tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post4878700262067999147..comments2023-11-02T06:57:11.400-04:00Comments on BookEnds Literary Agency: Am I Believing in Something Bad?BookEnds, A Literary Agencyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06287278822065839469noreply@blogger.comBlogger114125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-3196124853570307302008-02-27T14:38:00.000-05:002008-02-27T14:38:00.000-05:00Huckleberry Finn doesn't "start slowly" at all.In ...<I>Huckleberry Finn</I> doesn't "start slowly" at all.<BR/><BR/>In fact, the first sentence is "You don't know about me without you have read a book called <I>Tom Sawyer</I> by Mr. Mark Twain" (I'm doing this from memory, so excuse me if it's slightly off).<BR/><BR/>Given that <I>Tom Sawyer</I> was a best-seller, I think that's pretty much a slam! bang! beginning.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-88464169549462389072008-02-25T14:15:00.000-05:002008-02-25T14:15:00.000-05:00As an author, I want to know that my agent is pass...As an author, I want to know that my agent is passionate about my work. Otherwise, she's not going to be able to put that passion into her sales pitch to the editor. If you don't believe in something, how can you possibly make someone else believe? I think a good editor should be able to tell if the pitch is made out of love for a project, or merely to make a sale. I would feel cheated as a client if my agent felt otherwise.Kate Douglashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05486916548114546095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-2068796179638042212008-02-25T00:40:00.000-05:002008-02-25T00:40:00.000-05:00Write what you know; write what you love; write wh...Write what you know; write what you love; write what you have to write in order to survive. Agent what you know; agent what you love; agent what you have to agent in order to survive.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-13112610183700776162008-02-24T21:53:00.000-05:002008-02-24T21:53:00.000-05:00Wanda: I'm Anon 10:10, not the other two anons who...Wanda: I'm Anon 10:10, not the other two anons who've already responded. I'm not really sure how gender fits in, but I'm female, single and a couple of years shy of 50. And I work from home, which is a 20-acre farm complete with chickens and goats. I work to support my current menagerie and to put aside enough money to be able to take in and care for a few more abused animals once I retire. Being broke is not an option for me or my charges. <BR/><BR/>During lunch, you can catch me working on my hobby -- writing something I love: a novel or another fantasy or SF short story (I've sold several). I have worked with, lunched with, and shared many a giggle with a number of temps over the years, many of whom were as clothes-horse clueless as me. But I am a realist. And if that makes me some binary-thinking bitch from hell, I'm not at all concerned. In fact, I'm quite happy with my life. <BR/><BR/>I truly, truly wish you could be as happy with yours.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-12596658212147948102008-02-24T18:46:00.000-05:002008-02-24T18:46:00.000-05:00Dear Anon:Thanks for the bouquet (well it was rath...Dear Anon:<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the bouquet (well it was rather small, so I'll call it a posey)-<BR/><BR/>You wrote: <BR/><BR/>"I read the entire piece"<BR/>_____________<BR/><BR/>Hmm, on second thought I just looked up the definition of "posey," it means "chamber pot," so I guess I meant posy instead...nosegay, boutteniere...<BR/><BR/>Wanda B.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-16354705376834555382008-02-24T18:11:00.000-05:002008-02-24T18:11:00.000-05:00Wanda:Wow. No offence, but…What on earth are you t...Wanda:<BR/><BR/>Wow. No offence, but…What on earth are you talking about???? <BR/><BR/>I’d have to be on a variety pack of hallucinogenic meds for that abstract tangent to fit anywhere into the topic at hand. Never in my life have I seen it take so many words to say so little. I read the entire piece thinking I would find gold at the end. <BR/><BR/>Nothing. Nada.<BR/><BR/>Even the snow-shoveling-menstrual-yoga thing made more sense.<BR/><BR/>Truly. Stabbing my eyelids with pins would have been less painful.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-28611567074877662502008-02-24T16:21:00.000-05:002008-02-24T16:21:00.000-05:00"As if writing fiction were as easy as making cand..."As if writing fiction were as easy as making candles, or turning bottles into vases, or digging rusty wristwatches out of the sand."