The amazing and awesome agent Suzie Townsend has some wise words on why she no longer offers feedback on requested manuscripts.
Read it here.
I was stunned at her query stats for 2010.
She requested and read a LOT.
Suzie is, in fact, alot of awesome.
image ruthlessly lifted from
7 comments:
Awee. Loves the Alot!
Perhaps you should just send them a postcard ...
On the advice of my therapist, I am not going to feed your delusion* that this is publishable**.
* My lawyer recommends you define "delusion" as "strong, heartfelt belief".
** The Sierra Club promises that If I convince you to never consume another ream of paper, they will send me a tote bag.
As a writer, of course I want feedback. As someone who also works 40 plus hours a week, I understand why there isn't time to get it.
I loved that Janet gave me feedback on my full. It helped me a lot. I know that is not an agent's job. But I did appreciate it. It's a difficult task to keep sending mss out and just hear it is not for me. I guess at some level you might discern that it must suck after a bunch of rejections. Either way..I would gravitate towards those who are known to give a little feedback.
Some time when you get a chance please tell us how anyone could read that many books. I have critiqued a lot of [descriptive noun redacted] for people I know and know how labor intensive it is to edit anything. I am simply unable to understand how Suzie could read, edit, crit, and sell that much stuff and and blog and schmooze and stroke the cat and still have time for a full time job at the Cineplex.
Steve, she doesn't sleep, and she has super powers. Also, she reads faster than most folks and she's smart as a whip.
Form rejections are the only kind I've ever found useful. Maybe I'm strange but I honestly do not understand why any writer needs feedback from someone who is saying NO! If they are saying YES, that's when you need the feedback.
Form rejections get a bad rap for no reason. They are polite and efficient. Best thing about form letters? They are NOT PERSONAL. Therefore, they can't hurt the writer's feelings. Long live the form rejections!
I have to agree with Margaret Yang. I'd love to get feedback, yeah, it's something to HEAR! But it isn't always constructive coming from someone who isn't going to sell the book. Suzie, or any agent, shouldn;t feel guilty about not having the time. It's an indication of an agent who IS doing a great job-for the clients they already have.
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