On Writing and Editing for Deseret Book: An interview with Dennis Gaunt

As an acquisitions editor for the biggest LDS mainstream publisher, how do you see LDS fiction as a whole? What do we produce more of, what genres and types of fiction sell better? What’s most marketable to an LDS audience?

First off, I’m not an acquisitions editor. My technical title is “manuscript evaluator,” and I work with the editors to cull the slushpile. I’ve been doing this since 2000.

As for LDS fiction in general, I would say that what’s popular in the mainstream is popular in LDS publishing as well. That is to say, YA speculative is as huge here as it is anywhere. The same goes for various subgenres of romance, such as Regency or proper, and of course, there’s always a market for middle grade. There’s been an upswell in recent years of general women’s fiction (a genre that’s kind of hard to define), as well.

In terms of marketing these things for an LDS audience, there really isn’t much difference than there would be in a mainstream publishing house, except for certain obvious differences on content. LDS publishers are going to steer clear of lots of sex, violence, or profanity. Basically, an LDS published book is going to aim for a “G” or “PG” rating.

What is the audience, would you say, that Deseret Book is aiming for?  What types of people read the books DB puts out?

Deseret Book and Shadow Mountain have slightly different aims for their audiences. A typical DB reader is probably looking for books from general authorities, study aids for and commentaries on the scriptures, and inspirational books. Shadow Mountain deals more with fiction, and aims at the youth and young adult markets heavily.

Tell me about the slush pile. What sorts of manuscripts do you see, genre-wise? Are there ever stories that come through which just stand out to you as wonderful, but in the end, are too hard to market for DB to take them on?  Do you have any specific stories to this end? 

The slush pile is a swirling, howling cavern of terror, filled with monstrosities that will haunt your dreams forever. Just kidding. Sort of. 🙂

Seriously, the slush pile is an exciting thing to be a part of. We get the chance to read stories all day long, from some really talented individuals. And there’s always that thrill when you find that diamond in the rough that you just know is in there. Those are my favorite moments.

We see genres that cross the spectrum, from full on religious commentary and inspirational, to YA and middle grade fantasy and sci-fi. We even get manuscripts from people who have no idea the kinds of books DB or SM publishes. That’s how we got a manuscript from someone in South Africa, who wrote a 350 page horror story about a serial killer—complete with hand drawn illustrations. Needless to say, we didn’t publish that one.

Stories like that one are easy to say no to. It’s the ones that are really good that hurt when we have to pass on them. I can think of several really amazing books by first time authors that we ultimately passed on because there were concerns that they wouldn’t sell. And good books can get passed on for any number of reasons. It may be that the timing was wrong, and we’re publishing a similar story that just had the luck of getting to us first. Or it may be that the market is oversaturated, and there’s just not a demand for another YA dystopian right now. And even though I’m not part of the marketing specifically, I do have to keep such things in mind as I read. I don’t make the final decision on whether something gets published, but I often make the first decision, and that’s a responsibility I don’t take lightly. I know that these stories represent real authors, all of whom are hoping to be published, and it’s sad that we can’t publish all the great stories I get to read.

What do you wish the LDS fiction market had more of?

That’s a hard question, because right now the LDS fiction market is as strong as it has ever been. There are some truly amazing authors out there at the moment. That having been said, I’d love to see more of a focus on new authors. They’re the lifeblood of the industry, and there should be more of an emphasis to work with and support them.

Do you have any suggestions for aspiring LDS writers? What sorts of stories should we be writing? What can we do to get a query to stand out in the crowd? 

I’m a reader, first and foremost. I’m just looking for a good story, no matter the genre. I want a story that grabs me and won’t let go. I want a story so good it forces me to recommend it for publishing, because doing otherwise would be a mortal sin. That’s what I’m looking for. I hope that doesn’t sound like a cop-out, but it’s the truth. I wish there were some quantifiable formula I could lay out that said, “if you do thus and so, you’ll have an amazing story, and we’ll publish it,” but that’s not the case. Many times, it comes down to a gut reaction. Really great stories stand out in ways others don’t.