<BR/><BR/>Have you ever tried metal detecting? It's not as easy as it looks. And you can find better stuff than rusty wristwatches.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-12531843895299876662008-02-24T15:39:00.000-05:002008-02-24T15:39:00.000-05:00Binary Brain Strikes AgainBinary: "A numbering sys...Binary Brain Strikes Again<BR/><BR/>Binary: "A numbering system with only two values: 0 (zero) and 1 (one)" colloq - either/or black/white thinking.<BR/><BR/>Re: "If you approach fiction writing as a hobby, then, yeah, write only what you love. If you approach it as a business and depend on an income that you can retire on, then you'd best be looking at a career path that will get you there. And sometimes that means writing the types of stories that fit on the shelves, not in your souls."<BR/>____________________<BR/><BR/>Well, I have so many responses to this, but I guess I will stick to hobby/business "binary" - oh, if only it were that simple! I picture those back-of-magazine ads for bottle cutters, or candle making kits, or metal detectors..."turn your hobby into a lucrative business!" As if writing fiction were as easy as making candles, or turning bottles into vases, or digging rusty wristwatches out of the sand. Or even - writing "Marketing and sales copy for a large technology firm."<BR/><BR/>Oh, I just laugh, ex-perpetual temp moi, imagining those tasteful slate gray or slate blue or slate something cubicles that you traverse with your sales copy, paying your mortgage, and disdaining that nervous temp with her vintage jewelry, excess of green clothing and half-hour lunch spent jotting in a too-expensive-for-a-temp hardbound journal, who-knows-what pitiful and/or self-pitying crap. Lines of poetry, even, the futility of it! Pathetic! But that chick in marketing, did you see her, she is H-O-T! <BR/><BR/>I could never write sales copy for a tech company and get paid for it. A) They would never hire me in the first place, and even if they did, B) I would quit after a few weeks, f*** it, I'm not writing this s***!<BR/><BR/>But, on the other hand - this isn't the way I feel about sci-fi, or "women's fiction" (still trying to figure out what that is, truthfully), detective novels - not too crazy about fantasy genre - books set in ancient Egypt are pretty interesting - Jodi Picoult is interesting - enjoyed Harry Potter series (would have liked a female Henrietta Potter main protag, though) - and I can imagine there are books I could write in these genres that would fit BOTH the "shelves" and "my soul."<BR/><BR/>Shelves/soul, profession/hobby, career path/garden path, mortgage/on the street, bestseller/great literature, yada yada yada...I want to say: I've known so many men like you - but maybe you're a woman...that painful, excruciating "binary brain" - it's either 0 or 1! When will you get this through your thick head, you weird, broke temp female! 0 or 1! 0 or 1! No one will want to marry you (and share a mortgage) if you can't choose between 0 and 1! Pick!<BR/><BR/>I remember those posters and so forth of Einstein, and hanging in the background would be the equation "e=mc2," and maybe an artist's rendering of an atom (They usually leave the mushroom cloud out, hmm, wonder why) - maybe 50 years from now we'll have posters of Bill Gates, or Steve Jobs, with suitably visionary expressions on their faces, with the phrase "It's either 0 or 1" hanging in the background.<BR/><BR/>On behalf of female what-the-hell-am-I-doing-here? temps and ex-temps everywhere,<BR/><BR/>Wanda B.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-49855815289671101612008-02-24T10:10:00.000-05:002008-02-24T10:10:00.000-05:00It's supply and demand. In a market where there ar...It's supply and demand. In a market where there are more than enough publishable manuscripts, agents can afford to be choosy. The market allows.<BR/><BR/>What I don't necessarily agree with is the advice to write what you love. Is writing a business or not? <BR/><BR/>I write for a living. Marketing and sales copy for a large technology firm. If I had the option of making a good living writing what I loved, I would be writing for small non-profit animal rescue groups. But that's not an option if I want to pay the mortgage. Do I feel my writing suffers because I don't love writing about data centers and networks and storage arrays? No. I'm a professional. I know my craft and I know how to write persuasive sales copy for any situation. It's business. I <I>can</I> fake it.<BR/><BR/>If you approach fiction writing as a hobby, then, yeah, write only what you love. If you approach it as a business and depend on an income that you can retire on, then you'd best be looking at a career path that will get you there. And sometimes that means writing the types of stories that fit on the shelves, not in your souls.