tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post5851531261782040991..comments2024-03-18T09:09:59.625-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: Query Question: the hybrid authorJanet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-40352984194121261952015-05-09T15:11:34.047-04:002015-05-09T15:11:34.047-04:00Think it's yarn kitten though...Think it's yarn kitten though...b-Nyehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04190440924186746537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-21100252288603568452015-05-08T20:36:12.162-04:002015-05-08T20:36:12.162-04:00@ Brianschwartz - Giddy-up. The odds suck, but I&#...@ Brianschwartz - Giddy-up. The odds suck, but I'm not a quitter.<br /><br />Btw, my taglitierri was yummy, and even better was the to-die-for chocolate mousse!Gingermollymarilynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15684318210445109786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-84220608515136172752015-05-08T11:27:31.281-04:002015-05-08T11:27:31.281-04:00Glad to see I'm on the same page as Janet. Som...Glad to see I'm on the same page as Janet. Someone just asked me that question. I told her, basically, that being successfully published can be a good thing if you have more than one manuscript. Essentially, the agent earns more money on new projects that don't have a contract yet.JEN Garretthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11223454346963493011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-78726679614769785882015-05-08T10:33:15.925-04:002015-05-08T10:33:15.925-04:00There's a huge difference between self-promoti...There's a huge difference between self-promotion and marketing. <br /><br />Self-promotion: Telling.<br /><br />Marketing: Showing.<br /><br />Self-promotion: Buy my book!!!!!<br /><br />Marketing: <br /><br />- blog posts on similar topics<br />- interviews<br />- chats with possible readers about topics covered in your novel<br />- book trailers (but only if they're done so well that people will enjoy them without ever reading your book)<br />- finding your audience and engaging with them<br />- finding a need your book fills, then talking about that need <br />- the big marketing slogan these days is: Engage, engage, engage.<br /><br />You're right. 'Buy my book spam' sucks. I like how Sam Sykes does his on Twitter. He'll be talking about something totally different, answering other people with made-up conversations, and the conversation will end with 'Buy my book' just thrown in as a sarcastic afterthought. And you won't see it coming, so it's hilarious. He does other types of marketing, of course, but I don't think I've ever seen him use 'Buy my book' seriously. Unless he includes the word 'seriously'. Which is also just funny.<br /><br />The ones that say, "My book is out! Buy it!" are okay when the book first comes out, sort of as an announcement to your current followers who - you might believe - will also be excited. After the initial excitement, marketing gets more nose-to-the-grindstone, less 'Buy my book!' Or you'll drive off all the folks who have been reading all your posts and are now tired of that message.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-24368732422076383042015-05-08T09:40:17.094-04:002015-05-08T09:40:17.094-04:00This post spawned two thoughts.
First, who are th...This post spawned two thoughts. <br />First, who are the good self-publishers and good publishers that take un-agented work? Presumably Entangled is good, but after that it gets very fuzzy for me. It’s fairly easy to scour the internet and identify good agents (spotting all the bad ones is harder). This does not seem to be true for self-publishers.<br />Second, a good thing that agent rejection letters did for me is force me to realize that my manuscript was not ready for primetime. Okay, well, it sucked. Had I gone self-published I would never have realized that and revised, revised, and revised. And without that, my self-published book, like oh so many self-published books, would never have sold. Let’s face it. The reason so many self-published books don’t sell has nothing to do with how much work goes into self-promotion and everything to do with the quality of the writing. <br />And by the way, self-promotion mostly doesn’t work. Nobody even likes to hear people brag on themselves. Nobody believes people who do. Nobody buys self-published author’s books because the author tells them to. And Twitter book ad spam, oh man, don’t even get me started on how annoying that is. <br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02694333358894726440noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-9281649662232928542015-05-08T07:12:48.880-04:002015-05-08T07:12:48.880-04:00LynnRodz, thank you for shimmying over a day. Y...LynnRodz, thank you for shimmying over a day. Y'all are so obliging here ;)<br /><br />I suggested the zoo to The Hub, but we used to live close to 5 different zoos (one of which was Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo), so I think he's a little zoo-ed out.<br /><br />Brian, your "F**k the odds" made my grin. Only way to look at it. Brilliant.<br /><br />Really disappointed I don't get to play the pasta game :(AJ Blythehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04529233142099749005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-70454689902263630212015-05-08T00:24:34.850-04:002015-05-08T00:24:34.850-04:00I once read a post by an agent - I've searched...I once read a post by an agent - I've searched again but unfortunately can't find it - that addressed that whole '99%' thing. Basically she said it's a useless stat. Instead, she said to think about it like this. Of your 'competition' you need to take out:<br />- genres she doesn't rep<br />- ones that are flagrantly not following the submission guidelines<br />- ones that are coo-coo banana pants, claiming all kinds of grandiose rubbish, being aggressive/rude, endorsed by God, etc<br />- ones that demonstrate absolutely no grasp of English writing skills (ie riddled with errors).