BFLA Open Week: Tax Forms

July 12, 2024 Intern BlakeFriedmann

Written by Tabitha Topping

For any author it’s obviously incredibly exciting when a translation rights deal is done, however there is an aspect of these sort of deals that is rarely discussed… tax forms.

For the uninitiated, many countries have double taxation agreements with one another which means if a resident of one country is expecting income from another and they have the relevant documentation, they can avoid paying tax twice. Sounds simple, right? You’d be surprised…

At the beginning of each calendar year we have to assess which of our clients are most likely to receive translation rights income and from where. Are we in the middle of negotiating a Spanish deal for Author A? Has Author B been selling well in France, and are we expecting a sizeable royalty payment for them? Often it can be difficult to predict, but once we have a list (and obviously this list is not comprehensive – for example, we often make translation rights deals later in the year we were not expecting to in January), we can then send the relevant instructions to the relevant clients.

These differ from country to country. Some countries have specific forms that need to be filled out by the author and then stamped by their tax authority, while a simple certificate of residence will suffice for others.

We always advise that authors apply for tax forms as soon as they can. It can take months for tax forms to be returned to clients and publishers cannot make payment without them. Furthermore, tax forms may only be used for the year they are issued (Germany is the sole exception to this) so if an author’s form only arrives in November and misses the publisher’s last pay run of the year, the author will have to start the process all over again in January. This often means that large swathes of income is held up, which can be enormously frustrating for publishers and authors alike.

As an agency we are legally not allowed to complete tax forms on behalf of our clients, so our role is to mediate between client and publisher/co-agent. We share the relevant documentation with our clients and then send periodic reminders to them about completing the forms in good time.

Authors are obviously free to go without the tax forms and subject their income to the full withholding tax (and sometimes a tax form only reduces the tax by such a negligible amount it’s not worth going through the whole arduous process), but given the squeezing of author incomes in recent years we usually recommend that authors apply for tax forms.

So, in essence tax forms are great! They allow authors to keep more of their advance and/or royalties, which usually means that an author can afford to write more – yay! Unfortunately the tax forms process is labor-intensive and time consuming… but as agents we will be there for every step of the journey and do our best to make the process as easy and pain-free as we can. So, if you’re an author and receive an email saying ‘it’s time to apply for your [insert country]’s tax forms’, please don’t panic!

BFLA Open Week: Working on edits with your Agent

July 10, 2024 Intern BlakeFriedmann

Written by Kate Burke

Every agent – and agency – is different and, ultimately, who you sign with has to be someone you click on a personal and professional level, and who you think will do the best by your writing and your career. Some agents work very closely editorially with clients and some don’t, but I’m not here to judge anyone! All I can say is that, as a former editor with a decade of experience working for several publishers, I do a lot of editorial work with my clients, particularly with debut writers, but this process can continue beyond that. This means working closely with them on several drafts of their novels before submitting them to publishers, helping them to shape outlines for future projects as well as brainstorming titles and pitch lines, and these are processes I really enjoy!

Whatever their style or experience, an agent should be hands on and work closely with you on your work. I remember what it was like, as an editor, to receive a submission from an agent – if it was a messy manuscript (both in terms of spelling and grammar, but also plot, character and pace), I could just tell that the agent hadn’t really worked on it and that really bothered me. Why hadn’t they taken the time to nurture and guide this writer? An agent should be your biggest advocate and what better way to present your work than to polish it and polish it until it’s editor-ready?

An example of working with a debut writer: once we’ve agreed that I’ll represent them, I will read their manuscript again and mark it up on screen with tracked changes. These changes could be comments about what I love or what’s working great along with all the things that might need a tweak or a bigger fix. In my email to that client, I will send them the marked-up Word document along with a summary of my main editorial concerns (these could be plot, pace, a certain character, some dialogue that doesn’t work, a scene that needs expanding etc) and then, once the author has processed my comments, we’ll have a call, Zoom or meeting to discuss tackling them and a timeframe for that. And the process continues until we’ve polished the manuscript enough that I think it’s ready for editors’ eyes! I will always do a final proofread on a manuscript before hitting the send button as I want the novel/proposal/outline to be as readable and polished as it can be.

