tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post4088845031551272978..comments2024-03-18T09:09:59.625-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: 10 Truly Nutty Things You Can Believe (but please don't)Janet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-33248120122418709762019-07-24T06:02:02.191-04:002019-07-24T06:02:02.191-04:00I really like your writing style, great info, you ...I really like your writing style, great info, you putting so much effort into this blog. thanks for share. with us.Lilly Annhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03244343981472719359noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-82203750979521566722019-07-24T06:01:21.813-04:002019-07-24T06:01:21.813-04:00I really like your writing style, great info, you ...I really like your writing style, great info, you putting so much effort into this blog. thanks for share. with us.Lilly Annhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03244343981472719359noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-6458779256828805742019-07-23T22:37:24.146-04:002019-07-23T22:37:24.146-04:00Thank you. Love Simone Biles. Am I crazy if I thin...Thank you. Love Simone Biles. Am I crazy if I think this is a sign?Gingermollymarilynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15684318210445109786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-63430404656318673992019-07-23T18:17:13.775-04:002019-07-23T18:17:13.775-04:00All makes sense, until it's your query that...All makes sense, until it's your query that's in question and then the rodent wheels start and you come up with another six things that Janet hasn't addressed here...AJ Blythehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04529233142099749005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-2635693560634633412019-07-19T19:03:59.390-04:002019-07-19T19:03:59.390-04:00I can work hard for years on end without reward an...I can work hard for years on end without reward and I can cross my fingers and trust that it will bring me luck, but that ongoing, combined effort is definitely diminishing my chances of staying sane!MA Hudsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11055543285024785889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-75745342259094170442019-07-19T17:35:47.611-04:002019-07-19T17:35:47.611-04:00Can I get "QUERY HARDER" on a t-shirt? A...Can I get "QUERY HARDER" on a t-shirt? A coffee mug?Kristin Owenshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00087977016337920377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-37238626549927215042019-07-19T15:33:59.474-04:002019-07-19T15:33:59.474-04:00But my Crazypants are the only ones that aren’t to...But my Crazypants are the only ones that aren’t too tight after all the cookies and bourbon. Time to hit the hamster wheel a little harder.Fearless Reiderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12207513105790759320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-23183419699679602252019-07-19T14:59:18.167-04:002019-07-19T14:59:18.167-04:00This is a great post. Thanks Janet. I still believ...This is a great post. Thanks Janet. I still believe the publishing industry had something to do with faking the moon landing though.Will MacPhailhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05586481255297618388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-61787053780843303422019-07-19T14:01:50.939-04:002019-07-19T14:01:50.939-04:00#7 - in a spin-off from E.M.'s fear, I sometim...#7 - in a spin-off from E.M.'s fear, I sometimes walk into a big bookstore, and (after the initial sheer joy), imagine that somewhere in there, a book has to have the same ideas and characters as mine. How in the world have humans come up with so many different things to say?<br /><br /><b>John</b>, which way did you head? <br /><br />Lennon Farishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03570629350169504234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-47270679319903206252019-07-19T12:24:22.117-04:002019-07-19T12:24:22.117-04:00Thanks Janet and everybody on the Reef. #2 was esp...Thanks Janet and everybody on the Reef. #2 was especially useful.Laura Stegmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00485244556776415608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-16297680041375154242019-07-19T11:46:29.164-04:002019-07-19T11:46:29.164-04:00That's it? This list is comprehensive? I can m...That's it? This list is comprehensive? I can master these.<br /><br />Hello, Sanity, here I come.John Davis Frainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18020019400599228492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-7529133415519084112019-07-19T10:21:08.140-04:002019-07-19T10:21:08.140-04:00Thanks, Janet, I needed this and #7 just made me l...Thanks, Janet, I needed this and #7 just made me laugh.LynnRodzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10796099106913990163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-67828309615543181252019-07-19T10:19:28.690-04:002019-07-19T10:19:28.690-04:001) The only immediate reply is a form rejection. T...1) The only immediate reply is a form rejection. That is why you thank the agent for their time and <i>consideration</i>. A rejection six months down the line can make you feel good. Your query was considered.