tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post7194652553139835492..comments2024-03-18T09:09:59.625-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: Query Question: querying after another agency member said no to a fullJanet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-31976292791097091222015-04-30T13:25:50.187-04:002015-04-30T13:25:50.187-04:00I've noticed that in some replies, the agent u...I've noticed that in some replies, the agent uses the word "I" and says that certainly others may have a different opinion. In other letters, the agent uses "we" or "agency" and I take that to mean "no need to query anyone else at this agency." Have others noticed this distinction? It's hard to get enthusiastic about querying an agency she the "we" "us" and "agency" words have been used.deborahwriteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10246006528582782340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-34485819070639738352015-02-26T00:09:19.089-05:002015-02-26T00:09:19.089-05:00*Packs bags for the Great Pit of Carkoon**Packs bags for the Great Pit of Carkoon*Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-82662427768196826682015-02-25T22:25:58.171-05:002015-02-25T22:25:58.171-05:00Colin, I used to like you.
Sparkling lima bean wat...Colin, I used to like you.<br />Sparkling lima bean water? I shall refrain from all piss jokes, thank you very much.Carolynnwith2Nshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998702410764388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-1291059622989179942015-02-25T22:11:14.186-05:002015-02-25T22:11:14.186-05:00Craig: I have a feeling QOTKU would drink sparklin...Craig: I have a feeling QOTKU would drink sparkling lima bean water with Jack Reacher, so scotch or whiskey won't matter. ;)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-36956279552732464092015-02-25T22:00:00.484-05:002015-02-25T22:00:00.484-05:00OMG Craig, you mean people actually grow them? I t...OMG Craig, you mean people actually grow them? I thought they were Yeti spoor.Carolynnwith2Nshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998702410764388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-38342119242701822792015-02-25T19:01:28.853-05:002015-02-25T19:01:28.853-05:00You are going to offend an agent if you keep makin...You are going to offend an agent if you keep making remarks about the Queen drinking whiskey.<br /><br />She is a scotch drinker. If, however, you have bought her gift bottles of sour mash I will drink them for you.<br /><br />Carolynn, I'm almost sorry I brought Lima Beans up again but I had just started a new crop of speckled ones.Craig Fhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07157301156577795781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-43472089402190012882015-02-25T18:52:53.220-05:002015-02-25T18:52:53.220-05:00Just back from visiting my ailing father. Great w...Just back from visiting my ailing father. Great way to end the day, snort laughing at the antics out here.<br /><br />We're serving lima beans here tonight, anyone care to join us?<br /><br />2N's? Ouch. Okay, okay, a quiet no works. Geez.<br /><br />Colin! Step back from the pot! (the lima bean pot that is)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-17417999237516367672015-02-25T18:50:22.362-05:002015-02-25T18:50:22.362-05:00Ah ha Carolynn, with my cooking skills the agent w...Ah ha Carolynn, with my cooking skills the agent will miss your bologna in no time. Plus, I'm a vegetarian: you're a shoe in. <br /><br />But now that we have a Jewish nun, a secreted agent and depressionist lima beans, I think the agent will end up signing all of us. ;-) <br /> <br />Mister Mxyzptlk: Edith Stein converted to the Roman Catholic Church. :-) <br /><br />Lilachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08150029612208267342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-91787363542437232312015-02-25T18:18:59.831-05:002015-02-25T18:18:59.831-05:00Colin, Edith Stein was a Jewish nun. I think she m...Colin, Edith Stein was a Jewish nun. I think she might even be a saint by now.Mister Mxyzptlkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13947861348772830636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-32291015519826936832015-02-25T17:49:00.562-05:002015-02-25T17:49:00.562-05:00James: And Janet's reply will be:
"Jack ...James: And Janet's reply will be:<br /><br />"Jack Reacher and a bottle of whiskey? Send them over!" :)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-49912844518835216462015-02-25T17:38:53.973-05:002015-02-25T17:38:53.973-05:00"Query like you have the answer to my prayers..."Query like you have the answer to my prayers." Thanks for the tips on what to put in my query letter! I think I'll open with that.<br /><br />"Dear Ms. Reid. I have the answer to your prayers.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03736352366533619152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-19091733713158329372015-02-25T16:17:29.525-05:002015-02-25T16:17:29.525-05:00Ah ha, someone to cook for my captive basement age...Ah ha, someone to cook for my captive basement agent. Said agent is sick of my bologna.<br /><br />Note, in order to spell bologna correctly I had to sing the Oscar Meyer song. My coworkers thought I lost my mind but then joined in. Hahahaha..what wacky bunch of Amy's coconuts.Carolynnwith2Nshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998702410764388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-26199537361979401532015-02-25T13:36:33.546-05:002015-02-25T13:36:33.546-05:00Colin, there is definitely a story there. And I fe...Colin, there is definitely a story there. And I feel honored that your devious writerly mind would be chewing on this for the rest of the day...I promise to tell you more when we meet. ;-) What I can say now is that I'm not a conventional Catholic or Buddhist nun, for that matter. So no convents for me. I'm an urban nun or as I define myself: a New Age Jewish nun who loves fashion. ;-)<br /><br />By the way, a French woman beat me (kind of) to publishing a book about refraining from "you-know-what" for a long time. Her book became a best-seller. At least according to the local news.