SHALLA CHATS with Literary Agent Daniel Lazar

“Getting to Know You”

by Shalla De Guzman

So, who ’s Dan?

Daniel Lazar is a literary agent at Writers House. He's been with the company for three years, as an intern, then assistant, and now building his own list. Dan represents all kinds of commercial and literary fiction, and pop-culture, parenting and narrative non-fiction. For more info, check out his absolutely stunning website: http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/DanielLazar/

Shalla: Hi Dan, we enjoyed meeting you at the ShalladeGuzman Writers Group , thanks for talking with us again.

Dan: My pleasure.

Shalla: Well, we’re all curious, what are the first things you look at when you get a submission? And what are most important to you? Dialogue mechanics? If it starts with an exposition or a scene? Basic formatting?

Dan: Proper formatting -- and most important is a voice. It's what stands out right away. I don't mean you have to write in your characters voice, or use "voice-y" accessories, such as saying, "like, oh my gosh, you know, can you believe, etc etc." I just mean the way a writer crafts a sentence or closes a paragraph or constructs dialogue. You can't learn a voice; you either have it or you don't -- but it's something I'll notice right away.

Shalla: Now, let’s talk POV’s (Point of View), are you open to first-person present? (e.g. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, Winston Groom ’s Forrest Gump, etc.)

And many successful writers are mixing POV’s, such as 3rd person and 1st person (e.g. Nicholas Sparks’ The Notebook, Julie Kenner’s The Givenchy Code, etc.) are you open to this? What are your thoughts on mixing POV’s?

Dan: Any agent who rejects a manuscript because of a random p.o.v.preference is either far too overworked and looking for an easy excuse – or just really successful and can afford to be maniacally choosy.

I think mixing pov’s is a fine way to mix things up; Warner recently published WIDOW OF THE SOUTH which uses this technique quite effectively. But you have to be careful that it doesn’t become confusing. If there are two (or more) first person voices in the same novel, they might start sounding too similar to each other. The best way to judge this is give your manuscript to a reader you trust; see if it works for them, or if it’s confusing.

Shalla: It seems there’s a connection between what’s big on TV or on the theatres and what gets published.

Since sitcoms have recently been receiving lower Nielsen ratings, do you see a trend away from comedy? What type of humor is selling with publishers right now? Dark Comedy? Parody? Satire?

Dan: I’m not entirely sure that’s a valid assertion, actually. The lead time for publishing is usually 12 – 18 months from signing to publication, so what’s on TV now is no indication of what will be popular or funny a year or more from now.

In general, humor is a thorn in any agent’s side to sell, because it requires you to fall head over heels – which I do, time and again, since I love to laugh – and then it requires patience, patience, patience. And I’m not very patient at all. You have to find an editor who agrees with your brilliant sense of humor, and who can convince his/her editorial board and publisher and sales and marketing teams that your manuscript is, yes, funny stuff.

Think of this way – how many of your friends absolutely adore the awkward hilarity of “Curb Your Enthusiasm”? How many of them would rather watch nails slide down a chalkboard? Humor is a very subjective experience and convincing a random group of smart people that one kind of writing is “funny,” worth buying and publishing, is a feat nothing short of miraculous.

Shalla: For those of us polishing our manuscripts, do you have suggestions on how we can learn to edit like the pros? Should we read and know The Element of Style cover to cover? Should we memorize the dictionary?

Where/how do the best editors learn to edit?

Dan: The best editors, I think, bring a certain natural ability to the table – a sharp eye for inconsistency, or a good head for seeing the most dramatic potential of a scene that isn’t technically there yet. Couple that with a good mentor (a boss, a colleague, whatever) who teaches them how to not just identify that something doesn’t feel right, but to articulate clearly what is wrong. And hopefully suggest ways to fix the problem.

You can edit your own work as easily as you can cut your own hair. I suggest you don’t try either. You can only work to find readers whose feedback you trust – and take their advice to heart. One of the best writing books I’ve ever read is Stephen King’s memoir “On Writing.” It made me want to move to Starbucks, strap on a Frappuccino iv, and begin my magnum opus… and I’m not even a writer!

In terms of dotting your I’s and crossing your T’s, most people who read widely pick these rules up intuitively. I personally made it about halfway through Elements of Style before I went back to watching “The Simpsons.” There may be agents out there who will reject a manuscript because of the occasional error, but I’m not one of them. A slew of typos is a turn off, true; makes me think that writer hasn’t bothered to spend money on a book since they learned how to read. But a fabulous voice overrides a stray comma, every time.

Shalla: Well, thanks so much Dan, best to you and Writers House. For more on Daniel Lazar and Writers House www.writershouse.com

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