tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post5895283000077274180..comments2024-03-18T09:09:59.625-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: Question: Women are my audience, should I query only the lady agents?Janet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-41153477576975167202014-09-30T16:34:42.465-04:002014-09-30T16:34:42.465-04:00If I write a memoir about my years as a lion tamer...If I write a memoir about my years as a lion tamer/astronaut, can I only query agents who are lion tamers and astronauts?<br /><br />Sub-question: Can all agents be considered lion tamers?Asheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12797621675670255704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-25701647169946263332014-09-29T17:31:26.514-04:002014-09-29T17:31:26.514-04:00Good gravy, anonymous questioner. Imagine, for one...Good gravy, anonymous questioner. Imagine, for one moment, that you have a male friend who wrote an autobiography. You say, "Awesome! Can I read it?" And he looks at you with contempt and says, "You're a woman, so you wouldn't get it."<br /><br />The "emotional and physiological connection" argument is nonsense. Imagine saying, "I won't query any black agents because I'm white and I just don't think blacks will get it." Or, "It's a waste of time to query short agents because I'm 5'8" and I just don't think petite people will get it."<br /><br />Judging people entirely by their biological sex is as small-minded as judging them entirely by their skin color, height, country or state of origin, religion, annual income, etc. Nobody has the exact same life experience as anyone else. But that doesn't mean we can't empathize with one another.Tamara Marnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10684310618617404985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-74913084245020961722014-09-29T11:26:44.927-04:002014-09-29T11:26:44.927-04:00I say go for it. I had the same fear as I am curre...I say go for it. I had the same fear as I am currently querying a YA novel that is about mean girls. I thought there is no way a guy is going to be interested in representing a book about catty girls. But I sent my query to some male agents anyway, and one of them requested the full. So you never really know who will like you book unless you give them the chance. As long as they rep and sell memoir like Janet said.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07501627718247817713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-61003621101800273452014-09-29T08:41:08.709-04:002014-09-29T08:41:08.709-04:00This post is so true. Before I signed on with my ...This post is so true. Before I signed on with my agent, my ms was first placed with women agents. Then, a man. And guess who offered representation? Yep, the man. I was flabbergasted b/c much like this person who asked the question, I never thought a man would "get" my coming of age story told in the voice of an eleven year old female protagonist. Only he did get it, and to this day, I'm thrilled to work with him. <br /><br />I've since learned about what you're discussing here - that all agents have personal tastes, yes, but they also recognize a great story, understand what demographic it would appeal to, and which editors would like the material. <br /><br />Sort of like the fact that I don't read Sci-Fi or fantasy stories, but I do recognize good plot, beautiful settings, and likeability of the characters, etc. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-20981649062613612572014-09-29T08:21:11.121-04:002014-09-29T08:21:11.121-04:00LOL at Bent. You clever shark.LOL at Bent. You clever shark.Elizabeth Lyndhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02638768950811415099noreply@blogger.com