tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post5408258722571319832..comments2024-03-29T07:29:32.276-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: Query: whackadoodle submission guidelines anyone?Janet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-21544071196124219352014-09-22T12:36:13.597-04:002014-09-22T12:36:13.597-04:00"It's all I can do to drag a coherent que..."It's all I can do to drag a coherent query letter out of y'all."<br /><br />Well, we are secretly scared sharkless of all of you agents, and that kind of deep-sea pressure tends to make us writers babble and do other stupid things. Thank God most querying is done with the mailman or internet as an intermediary and not in-person. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-87320704198406480112014-09-21T21:32:23.119-04:002014-09-21T21:32:23.119-04:00I'm glad I didn't stick my keyboard in my ...I'm glad I didn't stick my keyboard in my mouth...but sad to have provided such a public example of the archetypal paranoid writer.Adib Khorramhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03836332867898941638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-74262270248403613302014-09-21T16:09:17.714-04:002014-09-21T16:09:17.714-04:00Adib, not to worry. It wasn't you. It wasn'...Adib, not to worry. It wasn't you. It wasn't your comment. If it had been your comment, you'd have found it deleted.Janet Reidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-45040176591271199282014-09-21T13:48:51.577-04:002014-09-21T13:48:51.577-04:00I'm not sure what paper my horse reads. He eat...I'm not sure what paper my horse reads. He eats it before the help (me) comes in.Elissa Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10727748060605823895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-88375113090804741162014-09-21T12:55:04.057-04:002014-09-21T12:55:04.057-04:00I am not sure if I missed something...if my joke a...I am not sure if I missed something...if my joke about AGENT SNOOKUMS came across as trying to correct someone I'm very sorry.<br /><br />Maybe there was a comment that already got deleted and I missed it. I am super confused. Or super paranoid.<br /><br />Probably both.Adib Khorramhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03836332867898941638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-72220407856642044352014-09-21T10:56:31.299-04:002014-09-21T10:56:31.299-04:00The term agent implies that the person so named is...The term agent implies that the person so named is acting on behalf of some other party. I think we all understand that the QOTKU is her own boss. By definition.Lancehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17335923263777449916noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-56989996057111415462014-09-20T23:56:20.760-04:002014-09-20T23:56:20.760-04:00Hey Carolynn, any time you want to show me Stephen...Hey Carolynn, any time you want to show me Stephen King's house and I'm in the state, I'm up for it! Steve's in a band too, from what I understand. With Amy Tan, I think, and some other writers?<br /><br />Terri: My aunts and dad each had their own Bruce Springsteen Encounter™ story, of varying levels of impressiveness. Mine is much less impressive, just that I was four people back from the stage at a holiday show at Convention Hall. His concerts are still the best I've been to!Jennifer R. Donohuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00363886899308588391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-90720366454759557322014-09-20T23:50:40.746-04:002014-09-20T23:50:40.746-04:00Lynn: I think familiarity breeds distemper. Or som...Lynn: I think familiarity breeds distemper. Or something like that. It's late...Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-40384482265857121132014-09-20T22:02:56.099-04:002014-09-20T22:02:56.099-04:00LynnRodz, I have noticed the same thing. Actually,...LynnRodz, I have noticed the same thing. Actually, I believe I may have occasionally contributed to the wackiness of which you speak. Some are convinced it’s due to the vernal equinox and because Kate is pregnant again. <br />Seriously, it’s because The View has changed. <br />Carolynnwith2Nshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998702410764388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-43848803025543044222014-09-20T19:44:02.218-04:002014-09-20T19:44:02.218-04:00Dear Janet, a.k.a. QOTKU, Snookums, etc.,
Is it m...Dear Janet, a.k.a. QOTKU, Snookums, etc.,<br /><br />Is it my imagination or are your comments getting wackier by the day? !<br /><br />Sincerely, <br /><br />Wheels Spinning But Only In My MindLynnRodzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10796099106913990163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-33128902714347451432014-09-20T19:41:11.610-04:002014-09-20T19:41:11.610-04:00Two things:
