tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post3715890793564201509..comments2023-11-02T06:57:11.400-04:00Comments on BookEnds Literary Agency: Agent AdvertisingBookEnds, A Literary Agencyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06287278822065839469noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-36804379905655863522008-12-10T10:59:00.000-05:002008-12-10T10:59:00.000-05:00I've received advertising enclosed with the SASE. ...I've received advertising enclosed with the SASE. At the time, I was a little annoyed. On one level it was as though the agent was saying, 'I don't want your book, but why don't you buy mine?' Insult to injury... I gave them points for clever: Free advertising, but was rather glad they did reject me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-72251645669519976052008-12-05T11:09:00.000-05:002008-12-05T11:09:00.000-05:00Wow, Connie - I'd report that guy/gal to editors a...Wow, Connie - I'd report that guy/gal to editors and predators.<BR/><BR/>Ray - I love Zuckerman's book, and I think it's useful information. YMMV.<BR/><BR/>On the other hand, I think it's lousy positioning to connect your agency's name, plus the name of a book, to the negative feeling associated with a rejection. It would take a *very* personalized rejection letter to make that work.Dal Jeanishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03652296391869599080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-50021638340296387912008-12-03T11:11:00.000-05:002008-12-03T11:11:00.000-05:00Oh my . . . so tacky. While I can take rejections...Oh my . . . so tacky. While I can take rejections in stride, they hurt at the moment of administration - sort of like a vaccination. No big deal in the long run, but at the moment . . .<BR/><BR/>So, to be told, 'you are a loser, however, I do have clients that are not losers and they would like your business . . . ' would most likely poison those authors in my mind forever because they would be associated in my mind with their extremely gauche agent. <BR/><BR/>Yes Virginia, there is such a thing as bad publicity.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-38812587609814970242008-12-03T10:36:00.000-05:002008-12-03T10:36:00.000-05:00Connie: Sounds like that agent discovered a steady...Connie: Sounds like that agent discovered a steady source of potential income...he/she doesn't even have to read the manuscript unless he/she gets his 'mordita'...sort of a back-door reverse with triple axle reading fee. Yassuh.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-76716464142933824272008-12-03T09:16:00.000-05:002008-12-03T09:16:00.000-05:00I would seriously question the business acumen of ...I would seriously question the business acumen of an agent who includes advertisements in rejection letters (other than a quick line in the signature of an email). If they are that clueless as to the probable reaction, I would wonder seriously how good a job they would do of marketing the book to editors. I do not think I would care to have an emotionally illiterate agent.<BR/><BR/>Of course, it might be a ploy to reduce the excessive number of queries they receive, but you'd think there would be a better way of accomplishing that end.Janethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04600030574995481267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-15756541097487704712008-12-03T05:57:00.000-05:002008-12-03T05:57:00.000-05:00Tacky maybe? I'd probably think the agent weird an...Tacky maybe? <BR/>I'd probably think the agent weird and maybe they won't be on the top of my "send out" list next time.Aimlesswriterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03012050763172251381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-46315781353207100972008-12-03T01:37:00.000-05:002008-12-03T01:37:00.000-05:00I don't care how big an agent's name is, or what e...I don't care how big an agent's name is, or what established and prestigious house he established or works for, I can't bring myself to respect and query someone whose ego has complete disregard for newbie writers. Self aggrandizing is so gauche in an agent. He/She is obviously interested in self-promotion and not helping a writer's career. What good is an agent like that?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-43844185055584591072008-12-03T00:10:00.000-05:002008-12-03T00:10:00.000-05:00I've been taken aback by advertisements in rejecti...I've been taken aback by advertisements in rejection letters, even from established agents. They were early in my querying days and I thought it was common practice.<BR/><BR/>Today, I find it in bad taste.Sandra Cormierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00231342310371529022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-84161867441549727782008-12-02T20:01:00.000-05:002008-12-02T20:01:00.000-05:00Tacky is definitely the right word!Tacky is definitely the right word!Jennifer Rolandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12856781609646639172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-86689744193429721082008-12-02T19:45:00.000-05:002008-12-02T19:45:00.000-05:00Reminds me of college professors who pawned off th...Reminds me of college professors who pawned off their books on us, as their students...except in those cases, you were *forced* to buy their books.<BR/><BR/>:-)T. M. Hunterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04315726033990784930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-25571790539819692922008-12-02T18:38:00.000-05:002008-12-02T18:38:00.000-05:00Yeah, I'd be offended if someone used my SASE to s...Yeah, I'd be offended if someone used my SASE to send an advertisement. But the worst I've ever had was when an agent requested a full, and then in the rejection letter offered to mail me the reasons for the rejections--for a fee!! And this was a highly recommended agent.Connie Kellerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10774616533630985219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-89628723280808230192008-12-02T17:47:00.000-05:002008-12-02T17:47:00.000-05:00Ugh. Can we say tacky? I wouldn't get fussy over i...Ugh. Can we say tacky? I wouldn't get fussy over it, but my nose would certainly be doing a little wrinkling. <BR/><BR/>If it was in the signature line, that wouldn't bother me at all.Keri Fordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03342480359177235075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-7935520366588051352008-12-02T16:34:00.000-05:002008-12-02T16:34:00.000-05:00Eww.Eww.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-24097470749717174992008-12-02T16:29:00.000-05:002008-12-02T16:29:00.000-05:00I'd hate it - hasn't happened to me, but it would ...I'd hate it - hasn't happened to me, but it would be an immense turnoff - this agent is more interested in flogging his book/services than in representing my book? Fail.