<BR/><BR/>It's great when what you love happens to be what's most marketable. But that's not a luxury you can count on. You may love selling pink widgets, but if no one wants to buy them no matter how persuasive your spiel, you can either starve or start selling the green ones that everyone wants. And when the market is glutted in green, be adaptable enough to start selling the next hot craze in blue. Doesn't mean you have to give up on selling the pink ones completely, but selling them becomes your hobby, not your primary business.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-39331649879014296752008-02-23T10:42:00.000-05:002008-02-23T10:42:00.000-05:00In the past I've started reading a few "well writt...In the past I've started reading a few "well written" novels ... and didn't finish them. I did not like them. <BR/><BR/>Everyone has different tastes. <BR/><BR/>Selling is a difficult enough job without trying to sell something for which one has no enthusiasm. Yes, it must ALSO be marketable. <BR/><BR/>Isn't this a large reason why most agents specify which genre they represent? By keeping with the genres they like, this helps agents narrow down, from the overwhelming submissions they receive, the handful of novels they know they can represent.<BR/><BR/>I believe most writers who argue how publishers and agents do their business ... do so out of rejection frustration. <BR/><BR/>As emotionally connected as we feel to our novels, writers must understand publishing IS a business. <BR/><BR/>If we want to break into the business, then we need to learn how the market works. <BR/><BR/>It takes more than writing a good novel. <BR/><BR/>It involves learning how to write a strong synopsis, a catchy query letter, and proper formatting. It means researching for reputable publishers and agents. Knowing who accepts submissions for your kind of writing. It means accepting rejections without giving up and being a professional about accepting criticism and suggestions. Perhaps even learning a thing or two from them.<BR/><BR/>Even after all that. There are no guarantees. As writers, all we can do is work hard to improve our odds.<BR/><BR/>We can not blame an agent if, even after all that, our story just doesn't do it for them. <BR/><BR/>And guess what? Even an acceptance and getting published does NOT mean automatic fame and fortune. Promotion is a whole other ballgame.JoEllehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17034046062265134994noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-4198807569537126462008-02-23T09:52:00.000-05:002008-02-23T09:52:00.000-05:00Jessica;When I first started selling real estate I...Jessica;<BR/><BR/>When I first started selling real estate I entered at a time when interest rates were starting to make massive jumps. Every experienced Realtor in town was crying we would never sell another house. I worked for a developer so I didn't need a license or experience. I just loved the houses.<BR/><BR/>Because I loved them and that enthusiasm showed, I was selling 10-20-30 houses a month when we might get one contract from an outside real estate agent.<BR/><BR/>Later when I got licensed and built my own company, I noticed the properties we sold first were quite often the ones the agents loved. So much so I told the agents to find a specialty and stick with it.<BR/><BR/>A person is a better representative of something they are familiar with and love. My little school teacher hated country property and always called me in to handle it. She was sweet and a very good salesman, but she just hated the nasty, dirty country stuff and if she stepped in a cow pie, while she was out there we heard about it for days. She didn't want to understand country property, she didn't want to look at it and she didn't want to show it. She also didn't sell much of it.<BR/><BR/>I think that is one reason these blogs are so much of an improvement over the old Literary Agents Guide. I have that book sitting on my table and will use it extensively, but when I get down to submitting, I am also going to start checking for agent blogs and get to know them better. If they are not pretty enthusiastic about what I write I am going elsewhere.