tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post5902512891014290119..comments2024-03-18T09:09:59.625-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: Why "I Never Give Up" is NOT the plus you think it might be from an agentJanet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-50444189026837108922017-02-08T22:24:34.372-05:002017-02-08T22:24:34.372-05:00Sound advice Janet. I have it filed with other age...Sound advice Janet. I have it filed with other agent research tips. 😊BoldWriterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04759699519580987620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-78240651907136358852017-02-08T21:01:22.360-05:002017-02-08T21:01:22.360-05:00Colin - Haha. Surely it's always the right tim...Colin - Haha. Surely it's always the right time and place for a cockney cowboy story!<br /><br />Thanks for linking the URL in my comment by the way.MA Hudsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11055543285024785889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-23067275785410131182017-02-08T08:11:39.890-05:002017-02-08T08:11:39.890-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.MA Hudsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11055543285024785889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-2989152487022483572017-02-08T04:56:46.653-05:002017-02-08T04:56:46.653-05:00I want a rabid weasel for an agent, albeit a cudd...I want a rabid weasel for an agent, albeit a cuddly one.<br /><br />As for going hybrid, I believe the better option when one is agented is to put the first novel aside for now and try to debut commercially with #2 or even #3 before going indie. <br /><br />Commercial-going-indie is much easier than indie-going-commercial, though not unheard of.<br /><br />You think getting an agent is hard and takes a long time? So is marketing an indie novel. The better the novel, the better your odds for either scenario. Her Grace, Heidi, the Duchess of Knealehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17818060864422019573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-32643289909374255332017-02-07T23:43:52.116-05:002017-02-07T23:43:52.116-05:00Success is all about being in the right place at t...<i>Success is all about being in the right place at the right time... and looking like the cowboy on the front of 'Restless in Texas'!</i><br /><br />Well, one out of two ain't bad. After all, we can't all be in the right place at the right time... ;)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-74006210469025578612017-02-07T21:31:05.984-05:002017-02-07T21:31:05.984-05:00Success is all about being in the right place at t...Success is all about being in the right place at the right time... and looking like the cowboy on the front of 'Restless in Texas'!<br />;)MA Hudsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11055543285024785889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-32242992731169163562017-02-07T19:54:40.893-05:002017-02-07T19:54:40.893-05:00Matt: That's a valid reason for wanting to sel...<b>Matt:</b> That's a valid reason for wanting to self-publish, but it still has to be a conscious choice as opposed to, like Colin cautions, a frustrated reaction. I say this because of the time, effort, and money that goes into self-publishing. It has to be treated like a business if there's going to be any chance of success--and success can be however you define it, either financial or just getting it out in the world, in the hands of readers.<br /><br />When I decided to self-publish my first book, I'd been researching the industry for a number of years and wanted to be published. But then I was diagnosed with illness and didn't think I was going to make it, so I had to re-evaluate those dreams. I decided to self-publish because I wanted to see my dream of holding my book in my hands come true, and I wanted to leave something of myself behind, just in case. I discovered that I loved self-publishing--I loved the fact that I had complete control over every aspect, and I loved that I could build a business for it. <br /><br />When I wrote my newest book, I tried my hand at querying. I believed in this book more than I've believed in anything, and I knew I had an audience for it--knew this book was needed. I had some positive responses from agents, but it never felt right. As I think I've said here before, my ego wanted the glory, but my heart just wanted to get the book into the right hands. So I decided to pull the queries and self-publish again. I'm thrilled with this path because it's brought other opportunities I couldn't have dreamed into my life.<br /><br />I'm a huge proponent of self-publishing, as you can see. In fact, I would encourage more people to self-publish if I could. But I think people have to be really honest with themselves with what their goals are because I don't want them to go down a path that either isn't suited for them or that doesn't make them happy just out of frustration or impatience--even though that frustration and impatience is entirely justified. Publishing takes a lot of work...self-publishing maybe even a little more so.<br /><br /> Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05332570278984058081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-26970271021890377232017-02-07T19:23:14.185-05:002017-02-07T19:23:14.185-05:00MA Hudson
I didn't get my first job out of co...<b>MA Hudson</b><br /><br />I didn't get my first job out of college because of my major, my university, my resume, or my winning personality.<br /> <br />I got it because the company had been interviewing people for the position for six months and I walked in when they needed someone who could go on the road in one week. Thus began a career.Joseph S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07437663031050410028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-13495453777190090602017-02-07T19:05:41.804-05:002017-02-07T19:05:41.804-05:00Matt: Likewise, I see nothing wrong with someone p...