How my agent made me cut 120 pages

OK, my agent didn’t make me do anything.

 

Yet as the publishing world changes, agents are increasingly taking on some of the role that used to belong solely to editors. Many agents now provide editing advice for clients before submitting the book for publication.

 

When I first met my agent, Katherine Cowles, she said, “I love your book, I can sell your book. No problem.” Of course, that was music to my ears, having slaved over it in obscurity for many many years. I was ecstatic, actually. She was the first agent I’d approached, and she was certain she could place my book at a top publishing house! In my delirium, I scarcely noticed when at the very end of our first meeting, she added kind of casually, “I’m thinking, though, that you need to cut down a few sections. I’ll send you my ideas for that in an email.” I nodded gamely:  sure, I could trim a few sections, no problem.

 

A couple of days later, I got an email outlining her suggested edits. At first it didn’t look like a lot, maybe 5 or 6 numbered items. But once I started reading I went into shock – if I followed her suggestions, I’d be cutting 120 pages from my book! Mostly through cutting out entire chapters or scenes. I was stunned. She called me on the phone a few minutes after I got the email. I guess she anticipated that I might be slightly hysterical. She told me firmly, “This is how I’m going to sell your book, Christina. Once you have an editor, you can always talk to him or her about putting this material back in. I’m not your editor – I just want to make sure we get your manuscript read.”

 

I decided to trust her. She knew the business after all – I knew nothing about it. And now that she’d pointed it out, I could see how potential publishers might be daunted by a 600 page manuscript from a completely unknown writer – a manuscript so huge it had to be bound into two volumes.

 

I jumped in and worked incredibly fast. I didn’t do the cuts exactly as my agent specified – and she was fine with that – but I did cut about 120 pages, working night and day. There are tons of continuity problems that crop up when you start making cuts on that scale. You have to find every single place that material might have been referred to later in the book. It’s a nightmare. I was in tears by the end of the first day of editing, not just because of all the continuity problems I was facing, but also because it was heartbreaking to lose some of my favorite parts of the book. “She might as well have asked me to cut off my arm!” I wailed to my boyfriend. But interestingly enough, almost all the material she had picked for the cutting room floor was very old, from when the novel had a different narrator and point of view, material that I was so loathe to lose that I’d tried to force it into the book’s new structure. It didn’t really work – and being a sharp reader, she’d picked up on that.

 

It was extremely painful at first. I started calling my new manuscript “The Tricking of Freya Lite.” But true to her word, in a very short time my agent had me signing a contract with a major publisher. By the time I was at the editorial stage with my editor, I didn’t even mention to him the idea of reincorporating the 120 pages from the cutting room floor. I could see that the book was probably… I hesitate to say “stronger without it,” even now. I still love that lost material. But the book is definitely a better read.

 

It was a smart decision on my agent’s part. And true to her word, she never made any further editorial suggestions for my book. She left that to me and my actual editor.

 

I’m secretly considering using some of that lost material in my next novel – but knowing my agent, she’ll probably want to cut it out of that book too.

 

Comments

[Berglind Nanna Ólínudóttir]

Hi Christina, I just had to tell you that I'm officially hooked on Freya, after reading the first chapter. So as soon as your book's available up here in the Arctic, I'm going out for a copy, and then turn off the phones and the pc, curl up in bed with some water, and chocolate, and read until I finish.
From what I can tell from the first chapter, you've captured us Icelanders quite brilliantly! So I'm waiting eagerly for your book to wash upon our shores.
I know how difficult being an Icelandaholic is, since I have a few friends State-side, that suffer from that same syndrome. Trust me when I tell you folks, it does NOT get any better! But what a beautiful addiction!
I've bookmarked your blog, and will keep coming in for more stories from you, I really like your way with words!
Best wishes from tiny little Iceland.
BN
P.S. I know some of Páll Ólafsson's poems as well, and sing many of them on a regular basis.

[Christina Sunley]

Dear Berglind, your words have put such a huge smile on my face, as I nervously await the day of publication next week! Thank you so so much. Maybe when I visit Iceland next you will sing some of my great great uncle Páll Ólafsson's poems for me?

[Berglind Nanna Ólínudóttir]

I'll gladly sing for you next time you're up here! In return, I might ask for a signature in my copy of Freya!
Best wishes for the official publication day, may you enjoy it to the fullest! Since we're now friends on the face, you have my details, so don't hesitate to contact me when you get up here next!
best wishes, BN

[Debbie]

Christina
I just finished The Tricking Of Freya. I have to say I'm going to miss Freya and after reading your blog post about the 120 pages deleted I hope you will consider letting fans read the missing pages. I'm related by marriage to Ginette Warwick King her sister-in-laws mother. I read on her fb page that she saw you at the Oakland reading. It was funny I had just started the book emailed her and found she use to work with you. Small world. Congratulations on a wonderful debut novel. I look forward to your future works and I really would like to read the missing 120 pages.
Debbie Richesin

[Christa Shackleford]

I loved the book, too bad about the missing pages! I wished the book had 1,000 pages.
Can't wait for the next book, I hope it is about Iceland too.

[Howard Hobbs]

Just finished your story of cutting 120 pages. I'd like to read them, even knowing that they don't fit perfectly in the present story line. Maybe, instead of incorporating them in another book, you could post them on the Internet.