<BR/><BR/>I've spent years writing. I want them to love what I do as much as I do. I want them to know what sells and what doesn't and what I need to do to make my work as presentable as possible. If it isn't something they enjoy, they will miss the subtle changes I need to make. <BR/><BR/>It's like making a shopping list for a companion, I suppose. You can go down the list and fill in the blanks--nice teeth, sense of humor, tall, Wrangler butt, pretty eyes--but chances are you aren't going to feel that spark if they aren't also enthused about what you love.Julie Weathershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13725236516593676381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-36887615623161024872008-02-23T08:49:00.000-05:002008-02-23T08:49:00.000-05:00My first thought is Anon 11:59’s work has been rej...My first thought is Anon 11:59’s work has been rejected and he/she is not happy about it. I have to give major props to my local chapter and RWA for teaching us that ‘rejection happens’, get over it and go on. Okay, that might sound a little blunt, but it’s the truth. <BR/><BR/>I look at the Q-letter, much like a resume. If I’m applying for a job, I have write the resume, giving the best highlights of who I am in a very short amount of space. And in today’s work force, they really don’t want more than two pages on said resume, one is better. How much can I really tell them in one or two pages? What makes me the best candidate for the position, and my accomplishments, nothing more. I have to sell me to them, not the other way around. Everything else, all the extra things I want to tell them about me happens in the interview, IF, they like what they’ve read on the resume. <BR/><BR/>So, give the agent what makes my book great and a little about what makes me great, all in a limited amount of space. Does it take work to accomplish this? Yes. Does it take writing the thing more than once before you send it out? Yes. Is it worth the time and effort. Absolutely. I didn’t write any of my books in one day. The query is no different. <BR/><BR/>I also know that it’s my job to find the agent who represents the type of books I write, not the other way around. Yes, the query is hard to write and the synopsis (I have a writer friend who calls it the sucknopsis), is harder still. But it is part of the job. It’s the resume that will sell my book. <BR/> <BR/>Anon 11:59 said, <EM>I don't like mini vans or SUV's and I wouldn't buy one but lots of people in the world do.</EM> But what if it’s the best mini van or SUV? You still wouldn’t buy it, why, because it’s not something you love. Agents are the same and I wouldn’t want one who didn’t love my book.Vickihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04521384704019863926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-65285242281801883312008-02-23T07:46:00.000-05:002008-02-23T07:46:00.000-05:00I know writers today that have up to three agents ...I know writers today that have up to three agents to represent their different books. I assume that's okay. I have my hands full with one. The reason I have my hands full is because I listened to my agent. The agents at BookEnds know what they're doing. Do not mess with success.Livia J Washburnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05958199886826207363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-67689485457268988872008-02-23T00:08:00.000-05:002008-02-23T00:08:00.000-05:00One more thing to add to my (Anon 11:31) comment:B...One more thing to add to my (Anon 11:31) comment:<BR/><BR/>Bookends is one of the few agencies out there who dedicate time to teaching aspiring writers how to write good query letters/pitches.... even if she rejects a writer, simultaneously, she opens the door wide. To stronger writing. To greater hope. And to eventual success. <BR/><BR/>To literally a world of potential writers, these ladies have already done their part--and then some.<BR/><BR/>It's up to the writer to cross the threshold.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-74929395338221289482008-02-22T23:31:00.000-05:002008-02-22T23:31:00.000-05:00Dear Jessica & Kim,Without a shadow of doubt, I st...Dear Jessica & Kim,<BR/><BR/>Without a shadow of doubt, I stand by what you say. <BR/><BR/>Getting a book on the shelf is part of the dream; of course it is. I would be a fool to claim otherwise. But to have someone slither up to me and say, “Ahma playin roooooulette! Who’s with me now, hoot hoot!”<BR/><BR/>Uh. Hell no. Next!<BR/><BR/>I’d rather die than succumb to such defeat.<BR/><BR/>A thought: Vanity publishing. If you are unwilling to wait for the right agent, self-publish and get it over with. In fact, that might even be safer than being represented by the wrong agent.