Interview With Noah Lukeman, Part II

I’ve read that you’ve written four novels. Are they published? Do you have plans to write more fiction?

I wrote them before, during and just after college. I liked them when I finished them, but after letting them sit a few weeks, I didn’t like them anymore! So I put them in a drawer, and never showed them, except when applying to the MFA at Montana (after college). I suppose they liked the novel I submitted, since they accepted me, but I ultimately decided not to go the MFA route, and it’s been nine years since I’ve written a novel, and I honestly have no desire anymore.

You are a believer in not showing anything until you’re ready even if it means ten years or more. Does this mean that a writer shouldn’t try to sell a novel on a partial without a completed manuscript to back it up?

It depends if you’re dealing with fiction or non-fiction. With fiction, yes. Absolutely. Particularly for a first novelist, 99% of the time you will need to have a finished novel to even have a chance to sell it. If an agent submits a partial, an editor will nearly always respond that they can’t make a final decision without the entirety.

With non-fiction, it’s actually the opposite. Agents and editors only want to see one chapter, or two at the most, along with a professional proposal (overview, outline, etc.). So in that case, you would be wasting your time to write the entire book until you knew you had a book deal in hand. (Unless you are writing a memoir, which requires a finished manuscript.)

Regardless, a writer should always wait until he is
ready, however long it takes. You only have one shot with agents and editors, and if your manuscript is not in its best shape, you have likely lost that shot. Agents don’t want to take on manuscripts that need work—and they don’t need to.
They can just turn to the other 9,999 on the stack, and find one that doesn’t need work. Editors, too, would rather buy a book that doesn’t need work. It frees up their scarce editing time, and allows them to buy the 20 or 30 other books they have to in order to meet their corporate
quota.

Agents are always telling their clients that networking with editors and authors at writer’s conferences can’t be stressed enough. Do you agree and if so why?

I agree that networking, in general, is crucial. One key contact, or one key piece of information, can make all the difference in your getting published. Conferences are often a good place to start, but be wary, since some conferences are better than others in terms of the industry talent they attract and the forums they create to allow interaction. I wouldn’t want to see writers spend a lot of money for a costly conference that doesn’t do them much good. In general, try not to spend money unless absolutely necessary.

Aside from conferences, you might consider writing workshops with respected teachers, talks, colonies, writing groups, etc. There are a lot of ways to network; whatever way works for you. The important thing is that you make a decision to do so, and make an effort to do it.

How can I make my agent’s job easier? How much communication is healthy in an agent/author relationship?

Every agent functions differently. In my case, I am always appreciative of an author that sits back and trusts that I am doing my job, and doesn’t try to micromanage, or call or email frequently. It frees up my time to do my job. That said, while I recommend that authors be appreciative of their agent’s efforts and respectful of their time, I wouldn’t necessarily make a blanket statement to all authors to just sit back, since in some cases there are agents who are not working hard for their authors.

The only thing worse than not having an agent is having an agent who does nothing for you, putting your career on hold.

This is why it’s so important to research the right agent to begin with. But if you feel confident that you have a good agent, then yes, I would advise sitting back and being respectful of the agent’s time. Remember, you are entering a long term relationship, which will likely span many years. If an agent feels that you are high-maintenance, he will be less likely to want to work with you in the long run.

What’s the best money an aspiring author can spend on their road to publication? (conferences, how to books, college courses, online workshops etc).

A tough question. In general, I always advise authors to spend as little as possible. I would not advise spending on an MFA if it is going to put you deeply in debt. I would also not advise spending on conferences if exorbitant. I would advise spending on a good writing workshop, if not too costly, and certainly on books, which, in context, are a fraction of the cost of an MFA. I would also advise spending on Fed-Ex when it comes time to query agents. In general, though, there are many, many ways to better your writing without spending money, such as devoting time to revising your own work, borrowing books from the library, improving your vocabulary, creating a mutual writers and readers group, etc. Sometimes spending money can be an escape, a too easy substitute for the harder work of improving your craft.

Can you tell us a little about the on-line workshops that you teach through Writer’s University?

The 4 week course at Writers University allows writers to have question-and-answer access to me for a period of 4 weeks, along with 4 weeks of course material and weekly exercises geared towards helping them land an agent. It’s really for writers who have completed (or are about to complete) a manuscript, and are getting ready to find an agent—it teaches them practical, industry insider tips.

What’s your dream for your writing future?

A Dash of Style was my fourth published book (my third published book on the craft of writing), and it will likely be my last. At least for now, I don’t have the desire to write another book.

Advice for aspiring novelists or parting words?

The best advice I can offer is not to give up. The writers who make it are those who dig in for a longer war, prepare themselves to persevere for 10 or 20 years. Make it a lifelong endeavor, and plan accordingly, and one day you will be published.




A Dash of Style
Noah Lukeman
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: W. W. Norton
ISBN: 039306087X













Reviewed by Gina Holmes:

This is a small, attractive book that you'll be thankful is hardback because you will be referencing it again and again.

With chapter titles like: Comma, or Period, I expected this book to be dreadfully tedious. I couldn't have been more wrong. Mr. Lukeman has truly lived up to the promise he makes that this style guide is like none other. We are not only taught how to correctly use punctuation, but also how to maximize each mark to our work's fullest stylistic advantage.

I have already high-lighted my copy extensively and will continue to go back to it throughout my writing lifetime. If you are a creative writer, from poetry to novel writing, this book is something you should have on your permanent reference shelf.

After reading this, I can't wait to get back to my novel and bravely use a colon, parenthesis or the occasional sentence strewn with commas, to make my prose sing. I have a new tool that will help me maximize my skills in a way I couldn't have without this help. My highest recommendation!

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