tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post6692534111626751493..comments2024-03-18T09:09:59.625-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: 10 Reasons you heard no, and what to do about itJanet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-1302223865903512082016-07-08T00:40:07.954-04:002016-07-08T00:40:07.954-04:00I'd love to know if the queries for #4, 6 and ...I'd love to know if the queries for #4, 6 and 9 are good enough as queries, but simply not what Her Sharkness handles.<br /><br />I twenty-second the 10 Queries idea.<br /><br />I am happy to call anyone Dr. Whatever. If they spent that much time and money to earn a MD/PhD, they've got my respect (and maybe a touch of envy). I'm only half-way through my MS and am wondering what it's gonna take to finish.<br /><br />Whaddya call a woman with a Master of Science degree? Ms.<br /><br />Colin, good luck with your househunt.Her Grace, Heidi, the Duchess of Knealehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17818060864422019573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-45973804099187564312016-07-07T21:48:31.415-04:002016-07-07T21:48:31.415-04:00Fasscinating insight into queries. Seconding what ...Fasscinating insight into queries. Seconding what everyone ese said (and also hoping this is a regular thing).<br /><br />Colin, my prayers with you that you find exactly what you need. But when you go to the bank best not to wear the "I've been to Carkoon and survived" shirt.AJ Blythehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04529233142099749005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-71662296676204976302016-07-07T21:33:29.415-04:002016-07-07T21:33:29.415-04:00I went on a staple diet once. My doctor said I nee...I went on a staple diet once. My doctor said I needed more iron.<br /><br />:DColin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-6586414351779174322016-07-07T21:09:10.038-04:002016-07-07T21:09:10.038-04:00Timothy Lowe: That question "Why are you the ...Timothy Lowe: That question "Why are you the right person to write this book?" is for non-fiction. As in, what's your platform? Why should people read a book about staplers written by you and not by some stapler wizard? Or are you a stapler wizard? Prove it.BJ Muntainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12977414826388000094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-7971257324296134882016-07-07T20:38:33.117-04:002016-07-07T20:38:33.117-04:00Wildly off topic here, to cheer Colin on in his ho...Wildly off topic here, to cheer Colin on in his house hunting. Finding a house to buy is hard enough let alone on short notice. Perhaps if the landlord has delusions of what price his house can fetch, it will give you longer to find a house to buy. And if you have any rich friends who might be willing to hold your mortgage, don't rule it out. <br />Best of luck and start packing all those books. Panda in Chiefhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14160375490647791433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-70679869471912080192016-07-07T20:07:36.956-04:002016-07-07T20:07:36.956-04:00"certainly not that you're the right pers..."certainly not that you're the right person to write this book."<br /><br />Good lord, Janet, thank you for those words. I've never even pretended to know what that one meant. Thanks for letting me know that I was right to ignore it.Timothy Lowehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07514224628760035696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-1365729944342780092016-07-07T19:23:37.275-04:002016-07-07T19:23:37.275-04:00Colin,
Just because it's a bad idea doesn'...Colin,<br /><br />Just because it's a bad idea doesn't mean it wouldn't be a good time. Who knows, you might grow to love carpentry.<br /><br />Then again, the true test of a marriage is a remodel. Maybe you should just keep looking.Julie Weathershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13725236516593676381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-17041202687234021462016-07-07T19:15:57.912-04:002016-07-07T19:15:57.912-04:00Craig: Thanks for the suggestion. We wouldn't ...Craig: Thanks for the suggestion. We wouldn't buy the house. It's old and needs a lot of work. I neither have the money nor the skill to take it on as a project. And that's sad because it's an old farmhouse, built in the 1920s. We like the location and the layout. If it wasn't in such disrepair, I would seriously consider taking it off his hands. As it is, we're shopping elsewhere. But we will be first time home-buyers, so hopefully we can leverage some deals. :)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-871479631009513572016-07-07T18:04:34.491-04:002016-07-07T18:04:34.491-04:00Colin: If you get along with the landlord why not ...Colin: If you get along with the landlord why not ask what he expects to get out of the house you are in. It might be considered a money pit but any house with eight people in it will be a money pit.<br /><br />If you are a first time buyer there are a mess of incentives to help you buy.