<BR/><BR/>This is a relationship; hence, the wise writer/agent chooses in much the same way one might choose a significant other. If I were to get up on a dance floor—let’s say for a two-step—I damn sure want it to be with someone who knows how to dance, who doesn’t creep me out while in my space, and who has the graceful ability to lead the way (or at the very least not stomp my toes or fling me jive-style into hardwood traffic).<BR/><BR/>I believe in myself and in my dream. Part of that rests within the faith that someone else will believe in me, and will know why they believe in me. Seriously. I’m not even close to being done learning, why would I choose to learn from someone who isn’t qualified to teach me? You don’t send your college kid to kindergarten, right?<BR/><BR/>I want an agent who can see me as both person and writer, hear clarity in my voice and who, most importantly, can echo that voice out to the rest of the world. If that isn’t possible, I will be the first to accept it, wring the tears out of my shirtsleeve, and keep going. <BR/><BR/>Dean Koontz struggled (I know, hard to believe, but he did). His wife believed in him, and kept him believing in himself. Had Koontz married his cousin’s-best friend’s-sister’s-next-door neighbor’s Auntie Elma because her cookies sold at the farmer’s market last week…? <BR/><BR/>We would have lost 30+ years of damn good story telling.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-46339945988548001612008-02-22T23:05:00.000-05:002008-02-22T23:05:00.000-05:00Is this a crazy idea?I am a designer, and I have t...Is this a crazy idea?<BR/><BR/>I am a designer, and I have to tell you that I just love to design letterheads and other bits of stationery. But when it comes to designing my own, I am like most designers, and find it incredibly, incredibly difficult. Why? Because we are creatives, and selling ourselves is tortuous. Selling others is a piece of cake.<BR/><BR/>Now,writing a query letter is essentially a sell. And a person's ability as a novelist may bear no relationship to how they can sell themselves in a query letter. <BR/><BR/>We have all just seen some terrific 'first 100 word' pieces. Wonder what their pitch would have been like. I strongly suspect the pitch would not have been nearly as good. Ad copy writers rarely make good novelists (I know there are exceptions here, but I believe they just prove the rule), and I suspect the reverse holds true.<BR/><BR/>My crazy idea is this. Would Bookends be willing to consider the idea of reading the first 100 words of a novel TOGETHER with the query pitch, irrespective of how bad the pitch is?<BR/><BR/>It's not much more to read, and it would be really interesting to see what happened. And hey, you may be absolutely right about there being a direct correlation between the voice etc and the query pitch, and you could quieten us all down on this matter once and for all.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-28023426037167867452008-02-22T20:14:00.000-05:002008-02-22T20:14:00.000-05:00I agree with those who said that we work so hard w...I agree with those who said that we work so hard writing the darn things that we want to rush out and get it looked at right away. One of my goals right now is to stop that, to take time, because there is no rush, and pushing it has only resulted in missing typos and making silly little mistakes. <BR/><BR/>Plus with my most recent work writing a rough query helped me focus on the important things in the last draft.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-67018836947432523132008-02-22T19:34:00.000-05:002008-02-22T19:34:00.000-05:00Great post and lots to think about. There are prob...Great post and lots to think about. There are probably some agents who don't represent the genres they love, simply because they are starting out and working for the "boss." But primarily, I'd want an agent who thinks she can sell my work--because she knows the genre and has the right contacts. Also, I want my work to be accepted based on the writing and marketability combined. An added bonus would be if the agent personally loved it to death. <BR/><BR/>I agree that queries are really tough to write. I'm sure most writers would love it if agents would look beyond the query and read the first few pages of the manuscript before making a clear-cut decision.<BR/><BR/>The synopsis seems to dissect the story in the worst possible light. I don't write them until my publisher forces me.Heather Moorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11634399663804195312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-23898476769613606062008-02-22T19:06:00.000-05:002008-02-22T19:06:00.000-05:00I'm coming out of lurkdom due to the interesting d...I'm coming out of lurkdom due to the interesting debate.