Welcome To Our Guest Natasha Kern Literary Agent

Natasha Kern

Five Ways An Agent
can Save Your Career

Co-authored by Literary Agents:

Natasha Kern and Athena Kern
The Natasha Kern Literary Agency, Inc.

 Today we are celebrating Natasha's visit to Seekerville with giveaways from all of Natasha's Seeker Clients, including:
 

2 $25 gift cards to your choice of Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Books Missy Tippens—A House Full of Hope
Julie Lessman—Two copies of A Light in the Window
Myra Johnson—will give away both A Horseman’s Heart and A Horseman’s Gift.
Ruthy Logan Herne—Yuletide Hearts, Mended Hearts, Small-Town Hearts, Reunited Hearts, A Family to Cherish and His Mistletoe Family.
Mary Connealy—two copies of Candlelight Christmas by Mary Connealy and Linda Goodnight.
Glynna Kaye—2 winners their choice of one of my books

Five Ways An Agent can Save Your Career

First, and most important:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY SEEKERVILLE!!!!   I am looking back at all you have accomplished individually and as a group over these years.  Not only moving from unpubbed island to becoming a published author as well as publishing so many books in these years, but setting an example of how sisterhood can work and the many ways you have helped one another to succeed.  In addition, you have created a writers’ community where anyone can visit to become better informed about the craft of writing, about publishing, connecting with agents and editors, and the joys of writing stories that uplift readers. A wonderful thing indeed to celebrate {Applause}.

Athena Kern

There are many ways an agent can save a writer’s career and perhaps her sanity.  Athena Kern is now an Associate Agent at the Natasha Kern Literary Agency, and she and Natasha are going to focus today on five of the most important ways serious challenges that writers commonly face can be prevented from becoming long-term problems.

Publishing contracts can contain career killer terms that are hard to recognize and ameliorate without the guidance of a competent agent.  It isn’t just that writers are naïve and think “these problems will never happen to me.”  It is more that they have no idea of the potential problems to watch out for and then are shocked when something that can be a career killer does happen.  The following problems are not uncommon and have happened to my clients: A) Publisher goes bankrupt and won’t revert book rights back to the Author. B) The book is sold, but the publisher doesn't publish it. C) Contract is terminated and publisher drops the Author. D) Book royalties are not paid or statements are inaccurate, requiring an audit or legal action. E) Legal action threatened by publisher because an author unwittingly violates her option clause F) Author is accused of plagiarism or another writer does plagiarize a work and the Author is embroiled in legal problems. G) The Author’s editor leaves and the house no longer wants that genre. Finding yourself in these situations can be scary and reinforces why it's imperative for writers to have a good agent for help and protection.

An agent can sign a new client and then have to deal with getting that writer out of previous problematic contract terms, in addition to negotiating contracts for long-term clients. We are going to identify five things (of many) that agents do to help a writer to have a successful career.

1.      Negotiate your contract. Obviously, this is what agents do... isn’t it? Well, some “agents” do not do it. Many writers don’t realize that publishers have boilerplate contracts that no one should sign. Not ever. Because they only benefit the publisher in all possible ways. Agencies have different contracts with every house that have been negotiated and re-worked over time by the agents to provide maximum benefits to the author. Athena and I were recently discussing a contract from another agency that had NOT been negotiated and contained terms we wouldn't accept and, in fact, would never even see from that publisher.  Un-agented authors or those with “agents” who do not negotiate properly, receive radically different contracts from the beginning. Publishers are smart and their attorneys work for them, not the writer.

