The Garden Theory of Writing and Publishing

By Cynthia Ruchti @cynthiaruchti

A writer and an agent were chatting over lunch one day. The writer had been at it a long time,
had planted many different kinds of stories, but nothing had taken root.

The agent asked, “What do like most about gardening with words?”

The writer said, “Being in the garden.”

“It is beautiful here, isn’t it? But I mean, what do you most like cultivating and tending? Roses? Tomatoes? Peppers? Squash? Cucumbers? Wildflowers? Corn?”

“I like to feed people with what I grow.”

The agent said, “Good. A worthy goal. What are you best at?”

“I enjoy growing it all.”

“Not what I asked. If you could choose one and really become a master, what would it
be?”

The writer squirmed. “I can’t choose. I love them all.”

“Humor me for now,” the agent said.

Long, poetic pause. “I’d love to become a master gardener of heirloom tomatoes.”

“Heirloom tomatoes are delicious, important, and unique enough not to be ordinary.
There’s a story behind each one,” the agent said.

“I don’t know where to start specializing.” The writer’s shoulders slumped.

“I have a few ideas. For one, conduct research about growing heirloom tomatoes.”

“I’ve been taking all kinds of writing classes and courses.”

“Well,” the agent said, “you’ve been researching gardening itself, and that’s definitely
helped you understand soil and water and sunshine needs of a lot of different varieties of fruit
and vegetables. How many other people have a home garden?”

“Lots. Everyone on my block.”

“How many are experts at growing heirloom tomatoes?”

“None.”

“Can you find some?” the agent asked. “Experts?

“I think my county has a group. They exchange seeds and discuss ideal climate

conditions.”
“Good start. Where do the people who love eating heirloom tomatoes hang out? You’ll
need to know.”

“Farmers markets? Farm to table restaurants?”

“Won’t that research be fun?”

The agent and writer paused to take a bite of their farm to table sandwiches.

“I think,” the writer said, “that as much as I love growing everything, I need to become a
specialist in one thing.”

“A wise conclusion.” The agent took a sip of tea. “Especially while you’re unpublished.
You need to find your audience, your people, and polish your skillsets in that area until you’re
known as the Heirloom Tomato Expert. You’ll be asked to speak on the topic. You’ll give
presentations to other gardeners. But most of all, you’ll be feeding what you’re especially good
at raising to those who are hungry for that very thing.”

“My focus can become my strength?”

“As a word gardener, you can plant and harvest whatever you’d like. But if you want it to
reach farther than your own kitchen table, consider focusing your efforts on becoming a master
gardener in one of those areas of interest. Build your audience there. They’re waiting for you.”

Many writers love writing, like a gardener loves everything about gardening. But few
unpublished authors can present themselves as a gardener of “this and that.” Agents and editors
(and readers) are looking for an author who can be identified as the go-to person for
_________________.

Will that feel constricting at first? Why can’t I write children’s books and nonfiction
books on apologetics and cozy mysteries at the same time? The reason? That’s three completely
different audiences to find. You can’t sell all three at the same farm stand. Can some writers pull
it off? Yes. But behind the scenes, something is being sacrificed.

Questions to ask yourself:

1. Do I like being IN the garden more than I like gardening?

2. In the writing world, what do I want to be known as? (Hint, the answer isn’t
“this and that.”)

3. What’s my next step to zero in on my specialty?

Cynthia Ruchti is the author of more than 50 books (both fiction and nonfiction. Please don’t throw tomatoes at her. It’s a long story) and a senior literary agent with Books & Such Literary Management. You can find her and her widely varied garden of books, including her latest Advent devotional—The Spirit of Christmas: Discovering His Presence Throughout the Advent Season—at cynthiaruchti.com or hemmedinhope.com, and at twitter.com/cynthiaruchti.