While this sometimes rigorous (!) process might put the odd writer off, most writers who approach me for representation mention this close editorial eye and relationship as a positive, something they would like in an agent and I think it’s a vital part of developing a solid working relationship together. Agents have to sell projects with passion and, if we’ve worked for some time on a book, and we know it inside out, then we can do our best by that project. And the editorial work doesn’t stop with us – once you have an editor on board they will, most likely, ask you to do further edits on your book so I, personally, think it's best to be used to this process already so there are no curveballs further down the line!

BFLA Open Week: Rejections – An Agent Explains

July 8, 2024 Intern BlakeFriedmann

Written by Sian Ellis-Martin

Rejections are a big part of publishing: authors get rejected by agents, manuscripts get rejected by editors, books get rejected by readers, and often we’re not given a reason why.

At Blake Friedmann, we respond to every submission we receive but we aren’t always able to give individual feedback. We receive hundreds of submissions a week and simply don’t have the capacity to do so. It’s easy to assume that your writing is bad if an agent passes on your manuscript, but it’s often not as black and white as that.

There are lots of reasons why we might pass on a manuscript. Here are some of the main reasons I’ve passed on manuscripts recently:

Wrong genre

The quickest passes for me are the ones that are simply not in genres I represent. I’m often sent fantasy and sci-fi novels, or scripts and poetry, and these are areas I don’t work in. Not every agent represents every genre, so if you’re submitting to agents, make sure you check agency websites to find out which genres the agents are looking for. You can see more about the Blake Friedmann team here: www.blakefriedmann.co.uk/team

Pitch is too vague

The first part of your submission we look at is the cover letter, so you’ve got to make sure that your pitch is super strong to make us want to read your chapters. If your pitch is quite vague (e.g. John meets Sarah and they fall in love and live happily ever after) and doesn’t tell us what’s unique about your work, then we might not feel inclined to read the chapters you’ve submitted.

The opening takes too long

Sometimes people feel that they need to spend a long time setting the scene and introducing the characters at the start of a book. We definitely want to get a sense of the world you’re building, but pages of long description don’t always make for the most exciting reading. Personally, I like a book to start as late as possible i.e. as close to the main action/storyline/narrative thread as possible so that I can get straight into things. Those details about setting and character can be woven into the story as it unfolds.

The proposal is not detailed enough

In non-fiction, we ask for a proposal outlining certain things about your book, alongside some opening chapters. Make sure you include that detail – the total word count for a proposal is often around 10,000 words including a synopsis, a chapter plan for the entire work, two sample chapters and some information on where your book might sit in the market (and how it stands out from what’s already out there).

We don’t connect with the voice

This one’s a tricky one as voice is very subjective. Sometimes a book can be well-written and do everything we say we want it to, but there’s just something that we’re not connecting to. Quite often, that’s the narrative voice. As this is so subjective, there’s a big chance that someone else might connect to the voice better than we do.

Place in the market/target audience

Offering representation to an author is about more than whether we enjoyed the story or thought it was well-written. We also must have a commercial vision for the novel. Obviously, we don’t want to have an exact copy of another book, but we want to be able to imagine where a book sits in the market i.e. some authors and titles it might sit alongside on the shelf. This is why using comparison titles and mentioning who your story is aimed at in your cover letter is very helpful.

Lots of people say ‘my book isn’t like anyone else’s!’ or ‘every type of person will enjoy my book!’ but these statements are unrealistic, and don’t help us understand what you’re writing. If we can’t think of a way to pitch or market the book, other people in the chain – editor, marketer, bookseller, etc. – may have the same problem.

Not following submission guidelines

I would never reject something just because it doesn’t follow our submission guidelines, but if we don’t have all the material we need to consider your submission, it makes it more difficult for us to make a decision or consider your work as fully as we’d like to.

All this is to say that we understand it can be disheartening to be rejected but there are many reasons – beyond the book simply being bad – why an agent might pass.

