, he helped start Center Street, the “heartland publishing” initiative at what is now Hachette, and did books with the likes of Mike Huckabee and John Ashcroft.

As a longtime agent, he has represented Brennan Manning, Vincent Zandri, Rachel Hauck, Mindy Clark, Irene Hannon, Bonnie Gray, Michelle McKinney Hammond, Jill and Stuart Briscoe, Alistair McGrath, Neta Jackson, Vickie McDonough, the MOPS organization, and many others. His work with Lisa Beamer and Ken Abraham led to Let’s Roll hitting #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, eventually becoming the bestselling nonfiction book the year it released. After starting his own agency, he focused on helping bring great fiction to market, representing authors such as Leslie Gould, Les Edgerton, Ann Tatlock, Jim Kraus, and Janice Thompson. Some of his bestselling nonfiction clients include New York Times bestsellers Mike Hingson and Susy Flory, bestselling writers Sheila Wray Gregoire, Shane Stanford, David Thomas, and Ira Wagler. A longtime member of AAR, he has represented dozens of books on all the national bestseller lists, and the authors he represents have won numerous national awards.

A popular writer’s conference speaker, Chip has presented workshops at more than 200 publishing conferences, spoken at colleges and universities, and is frequently invited to speak to writers groups around the country on the topics of writing and publishing. He earned his BS with High Honors at Portland State University, earned an MA with Honors from Biola University, and did his doctoral work at the University of Oregon in Policy and Management, focusing on organizational development. He later did a post-doctoral semester at Oxford University. Chip has been featured in numerous writing and publishing related magazines and newsletters, is frequently asked for his opinions on trends in the publishing industry, and his blog is regularly on the list of Writers Digest’s “101 Best Websites for Writers.”

Chip’s greatest desire is to help authors create great books that make a difference in the world. That’s what every book guy wants most.

Chip, we are honored to have you join us. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to open up and share your knowledge. 

So to begin, how do you define your job as agent?

My job, at its most basic, is to help authors succeed. Sometimes people think there is “one way” to agent. That’s just not true – some agents are very involved in the editing process, others tend to be contract managers, still others may be life coaches. There’s no one right away to agent, and there is certainly no one right author/agent relationship. So my job (and my relationship) can change depending on the needs of the client. One author may need a lot of encouragement, so sometimes my role can be that of encourager or listener. Another may really be shy and need me to step in and handle much of the communications with the editor and publishing house. One author may want to use me to bounce book ideas off of, while another may not care one whit about my responses to her book ideas, and is much more interested in my negotiation abilities. But again, at its core, my job is to help the authors I represent succeed in the publishing marketplace.

How do you spend your day?

On emails or on the phone much of the day. This is a job that requires a lot of reading and a lot of talking. Shadowing me around would not be much fun – I’m standing in front of my computer, or pacing around on my cell phone much of the time.

How do you find new clients?

While that’s a fair question, most people won’t be very satisfied with my answer. The fact is, I’ve done this a long time now (I first started agenting 17 years ago, and I’d been advising writers for several years before that). So most new clients are introduced to me by current clients. Occasionally, I’ll meet a promising new writer at a conference, but that’s not common any more – and the idea of sending me a proposal cold and getting my attention is fairly rare. I bet I don’t represent more than a couple of people who just sent in a proposal hoping to catch my eye. 

What do you like to see in a cover letter?

A strong sales hook. A non-technical explanation of the book or the story. Some writing that intrigues me. An explanation why you are writing the book (if it’s nonfiction) or what writing you’ve done (if it’s fiction). Um… a bag of Starbucks taped to the letter doesn’t hurt, I guess. 

What turns you off in cover letters? Any pet peeves?

Sure. Spelling errors. Not telling me the genre. Having it addressed “dear agent.” Over-spiritualizing everything. Making it apparent you have no idea who I am or what I represent. Telling me that God told you to write this. Hype (you wouldn’t believe the sort of hype I see in some letters – one guy told me the only writers who were close to his level of quality were CS Lewis and JRR Tolkein, but he admitted neither of them were quite as good as he is). Lots of pet peeves. 

Describe to us what your worst client was like.

High maintenance. 

What was your best client like?

A good writer. Works hard. Meets his or her deadlines. Is friendly. Sells a lot of books. Thinks creatively. Is honest with me. Keeps me informed when something happens I need to know about, but I’m not there to know about it. Asks questions. Understands that I have other clients.

How savvy do you expect authors to be about publishing?

