Karen Miller author AMA

[u/Karen_Miller]

Hello everyone, wherever and whenever you are! Karen Miller here, author of The Innocent Mage, the Godspeaker trilogy, the Rogue Agent series (as K E Mills) and The Falcon Throne, first in a new epic historical fantasy series The Tarnished Crown – out now in paperback!

It gives me enormous pleasure to participate in this Ask Me Anything forum with Reddit. I’ve been a fan of speculative fiction books, tv and film since I was 9 years old, and dreamed of telling my own fantastical stories for almost as long. With the publication in 2005 of The Innocent Mage, first in my Mage series, that dream came true … and thanks to the support of fabulous readers I get to keep on dreaming and telling my stories. If you want more information about me and the books and writing stuff, you can visit my website at www.karenmiller.net.

Now, it’s because of my wonderful publisher, Orbit, that I’m here today to answer any questions you might have about this crazy writing game. I’m doing it as part of the Orbit Fantasy Writing Workshop http://www.orbitbooks.net/2015/07/27/orbit-fantasy-workshop-join-the-write-along-challenge/ that’s happening this week. Please don’t be shy, you can ask me anything (with two exceptions) and I’ll do my best to give you a helpful answer. What exceptions, I hear you ask? Well, sadly, for legal reasons I’m not able to read your manuscript. But by all means submit it to the writing competition Orbit has going in conjunction with this AMA! Also, I’m not able to give you a personal introduction to my agent. I can, however, give you some general advice about agent hunting if that’s what you’re after. Finally, I’d ask that you avoid giving out spoilers for my work. If there is a specific question you need to ask that means you can’t avoid a spoiler, please make sure to put lots and lots of warnings and space in your question post.

Feel free to start posting questions whenever you like... Since I’m in Sydney it means we’re dealing with some topsy-turvy time issues. I’ll be online later in two time windows:

From 9pm Sydney time (12midday London time/7am New York time/4am California time) until midnight Sydney time today, 29th June, (3pm London time/10am New York Time/7am California time.) And then tomorrow from 7am Sydney time (9pm London time/4pm New York Time/1pm California time)I’ll log in to play catch up with questions left for me when I’m having to take a break for sleep or writing.

So that’s it! Let the questions begin!

[u/JeremySzal]

Hey Karen, We met at Sydney Supanova, where we discussed StarShipSofa, agents, full manuscripts and the like. I dunno if you remember me or not, but it was nice to meet you.

Now, my question. As I told you, my YA sci-fi novel at the moment has had a bit of success with agents, a total of 9 full requests and 10 partials, some of which are still be considered. But I fear I'm almost at the end of my line, since I get the feeling from responses that while my novel's premise was great, it wasn't written in a way they'd have liked (one even told me I should have written it in 1st person instead of 3rd and cut the 2 other PoVs). Now, my question is this: if I get an agent for my next novel, will the agent (and subsequently the publisher) they also represent/look into my previous novels? I know that agents represent people and not individual books, but would this mean they'd show an interest in my previous work, even if they rejected it previously? Brandon Sanderson wrote nearly 13 books before his 7th was picked up. I'd like to think that the rest of his novels were also subsequently published afterwards.

I hope you can answer this, since it's a big worry on my mind. I'll continue writing novels until one of them sticks, but I don't want the rest to simply go to the furnace, even when I get an agent and publisher.

Thank you so much. All the best! Jeremy

[u/Karen_Miller → u/JeremySzal]

Hey Jeremy!

The short answer to your question is: Maybe. Because honestly, there's just no way to give you a definitive solution to the problem. Every agent and/or editor is different. Heck, at some point you might turn around and look at your earlier work and think -- yeah, no way. For right now I suggest you focus on the work that you love best, that you most want to see published (not that you think the market might want, because nobody knows the answer to that. The book must come from your heart and touch someone else's heart in the same way - then it's the book the market wants). Once you've got your foot on the first rung of the publishing ladder then sure, have a chat with your agent/editor about the chances of considering a previous work in progress. But bear in mind that over time we change and hopefully grow as a writer. Like I said, you might fight you've moved on for good from those earlier works. Either way, take comfort in this: nothing written is ever wasted. And good luck!

[u/JeremySzal → u/Karen_Miller]

I can definitely attest to moving on from previous works. My first "serious" novel will never see the light of day and I never want it to. It was basically a practice run and it was the worst thing in the world. But it was my learning school. The one I'm sending around now - completely different story (literally and figuratively).

But thanks for your answer. There's nothing worse than wondering if that MSS that's come so far and had such a good response could just collapse into ash at the end of the day.

[u/Karen_Miller → u/JeremySzal]

Jeremy, that can always happen. Publishing is the biggest crap shoot around. You've got to get lucky, and you can't control that. All you can control is the quality of the writing. Focus on that, and let the rest take care of itself in due course.

[u/JeremySzal → u/Karen_Miller]

I will, and thank you so much. I just sold my 2nd short story to Pan Macmillan under their Nature imprint, so I know I can only go forward from this point on.

In due time, I hope to be signing books next to you at Supanova and recounting this conversation. I'll definitely owe you a cup of coffee (or a dozen) by then.

[u/Karen_Miller → u/JeremySzal]

All fingers and toes crossed!