2.      Manage your career. From developing proposals to getting a sale to publication and marketing or PR plans, your agent should be involved in the entire process.  For example, it is commonly thought that writers who are self-publishing don’t need an agent. But, e-books and self-published books need to be coordinated with print publishers to prevent conflicts and to earn maximum income. Are you confident in deciding when to write for the house or on your own with so many publishers now offering contracts for e-books and novellas? NKLA has published e-books for clients’ backlist titles and also client books their print publishers had passed on.  Natasha had written to e-publishers and reviewed their contracts. But the terms were unacceptable, primarily because of royalties or control of rights or even cover consultation. So she decided to do it herself which resulted in some wonderful ebooks, like this fall: Julie Lessman’s A Light in the Window, Margaret Brownley’s Head Over Heels,  Robin Lee Hatcher’s Speak to Me of Love, Mary Connealy and Linda Goodnight’s A Candlelight Christmas, and Kelly Long’s Hart’s Truth. It can certainly affect a writer’s career and income if the right to self-publish is retained, including negotiating the option clause and non-compete clause so it gives the writer the most income streams possible. Managing all rights that can be retained or which the agent can place via subagents is an important aspect of agenting. An Author can ask an agent for a list of their subagents worldwide, who they work with in Hollywood and whether a co-agent has been assigned to them.

3.      Plan for the termination of rights.  Fact: the publisher can own your rights for 35 years until they terminate under federal copyright law if there are no other provisions in the contract. What a powerful affect on your career! Boilerplates often lack any recourse if the publisher fails to publish.  They may not provide for reversion if there are no sales or if the publisher goes bankrupt. A line or genre can be dropped or shifts in the market may occur and the author’s contract is terminated by the publisher. What happens if you cannot complete a contracted book? Under what circumstances can you, the author, terminate your contract? 

4.      Have a career growth and development plan.  We send a questionnaire to each new client requesting information that helps us to develop a plan.  Discuss with your agent how many books you can write each year and your long-term goals.  This, of course, varies greatly because of full-time jobs, family obligations, how much research is required for each book, and so on. Other things to consider are:  Writing in multiple genres or for several publishers; for the general market or CBA houses; combining mainstream and genre fiction or even nonfiction books.  Should you use a pseudonym or not?  Most of NKLA clients are doing these things, and it can take some careful strategizing to work out these career options. Consider the level of income you need to continue to write and make sure your agent understands your situation.  Create a career plan and then review it periodically, at least once each year to adjust to changes in your life or your writing goals. 

5.      Sticking by the author. When calamities happen which could include personal or family illness or having no publisher for a period of time or having terrible sales figures for a variety of reasons, let alone the MAJOR crises mentioned at the beginning of this blog, the agent can and should be a rock to depend upon.  All too often, agents drop writers who are not doing well or making them enough money. Natasha was once told by a publisher that other agents would have dropped her client when a major problem came up—instead she collected $100,000 for her client for the termination of her contract. Every career has ups and downs, sometimes dramatic ones. A hiatus in a writing career may not be avoidable.  Extensions of due dates may be needed. What happens if a book doesn’t work and the publisher rejects it?  Does your contract allow the publisher to hire someone else to write your book and bill you for the cost, putting your name on a book you have not written?  Are you free to sell that book to another house? It is harsh enough when tragedy strikes without then receiving a shocking bill and a rewritten book you don’t even like and don’t want to publicize to your readers. It is the agent’s responsibility to have alternate plans for your career if the original one is not working out for whatever reason.  You should have the clear sense that the agent is working for you and being paid by you to look out for you in every way.  The agent should provide advice about individual proposals and works, have submissions and sales plans, and be on your side especially if any dispute arises with your publisher. An agent should be familiar with working with author estates and how to plan for situations like divorce or death. The agent should have a corporate attorney who is available to provide support when truly serious situations arise.



Audra, Cara, Debby, Janet, Julie, Natasha, Mary

Writing is a challenging career.  Creating wonderful books is certainly not easy—I can’t do it!  And like every musician, performer, athlete, or singer, a writer needs a professional manager to take care of all the details that must be handled behind the scenes for that career to be a success.  There is a reason why New York Times best-selling authors who can easily get offers by contacting any publisher have agents and keep them even if they are self-publishing as well as working with their print publisher.  

Congratulations again to all of the Seekers at Seekerville, whether members of the original group or not, for five wonderful years or writing and reading.  Thanks to everyone for being here to share this happy occasion.

 

Natasha Kern and Athena Kern
The Natasha Kern Literary Agency, Inc.
www.natashakern.com

Natasha Kern has sold well over 1,000 books in her career for clients who have become bestsellers and won many awards. She is a true foodie and loves her garden (photos on the website).