<br /><br />2) Even worse is when your query works and the pages don't. The form rejection is the same.<br /><br />3) Auctions are good for the ego, not the bottom line.<br /><br />4) Rules are meant to be broken, in your writing, not when submitting.<br /><br />5)Of course agents have an agenda. It is about collecting dollar signs, not changing the world<br /><br />6) Write it better than anyone else.<br /><br />7) Write it better than anyone else, at least skew the perception.<br /><br />8) No one else can write the crap I write, it would make them even crazier.<br /><br />9) It's as easy as closing your eyes and dream Jamaica is a big neon sign. It might be easy. The right agent, on the right day, but it still won't be quick. Maybe you did hit the agent lottery, but you still have to keep querying until they realize it.<br /><br />10) There is a secret to publishing, write it better than anyone else. That's it, all there is to it.Craig Fhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07157301156577795781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-18799666013677916912019-07-19T09:10:27.864-04:002019-07-19T09:10:27.864-04:00Kitty funny that Hawthorne should say that. His w...<b> Kitty </b> funny that Hawthorne should say that. His writing is more overwrought than the embroidery on Hester Prynne's scarlet letter.Timothy Lowehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07514224628760035696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-47945268923489125712019-07-19T08:46:20.364-04:002019-07-19T08:46:20.364-04:00If staying sane is a necessity I'm in trouble....If staying sane is a necessity I'm in trouble.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-61486084024930134342019-07-19T08:09:22.548-04:002019-07-19T08:09:22.548-04:00#9 so much. And #7 haunted me for years because I ...#9 so much. And #7 haunted me for years because I feared that not being able to think of a single original plot would doom me. Well, turns out it's not the story idea - they've all been done and done - it's the voice, the characters, the execution. The story idea is the easy bit. The rest is hard, hard, hard and so #9.<br /><br />And how I wish I were not crazy. But sorry, your Majesty. Being a writer is the definition of insanity. What sane person would do something that is the equivalent of giving yourself really hard homework every day with little or no reward? And yet, we can't stop. We keep spending our limited time on this home rock of ours, fussing over a finite set of word drivel to cast our voices into the cosmos with rather huge odds stacked against us that anyone will ever love us for it. It's crazy town. And yet here we are. E.M. Goldsmithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18387494005655553037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-59637798764785745222019-07-19T08:08:24.708-04:002019-07-19T08:08:24.708-04:00On #9, just remember: if it was easy, everyone wou...On #9, just remember: if it was easy, everyone would do it.<br /><br />And #5 is gold dust. This whole publishing business is really very simple. It's about making money. For you, the agent, and the publisher. It may seem "unartistic," but publishing houses exist to put food on the plates of everyone involved. The greater chance your book has of doing that, the greater the possibility you will get an agent and be published by one of the big publishing houses. It's that simple. And that hard. :)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-22024298218425187032019-07-19T07:28:16.460-04:002019-07-19T07:28:16.460-04:009. Believe it's easy. "Easy reading is ha...9. Believe it's easy. "Easy reading is hard writing." ~~ Nathaniel HawthorneKittyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09868642232827730189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-68944543983974607262019-07-19T07:25:05.808-04:002019-07-19T07:25:05.808-04:00#8 work-for-hire jobs. I wondered how writers hook...#8 work-for-hire jobs. I wondered how writers hooked up with aging authors to extend a popular series. Some of them are as good as the original authors. Of course, others are not. <br /><br />I made a list of Cussler's writers who are excellent and occasionally read their books. Same for other authors.Mister Furkleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07156977719916770984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-11338526844474830502019-07-19T07:09:02.345-04:002019-07-19T07:09:02.345-04:00On the up side, being ripped apart by the shark is...On the up side, being ripped apart by the shark is way more helpful than a delicate let down. Just spend a few weeks sewing your flesh back together, and by then you'll have reconciled how to apply the piece of valuable feedback that has been stabbed into your heart. Allison K Williamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00307389802956417297noreply@blogger.com