BFLA Open Week: Top 10 Tips on Submitting to an Agent

July 8, 2024 Intern BlakeFriedmann

Here are Juliet Pickering’s top 10 tips on submitting to an agent…

Once your (whole) novel, or non-fiction proposal, is finished and polished, you’re ready to go! Consider your genre, e.g. is your story crime, romance, literary, speculative – or memoir, history, business, nature writing etc. – or a crossover of two?!
Do your research! You could start somewhere like Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook or the Acknowledgements in a book’s endpages to check which agencies represent which genres, or simply search online. Then…
Look at agency websites and individual agent pages. Most agents list what they’re looking for & who they represent, to guide you on their tastes. Many also tell you what they DON’T represent! Check you/your book are a fit.
Follow submission guidelines. Each agency will have submission requirements/a page of info, e.g. www.blakefriedmann.co.uk/submissions. Most will ask for cover letter, first three chapters + 250-word synopsis (fiction), or synopsis + proposal if non-fiction.
A non-fiction proposal would usually include a longer synopsis of 500 words max, two sample chapters including introduction/1st chapter, and a detailed chapter plan.
For fiction, if you have shorter/longer chapters and/or a prologue, take the recommended three chapters to mean up to 10,000 words (i.e. stop at a point that feels natural but don’t send a lot more!).
Synopsis should include entire plot/narrative arc of your book, so tell us what happens at the end, or how you conclude. We need to know: main characters, main events/turning points, main emotional journey (fiction) OR narrative style, argument, research (non-fiction)
Cover letter should be personable & professional, introducing book with comparisons to similar books/TV/film, genre, TITLE & word count. Then one-paragraph blurb – intriguing, setting up hook & main characters! – and a short bio about you/your writing.
Let us know you’ve done your research, and why you’re sending to that agent in particular, e.g. ‘You’re looking for a big love story involving older characters and my novel offers that too’; ‘I see you represent *** and my work has similar themes…’
Submit to several agents at once, check in politely after the period indicated on their website and, when one asks for a full manuscript or first meeting, let all the others know! GOOD LUCK!

BFLA Open Week: Resources & Resourcefulness – Some Tips for Writers

March 10, 2023 Intern BlakeFriedmann

Written by Isobel Dixon

So, you’re a writer. You’ve been putting in the hard yards, sitting at your desk/kitchen table/in bed, with your laptop/iPad/notebook and writing, WRITING, whichever way you can. In fact, you’ve written a lot – short stories, one that’s turned into a bit of a novella, a full War-and-Peace-sized novel manuscript even. Or you’ve started and abandoned books half a dozen times, but now you know that this one, this is The One That’s Not Going to Get Away. But you need help, some guidance, a boost in the right direction. Your family and friends are sick of you going on about your book, or are wondering why you keep disappearing, because you’re too shy to tell anyone that you have ambitions as a writer. What to do now?

There are many resources for writers, at many stages of their writing careers, and though I won’t go into extensive detail here, below are a few ideas and waymarkers. Some pointers, starting with your own practice and reaching out further. If you scroll down you’ll find a list with some links – not an exhaustive list and mostly a UK-focused one, but it will give you some idea of the kind of things you can look out for, wherever you are.

Already, as an observer and chronicler, you are watching and recording. Being ‘someone on whom nothing is lost’, as Henry James said. You’re alive to the world around you, noticing, and writing things down. Robert Louis Stevenson said he always carried two books at any time – one to read and one to write things in. And as a writer, you’re also going to be reading widely and closely – for pleasure as a reader, but also with an analytical eye to understand how plot , structure and narrative form work in practice. You can see a bit more about this in a piece I wrote about ‘voice’ (with some emphasis on poetry, given that I am a poet myself).

As a reader, and a writer aspiring to publication, you’ll be curious about how books are sold and received, so you’ll want to spend some time in bookshops and libraries. Whether you’re buying or borrowing, and whatever genre you are writing in, there is so much information to be absorbed there.

In your reading journey, ask questions of booksellers and librarians as to what they’ve liked and what they recommend in your chosen field. If you’re pressed for time, remember that you can listen to audiobooks via your library too. (And a note here that writers love the royalties they get from book sales, but in many countries, authors, translators, illustrators and audio narrators receive a small amount every time a library book is loaned, if they sign up to the national system, called Public Lending Right in the UK. So borrowing lots of books is good for writers too! If you’re published and haven’t registered your books for PLR yet, there’s no time like the present… And while you’re on the admin, check out the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS), who also make payments to authors for registered titles, where there has been photocopying or other licensing use.)