Athena Kern is following her calling---to be a champion for authors who deserve to have their God-given writing gift become a published book. She is a member of the Association of Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. When relaxing you can usually find her playing in the kitchen or horseback riding.

Athena Kern is on Twitter: @athena_kern


Welcome Guest Blogger Superagent Natasha Kern

Missy, Natasha and Mary

 We have a very special guest on with us today. Literary Agent Natasha Kern. To Celebrate we are doing a giveaway of a prize fault full of books from Natasha's cliets.
Included in those prizes are books from: Robin Lee Hatcher, Tamera Alexander, Maggie Brendan, Margaret Brownley, Debra Clopton, Patti Lacy, Candice Calvert and Dorothy Love. Also from Natasha's Seeker clients, Mary Connealy (me), Julie Lessman, Glynna Kaye, Myra Johnson and Missy Tippens. We're winding down our Birthday Party month and what a great way to add a splash to the last weekend before the announcement of the big Netbook giveaway.
Winners of todays drawings will be announced on the Weekend Edition NEXT week, Nov. 5th.
And now, without further ado, (which means I'll shut up and let Natasha talk!!!)
here is Superagent (my nickname for her) Natasha Kern.

What Writers Should Expect from Agents

By Natasha Kern

Myra and Natasha

I thought it would be most helpful to talk about what I do for clients and to encourage every writer to get the support, advocacy and expertise of a good agent. In hiring professionals, people are generally aware of what to expect from a doctor, lawyer, architect, broker, etc. They look for degrees or a license. But writers have vague ideas of what agents actually do or whether they are qualified. Since an agent handles your income, it is similar to hiring a broker and you should understand the strategies for your career and how it will be actively managed.

I inform new writers about when to call me about problems by providing an extensive packet of information right away. With all the current industry upheavals and new opportunities there can be a lot of confusion. How can a writer feel more empowered?

Julie with Natasha

One of the questions a writer must ask is: What exactly is the 15% for? According to copyright law, the life of a book contract is now 35 years and the agent will be paid that entire time—so what is she doing after the first year? Think about this. If you hire a plumber or electrician and they aren’t doing a good job, you can fire them and hire someone else. An agent of record will represent you for the life of the contract—at least in terms of your paying them. So choose carefully!



Robin Lee Hatcher with Natasha

 It is widely believed that it is better to have any agent than no agent. THIS IS NOT TRUE! If you get a bad contract, it is difficult to impossible to change it later. Publishers know there are agents who do not read contracts or negotiate them or even read works they are submitting. Agents can receive very different contracts because an agency boilerplate with each house is based on previous work with that publisher and the agent’s leverage.



Natasha and Tamera Alexander

 Quite a few of my clients have had other agents previously and learned to be careful the hard way. A new writer should ask about the agent’s track record, and expect the agent to tell her what her strengths and weaknesses are. She should discuss her future plans, hopes and dreams and if she has other unpublished works, have them considered as possibilities. The agent will need to understand what her career potential is and which editor or house is the best match. If the author has been published, the agent should read some of her published books. The author should not feel rushed or pressured to sign.



Margaret Brownley and Natasha

 The agent should talk with the author about her reasons a published author has for making a change. They should discuss how many books she can write per year, her income expectations, her family situation and how that affects her writing and so on. Some agents feel they should not put any time into a writer who might then sign with another agent. I think a writer should have a chance to ask questions just as you might of any other professional. You would expect to discuss your case with an attorney or plans with an architect or have an initial interview with a real estate agent or even several BEFORE signing with them.

Debra Clopton and Natasha

A writer should expect the agent to go over contracts with her, explaining every aspect to her, both positive and negative. The agent should look at the previous contracts for a published author and tell her what improvements could be expected if she signs.

The agent should provide contact information for several clients so the author can learn more about the agent’s workstyle and interactions with writers and publishers.

The agent can provide examples of sticking with writers through thick and thin because ‘thin’ times are bound to happen. Would the agent drop a writer if there isn’t a sale in the first year? What will happen if the initial work is rejected everywhere?



Patti Lacy and Natasha

 How many other clients are on this agent’s list. If there are few, say under 35, is this agent active enough? If there are more than 75, will a new client get adequate time and attention?