<br /><br />And amen, Carolynn. <br /> <br />Maybe I will convince the agent you abducted to take me as a client by sending lima beans his/her way, or rescue the agent.;-) <br />Lilachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08150029612208267342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-26848916346280205072015-02-25T13:30:43.424-05:002015-02-25T13:30:43.424-05:00Okay those lima beans are actually beautiful. I kn...Okay those lima beans are actually beautiful. I knew God created lima beans for a reason. Nothing can be 100% evil.<br /><br />Also, I am printing out that last line: "Be bold. Query like you have the answer to my prayers." It gave me a little pre-coffee rush of adrenaline (remember, we're way behind the civilized world). I am going to tape it to the top of my monitor and cling to it like a cat in a wet bathtub when I start sending out queries in a few months. Thank you Janet!<br />Christina Seinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18411040428007697691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-50836869425889798832015-02-25T12:53:22.168-05:002015-02-25T12:53:22.168-05:002Ns: Just what you need to brighten your day: How ...2Ns: Just what you need to brighten your day: <a href="http://www.funathomewithkids.com/2014/02/how-to-color-beans-for-play-and-art.html" rel="nofollow">How to color lima beans to use in art projects</a>. I'm sure you could do some wonderful impressionistic pictures employing pointillism using colored lima beans! :)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-65098015903390927772015-02-25T12:35:56.161-05:002015-02-25T12:35:56.161-05:00Arrrrrg, Donna, those darn lima beans ! Impression...Arrrrrg, Donna, those darn lima beans ! Impressionistic, hell nooooo, de-pressionistic.<br /><br />Lilac, as far as I can tell you're a shoe-in.Carolynnwith2Nshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998702410764388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-81054458966636138812015-02-25T12:30:36.986-05:002015-02-25T12:30:36.986-05:00Lilac: A Jewish nun. Mmm... there's a story th...Lilac: A Jewish nun. Mmm... there's a story there, I'm sure. Why would a Jewish woman be a nun in a convent? Thanks. My devious writerly mind will be chewing on that one the rest of the day... :)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-51975231628888044362015-02-25T12:21:39.835-05:002015-02-25T12:21:39.835-05:00You crack me up, too. :-)
And I am a nun. So what...You crack me up, too. :-)<br /><br />And I am a nun. So what if I'm Jewish? ;-)<br /> <br />Lilachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08150029612208267342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-9306650500394507482015-02-25T11:36:16.515-05:002015-02-25T11:36:16.515-05:00Oh, you guys. You crack me up.Oh, you guys. You crack me up.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00331026594971237758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-13516794771533557272015-02-25T11:20:52.647-05:002015-02-25T11:20:52.647-05:00Wow--those are cool, Julie. Thanks for sharing. Ha...Wow--those are cool, Julie. Thanks for sharing. Have a good day! :)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-87943527933578870172015-02-25T11:15:41.129-05:002015-02-25T11:15:41.129-05:00On my way out the door in a moment, but the commen...On my way out the door in a moment, but the comment about sculptures made of trash, among others caught my eye.<br /><br />I'm the Charlie Russell type, but I love there.<br /><br />http://www.heatherjansch.com/<br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05397201685135490220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-40642533746653659372015-02-25T11:00:11.178-05:002015-02-25T11:00:11.178-05:00Susan: I agree. Query every agent like they're...Susan: I agree. Query every agent like they're the only agent you're querying. They know they're not, but I think that attitude helps answer questions like this.<br /><br />Dena: Excellent!! You may not comment as much as some (*ahem*) but your comments are priceless. :)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-9784842009690362182015-02-25T10:38:15.502-05:002015-02-25T10:38:15.502-05:00Ha, the hilarity in Dena's comment never ends!...Ha, the hilarity in Dena's comment never ends!<br /><br />" I have linked to it directly herein,<br />>>>to make your life just that much easier, because I know these things can be<br />>>>complicated for your gender."<br /><br />And thanks to John Oliver, now there's also <a href="http://youtu.be/2sWRXr2Yu9g" rel="nofollow">"ponies!"</a>Karen McCoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02640324898284007337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-65343447648558422642015-02-25T10:23:36.178-05:002015-02-25T10:23:36.178-05:00Here's a related question/thought that also re...Here's a related question/thought that also relates to my thoughts/concerns about #MSWL which I won't go into here:<br /><br />What does it mean for a query to be the answer to an agent's prayers? Does this mean it's the kind of thing an agent has been hoping to see because s/he likes that kind of novel? Or is it the kind of thing s/he's been hoping to see because s/he knows of editors that are actively looking for it? I wonder sometimes if agents give detailed manuscript requests because they have an empty spot on their shelves, forgetting that their love of the manuscript doesn't guarantee the book will sell. Isn't this why agents reject great queries? It's not that they don't like the concept or the writing, but either a) they know they can't sell it, or b) they love it, but not enough to convince an editor to take it on.<br /><br />So, surely the answer to an agent's prayers is the manuscript that s/he loves (even if s/he wasn't looking for that genre or premise), and one the agent knows will be a relatively easy sell to a publisher?<br /><br />Whenever I see agents asking for "Gilmore Girls meets The Walking Dead set in a high school," I wonder: is this what she wants because she thinks this would be cool, or is this what she wants because she's just been talking to an editor who's looking for just this thing? Hopefully it's both, isn't it?Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-63264394133421284282015-02-25T10:21:30.862-05:002015-02-25T10:21:30.862-05:00On Kris M's question of whether to mention the...On Kris M's question of whether to mention the first agent queried, I would say don't, unless it's suggested. <br /><br />Why suggest your work was rejectable in any way when we know (because we've been told and told and told and told again) that it is a subjective process?<br /><br />Susan Bonifanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01140265430286280374noreply@blogger.com