<br /><br />That takes care of the completely not under consideration ones.<br /><br />Then you ALSO knock out ones that are competent but unoriginal - boring, overdone, cliched stories or ones flagrantly ripping off bestsellers.<br /><br />And you're left with... maybe 5%?<br /><br />It's that 5% that are your ACTUAL competition. If you're here reading the blog I think it's safe to assume you're not incompetent, crazy, unable to follow basic directions or conduct straightforward research. I'm pretty confident you're in the 5%.<br /><br />Of course it's still hard. You still have to dazzle the agent - make them LOVE your work, not just like it. But 1% of total subs sounds unachievable. 20% of realistic competition sounds a LOT more reasonable.Sam Hawkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05549251130820223139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-63530736873518026812015-05-07T22:44:10.569-04:002015-05-07T22:44:10.569-04:00Heidi-come-lately wonders who put LSD in the punch...<i>Heidi-come-lately wonders who put LSD in the punch in Carkoon?Not that she minds. It just means everyone will be more likely to not interrupt as she gets long-winded.</i><br /><br />I'm going hybrid this year. <br /><br />Currently I'm an unagented author who's sold two novellas to a Respectable Small Press, and am about to deliver a third. I'm published with the RSP because they take novella length and they've treated me well.<br /><br />I have some full-length novels that are making the agent rounds. I get full requests and good feedback, so I believe I am sellable, but most of the time the agents are saying, "Not For Me". Alas. After all, it is a tough market. (I'm told many, many times that I'm publishable, just not This Project at This Time. Please sent more.)<br /><br />My experience with a small press has taught me that yes, I want an agent, and I want to sell to a commercial publisher and I want someone else also interested in marketing my books. I have very specific reasons for pursuing this path, and not just "Ooh, the whuffie!"<br /><br />I also know that not every agent wants to rep me, not every book I write will please my agent, and not every project will get sold to an editor. There's gonna be stuff that's not going to end up on the shelves.<br /><br />For these projects, I'm lucky enough to have the indie route. In this 21st Century, now that indie publishing is gaining the same respect that indie music has enjoyed for years, and quality products can be created and offered worldwide, I've got a beautiful new outlet in which to offer my work.<br /><br />Sure, I'll continue to pursue the traditional route. I see benefits in it for me, such as belonging to a team of professionals, but at least it's not the only path. <br /><br />As for being pre-contracted to a publisher before seeking representation, I can see how certain clauses in a contract can create headaches for an agent for subsequent projects. <br /><br />I haven't had this, but mates of mine have had contracts that ask for First Refusal Rights for subsequent projects. (i.e.: the next book an author writes must first be offered exclusively to the contracted publisher. Publisher is under no obligation to accept or publish that book.) Oh, you might think that's something cool if you're a greenie (you want my next book as well? awesome!), but it's actually a rather nasty clause.<br /><br />This also falls under Janet's "Exclusives Suck" policy.<br /><br />Such bear traps in a contract can annoy a future agent to no end.<br /><br />Previous contracts can have some less-than-stellar clauses. Could be something as simple as a complete rights grab (which I have had, more fool me), to something as nefarious as the First Refusal Rights.<br /><br />Sometimes you don't realise how bad something is until ex post facto. This is why we love Her Sharkness for sharing her professional expertise. Not all of us are contracted to an agent, but at least we can borrow Her Sharkness's experience for the price of a top-shelf sip.<br /><br />It helps prevent us from making some really stupid mistakes.<br />___________________<br />Her Grace is not a robot. Though she has played one on TV.Her Grace, Heidi, the Duchess of Knealehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17818060864422019573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-54976134498430771062015-05-07T22:23:06.146-04:002015-05-07T22:23:06.146-04:00I haven't tried quinoa pasta. Not sure why. I&...I haven't tried quinoa pasta. Not sure why. I'll have to pick some up. I've just gotten in the habit of eating rice as my startch - many types of rices, but rice. It works for me, because I tend to forget I'm cooking something... yeah. Not good for the pot or the food. But the rice cooker stops on its own. <br /><br />I think the stats being given above were for agents going through their queries, not for writer success. Agents get a lot of ugly stuff in their inboxes. If you write crap (say, you're querying your first, unedited novel), you have a much higher chance of a rejection than if you write well (like one or more novels, fully critiqued and edited).