<BR/><BR/>Anon 4:47 (aka Pam) makes a good point about throwing things at the wall to see what will stick. Writers are also guilty of sending out mass queries to many inappropriate editors/agents.<BR/><BR/>How do writers hope to sell their absolutely fabulous novel to Jane Public if they can't sell them to an agent? That's the whole point of a query. Part of learning the commercial publishing ropes means learning how to write those blurbs. No matter how much you hate them. <BR/><BR/>And I know it's hard to accept that our "babies" may be, well, pretty darn ugly. We may love them dearly, but the lady behind us in the checkout line is thinking, "Holy ****!" And this is the person we want to buy our "baby."<BR/><BR/>Now, you may be in total denial that your baby (i.e. novel) has a bad case of cradle cap, but the truth shows in your query (i.e. the baby picture). How do you expect the agent to hire your baby for the Gerber commercial until you get the rash cleared up?<BR/><BR/>A friend of mine is represented by Kim Lionetti and is pleased with Kim's representation. Would I submit to Kim? No, because I don't write the style of book she represents. Why waste both of our time by doing so? It has nothing to do with Kim personally; I've met her and she's a very sweet lady. And if such a statement makes me a sychophant, so be it.<BR/><BR/>Have I offended Kim by saying I'm not sending a query to her? Probably not. Actually, she's probably wiping her brow and whispering prayers of thanks.<BR/><BR/>Will I ever send a query to a different agent at Bookends? Maybe, but first I have to get that cradle cap cleared up on the baby's head.Suzan Hardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04600258874634909988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-88307722550732861602008-02-22T18:52:00.000-05:002008-02-22T18:52:00.000-05:00Lots of interesting opinions, here. And I'll add m...Lots of interesting opinions, here. And I'll add mine to the mix. Basically, writing is an art and all art is subjective. Maybe I'm wrong, but I would think the bad salesperson would be the one trying to sell something they didn't believe in. <BR/><BR/>I want an agent to love my work, because I know they will do a better job representing me and selling my work to editors. <BR/><BR/>An agent should have just as much right to choose the type of books she represents as an author does to choose the type of books she wants to write. <BR/><BR/>When an agent or editor comes back and makes suggestions, a writer has the right to say..."I can't do that." <BR/><BR/>I can honestly say that I think a good agent or editor places value in what the writer thinks and feels. This isn't to say that a writer is always right. A good agent/editor can help a writer improve their work.<BR/><BR/>So far, all the suggestions that have come from my agent and editor have all been something that I felt made the book stronger.<BR/><BR/>My two cents. <BR/><BR/>Christie CraigChristie Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13838947086349600665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-40218053188874266902008-02-22T18:27:00.000-05:002008-02-22T18:27:00.000-05:00Re: anon 5:46. I for one am offended at your use o...Re: anon 5:46. <BR/><BR/>I for one am offended at your use of the word 'sycophant' to describe someone like myself who happens to agree with the OP. I'm just as interested in learning about the business. She posted about the topic because she thought it warranted discussion, not for platitudes and assurance. If that were the case, why bother making the post at all and bringing the negative comment to the fore? <BR/><BR/> I fail to see why someone who has been blamed for the downfall of the entire industry on her own website *wouldn't* be defensive, and further, when someone accuses you of something, you present a *defense*.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-47365286923907077752008-02-22T17:54:00.000-05:002008-02-22T17:54:00.000-05:00Lauralou,I'll give you my opinion on the question ...Lauralou,<BR/><BR/>I'll give you my opinion on the question of what you should do if you send out a not-so-good query letter and get rejected by everyone: <BR/><BR/>*If* an agent or editor rejected on the basis of a query letter, and you feel it was because your query was poorly written, I'd change the name of the manuscript and resubmit the new query letter. I'd also suggest you submit queries in batches of two and three at a time. That way, if you're striking out, you can revise the query letter in-between submissions.<BR/><BR/>Good luck!