tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434699491181348092.post8183267671775627475..comments2023-09-12T09:09:08.656-07:00Comments on Well-Read Donkey: Guest Post from Robin Black; How One Book Became a BookAggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00745258157624796110noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434699491181348092.post-26645360454645900922010-05-18T08:32:55.444-07:002010-05-18T08:32:55.444-07:00NICE BLOG!!!NICE BLOG!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434699491181348092.post-51335301551297265632010-02-11T13:21:39.259-08:002010-02-11T13:21:39.259-08:00Robin, thanks for this glimpse into how your stori...Robin, thanks for this glimpse into how your stories turned into a book.cynthia newberry martinhttp://catchingdays.cynthianewberrymartin.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434699491181348092.post-49433308112968404842010-02-10T14:56:36.245-08:002010-02-10T14:56:36.245-08:00It's a really good question. A large part of t...It's a really good question. A large part of the answer is sheer dumb luck - I met the right agent at the right time. I really wish there were some better answer, one that involved a strategy one could put in place. I did see a lot of story writers on his list which was a reason I queried - but that was true of several others. He just had a hunch that the stories would sell - and believe me he was in a tiny minority, a minority of precisely one in terms of the agents with whom I spoke. No one else had any interest in trying to sell them - just a novel later on. And in fact I did sign a two book deal, the collection and a novel-in-progress which I'm working on now. I very much doubt I could have sold the stories without the promise and some evidence of a novel. <br />I initially attracted attention from agents with a story in One Story, and there's no doubt that a good placement helps. But one of the hardest and most frustrating things about this profession, one of the hardest to accept, is the role of luck. Every writer who has had any degree of success has also had a degree of good luck along the way. There aren't many "truths" about this profession that I think are absolute, but that's one of them. You need to have some talent, you need to work really (really) hard and you need some good luck. <br />Sadly, as far as I can tell, the vast majority of agents still do not want to sign writers who only have unlinked short stories. But 2009 was a great year for short story collections!! And for many reasons - including self-interest, I admit - I'm hoping 2010 will be even stronger. The only way to get agents to change their view is for story collections to sell. . . There are a lot coming out this year. . .put a few on your list. (Doesn't even have to be mine!) Support the form, and eventually the form will thrive.robin blackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12401595074395375934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434699491181348092.post-51324227125696633252010-02-10T14:13:48.633-08:002010-02-10T14:13:48.633-08:00Congratulations Robin on your first book and this ...Congratulations Robin on your first book and this great blog. As a short story writer I identified with many things you said. I wondered how you got an agent/editor and publisher interested in your unlinked stories. If you have time to tell us, I would greatly appreciate it. Again congratulations! I look forward to reading your book.CFOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00977501598101722096noreply@blogger.com