1. The agency IS legit. I know one of...Two things:<br /><br />1. The agency IS legit. I know one of the agents who works there, and I like and respect her a lot. My sense is they haven't even thought about those guidelines in 400 years.<br /><br />2. Your comments will be deleted with prejudice if you start correcting grammar, syntax and/or spelling in other comments. I'm fair game, but leave my readers alone, or you won't get to comment here ever. (ONE warning on this.)<br /><br />Janet Reidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-77843123473544940192014-09-20T18:34:51.895-04:002014-09-20T18:34:51.895-04:00@Angie: If you're not comfortable with Agent K...@Angie: If you're not comfortable with Agent Kotcue, we could go with just Agent K. Or Agent Q. Or we could go completely Phineas and Ferb and call her her Agent S. :)<br /><br />Oh, and as a former Brit, I totally understand the Fanny/Randy thing. And I'm so glad I put those words *that* way around...Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-6980921094834510902014-09-20T15:27:13.293-04:002014-09-20T15:27:13.293-04:00If you were to highlight your vision for marketing...If you were to highlight your vision for marketing. I suggest you write peyote soirée at the Burning Man festival. Gotta start somewhere. I think Janet has a point. <br /><br />You could then highlight the text in pink or better yet rainbow neon.<br /><br />Gosh, or should I say f*ck, are we multitaskers? What's the agent for? <br /><br /><br />And if we're talking marketing, sorry I would really avoid calling a demigodshark: agent Kotcue. It doens't translate well. <br /><br />Sort of fanny-like.<br /><br />I know someone named Fanny, she avoids England but has a boyfriend named Randy. OMG!angie Brooksby-Arcangiolihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08000615140577512304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-66503831111874787392014-09-20T13:57:41.656-04:002014-09-20T13:57:41.656-04:00alaskaravenclaw, I thought it sounded noob-y, too....alaskaravenclaw, I thought it sounded noob-y, too. It sounds almost like the imaginary guidelines uneducated authors FEAR they're supposed to be living up to. It's weird.<br /><br />Short of SERIOUSLY compelling interest in a particular agent there, I would not submit. There are too many professional and intelligent fish (... and so on!) in the sea.DLMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08768285199864217885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-35816911249906932042014-09-20T13:41:50.412-04:002014-09-20T13:41:50.412-04:00Whenever I query I put The Sharkness as the person...Whenever I query I put The Sharkness as the person who referred me. <br /><br />Well, she did. She specifically told me to query any agent except her. I'd call that a referral. Jed Cullanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05366003552650790684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-44168595111708320332014-09-20T13:34:25.050-04:002014-09-20T13:34:25.050-04:00Sorry, what were we talking about? I'm still p...Sorry, what were we talking about? I'm still processing that Jennifer's aunt sold socks to Springsteen. <br /><br />Let's see:<br /><br />I read the Shark's blog.<br />Jennifer reads the Shark's blog.<br />Jennifer is related to her aunt.<br />Jennifer's aunt touched socks that ended up on the Boss' feet.<br /><br />That's like 4 degrees of separation . . .<br /><br />Terri<br /><br />TerriTerri Lynn Coophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07290316565247120848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-14878054751935474322014-09-20T13:22:01.577-04:002014-09-20T13:22:01.577-04:00I always liked "AGENT SNOOKUMS" (in all ...I always liked "AGENT SNOOKUMS" (in all caps) better as a code-name. But "Agent Kotcue" works, too.<br /><br />You know, now that corporations count as people, it's totally legit to tell this agency that the name of the person who referred you is Google.Adib Khorramhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03836332867898941638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-30047078837211738142014-09-20T12:13:35.680-04:002014-09-20T12:13:35.680-04:00Colin - on board with Agent Kotcue. This will be ...Colin - on board with Agent Kotcue. This will be fun to use when referring to JR on other blogs - which I have done as JR. I bet "Agent Kotcue" references will cause Google searches to go up exponentially. