Musings Of A New Southern Man

There is nothing more pressing for all aspiring authors than figuring out what agents are really thinking. We toss all our hopes in the form of a query letter into the river of possibilities. We wait for replies. We hope for success, which means I have to encounter some type of Vulcan mind meld with someone who holds the keys to the world of traditional publishing. But just where do we find out agents' thought processes? Here is a great source. Put your fingertips to a Google search and ask for "interview Kleinman Barer Zuckerbrot" and you will be directed to a roundtable interview published in 2009. Those taking part are Jeff Kleinman, one of the founders of Folio Lit; Julie Barer and Renee Zuckerbrot, who have agencies bearing their names; and Daniel Lazar of Writers House. Those are familiar names to any of us who have tossed our hopes into that river. (I have filed with three of them, and the results are ... without matching names to results ... 1) no reply at all,

I was channel surfing a couple of weeks ago and tripped across the movie version of "Sometimes a Great Notion" ... and it hurt to watch it as much as the first time I saw it. Paul Newman, in his second shot at directing a movie, was hopelessly overmatched. He turned out a nice, little movie with so many holes you could pour water through it, instead of genuflecting to one of the great pieces of American fiction. Casting wasn't a problem. Newman played Hank, and Henry Fonda was old Henry. Lee Remick as Viv could be believable, and even Michael Sarrazin as Leland is adequate. There also were some gripping scenes, especially the big scene with Hank and Joe Ben near the film's end. (I will not insert any information that requires SPOILER ALERT in here, just in case some readers are unaware of the book or movie. But here's a tip: Read the book first, then see the movie. I think you will weep when you see Kesey's work gutted on film.) The rest of the movie was s

Platform is a big word tossed around in the publishing world these days. It means identifying the target audience you want to reach as an author, then making good use of various social media to foster your cause. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube are all seen as avenues for getting you into the public eye. Some agents put a sharp accent on platform, and I feel they reject some authors because they don't have the proper number of YouTube hits, or haven't reached a certain number of Facebook friends. I can see value in that view, but only from a business standpoint. Some authors keep their social media presence only to the business of who they are, an author seeking publication or one who already has projects to pitch. I am not like that. I understand the business side, but I don't want to be solely a business entity. I have a heart and soul, somewhat of a sense of humor, a deep commitment to those I embrace within family and friends, and other parts of my life I give priority.

I get to blend a literary theme with my love for Paul Simon again. My son Stephen told me about this song a few months ago. I loved it, and I hope you will, too. Parts of it are so honest. I often arrived home after work and headed straight to my computer because some idea started rolling around my brain on the drive home. I have bolted awake in the middle of the night with another brilliant idea, and I have tiptoed downstairs and hammered away at my keyboard to bring it to life. A 2 a.m. writing session stretches into a 4:30 a.m. writing session ... but that's part of the deal. And I have taken my title and tossed it in the trash. Of course, there are parts of the song at which I rebel. I hope my compatriots regard my brain cell count as higher than Simon's character, and I don't it just for the cash ... although financial reward would be greatly appreciated. Anyway, enjoy.