Joe Brosnan
Grove Atlantic
DOSSIER: How do you feel about acquiring strong books that have a poor starting off point with a tough first chapter? Do you get past that first chapter and see the potential, or do you stop once you get turned off with something you’re not happy with?
BROSNAN: I won’t lie, first chapters are important. Authors get one shot at a first impression, and it can be hard to overcome a first chapter that has issues. On the average week, I receive at least a dozen submissions, and the cold, hard truth is that I don’t have the time to read a book that stumbles out of the gate. So, as a querying writer, your job is to make sure that your book’s opening has as few hurdles as possible. I’ve barely had time to stretch—don’t make me jump. That being said, I fully believe that every book needs a good edit, and if I really love the writing, I’ll continue with a submission longer to see if it gets better.
Also, I must stress the importance of the pitch letter. The best pitches are the ones that give me a clear understanding of what I’m about to read and who I’m about to meet. One pet peeve of mine that I see surprisingly often is an opening chapter that starts somewhere seemingly unrelated to the pitch. Prologues are often the culprit here, and I encourage writers to strongly consider whether or not their story needs a prologue.
DOSSIER: Since editors work for publishers who are focused on sales and the bottom line, how important is it for you to be able to convince them that a particular writer has a strong social media presence or a personal vehicle to generate sales right away?
BROSNAN: It’s funny, I attend a decent amount of writing conferences, and on every single editor panel, we spend a lot of time discussing marketing and social media. And I get it—it’s important and frustratingly opaque. I spent nearly 10 years working on the marketing team at St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books before moving into the editorial space fulltime, so I like to think I know what to look for when auditing prospective authors on their marketing potential. Sure, a huge built-in following is great, and if a submission comes across my desk from an author with that, it catches my attention. And it should—growing and maintaining a following is hard work, and I only want to work with authors who take their job seriously. But I also understand it’s unfair to expect every author to come with a pre-installed fanbase. Especially for debut and emerging writers. But I do expect them to want to put in the work to get there. Authors, especially in the thriller and mystery space, should think of themselves as a brand. They’re going to put out a book every year (give or take), and it’s important that they cultivate a group of fans who will be excited for cover reveals, downprices, paperbacks, and all the other marketing that’s to come. For me, if an author is not interested in the marketing aspect of the job, then I can guarantee I will not be interested in working with them, no matter how much I love their book. So, to come back to the sales part of this question: yes, it’s important. We need to remain profitable, and publishing is a tricky business to predict. Social media is one of the few reliable indicators that a book will sell, so it’s something we pay attention to closely.
DOSSIER: What do you focus on most—developmental editing and pulling the strings from behind the curtain or directing scenes, themes, and plot lines with a guiding hand?
BROSNAN: The type of editing I bring to each project is different. Some books need more developmental work, and others need just a gentle nudge here and there. I’m not the type of editor who changes things just for the sake of doing it. My general strategy is to poke and prod and find the weak bits. I like to ask a lot of questions in the comments, especially why. I’ll also pay close attention to opening and closing each chapter. The best thrillers are the ones that keep you up at night because every chapter ends on such a good note that you can’t help but keep reading.
DOSSIER: Is there anything you’ve been dying to tell the writing community?
BROSNAN: Keep pushing the envelope. The crime fiction space really does seem to be headed in the right direction, with new voices and new stories finding their way to the center of the stage. I’m so excited to see what comes next, and I’m honored to play a small part in it.
Websites: Grove Atlantic | X | Instagram