For instance, great stories avoid tired clichés (or at least turn them on their ear). They have a solid and fresh sounding voice, and tell a story in a new way. They are clean and polished, and have been edited and revised at least a couple of times. First drafts are obvious and sad, and get sent back.

We also have to consider the author. Do we think we can work with this author, or do they feel like a diva in the making? Does this author have a deep well of ideas to draw from, or are they a one-hit-wonder? Can they take criticism, or will they get angry and defensive? These things matter. We want to work with professionals, not amateurs.

Because in the end, this is a business. We’re trying to hire you to write books for us. So think of your book or query letter as a job application, because that’s precisely what it is.

What do you write?

I have written almost exclusively in the LDS nonfiction genre. I write primarily for LDS youth and young adults.

What lead you to this genre?

I have a teaching background with CES (seminary and institute), and so I’ve always been interested in trying to make the scriptures more accessible to younger readers. I want to help them blow the dust off their scriptures, and discover the timeless insights that they can apply to their lives today.

Have you always wanted to be a writer, or has working in acquisitions influenced that?

I would say working in the slush pile definitely helped steer me towards being a writer. I used to think “all the good ideas have already been done,” which wasn’t true, of course. And the longer I spent reading other people’s words, I kept having this little feeling that said, “You could do this to, if you wanted.” And it all came together one morning in 2010, when I got the idea for what would become my first book.

Give us a few lines from your most recent release.

The most recent book I’m a part of is a compilation of essays on keeping the Sabbath day holy, titled The Sabbath: His Gift to Us, Our Gift to Him, published by Covenant Communications. Here are a few lines from my chapter, “The Peculiar, Delightful Sabbath”:

“The Sabbath provides refreshment, renewal, and spiritual protection for all who will obediently participate. As we keep this sacred day holy, we become holy ourselves, little by little. We will find an added measure of fortification against temptation, and we will stand further apart from the world. We will become God’s peculiar treasure, and He will be delighted in us.”

What are your aspirations for the future, as a writer?

I enjoy writing LDS non-fiction for youth and young adults, but I have also begun testing the waters of the fiction world. I have always had a particular love for science fiction, and I’ve been working on a few ideas in that genre. I’d love to be able to publish more in both genres.

How do you feel about the LDS writing community? What has been great, and what do you wish there were more of/what do you think could change?

As I mentioned, the LDS writing community is something very special. There’s a sense of camaraderie that I don’t think is found in many other places. Perhaps it’s the common bond we share in our beliefs that keeps us such a close-knit community. Attending a writing conference such as LDStorymakers is more like a family reunion than a workshop. We share each other’s joys, cheer for one another’s successes, and support each other in a way I’ve never seen elsewhere. Jealousy is all but non-existent, and that’s a fact.

As much as I love LDStorymakers, its primary focus is fiction writing. There are a handful of us who write non-fiction, but there’s not quite the same emphasis. And I understand why that is, and I don’t fault them for it. But it would be nice to have something as wonderful and supportive as Storymakers for the non-fiction genres.

All about Dennis Gaunt:

• He served in the New Zealand Auckland mission.
• He studied at both the University of Utah and BYU-Idaho, just to make sure he annoyed as many people as possible. 🙂
• He and his wife, Natalie, have been married for fifteen years, and live in the Salt Lake City area.
• He has recently served on a Church Curriculum Writing Committee, where he helped to write the upcoming Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Gordon B. Hinckley manual.
• He has taught seminary and institute since 1998.
• He is the author of two books: Bad Guys of the Book of Mormon, and Bad Guys of the Bible. He also has recorded three talks for youth on CD.
• He has also had articles published in the Ensign, New Era, and LDS Living magazines, and on several LDS websites, including Meridian Magazine Online and MissionHome.com.
• He enjoys photography, crossword puzzles, playing the guitar, going to Disneyland, and Godzilla movies.

 

Dennis Gaunt’s most recent release: Rejoice With Me, Lessons of Love From the Savior, is available here from Deseret Book. You can also follow him here on Facebook.

Thank you, Dennis, for adding your voice to the discussions here at AML.