<br /><br />On Topic:<br />My Queen is a wondrous Queen. She knew the answer when other agent were looking for it on MSWL. If you a writer to write shit you will get shit. Let a writer do it their way and you will be amazed by what you had no idea about before it smacked you.<br /><br />I have a feeling that this spread will stay pretty consistent. Hopefully though there will be one or two that set her fins twitching. I wonder how often a request is made?Craig Fhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07157301156577795781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-48765416985520764792016-07-07T14:41:00.955-04:002016-07-07T14:41:00.955-04:00Everyone: Thank you! You guys are OSSUM (as Diane ...<b>Everyone</b>: Thank you! You guys are OSSUM (as <b>Diane</b> would say)!! :D<br /><br />Of course, I'm also secretly praying that Janet will call me to say a big-name publisher wants to publish my flash fiction and is offering a 7-figure advance. I think that might help with the financial aspect of this home-buying business. Under those circumstances, I <i>might</i> consider letting Janet be my agent... ;)<br /><br /><b>Bethany</b>: Wonderful! Normally I might say, "Don't thank me until you've read it," but I have every confidence you will love Mr. Corby's marvelous work. :)<br />Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-45973036257960039842016-07-07T13:56:26.762-04:002016-07-07T13:56:26.762-04:00I'll be praying, Colin! House hunting is a cra...I'll be praying, Colin! House hunting is a crazy process, but hopefully it'll be a fun one, as well. <br /><br />Also, I just bought one of Gary Corby's books to take on my vacation next week, and I don't know if I would've ever bought it without your gold-star recommendation. So thanks!Bethany Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12829932931010851406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-73062684970659828582016-07-07T13:48:38.104-04:002016-07-07T13:48:38.104-04:00Good luck, Colin. I hope you and your tribe find t...Good luck, <b>Colin.</b> I hope you and your tribe find the perfect home- a comfortable place that inspires you and yours. E.M. Goldsmithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18387494005655553037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-68130631986290880072016-07-07T13:38:58.136-04:002016-07-07T13:38:58.136-04:00My stomach cramps and my shoulders shrivel every t...My stomach cramps and my shoulders shrivel every time I read a post about queries. Joseph S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07437663031050410028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-80074026272500492432016-07-07T13:30:38.231-04:002016-07-07T13:30:38.231-04:00Colin,
Psalm 5:12 and Isiah 43:19. I believe you&...Colin,<br /><br />Psalm 5:12 and Isiah 43:19. I believe you're going to find the perfect home for your tribe.julieweathershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10198357981793324007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-31662665675298173172016-07-07T13:30:06.881-04:002016-07-07T13:30:06.881-04:00Oh jeez, Colin. Househunting is a combination of m...Oh jeez, Colin. Househunting is a combination of my favorite thing (playing imagination games) and my least favorite thing (worrying about money). <br /><br />We had good luck with independent mortgage brokers and the local credit union. We tried to buy a place this March, the month that everything went wrong. That was also the month both jobs were in jeopardy and Orthodox Lent started. We're moving into our friends' garret next week, so we can keep house-hunting on a more flexible timeline. It is jubilantly stressful around here.Brigidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13768090206152536761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-31772228327206217492016-07-07T13:20:25.183-04:002016-07-07T13:20:25.183-04:00This was terrific stuff, Janet. Thanks for taking ...This was terrific stuff, Janet. Thanks for taking the time to share.<br /><br />Colin (never Colon I hope), from what little I know of you here and your blog, I think you're gonna do just fine. Remember to capture the stories, because your upcoming adventure will offer plenty.John Davis Frainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18020019400599228492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-22151178891058128852016-07-07T13:19:45.022-04:002016-07-07T13:19:45.022-04:00Thanks, Janet. Love seeing these bc it has a way ...Thanks, Janet. Love seeing these bc it has a way of making me re-focus. <br /><br />On a funny side note, so far I've gotten 30 rejections for my novel. I mention in the tiny blurb at the end of the query that I am a doctor (it is pertinent to the story), but I don't sign with my title bc it feels pretentious. Out of the thirty, only one agent wrote me back as 'Dr.' It made me feel good, not because I want the title, but bc it made me realize she actually read the thing and paid attention. <br /><br />Colin - saying prayers for you & your family. Moving's hard, esp. under a deadline, but it can result in some really good changes.Lennon Farishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03570629350169504234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-51570467079256559352016-07-07T12:54:41.110-04:002016-07-07T12:54:41.110-04:00Okay, this is waaaay off-topic, but I wanted to le...Okay, this is waaaay off-topic, but I wanted to let you know since I know some of you are of like faith and I would covet your prayers.