On a recent panel at a conference I attended, we were asked what the most important thing an agent should look for in an author and vice versa and two agents said they expected to have a friend. My comment was that in this day of tight family budgets, I don’t think any writers need to pay 15% of their income for friendship. And what are the expectations of this ‘friend”? Take care of the kids if you are sick? Do you want your broker to be a friend—even if he loses your retirement savings? I do have clients who are close friends, soul sisters, prayer partners—but that is not what you should look for.



Dorothy Love and Natasha

 Several of my clients were earning very low advances when I began working with them and have gone on to hit bestseller lists and earn six figures/year. That takes work, attention and time, and planning aside from luck. Some have film deals or are bestsellers in other countries.

An agent should support and advise you whenever trouble arises. It can come in the form of: an editor leaving; a book being postponed or cancelled; family problems; you cannot meet a deadline; you want to change genres; your line is dropped or publisher goes out of business; market changes; a terrible cover or jacket blurb that could kill the book (I request changes on the majority of covers; rewrite the majority of blurbs); you have a career hiatus; your contract isn’t renewed; there are problems with the marketing plan for your work (which your agent should always review with you and work on with the in-house team) you face personal bankruptcy; your rights are due for reversion and you don’t know how to get them back or what to do with them. Three of my clients have had cancer in the past year and needed amendments or extensions. Who will handle your literary estate? Does the agent have a strong team of co-agents in Hollywood or subagents worldwide? Does she work with scouts, attorneys, auditors and other experts who can support you? Can she help you to publish ebooks as part of her services and part of your career? Some agents do a lot with ebooks and some do nothing. Who will advise you about the smorgasbord of options now available to writers and stay on top of new opportunities?

I follow the precept of Edward Everett Hale: I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I should do and, by the Grace of God, I will do.

Natasha Kern
http://www.natashakern.com/

Mary Again: Leave a comment to get your name in the drawing for a copy of one of Natasha's clients' books. THE WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN THE WEEKEND EDITION FOR NEXT WEEK, NOT TOMORROW.
I'll draw two winners an hour for eight hours beginning at 8 am for these books:
Within my Heart Tamera Alexander
Deeply Devoted by Maggie Brendon
A Vision of Lucy by Margaret Brownley
Code Triage by Candace Calvert
Her Rodeo Cowboy Debra Clopton
Out of Control and Ten Plagues Mary Connealy
Belonging (Where the Heart Lives) Robin Lee Hatcher
A Horseman's Heart Myra Johnson
Dreaming of Home Glynna Kaye
Reclaiming Lily, What the Bayou Saw, An Irishwoman's Tale, Rhythm of Secrets by Patti Lacy
Julie Lessman Winner’s Choice or any of Julie’s books
Beyond All Measure by Dorothy Love
A Family for Faith Missy Tippens

Failure IS an Option

Missy Tippens, here. And I wanted to share a moment with you today. An ah-ha! moment I had recently after reading a document from Natasha Kern (my FABULOUS new agent, by the way!). What she said was like a knock upside the head for me.

And I’m sharing this, knowing good and well that some of you may think, well, duh, Missy, you should have known that. So be kind, okay (Ruthy)? :-) Because haven’t we all had those moments where you hear something over and over, and finally it sinks in? Like the third time I had calculus. And no, I didn’t fail the class twice! I just had units of calculus in other classes until one teacher in college spent some extra time explaining it, and the light bulb came on.

So here’s hoping what Natasha said is light bulb moment for you, too.

Failure is an option. And she’s not talking about us as writers. She’s talking about our hero and/or heroine. The hero must be in an “I can’t but I have to" situation. I must save the maiden but I can’t because I’m afraid of dragons (burning desire vs. inner obstacle or vice). Keep the outcome in doubt. Failure is an option.

I love that! Can’t you just see a hero who knows he has to save the heroine, yet he’s deathly afraid of dragons? You have instant conflict! And it’s not easily solved. It can’t be solved by a conversation or clearing up a misunderstanding. It can’t be solved by sharing a secret. It can only be solved by this hero overcoming his fear/obstacle/vice—either that or giving up on his burning desire.