<br /><br />Moral of the story: write well, get a terrific product to sell, and you're chances of being in that agent's 1% will be a lot higher than those poor slobs who pound out a 50,000 word novel in November, then send it out without fixing it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-39289486125528955302015-05-07T21:59:58.116-04:002015-05-07T21:59:58.116-04:00You beat me to it, brian. The statistics may be in...You beat me to it, brian. The statistics may be interesting, but they are irrelevant. We don't write and submit to agents because the odds are great. We do it because that's how you go about getting published traditionally.<br /><br />To put it another way: what are the odds of getting an agent if you never write a novel? If you never submit a query? If you never try? I'll tell you: ZERO. Your odds are infinitely better if you actually finish the novel, edit it, and query it.Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-19853984441326063982015-05-07T21:13:28.618-04:002015-05-07T21:13:28.618-04:00BJ, the quinoa pasta is pretty good too. But you&#...BJ, the quinoa pasta is pretty good too. But you're right, it's not the same as the real thing. I remember way back when I was first figuring out I had this problem and was still very much in the denial/bargaining stage of grief. I decided maybe it would be okay to eat angel hair pasta, because it was so <i>skinny</i> and maybe it wouldn't have as big an impact. Yeah, right. :eyeroll: My body was pretty emphatic about what a dumb idea <i>that</i> was. <br /><br />As for odds, you all have significantly improved yours just by reading this blog and asking questions and talking to other writers and LEARNING. There are SO MANY compelling voices over here and every single time you write a comment (yes, that counts as Writing) you hone and strengthen and gain confidence in your voice and your power as a writer. Simply refuse to quit.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-57516005236795497052015-05-07T20:25:17.233-04:002015-05-07T20:25:17.233-04:00Brian inspires me once again. If only there were a...Brian inspires me once again. If only there were any agents left to query, I'd bother 'em right now!<br /><br />But for now, the WIP. For when the goods are good, but the odds are against 'em anyway.DLMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08768285199864217885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-68022683264884255072015-05-07T19:34:49.538-04:002015-05-07T19:34:49.538-04:00I've gotta jump in on our probability debate!
...I've gotta jump in on our probability debate!<br /><br />Here's the deal you beautiful humans. If there's 1 million writers in the world... 5% of 1 million is a lot of humans (50,000 to be exact). <br /><br />You've gotta remember two things when you play the probability game.<br /><br />1) the people who win arent the rule, but the exception. You can't expect to be the rule and throw the dice. You have to put in more effort than anyone else. You have to improve your odds and not fold for anything.<br /><br />2) What matters most of all is doing what you love as passionately and with as much conviction as you can muster. It's easy to quit. Even easier to quit before you finish what you started. But the statistics are pretty clear on this one - you miss 100% of the shots you don't take. <br /><br />I get it. Some of us won't get an agent. Not ever. Nor will we make kabillions writing fiction. But some of us will. We're already leagues ahead of average by being here, reading this blog and learning, perpetually moving forward. And I think that's worth a garbage load of awesome. <br /><br />So if you're with me in the query trenches, high fives to you. I'm not quitting. And I like you all too much to hear you complain about the odds. Because the odds blow, but yall better stay on the horse anyways! ;) <br /><br />Pretty sure Janet expects it too! ;) <br /><br />I hardly ever swear... <br /><br />But fuck the odds. ;) Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-61542673306707601672015-05-07T19:33:48.394-04:002015-05-07T19:33:48.394-04:00kdjames: I feel your pain. The rice pastas are oka...kdjames: I feel your pain. The rice pastas are okay, though. But they don't stay long and stringy for very long. The kitten wouldn't have much to play with.<br /><br />I agree with DLM. My sister's first kitten would eat the strings of tinsel off our Christmas tree the first year. It was funny, in that it would invariably come out - and we were very lucky it didn't cut or bind anything on its way through. That was the last year we used tinsel.<br /><br />So yes. Pasta is safer for kittens. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-84078261951818864742015-05-07T19:16:48.866-04:002015-05-07T19:16:48.866-04:00Also, I worry about cats and yarn, or string, or d...Also, I worry about cats and yarn, or string, or dental floss, or anything like that. It can be dangerous in the extreme when they (inevitably) start eating it. So I'm telling myself that's pasta.<br /><br />Also: aww. Pasta Puddy. Kes-ke-se.DLMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08768285199864217885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-49818976035220180972015-05-07T19:13:26.029-04:002015-05-07T19:13:26.029-04:00Dagnabbit, MB Owen. Now I just want doughnuts for ...Dagnabbit, MB Owen. Now I just want doughnuts for supper. It's a good thing I'm too much of a couch potato to go buy any, and there are no doughnut delivery services locally. (There is one brilliant COOKIE DELIVERY service - warm, homemade cookies and milk, right to your door! - however, for good or ill, I am out of their service area ...)<br /><br />Also: I have no response to the question. Obviously.<br /><br />Hi!<br /><br />Bye.