<b>Matt</b>: Likewise, I see nothing wrong with someone pursuing self-publishing if their work has been resoundingly rejected by the traditional industry (which assumes you have--or had--an agent, maybe even multiple agents, who tried to sell you work, which in turn assumes your work has been edited and reviewed to where it is deemed "good enough" and publishable). I would caution against mere frustration as a reason to self-publish, though. You have to believe your book is good and worth the investment of time and money (yours as well as your readers'). You have to ask the hard questions of your work: Why is the industry rejecting it? Are we deluded and it's really not that good? Or is the industry not ready for it? Or does it not fit the current trends or publishing schedules? If the answer is any but the first (i.e., it's not a good novel), I think you can make a case for switching gears and self-publishing. But it's not merely about seeing your name in lights. You have to have to have to believe in the book you're wanting to see published. That Smurfs everything. :)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-56568593535753753142017-02-07T18:51:08.119-05:002017-02-07T18:51:08.119-05:00I decided to check out Janet's non-competition...I decided to check out Janet's non-competition, too. Scrolling down the "represented authors" page, I noticed a trend of books being published by Black Opal Press, Argus Publishing, and Limitless Publishing. I looked up the websites of each of these. Black Opal's website would not load any pages. I found a thread about them on Absolute Write that did not inspire confidence. Argus had a poorly-designed website with even worse-designed book covers. Limitless was, by comparison, not terrible, but not a place I'd jump to work with. <br /><br />Those book deals definitely seem worse than no book deal.Danae McBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04320690272694387175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-74546598744918089042017-02-07T18:44:46.150-05:002017-02-07T18:44:46.150-05:00Susan and Colin, while I appreciate your views abo...Susan and Colin, while I appreciate your views about self publishing being a choice and not a last resort, I have to throw another viewpoint out there. If you've written a book you think is good but New York doesn't want for any myriad of reasons (including it's not good enough) then I don't see any fault in deciding to self publish after attempts at traditional have failed. At some point you want your work out to the world -- you want the chance at validation for your efforts -- and self publishing may be the only way some writers get that chance. <br /><br />I know the popular mantra is "just write another book and sell that one," but that doesn't always work either. Sometimes (and I'm speaking from recent and painful experience) your agent doesn't want to present the new book, even if they love the first one. Sometimes they want to wait for another year before trying again. But another year's a long time for a book to sit on a shelf in hopes someone might like it this time. To me -- and I'm fully aware I may be self justifying here -- deciding that you just want it out there is allowed to tru ... over-rule the previous dream of traditional publishing. Sometimes, the prudent decision is to change course, even if it takes you to a different destination. Matt Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10566969805157519527noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-21635911981977547092017-02-07T18:32:47.841-05:002017-02-07T18:32:47.841-05:00MA's link: http://writerunboxed.com/2017/02/05...<b>MA</b>'s link: <a href="http://writerunboxed.com/2017/02/05/how-ten-years-producing-car-talk-helped-me-deal-with-rejection/" rel="nofollow">http://writerunboxed.com/2017/02/05/how-ten-years-producing-car-talk-helped-me-deal-with-rejection/</a>Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-91913314894081782742017-02-07T17:43:06.471-05:002017-02-07T17:43:06.471-05:00I've always thought Janet's 'query wid...I've always thought Janet's 'query widely' advice made a lot of sense but it wasn't until I read a recent post on Writer Unboxed that I truly understood why. It really illustrates why a 'no' doesn't necessarily mean you suck.<br /><br />http://writerunboxed.com/2017/02/05/how-ten-years-producing-car-talk-helped-me-deal-with-rejection/<br />MA Hudsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11055543285024785889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-16275604009484139912017-02-07T16:08:12.865-05:002017-02-07T16:08:12.865-05:00Ah, I had been beginning to think that I would rat...Ah, I had been beginning to think that I would rather have an agent that sees dollar signs than one who says she loves me and my work. Quite often when I hear that word, love, I am reminded of the first wife. That is something I would rather not be reminded of.<br /><br />I really don't want an agent that sux up, fawns or fan-girls over my stuff. I want an agent that tells me it is worth more than I, and friends, think my works are worth. Again, I write to be entertaining.<br /><br />OT: I knew that line about football yesterday was hooey. Verification today in 'traded her for a crime writer and a poet to be named later'. Would you be so kind as to tell us who that crime writer is/was?Craig Fhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07157301156577795781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-51041071381828308392017-02-07T15:46:59.366-05:002017-02-07T15:46:59.366-05:00Kari Lynn Dell in her "Reckless in Texas"... Kari Lynn Dell in her "Reckless in Texas" acknowledgments page let her readers know Janet Reid contributed more to the novel than merely shifting it over to Holly Root. <br /><br />When I read the novel, I noticed the similarity between me and the cowboy on the cover. Some differences, of course. I haven’t worn a cowboy hat or boots since I was six years old. I’ve never been on a horse. He has six-pack abs while I carry the whole keg. And of course, I’m a true Texan and I seriously doubt he is. <br />Joseph S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07437663031050410028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-51939061367637975062017-02-07T14:47:08.684-05:002017-02-07T14:47:08.684-05:00Given the current political atmosphere, and in an ...Given the current political atmosphere, and in an effort to keep this area as much a politics-free zone as possible, can I suggest we refrain from using the verb "to t-r-u-m-p."? In its place, I suggest we look to our blue-skinned, white-hatted Dutch friends, and make use of their favorite verb: to Smurf.