And if the outcome is in doubt, what do you have? You have a reader who’s going to keep plowing through the pages to find out what that poor hero is going to do. And the reader will be cheering for your hero the whole time—rooting for him to overcome his fear and win the hand of the maiden.

In my first book, Her Unlikely Family, Michael’s statement would have looked something like this: I must find my runaway niece, take her home, and act as a proper guardian for her. But I can’t, because this annoying waitress is acting like a protective mama bear, all because I’m unequipped for dealing with a rebellious teenager who’s refusing to go and who needs love I’m not capable of giving.

In His Forever Love, Bill might have said: I must go get my beloved, aging Granny, sell her house, and move her to Boston so I can take care of her. But I can’t, because I don’t want to spend time in the hometown I escaped, forced to face the woman I once loved and thought I would marry.

In A Forever Christmas, Sarah might say: I must help Gregory find the true meaning of Christmas so he’ll give his sons the gift they most want: time with their dad. But to do so, I’m going to have to spend time with him—the man who betrayed me—and risk falling in love with him again.

Okay, so what about your work in progress? Can you boil it down to a statement? I realized in doing this exercise for my completed books after-the-fact, I tended to do a statement that had nothing to do with the romance interest. (For example, my first stab at His Forever Love was: Bill must move his Granny, but she has a vibrant life (and romance!) and doesn’t want to move.) So I think if you’re writing a romance, the statement, and thus conflict, should include the other main character so that the hero is causing conflict for the heroine and vice versa. And the outcome needs to be in doubt. Failure IS an option.

Will you share your statement? Or maybe figure out the statement for one of your favorite books you’ve read?

******

Missy wants to thank Natasha for being like that calculus teacher--and putting this info in just the right words to create the lightbulb moment. And for allowing her to share this tip with Seekerville!

WELCOME GUEST BLOGGER AND AGENT EXTRAORDINAIRE, NATASHA KERN!

Julie here, and I am absolutely THRILLED to introduce my agent and dear friend, Natasha Kern. Ranked 11th in the list of top 25 literary agencies for new writers by Writer’s Digest, Natasha has over 24 years of experience in the publishing industry as an editor and publicist for New York publishers (Simon & Schuster, Bantam and Ballantine) before founding her own agency in 1986. She has personally sold more than 900 books and represents several NY Times and USA Today best-selling authors, as well as winners of the Edgar Award, the RITA award, the Silver Dagger Award, the Christy Award, the Hurston/Wright Award, and a Pulitzer Prize finalist. She has taught workshops and been a speaker at dozens of writers conferences including Romance Writers of America National Conference, The Pacific Northwest Writers Conference, Association of Christian Fiction Writers, as well as regularly attending Book Expo and ICRS and many others.

Without further ado, I give you one of the best agents in the business, Natasha Kern.

Dear Seekers,

I have received submissions from several of you and, of course, some of you are already clients of the Natasha Kern Agency. In considering what you might be most interested to have me discuss, I decided to focus on why some writers have been accepted as clients and others have not. Feel free to ask questions on any aspect of working with an agent or publishing in general.

One of the things that I have talked to several of you about is the issue of having a premise. One of the blessings of writing for the Christian market is that many writers realize that their novels must be “about” something. This is much harder for writers in the general market to grasp. However, even with CBA novels, writers often select a verse from the Bible and may even intend to write a book with that verse at the heart of it, but I commonly see submissions in which the story has nothing at all to do with that verse as a premise. A premise is the “aha” the reader gets from reading the book--what used to be called The Moral of the Story-- and it informs virtually ever aspect of a novel, every scene, every plot element, every character. Like pieces of music, dance performances, paintings or poetry, a novel is a work of art that is about ONE primary thing. It is a parable that illustrates that insight and the way it is presented and the kind of “aha” we receive depends on the viewpoint of the author. Think of books like Pilgrim’s Progress which has a classic structure, the works of Shakespeare, or novels by George Eliot and Jane Austin to see how they are informed by both premise and structure. Your life experiences, your understanding of faith and how God works through you, your background and family history and so many other things contribute to a unique worldview and therefore a unique voice, style and story which cannot be duplicated by someone else. Be true to that.

