After a career as an attorney and corporate executive, Carol K. Carr decided she’d had enough. She turned
to writing. Her first book, INDIA
BLACK, was published in 2011 by Berkley Prime Crime. A
sequel, INDIA BLACK AND THE WIDOW OF
WINDSOR, appeared in October 2011. Carol is currently at
work on the third book in the series. She lives in Springfield, Mo., with
her husband and their German Shepherd dog.
Carol is represented by Ann Collette of the Helen Rees Literary
Agency. She and Ann will be presenting a combined breakout session during the
“Write Time! Write Place! Write Now!” Conference that will address the
agent/author relationship. Attendees will receive inside knowledge from this
agent/author team about various topics including how an author gets an agent,
how an agent chooses a client, the expectations each has of the other, and what
it takes to develop a successful author/agent relationship.
Sarah:
Carol thank you for visiting the Missouri Writers’ Guild Conference blog today.
We’re excited to learn more about you and hear about your upcoming appearance
at the “Write Time! Write Place! Write Now!” Conference.
Carol: Thank you, Sarah. I’m really pleased to be invited to speak at
the conference, and I’m looking forward to meeting fellow authors from
Missouri. We’ve got quite a literary
tradition to keep alive here, following in the footsteps of T.S. Eliot, Maya
Angelou, Langston Hughes, and of course, Mark Twain.
Sarah:
To get us started, can you tell me where you are right now?
Carol:
I’m originally from Summersville, a small town in Texas County. I attended Missouri State University and then
law school in Washington D.C. After a
couple of decades in Texas and California, I returned to the thriving
metropolis of Springfield. I love being
back in the Ozarks.
Sarah:
It seems like every author follows his/her own unique path to publication.
Yourself included. First you became a lawyer, then an HR Director, and now in
the past couple years, an author. That is a very windy path to becoming a
national best-selling author! How did you find yourself writing a novel? You
didn’t just sit down one day and decide to write one, did you?
Carol: Well, yes, I did. Like most writers, I’m a reader. I can’t recall the book I was reading at the
time I made this decision, but I do remember putting it down in disgust and
thinking, “I can do better than that.”
Ignorance is bliss. I had no idea
how difficult it was to pull off. I
wrote one really terrible novel, which I’m glad to say has mysteriously
disappeared from my computer. I’m sure a
few agents rolled their eyes when they read that submission. Those rejection letters fired my competitive
spirit, though. I wrote two more novels
which were much better, good enough to get an agent, in fact, although no
publishers were interested in them. I
finally scored with India Black.
Sarah:
Do you think that working in those previous jobs has helped you in the long
run? Why or why not?
Carol: Oh, yes, they’ve helped tremendously. Being a lawyer is almost perfect training for
writing. I was a transactions lawyer,
working in real estate and finance.
There were always deadlines and multiple projects to handle. You have to work when you’d rather not. You spend a lot of time at your desk, staring
at a computer screen or reviewing documents.
You must learn to express yourself concisely and accurately. Writing fiction is a bit of relief,
actually. You’re not likely to be
dragged into court over the meaning of a sentence in your novel, but you could
very well end up before a jury trying to explain what you meant by the use of
the word “reasonable.” I can’t say I
enjoyed the Human Resources gig; I was dragged into that. I had no idea anything could be more
stressful than practicing law, but dealing with 120,000 employees (average age
– 24) most certainly was. The one
benefit I derived from that experience is that I am virtually shock-proof with
respect to the things people do and say.
You learn a lot about human nature in H.R. I usually include several scenes of India’s
management issues running the brothel. I
have great fun imagining those episodes.
Sarah:
You’ve said this will be the first time that you and Ann have met in person.
How does your working relationship….work, then?