<br /><br />This week, our landlord informed us that our house is a money pit and he wants to sell it. He's said we <i>officially</i> have 30 days, but he will be flexible with us, and I believe him. But that means we're now house-hunting. We don't want to rent again, so we're looking at trying to find some affordable digs for our tribe. Or small country--depending on how big a family of 8 is to you. :) The kids have seen a house they like, and, of course, it's more than twice what I can afford. But we'll look at it anyway because the fact that all six of them agree on <i>something</i> is a miracle worth savoring.<br /><br />So if you think of it, pray for sanity as we hunt, merciful ears at the bank, and a whole heap of wisdom. :)<br /><br />I'm hoping these kinds of things aren't an annual event for us. Some of you might recall our adventure with the car and my wife's heart last May (see the comments <a href="http://jetreidliterary.blogspot.com/2015/05/week-in-review-may-24-2015.html" rel="nofollow">HERE</a> for the full story). My wife's doing well, btw. And so's the car, with a new engine. :)<br /><br />That's all. Back to the topic...Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-59111853564146121672016-07-07T12:39:34.138-04:002016-07-07T12:39:34.138-04:002Ns: Rule of thumb: Assume you can do it until Blo...2Ns: Rule of thumb: Assume you can do it until Blogger tells you you can't and wipes the comment you just spent the last 30 mins writing. :)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-10510582977130282062016-07-07T12:35:15.455-04:002016-07-07T12:35:15.455-04:00Hey ellipsis flood, I not only don't know how ...Hey ellipsis flood, I not only don't know how to underline with tags, I did'nt even know that I can't do what I thought I could do, if I knew how, but can't.Carolynnwith2Nshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998702410764388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-16850262453118811122016-07-07T11:11:42.213-04:002016-07-07T11:11:42.213-04:00Interesting list, it leaves the impression most e-...Interesting list, it leaves the impression most e-mails get a full read through. I'm kinda curious about the other cases, the ones that prompt the abort switch at whatever particular point: bio, first or second para, salutation, subject line, sender. I'm supposing those don't get a 'no' just that eerie vacuum that begs augur.DeadSpiderEyehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07687178085803686186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-82445091933717007582016-07-07T11:07:09.374-04:002016-07-07T11:07:09.374-04:00Thanks, Colin, you are SO right! :)Thanks, Colin, you are SO right! :)Linda Straderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13651163529711298130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-28887547525083331092016-07-07T10:56:47.009-04:002016-07-07T10:56:47.009-04:00The ten queries is always a helpful look behind th...The ten queries is always a helpful look behind the curtains. Ann Collette did a batch on twitter yesterday. A few different agents do #tenqueries fairly frequently, Eric Ruben, Jordy Albert, etc. Click live instead of top so you get the complete feed.<br /><br />Janet's is better than the twitter feed as mentioned because it's not constrained to the character limit and it's Janet with Maximus. Which leaves us all <a href="http://funnypicturesplus.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/meerkat-cat-funny.jpg" rel="nofollow">still trying to squeeze in somehow.</a> julieweathershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10198357981793324007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-37451162186562460662016-07-07T10:52:41.205-04:002016-07-07T10:52:41.205-04:00I agree that #10Queries should become a thing! It&...I agree that #10Queries should become a thing! It's useful to see the common errors and how often they pop up. <br /><br />On the subject of titles... my brother went to a university where all the professors insisted on being called Dr. So-and-So, and if you forgot and said 'Mr.' or 'Ms.' then you were in deep trouble. So my brother got used to it. <br /><br />On the day that my brother earned his doctorate, one of his professors came to congratulate him. My brother thanked him, using the name Dr. Whatever. Then his professor said, "John, you have 24 hours to stop calling me by my title and start calling me Hank. If you do it after tomorrow, I'll retroactively fail you." <br /><br />My brother is mostly sure he was joking. :)Bethany Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12829932931010851406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-48218692312722096892016-07-07T10:35:40.349-04:002016-07-07T10:35:40.349-04:00I had vipers at my bosom once. . .
I'll never ...I had vipers at my bosom once. . .<br />I'll never forget it.B. DuBoishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17934793308908873727noreply@blogger.com