This is one reason why giving back the gifts God has given to us is so important. As Robin Lee Hatcher says, “God never wastes a hurt.” And, indeed, even our traumatic experiences provide material for artistic expression. Authorial authenticity is a crucial ingredient that brings a story to life, so it is not just another historical romance, another contemporary book about family problems, or another redemption story. This is unmistakable to agents and editors and results in a sense of uniqueness, an engaging quality, a voice that is not a derivative of another writer. When we see it, we sit up and take notice. It could be a light, comic touch like Mary Connealy’s. Or it could be a special insight about family life and how we share our values and also our troubles that Julie Lessman imparts. Or it could be the hard lessons of characters in a historical setting like Tamera Alexander writes. In her most recent novel The Inheritance, the hero prays, “break me until I am wholly thine.” Which of us does not admire that and which of us has the courage to pray for that? The impact is powerful and informs the entire novel as premise, voice, and authentic authorial expression.

Because this commitment to write what has been laid on your heart is so all important, it is one of the most important things I am looking for when reading a submission. I do not really have a list of types of books I am currently seeking. I was asked by ACFW to send such a list for their website preparatory for the upcoming conference in September. I wrote to them and said, “I am taking on new clients who are part of God’s plan for my life rather than my plan so I am open to submissions that are authentically from the heart and soul of the author. I haven’t received a prescribed list, so I can’t give one out. Recent new clients run the gamut from historical comedy and Biblical historical novel to gritty contemporary suspense, a mystery series set in the 1920s, an African-American inspirational novel and a nonfiction book about evolution. Did I know before I read their work that I would be working with new writers in these categories? Not!

Perhaps it would be easier to look for writers who fulfill prescribed niches, but I am unable to do that. Biblical fiction is certainly not a popular genre today—and yet, the novel I recently read as a submission about the life of Mary Magdalene swept me away and made me see her life differently. I called to sign that author immediately. Multicultural novels or those featuring Muslim characters can be problematic to place. But if I love a book so much I feel others will want to read it too and share it with everyone they know, I have a strong sense of championship for working with the author and helping her to build a career.

Another problem that I frequently see in submissions and leads me to decline to represent them is that the writer has not yet learned what a novel is. This seems surprising since most writers have read many novels before they decide to write one. Unfortunately, attending concerts does not guarantee one can compose a symphony and living in a house does not make one an architect. This particular art form of the novel is often misperceived by those who are first starting to write one. Sometimes a writer’s gifts are so wonderful, that she can achieve publication without actually understanding what a premise is or even the elements of a novel. One of my clients published several novels with a major NY house before she figured this out. Her novels did not sell very well. She was asked to change her name to stay in print. Her career was going nowhere. But her writing was so beautiful, her insights so deep and interesting that her editor stuck with her as she learned the craft of writing a novel. And, then, she took off. That doesn’t happen very often!

A novel is a specific creation with very specific requirements. If the most basic requirements are not met, the writing is not a novel. No matter how fine the prose or powerful the themes or provoking the underlying truth, a work of writing must have a certain structure in the same way that a sonnet has a structure or a sonata does. There are other aspects of craft including prose style, voice, tone, point of view, brevity, flashbacks and reverie, artful beading in of backstory, dramatic tension, setting and all ways that protect what John Gardner calls “the fictive dream.” Without a foundation, walls and roof there is no house regardless of the kind of bathroom fixtures, the arrangement of rooms, the storage spaces and hallways, the artful decor and color palette. Structure and premise are that foundation upon which a novel can be built. It is not a formula, but a description of how a novel is put together.

A novel has overall structure/plot with a beginning, a middle, and an end: The beginning sets up the primary conflict of the novel, introduces the characters (including setting) and sets the plot in motion; it establishes the story situation and the protagonist's compelling motivation to save the planet, win the prize, (the protagonist has a problem that s/he cannot walk away from, that s/he cares deeply about, and about which s/he has to put himself or herself at risk).

The middle is a series of attempts by the protagonist to resolve the primary conflict, leading from one minor conflict and problem to another, the trouble growing greater, the risks expanding to the point it seems the hero cannot possibly succeed.