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-48607271499433071102014-09-20T12:08:10.146-04:002014-09-20T12:08:10.146-04:00I think there would have to be an agent I really w...I think there would have to be an agent I really wanted to work with at this agency for me to query... and even then, I'd just give them my query (a la QOTKU-style--and that's pronounced "Kotcue" which is now Janet's code name. She is Agent Kotcue.)<br /><br />Perhaps the question to ask an agent at this (or one such) agency is: "If you read my query blurb and fell completely and irreparably in love with my novel, would you care that I didn't give you plans, references, blood type, etc.?"<br /><br />Also, I thought marketing strategies and things like that were part of "The Call"--either when the agent calls to offer rep, or the agent calls to say the novel's been sold? Definitely not query stage. Cart before the horse? The horse is munching oats in Florida while the cart is doubling as Agent Kotcue's whiskey bar in NY.Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-66730561411657398962014-09-20T11:15:02.920-04:002014-09-20T11:15:02.920-04:00As for "the name of the person who referred y...As for "the name of the person who referred you" well, that's clearly designed to make writers crazy.<br /><br />Make? I've been operating under the assumption I already am... least that's what most people say when I tell them what I'm doing.<br /><br />Update on rodent wheels - the clear, plastic ball, in which said rodent rolls across floor bumping into things requirinf additional problem solving skills. I highly recommend you put your brain on this vs the proverbial squeaky wheel. All data reported supports enhanced mental acuity.<br /><br />Ya'll...the QOTKU has finally come over to the dark side... collards anyone?<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-46167980389673721262014-09-20T10:41:02.131-04:002014-09-20T10:41:02.131-04:00I think the agent is new and possibly not legit.
...I think the agent is new and possibly not legit. <br /><br />Some agents have "special" relationship with "innovative" publishers (read: are shills for pay-to-play publishers). I can picture such an agent being interested in a marketing plan. A legit agent asks a *publisher* for a marketing plan, not an author.<br /><br />I would skip.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-55996977838193425882014-09-20T10:12:14.043-04:002014-09-20T10:12:14.043-04:00I skipped querying an agency because their submiss...I skipped querying an agency because their submission form required detailing potential market competition for my book. If I wanted to care about that, I would just self-publish..https://www.blogger.com/profile/10657110423294617020noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-12339451810729856912014-09-20T08:55:26.428-04:002014-09-20T08:55:26.428-04:00The Horsehair Falls Post Rider is when the rider f...The Horsehair Falls Post Rider is when the rider fell off. The Morning Equine Post-Rider is the other paper for horses (the one without all the neigh-saying editorials) that is delivered the old fashioned way: via Postrider.<br /><br />Also, you guys crack me up.Janet Reidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-28441592877167053922014-09-20T08:26:55.240-04:002014-09-20T08:26:55.240-04:00Great post with lots of good information. But, let...Great post with lots of good information. But, let's parse this out.<br />1. Coherent drag letter: do we need a photograph of us in drag?<br />2. The term y’all was used, so we need a southern tie-in, maybe moonshine and grits.<br />3. She talked about using peyote, but only told us where it wasn’t needed, but it’s clearly one of the 4 p’s.<br />4. Mental rodent wheels: get a gerbil and one of those wheel thingies.<br />5. Fretting is mentioned a lot: take guitar lessons. Maybe banjo with that southern tie-in.<br />6. Try not to be fancy: again matches with the southern tie-in. <br />7. Not Times New Roman: so maybe just Times Roman.<br /><br />I liked the horse newspaper title: Post-Rider. After the rider fell off, right?<br />Lancehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17335923263777449916noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-84563114221339256652014-09-20T08:26:46.521-04:002014-09-20T08:26:46.521-04:00Hey Jennifer R. Donohue, I drove by Stephen King&#...Hey Jennifer R. Donohue, I drove by Stephen King's house in Maine about twenty times until the person in the car with me mentioned if we did one more drive-by we'd probably get busted for stalking.<br />I could show you where he lives. Would that count?<br /><br />"I can hear your little mental rodent wheels spinning on this one..." That squeaky sound, it's me...thinking. Carolynnwith2Nshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998702410764388noreply@blogger.com