Carol: Our first contact was by email. I’d submitted a query and writing sample to
her and she sent a very nice email asking to see the rest of the manuscript. After reading through it, she wrote once more
and asked if I’d be interested in having the agency represent me. I played it cool. I waited approximately ten seconds before I
emailed back to say I would. Then we had
a conversation on the phone which went well, in which Ann explained the terms
of representation, how the submission process would work, and which editors she
would be approaching. She also discussed
the kind of deal I would likely get from the publisher. During the submission process, she kept me
apprised by email of publisher’s reactions and when the manuscript was picked
up by Berkley, she called to tell me. We
have periods when we email each other frequently, over contract terms or new
deals from the publisher and months when I’m writing and we don’t communicate
much at all. It’s worked well.
Sarah:
What has surprised you the most about working with Ann?
Carol: The best surprise is that there have been no
surprises. When Ann says she’ll do
something, she does it. She never fails
to answer a question and she always responds to emails. She’s a straight shooter, too. Publishing is a business and she understands
that aspect of it and makes sure that you do as well. I’ve heard horror stories from other authors
about agents who disappear before the ink is dry on the contract, so I feel
very fortunate to have found an agent who is dedicated to her clients.
Sarah:
During your breakout session, you’ll be addressing what a good author/agent
relationship looks like. What are some signs that maybe an author/agent relationship
isn’t good?
Carol: I’ll have to wing this one, as my experience
with Ann has been wonderful. So, I’ll
take the way she operates and assume the opposite of that behavior is bad
agenting. Here’s my list:
The agent is difficult to reach. The agent is evasive and dances around
issues. You have to
contact the agent to see where you stand in the
submission process. The agent doesn’t
even start the submission process. You
have to contact the agent regarding payments.
The agent is unrealistic about the kind of deal you’ll make. The agent will not provide specific
information about which editors she’ll be approaching. The agent keeps poor records. The agent is disorganized. The agent will not provide you editorial
feedback during the submission process.
I think that’s how a bad relationship would look. There’s the personal factor, too. If the agent is aloof or arrogant, I don’t
think I’d be happy working with him or her.
An agent may not be your BFF, but you should share a mutual respect for
one another.
Sarah:
What’s the most important thing an author should expect from the agent/author
relationship once a book has been published?
Carol: At that point, I think the agent’s work is
finished with respect to that book.
Prior to publication, your agent may solicit blurbs for your book from
other writers she represents. She can
suggest some marketing tips or point you in the direction of some opportunities
to get your name out to the public, but that’s really not her job. One thing I do think is important, though, is
that your agent keeps your name in front of your publisher. When Ann meets my editor, Ann will email to
let me know how the editor feels about sales, or the possibility of another
book, or anything else that’s pertinent.
An agent should be promoting her author when she has the chance.
Sarah:
You’ve written 2 published and one soon-to-be-released mystery novels featuring
Madam India Black. How did you come up with the character?
Carol: I’m a history buff, and particularly like the
Victorian era. I wanted to write my own
historical adventure with a female heroine, but that was such a restrictive
period for women that it was difficult imagining a woman who was free to chase
after assassins, who was street-wise and tough, and who didn’t care at all
about polite society. After a little
thought, I concluded that a madam would be just the ticket. India is self-employed, knows how to use a
gun and has fought her way up and off the streets of London. Authority doesn’t intimidate her. Indeed, not much does. I’ve never liked women who swoon. Protagonists with flaws are so much more
interesting, and India has quite a few.
Sarah:
Can you tell us a bit about India’s upcoming new adventure?
Carol: India
Black and the Shadows of Anarchy will be published by Berkley Prime Crime
in February, 2013. India and her
cohorts, the luscious government agent French and the odiferous street urchin
Vincent, infiltrate a group of anarchists, with explosive results. In January of 2013, I’ll be publishing an
eSpecial describing how India acquired Lotus House, her brothel. I’m also pleased to say that I’ve just signed
a contract for the fourth book in the series, and for a second eSpecial to be
published in conjunction with it.
Sarah:
That is exciting news! Congratulations! Thank you so much for sharing your
thoughts on the agent/author relationship. For more information about Carol and
her books, you can visit her online at www.carolkcarr.com.
For those who have signed up to attend the Missouri
Writers’ Guild Conference, please consider volunteering. This is an excellent
way to get to know our featured faculty a bit better. For more information
e-mail MWG President Deb Marshall at mwgpres@gmail.com
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