<BR/><BR/>The other aspect is that when you're a writer who has just been rejected, for whatever genuine reason, the last thing you want to hear is an agent sneering 'the only things we reject quickly are abysmally written queries' (yes, I had that happen - it would have been a bad fit for more than one reason, but my carefully-crafted, correctly-formatted not-for-agent query did not deserve that slur); and 'you wouldn't have been rejected if you'd read my book, you loser' would arrive in most writer's minds in a similar fashion.<BR/><BR/>A line in your .sig is fine. Rubbing it in (ok, 'agressive marketing') is a turnoff either way. And as I don't want an agent whose methods and demeanous might put off potential buyers, I'd pass either way.green_knighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16499896006012152260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-18281911735888432102008-12-02T16:16:00.000-05:002008-12-02T16:16:00.000-05:00*shrug* I got one of those once. Didn't really bot...*shrug* I got one of those once. Didn't really bother me. I advertise my books in my sig line too.<BR/><BR/>But I would <I>never</I> query an agent who also writes in their genre (the occasioanl nonfic book on publishing doesn't bother me either). Not ever. Total dealbreaker; either you're going after publishing slots for your clients or for yourself; you can't do both.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-39147387029603112492008-12-02T16:12:00.000-05:002008-12-02T16:12:00.000-05:00I've never received one and I know we really can't...I've never received one and I know we really can't do this since we don't want a 'bad' name but...I'd be hard pressed not to send back a rejection letter to the agent letting he/she know, it just wasn't right for my home. Perhaps another house will love it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-22955515065117384082008-12-02T15:54:00.000-05:002008-12-02T15:54:00.000-05:00Hah! That's hilarious!You know how you can watch T...Hah! That's hilarious!<BR/><BR/>You know how you can watch TV for free online if you accept the advertising? You know how cable used to be no advertising because you paid for it, and regular TV was free as long as you were willing to watch the commercials?<BR/><BR/>Well, I think we should apply the same standard. You have a choice: you can include an SASE if you want no advertisement. But if you'd like to save money on an SASE, then you can receive an advertisement instead.<BR/><BR/>A consumer should be paid for viewing an advertisement, not rejected, LOL!Spy Scribblerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14299551957327543491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-52147879610621113162008-12-02T15:50:00.000-05:002008-12-02T15:50:00.000-05:00I've gotten a few of these. And if there's one way...I've gotten a few of these. And if there's one way to ensure that I'll never, ever buy or read a book, it's this.Nikki Hootmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07822374543666736547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-73611851328890079102008-12-02T15:23:00.000-05:002008-12-02T15:23:00.000-05:00This happened to me. It was Al Zuckerman, Writer's...This happened to me. It was Al Zuckerman, Writer's House. I resented the hell out of it, and complained to the assistant who sent the rejection letter. He didn't care a lot.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-56397945352274788182008-12-02T15:20:00.000-05:002008-12-02T15:20:00.000-05:00I had an editor do this to me on a rejection lette...I had an editor do this to me on a rejection letter. I thought it was weird, had nothing to do with the rejection, AND (most importantly) it backfired because to this day I don't like that author or her books because it just reminds me of that rejection. Dumb way to advertise if you ask me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-84912943439238186512008-12-02T14:57:00.000-05:002008-12-02T14:57:00.000-05:00Several years ago, this happened to me. It was a b...Several years ago, this happened to me. It was a book written by the agent himself. You can probably guess who--he runs workshops all over now. I just laughed and wondered if he promoted his clients that aggressively.Heather Moorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11634399663804195312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-32460562534229699302008-12-02T14:48:00.000-05:002008-12-02T14:48:00.000-05:00I wouldn't get in a tizzy if an agent said in a re...I wouldn't get in a tizzy if an agent said in a rejection that I needed to read up more on the biz, and here's a list of books they suggest. If their book is on that list, that's tacky but not a dealbreaker. <BR/><BR/>However, an agent that listed ONLY his or her book is removed from my options, period. They just don't get marketing enough for me to want to deal with them, although they do get points for ruthlessness.Jennahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15715761180494476618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-68661601191619787922008-12-02T14:28:00.000-05:002008-12-02T14:28:00.000-05:00I don't think I would be too upset about it, but i...I don't think I would be <I>too</I> upset about it, but it's definitely in poor taste. If I query an agent, it will be because I'm interested in a business partnership with that person. It would seem a bit tacky for them to reject me and then basically proposition me to buy their book(s).<BR/><BR/>(That's not to say I wouldn't buy any book represented by an agent who rejected me, but it should be totally separate from querying.)Kristin Laughtinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01536556357622503501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-58340651208132751792008-12-02T12:56:00.000-05:002008-12-02T12:56:00.000-05:00I work in the advertising industry as a copywriter...I work in the advertising industry as a copywriter, and I think this practice is extremely tacky and unprofessional. <BR/><BR/>From a pure marketing perspective, how effective can an ad be if it's delivered with bad news?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-56587950333783848442008-12-02T12:51:00.000-05:002008-12-02T12:51:00.000-05:00I have an image of taking that extra step and prom...I have an image of taking that extra step and promoting the books of clients. Perhaps the ad could say something like, "I won't represent your book, but here are some books that DID make the cut!"Dianahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01920175688407593776noreply@blogger.com