I don’t think I’ve ever been asked that question, and it’s interesting. You know, the mode number of manuscripts a novelist has created before he or she is published? Six. That is, most published fiction writers have completed six books before they get published. (Some make it on their first try. Others need to write ten books before they get there.) My point is that time in the business makes for a more savvy author. So I suppose I represent a number of very smart, savvy writers, because so many of them have been at this a while. They’ve hung out with other writers, learned from people at workshops, met editors at conferences, maybe have surrounded themselves (either in person or online) with people in the industry. All of that helps. Scottish people have a saying: Time spent sharpening the tool is never wasted. 

How flawless does a manuscript have to be before you will try to place it?

While the previous question was interesting, this question is not. I’m not trying to be rude in saying that, it’s just that… if you’re doing ANYTHING where you’re going to try and sell it to the public, you are going to have to make it as perfect as possible. Because people aren’t stupid (regardless of the fact that they continue watching Dukes of Hazard reruns and voting for another member of the Bush family). They won’t buy crap. So an author needs to make his or her manuscript as good as they can. I won’t send something that’s half-baked. And it’s funny, because you know why most projects sent to us are rejected? Because they aren’t really done. The author may THINK it’s done, but it’s maybe 40% done. It needs more editing. It needs more voice. It needs more clarity – and sending me something that feels half-baked is a sure way to get rejected.

An example in another area: Years ago, I taught swing dance. I was pretty good. If we went to a publisher’s ball together now, you’d see me dance and think, “Hey – he’s great!” I can make you look okay on the dance floor. But the fact is, I’m older and rusty and can’t do most of the moves any more. And I was always pretty good, but never great. So while I’m fine for the occasional wedding celebration or community dance, expecting me to go to Broadway and get cast in a show is foolishness – “pretty good” doesn’t cut it when people are paying money for entertainment. 

What impresses you most about a piece of writing?

Great voice. That is, picking up your writing and seeing a strong, unique personality coming out on the page. It’s rare – most authors tend to sound the same, particularly those who have been through a writing program where they’ve been taught the “correct” way to write. It’s not bad; it’s just flat. Great voice is rare. I’m not sure it can be taught. But I love it when I find it. 

Are first novels a hard sell?

Sure. Any first book is a hard sell, unless the author has a hit TV show. And if you’re writing for CBA, it’s especially hard right now, since so many of the Christian publishers have shrunk their fiction lists or gotten out of fiction entirely.

Are second novels a hard sell?

I’m not sure there is such a thing as an “easy” sell, but a second novel is easier than a first, particularly if the first book did well. 

What do you enjoy most about being an agent?

The best part of the job is finding a great new talent and bringing them to market. That’s so fulfilling, to see this writer you discovered and helped nurture, to find success. But the fact is, I like most everything about this job. I love books and words. I love reading. I love discovering great stories. I love other people who work in this business because they also love books and words. I love talking about the industry to authors who are friends, or going to conferences and seeing a bunch of people who also love great stories and want to talk about them. I love helping someone get their story right, or helping an author map out a plan for their book or their career. I enjoy the job very much. Always have. 

Again, thank you, Chip! We appreciate your honesty and openess to the realities of being an agent.

If you’d like to learn more about Chip and MacGregor Literary, you can find him at his website HERE. You can also follow him on his blog and learn more about the pubishing industry HERE. 

A Sound Edit

One of the most important self-editing tips I can give writers is to read your work aloud.

Writing is not a visual art. It is more like a symphony than an oil painting. Words make sounds—even when read silently–and it is the way you string these sounds together that satisfies or irritates the reader.

Think about it. You probably hear many grammatical errors in conversation. You might not know the grammatical rule that defines it, but you know it sounds wrong. You have developed an ear for grammar. The same holds true for writing. Reading your work aloud will help you to develop your writer’s ear. It is a quick way to identify any problem areas.

When something doesn’t sound right, there are several things that you can try to make it work.

a) Vary the length of sentences. Short sentences can increase urgency and excitement or build tension. Long sentences will slow down the story and create a particular mood. Your ear will tell you when you need more sentence variety.

E.g. The sun had already set. He went around to the back of the house. Everything was quiet. He got his gun from the cabinet. He headed for the woods. It had to be here somewhere. He just had to keep looking. His breathing was ragged. The gun slipped in his sweaty hands.
 
Do you see how this rhythm is annoying after awhile? You’d better hope that something exciting happens fast or you will lose your reader. Variety is the key. Save the short sentences for a really exciting part. Even then you will only want to use a few in a row and you’ll want to vary the length a bit among them.

b) Vary sentence construction. It keeps the reader from becoming bored by the monotonous drone of several sentences with the same construction strung together.

