And it's been mostly fun. I love reading the fulls I've requested because usually they're pretty good novels. A few misses. A few splats in the middle. A couple people who think plot = recitation of events and character development means a stint at the Curl Up and Dye Saloon and Beauty Emporium.
But, mostly good.
And then there are the heartbreakers. I've had three this week alone. GREAT wonderful marvelous, funny novels. I wanted them. I wanted them BAD (back off grammar police, go tweak your adverbs).
And yet, as I had to say to them all, the final question isn't "do I love this;" the final question is "can I sell it?"
And no, I can't/couldn't/don't think I can.
I hate that. I hate it BAD.
I hope that it's just me frankly - that I can't sell this stuff - that one or another of my colleagues could. I encourage them to query widely. I encourage them not to lose heart.
But it stings. It stings BAD.
And it makes me damn crabby.
Not as crabby as slushpile stupidity, but still...crabby.
The only good thing is that I'm whittling down my inbasket.
With less than 24 hours to go, that's actually a pretty good thing.
3 comments:
Ms. Reid, I have a couple questions, but I'm not sure if they should be asked unless you're offering me representation, and the last time I checked, you still weren't. So feel free to ignore me if I'm clueless, otherwise, I was wondering if you would talk a bit about your representation of women's fiction.
I see you're a board member of the NYC chapter of the Women's National Book Association and the chair of the program committee for the organization, and that you enjoy Jody Picoult's writing, but she's the only women's fiction author you mention. Most of the novels you advertise as representing are either crime or futuristic type stories. I was wondering:
What other women's novels you've liked,
If there are any (best-selling or wildly popular ones) you loath,
What you look for in women's stories (other than original voice and great writing, because women's fiction runs the gamut on topics), and
If you represent any you can discuss publicly, i.e., what about them got your interest.
Thank you much. I'm off to the Land of Nod now, but will check back to see if I'm the subject of much finger pointing and rolling on the floor, and whether any stitches will be necessary.
As much as I'm sorry for the conflict you feel... in a way, as a writer, it kind of makes me feel better. I've been getting rejections back for a couple of months and they're different from the ones I got for my first project. There are less form letters. They're more encouraging.
I feel now like maybe, justmaybemaybe, there's an agent who really wanted it but couldn't take it...and that could mean that somebody else will.
Here's hoping you get some peace over Christmas!
This post is pretty fantastic, although I am very sorry to hear that you've been assaulted by talent like that.
I suspect that the writers in question have probably not been kept unaware that you thought so highly of their work, so this entry is just really damn nice for them, if any of them are reading it.
Merry X-iday.
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