The end is the resolution of the original conflict and the protagonist's achievement of the brass ring through saving the planet from nuclear disaster, winning the guy of her dream or the case that saves his marriage and profession.

There are excellent models for structure/plot. Find the one that works for you. Keep looking until you have the ah-ha that lets you know the model will serve you in your work. A short list to try first: The Writer's Journey by Christopher Vogler; A Story is a Promise by Robert Johnson; How to Write a Damned Good Novel by James Frey; and Scene and Structure by Jack Bickham. If none of these work for you, find one that does. A model that works for you will shorten your learning curve. I also strongly recommend The Moral Premise by Stanley Williams to understand the premise that is at the heart of both fiction and film and how to use it successfully. I have taught workshops on this subject for years, so it was with great delight I discovered a writer who had developed the details of this all-important aspect of the novel.

The following is the best short definition of the structure of a commercial novel I have ever found. Consider it until it makes total sense to you. It was written by Dean Koontz.

(1) The author introduces a hero (or heroine) who has just been or is about to be plunged into terrible trouble. (2) The hero attempts to solve his problems, only slips into deeper trouble. (3) As the hero works to climb out of the hole he’s in, complications arise, each more terrible than the one before, until it seems as if his situation could not possibly be blacker or more hopeless than it is—and then one final unthinkable complication makes matters even worse. In most cases, these complications arise from mistakes or misjudgments the hero makes while struggling to solve his problems, mistakes and misjudgments which result from the interaction of faults and virtues that make him a unique character. (4) At last, deeply affected and changed by his awful experiences and by his intolerable circumstances, the hero learns something about himself or about the human condition in general, a Truth of which he was previously ignorant, and having learned this lesson, he understands what he must do to get out of the dangerous situation in which he has wound up. He takes the necessary actions and either succeeds or fails, through he succeeds more often than not, for readers tend to greatly prefer fiction that has an uplifting conclusion.

Notice that the book does not begin with backstory and explanation. It begins where there is conflict, action, tension. Backstory needs to be woven in bit by bit as the story itself progresses. Notice that the solutions to the problems faced by the protagonist(s)—both unsuccessful and successful—derive from the individual character, who s/he is and how s/he is motivated.

The protagonist(s) of a novel must meet certain criteria in whatever conventional or odd ways is true to them. Each must:
be bigger than life in some way, have a special quality
be admirable in some or many ways
be likable and competent
be worthy of the reader's respect and interest
be emotionally engaging for the reader
be committed by necessity and character to achieving a goal
be unable to walk away from conflict, challenges and trials (motivation)
be the initiator of the action of the novel
have fewer allies than enemies; have a rough row to hoe from beginning to end
create change and be changed by the events of the novel in an emotionally charged and logical way through each plot turn and challenge
learn something that will provide an ‘aha’ for the reader

A novel must in every chapter and scene, on each page, engage the reader emotionally and keep the reader engaged, give him a reason to turn each page and reasons to laugh and cry, to fear and root for the protagonist. If the protagonist lacks emotional logic, has nothing to risk or gain, does not care about the issues and actions of the story, there will be no way for the reader to engage. If the plot doesn't have fresh and credible twists and turns that continually challenge the protagonist and surprise the reader and if the character is not at risk in some significant way, there is no tension, suspense or reason to keep turning the pages. Which brings me to another major criteria agents and editors use to determine whether to work with an author. Is this novel REALLY making us laugh, cry, turn the pages, get inspired? What is the "master effect?" When we set the novel aside, will we wipe the tears away, wish it wasn't over, long to read more about these people and wish we knew them or feel inspired? Every novel does not have to be transformational—perhaps it provides a humorous respite from the cares of daily life and an uplifting story.

If you can master these elements of storytelling: Writing authentically (What Hemingway meant when he said you sit at the typewriter and open a vein); producing a novel that has a clear premise (which may not be obvious in the first draft); adhering to the structural requirements of this art form; write about characters we care about; develop a plot in which the problems progressively worsen; and keep the reader emotionally engaged, then agents and editors who read your work will be WOWed and jump to call you to make sure they contact you first before anyone else can.

Natasha