E.g. Mike thought about what he had to do. He couldn’t do anything about the past. He could do something about now. He picked up his instrument. He walked onto the stage.

These sentences are somewhat varied in length but they all have the same simple sentence construction. The rhythm is annoying. The one caution here is to avoid starting sentences with gerunds (ing verbs) just for the sake of variety. When a sentence begins with a gerund, it means that two actions are occurring simultaneously. Eg. Singing Jingle Bells, she stirred the soup slowly. This is correct because she can sing and stir soup at the same time. Slamming the truck door, she ran to the house. These actions do not occur at the same time. She slams the door and then runs for the house.

c) Try to use complete sentences. Used sparingly, sentence fragments make writing sound more natural and can add emphasis. If overused, they become ineffective. Don’t let rules inhibit your writing but break them only if there’s a reason to do so.

d) Repetition. If used properly repetition can be powerful, but don’t fall into repetition because you are too lazy to find a synonym. Be equally wary of overusing an unusual word. Uncommon words stand out and if you repeat one of these, even with a couple of paragraphs separating them, the reader will notice.

e)Listen. Make a habit of listening to your words the way you would listen to a band rehearsal. Is something out of tune, off the beat? A sound can be inappropriate–just as laughter is a good sound in the school yard but not so good in a math test–or it can simply interrupt the rhythm of the story. Listen for things that are out of place as you read your work aloud.

It is always helpful to have another person read your work, aloud if possible. If they stumble over words, or you find them going back to re-read something because they don’t understand it, you will know there is a problem. But when you don’t have someone to share your work with or you are pressed for time, reading aloud can give you the emotional distance that it takes to find awkward spots. Taping your story and playing it back is an excellent way to find inconsistencies in your text, repeated words, dialogue confusion, switched subjects and so on that the eye misses.

A Slice of Writer’s Life

“Where does a writer’s ‘voice’ come from?”

Flaws. Imperfections. Blemishes. This is the stuff that makes us individuals, that makes us lovable, and that gives writers their unique perspective on the world. A writer’s vantage point is precisely where her voice emanates. What makes a writer is someone who recognizes their voice and their particular turn of mind come from the same immeasurable place. Every writer has a voice. Some voices are more toned than others.

A writer’s voice is a compilation of language, personal history, opinions, and truth as the writer sees it. Everybody has a literary voice but hearing it and being brave enough to write it down for others to see is something else. A writer’s voice is the truest expression of what we believe or want to believe is fundamental to the existence of our species.

Voice is what grabs an editor or a reader and makes them follow along until the story is done. Voice is what draws a reader so deep into a piece that they begin to identify with the events and attach their own experiences to the writing.

If everyone has a voice, why is it one of the most difficult and esoteric fragments of the writing process? What do you do if an editor says, “You need to develop your voice more,” or “Your voice didn’t grab me enough to make me interested?”

Writing is like a muscle. It has to be flexed, exercised, and nourished every day. Not just the five thirty-minute exercise sessions a week called for by the surgeon general for your sexy abs, but the writing muscle needs to be put through some kind of paces seven days a week. The easiest way to accomplish this is by keeping a journal. It does not require a specific routine or set of exercises. In fact, the more gibberish you write the more clear things will become as you work daily in your journal to develop the unique way you want to write. But you must write something every day.

Journal writing is the place to practice and get things right or wrong or dumb or straight or crooked or just listed. The writer’s journal is a no-boundaries play ground where you can experiment, lie, twist, copy, sort, and get right your special way of turning a sentence or laying words down in a certain order that are the tell-tale signs of your unique writer’s voice. The more practice you make in your journal, the more your “real writing” begins to show signs of a voice that is distinctly yours. No one has to know that you practiced day after day, year after year in a journal to finally identify your true voice. In fact, when (not if,) but when you go back and reread your journal burn the parts you don’t want shared if they bother you. But respect that your journal is the proving ground for what works and what makes your voice special. Type, write by hand, paint, use stickers, whatever it takes to open yourself to the real you and how you want to be heard. This journal practice will gently slide into your writing and someday an editor will send you a letter that says, “I love your voice.”

What I’m Reading Right Now: “When Knowing Becomes Love, Meditation As Contemplative Inquiry” by Arthur Zajonc.

What Are You Reading?

Be well, write well,
Joy Held
Copyright 2010