<br /><br />:)DLMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08768285199864217885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-70617467695692821362015-05-07T18:57:14.652-04:002015-05-07T18:57:14.652-04:00Wait a minute, wait minute, you had kitty parmesan...Wait a minute, wait minute, you had kitty parmesan with linguine and I wasn't invited?Carolynnwith2Nshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998702410764388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-44694941534155774572015-05-07T18:53:43.411-04:002015-05-07T18:53:43.411-04:00I thought it was a pasta kitten too, but that has ...I thought it was a pasta kitten too, but that has more to do with me being gluten-free and longing for real pasta. *sigh* <br /><br />I'm slowly starting to recover from the people overload of last weekend (the wedding was perfect and everyone was so very happy!) but OMG, that was a lot of talking and listening.<br /><br />I don't have anything useful to add either and, unlike Julie, don't even have a great story to tell. But I do find it interesting how much things have changed over the past several years. Publishing things. And the conversations we're having. Seems the only thing that hasn't changed is that readers still want a good story.<br /><br />Blogger had better not make me look at pasta.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-6694074171710030372015-05-07T18:51:50.625-04:002015-05-07T18:51:50.625-04:00If it's of any consolation, I'm fixing spa...If it's of any consolation, I'm fixing spaghetti as we "speak."<br /><br />It's okay, don't worry! Kitten not included.<br /><br />:)<br /><br />Perfect. I even got to choose pasta.Donnaevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09026536210749494257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-80140837434620623002015-05-07T18:16:48.797-04:002015-05-07T18:16:48.797-04:00@Ginger: that's what I had for dinner as well,...@Ginger: that's what I had for dinner as well, all because of that photo. I'm not complaining, it was good.<br /><br />I've never been to the zoo in Sydney. AJ mentioned her husband was in San Diego for a few days and she wanted suggestions on what he could see/do while he was there.LynnRodzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10796099106913990163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-85311632284238182352015-05-07T17:47:47.913-04:002015-05-07T17:47:47.913-04:00@ MB Owen - Well, I guess some agents have only a ...@ MB Owen - Well, I guess some agents have only a mere 94.55%rate....Donuts sound like a good idea, but that kitten tied up in pasta is giving me a hankering for linguini. I know what I'm having for dinner tonight!Gingermollymarilynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15684318210445109786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-20866854976934814082015-05-07T17:44:31.155-04:002015-05-07T17:44:31.155-04:00Wow, late afternoon EDT and the thread is still th...Wow, late afternoon EDT and the thread is still the thread. Amazing.<br /><br />A while agone Carolynn announced that the whole query thing was a crapshoot. That stuck with me and I kept my eyes open.<br /><br />Sure enough, you are damned if you do and damned if you don't. Your dream agent woke up on the wrong side of the bed that day. Or got sick of social media. Maybe the author you compared yourself to got arrested on a domestic charge.<br /><br />All you can is your best. Take a deep breath, close your eyes and give the die a cast. You can't win if you don't bet.<br /><br />The peripherals won't matter if you hit the right agent at the right time. Don't let them see you sweat and keep at it.Craig Fhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07157301156577795781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-58494124364306425092015-05-07T17:38:32.196-04:002015-05-07T17:38:32.196-04:00There are many good reasons to self-publish. It do...There are many good reasons to self-publish. It doesn't have to be last resort or only certain genres/lengths/whatever. For a lot of people, it's having control over your career, your book, and your money. And that's fine for people who have good money sense, a good lawyer to turn to, and a lot of designing skills (or are willing to pay for them).<br /><br />But I'd rather have an agent. I can read legalese not too badly, but I hate negotiating. Someday, I may self-publish some things - but I'd rather have an agent advising me on what and when, to make sure I don't screw up my career. I think this sort of self-publishing can be very useful for an author who is also published traditionally.<br /><br />Many traditionally published authors are now self-publishing, as well. But they have a following already, so it's not like Little Suzie Newbie trying to yell at the world through a straw, "Buy my book (please)".<br /><br />And now Amy's got me singing <a href="http://www.nfb.ca/film/the-cat-came-back" rel="nofollow">The cat came back</a>. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-40520981037346338712015-05-07T16:59:20.093-04:002015-05-07T16:59:20.093-04:00@Ginger: is it really a 99% Rejection rate? Wow. R...@Ginger: is it really a 99% Rejection rate? Wow. Really? <br /><br />@Brian. Do I REALLY SOUND like that?!! Ewwww. <br /><br />I need donuts. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18020098449673207930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-82469749867355123502015-05-07T16:40:46.196-04:002015-05-07T16:40:46.196-04:00They're not really odds, though. It's not ...They're not really odds, though. It's not random chance; what the writer brings to the table makes a big difference.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com