<br /><br />In light of this suggestion, here's how <b>Karen</b>'s comment now begins:<br /><br /><i><br />Yup. Work smarter, not harder. Volume never Smurfs quality, despite society's constant need to quantify things. Our current information age already feels like drinking from a fire hydrant. So let's turn down the water, shall we?<br /></i><br /><br />I think it's a winner. Don't you? ;)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-82162214590582624302017-02-07T14:46:46.305-05:002017-02-07T14:46:46.305-05:00I also like how Elissa M put "opportunity&quo...I also like how <b>Elissa M</b> put "opportunity" in quotes. Good lesson, there. Karen McCoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02640324898284007337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-25218321636408105712017-02-07T14:34:16.971-05:002017-02-07T14:34:16.971-05:00Yup. Work smarter, not harder. Volume never trumps...Yup. Work smarter, not harder. Volume never trumps quality, despite society's constant need to quantify things. Our current information age already feels like drinking from a fire hydrant. So let's turn down the water, shall we?<br /><br />This post also epitomizes the importance of pacing yourself. We might think that our attempts should be infinite, but the laws of nature insist that we take a much needed breath of fresh air once in a while. Agents, as well as writers, should come out of the trenches--if only to see the flowers blooming beside them. Karen McCoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02640324898284007337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-20954278366799318652017-02-07T13:29:01.265-05:002017-02-07T13:29:01.265-05:00BTW, I think Janet is the Keeper of the Blog Gloss...<i>BTW, I think <b>Janet</b> is the Keeper of the Blog Glossary, since it's a page on the blog. My natural aversion to Carkoon, however, prevents me from asking her directly about adding an entry...</i> :)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-38312789222995392882017-02-07T12:44:19.155-05:002017-02-07T12:44:19.155-05:00I do love how Janet is never afraid to call someon...I do love how Janet is never afraid to call someone out (by name) if she thinks they're doing something wrong (esp. with wrong intentions). <br /><br /><b>Colin</b> - lol. Although, I am not British and many times growing up, used the indisputable logic of "but still..."!Lennon Farishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03570629350169504234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-61875655957891895092017-02-07T12:41:48.447-05:002017-02-07T12:41:48.447-05:00Sometimes when I think of agents, I think of talen...Sometimes when I think of agents, I think of talent agents, the kind that represent actors. Then I think about actors and their careers (mostly because they're so highly visible, making it easy to speculate about them). Ignoring for the moment differences in ability as well as those actors who self-destruct through substance abuse and other issues, I often ponder what makes one person more successful than another. Some actors seem to make no wrong steps on their way to super-stardom. Others find their way into bomb after bomb until they've fallen into obscurity. Most, of course, are somewhere in the middle.<br /><br />The take-away for me is: An agent can make or break one's career, and not every "opportunity" may be worth pursuing. Something writers as well as actors should keep in mind.Elissa Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10727748060605823895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-15780942933683223062017-02-07T12:41:37.111-05:002017-02-07T12:41:37.111-05:00Am I the only one who just had to look up lagniapp...Am I the only one who just had to look up lagniappe?<br /><br />Thanks, Casey. Looking up a new word is like making a new friend. Corny?Amy Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05324408700941398495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-72345823631518909432017-02-07T11:47:40.227-05:002017-02-07T11:47:40.227-05:00Question for Janet: If Kari Dell were to return to...Question for <b>Janet</b>: If Kari Dell were to return to crime fiction, while still writing romance, how would that work? Assuming Holly Root doesn't rep crime, would you consider repping Kari's crime fiction while Holly continued to rep her romance? <br /><br /><b>Colin</b>, I've been told that once an author is published, the publisher is often open to reconsidering a revised version of a rejected book. This is in category romance, however, which churns out lots of books and probably has different conventions than other publishers. Beth Carpenterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02447148196867821907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-25573960738992379902017-02-07T11:46:25.039-05:002017-02-07T11:46:25.039-05:00Am I the only one who saw Colin's "Be Ten...Am I the only one who saw Colin's "Be Tenacious" line and had a flashback to high school football and that cheer every school's cheerleaders did? "Be. Tenacious. B. E. Tenacious. Go, [insert name of team]!"<br /><br />Anyway...<br /><br /><b>Colin</b>, count me as one of the people who thinks self-pubbing the first novel if the agent can't place it would be premature. As I understand these things (not much), you could well be better off holding onto that first novel to use as lagniappe when the agent sells the <i>second</i> novel.<br /><br />OK, maybe not lagniappe. But if book two sells and does well, there could be more interest in book one.Casey Karphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10592351859886981726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-59018250821260658802017-02-07T11:43:02.322-05:002017-02-07T11:43:02.322-05:00Yes Colin, do.
Great discussion. My day job is d...Yes <b>Colin</b>, do. <br /><br />Great discussion. My day job is demanding I do the actual thing they pay me for so, as often happens, can't properly contribute. But why do I need to? You guys have it covered.<br /><br /><i> I always like to see what the non-competition is up too</i> Bless you, <b>your Majesty</b>, that is worth a day's snickering. <br /><br />E.M. Goldsmithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18387494005655553037noreply@blogger.com