<BR/><BR/>FayeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-8601257405636811722008-02-22T17:46:00.000-05:002008-02-22T17:46:00.000-05:00I just read the 'anonymous' you have referred to.I...I just read the 'anonymous' you have referred to.<BR/><BR/>I think this person makes very good points, and I happen to agree with most of them.<BR/><BR/>But what I am most struck by in your latest blog entry is yet another example of your defensiveness.<BR/><BR/>Not all the folk who read or comment on your blogs are sycophants.<BR/><BR/>Some of us read your blog for insight into an industry that we are interested in or trying to break into.<BR/><BR/>I can't imagine how much of your very valuable time you waste smarting over real or perceived slights.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-19647037431410306522008-02-22T17:05:00.000-05:002008-02-22T17:05:00.000-05:00I'm unpubbed but I'm certain I want an agent who l...I'm unpubbed but I'm certain I want an agent who loves my work and knows where to sell it.<BR/><BR/>That said, I agree with anon that we miss out on a lot of great books because of query letters. I know that there must be a system to weed out the submissions but writing a query is much different than writing a romance. The agent/editor misses a lot of what makes that manuscript special.<BR/><BR/>For example, there is a woman in my writing group that has written a wonderfully quirky, romantic suspense. All of us who have read it, love it. But for some reason she can't seem to convey her voice in the query. It's a shame.<BR/><BR/>And as another poster questioned (that wasn't answered) - what do you do when you are able to improve your query? Have you really burned all your bridges if you already sent out the bad one? What do you do with that wonderful 90K manuscript that took you a year to write? Bury it under the bed when there hasn't been an agent or editor that has even read a single word of it? That seems unbearably harsh.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-25407997097228856772008-02-22T16:47:00.000-05:002008-02-22T16:47:00.000-05:00I am in sales, and used to be an agent. I went bac...I am in sales, and used to be an agent. I went back to sales because I didn't like agenting...hard to imagine, huh? I did learn a few things though, one that I don't have the patience for being an agent! The business moves at a snail's pace.<BR/><BR/>I did learn quite a bit about the business though, especially about querying and why agents choose to work with books they love. It's not just books. The biggest key to sales is genuine enthusiasm. When it's real, it's often contagious. You can't fake it. Would you rather be represented by someone who raves about your work, say's it's the best thing ever and makes that editor eager to read it because they know that when that agent gets that excited, there's a good reason? Or do you not care? If you don't care, then keep in mind that you'll be competing with writers whose agents do love their books....and editors will read those books first and will be expecting to like it...maybe even love it, that's the hope anyway.<BR/><BR/>Meanwhile your book will languish in a pile along with books from other agents that are known for throwing stuff against the wall to see if it'll stick. The agent didn't rave about the book, so the editor is in no hurry to read it, and the last few submissions from that agent haven't been anything to get excited about.<BR/><BR/>Do you see a pattern here?<BR/><BR/>Really, what kind of agent would you rather have representing you?<BR/><BR/>And regarding query letters, one thing I've seen over and over again is that writers stress so much about getting the query letter formula down, that they strip all the life out of their query in their attempt to boil it down to a mere sentence or two. Don't be afraid to get your voice in there. The ideal query letter will give the agent a sense of what the writing in your book will be. Really take your time with that and let your writing shine, focus on telling them what the story is about, the way you'd tell a friend about a book they just have to read. <BR/><BR/>Often times it isn't the writing in the query, it's just that the idea of your story doesn't excite them. Maybe they don't like kids, so your story about a secret baby makes them shudder or maybe they love knitting, so your women's fiction about knitting is an automatic yes.<BR/><BR/>Don't take it personally, it's the most subjective business ever...but that also reflects the buying tastes of the reading public. Some people want Joyce Carol Oates, others prefer James Patterson...something for everyone.<BR/><BR/>:) PamAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com