Also ask questions as a writer – libraries and independent bookshops will have knowledge of book clubs and writers’ groups in your area too. At some stage you will need to ‘declare and share’ – acknowledging your goals as a writer, whatever your day job, and showing your work to someone else. This may be via an informal local group or a taught course, in-person or online, but it will be transformative, even as it pushes you beyond your comfort zone.

Beyond your local library, local universities may offer writing workshops – in London I started attending Michael Donaghy’s evening poetry workshop, a short course given by City University, which led me to the poetry friends I still informally workshop with, decades later.

Regional writer development organisations do invaluable work with and for writers, offering courses about the craft, information on publishing, creating networking opportunities, running festivals and prizes – so do check what there is in your region. At the agency, we’re big admirers of the National Centre for Writing in Norwich, with whom I have worked closely for years, New Writing North, Writing West Midlands, Writing East Midlands, Literature Works, Scottish Book Trust, and more. The Royal Society of Literature and the Royal Literary Fund also provide support for writers in different ways – see their websites for more.

The Arvon Foundation runs creative writing courses in Devon, Shropshire and Yorkshire. The Word Factory helps support short story writers, bringing established and emerging writers together for mentoring, helping to develop craft and contacts. They run an Apprentice Award Programme for this. Attending festivals, local author events and live literature nights like Café Writers (Norwich and online) will bring you into contact with more useful organisations and creative people! The many online and hybrid events and festivals now available provide wider access: do investigate online festival passes and what discounts are offered for students and those on low incomes.

Arts Council England, Arts Council of Ireland and Creative Scotland provide information and funding for writers and projects – see what applies to your region and what they showcase online. Literature Wales lists writers’ groups and literary societies across Wales and beyond on its site.

In London, Spread the Word also does excellent work, and Apples and Snakes supports spoken word artists. Recently, my colleagues Juliet, Sian and I enjoyed talking about agenting with the Black Girl Writers group: a free mentoring programme for Black women who write, pairing them with established authors and literary agents and hosting online workshops. Other towns and cities will have their projects too – too many to mention individually, so do your local research. Sign up to newsletters from organisations like these, and also festivals and venues that offer events and courses that could help you in your writing practice.

If you’re interested in finding out about the publishing industry in general, this year in the UK the Association of Authors’ Agents, the Publishers Association and the Booksellers’ Association joined together to create a platform called OpenBooks – an initiative designed to reach the next generation of book industry talent, through a series of free, accessible online events. Aimed primarily at 14 to 19-year-olds from underrepresented backgrounds, OpenBooks showcases a range of book-related career options across publishing, bookselling, literary agenting and beyond. Speakers on various panels help to demystify publishing career options and identify routes into the book trade. Various publishers and literary agencies run paid internship programmes, like our own Carole Blake Open Doors Project.

Carole Blake, the brilliant co-founder of the agency, also wrote an excellent book, From Pitch to Publication, about finding an agent, and the path to publication. It’s due an update on some aspects like e-books, but the core principles are timeless and valuable.

The Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook is a practical compilation of industry advice including agent listings, author interviews, and information on editorial services. If you want to move beyond courses and workshops, don’t have an agent, and choose to pay for one-to-one editing or writer mentoring, there are many companies and individual freelancers who offer these services. The Literary Consultancy is one that is long-established and supported by the Arts Council.

The Society of Authors also hosts a number of excellent creative seminars and panel discussions around writing and publishing. Membership eligibility covers all types of writers, illustrators and literary translators at every stage of their careers – including journalists, scriptwriters, bloggers, novelists, biographers, translators, poets and games writers. The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) is also a trade union representing professional writers in TV, film, theatre, radio, books, comedy, poetry, animation and videogames.

Do also take a look at the various practical pieces written by Blake Friedmann colleagues over our Open Weeks! There is lots of information on submitting to agents, what agents do, and much more, and you can access these here.

Here are just a few good books on writing and creativity (much more to say on this another time!):