Jonny Geller: the future of books

Selling, he says, is a matter of planting ideas in an editor's mind, so they think that they have done that work themselves, that the clever strap-line on a book's cover is their idea, not his. But does a writer need to have that strap-line in mind before they start writing? (I ask, because I never do this). It depends, he says, thinking of some of his illustrious clients. William Boyd knows exactly what he's doing before he starts writing. Howard Jacobson has a basic idea, but never plans ahead (like me). John Le Carre has a long thinking time, and then quite a quick writing time. "To sell a book, you do need to know what it's about, and to be able to put that into ten words or so."