tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post6524374841761135162..comments2024-03-18T09:09:59.625-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: At what point does expecting someone to be patient become rude? Janet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-364351985141686862015-09-07T17:13:08.271-04:002015-09-07T17:13:08.271-04:00Janet: <3Janet: <3Deb Vlockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15397228114334434579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-82455294289673788282015-09-05T15:39:10.837-04:002015-09-05T15:39:10.837-04:00@DLM
Sadly, you really do smell spam. And it stin...@DLM<br /><br />Sadly, you really do smell spam. And it stinks!!<br /><br />reCAPTCHA: Since when are pistachios and cashews, peanuts???nightsmusichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05984119792540771870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-63822514535917584982015-09-05T14:57:48.890-04:002015-09-05T14:57:48.890-04:00Oh, and - Janet, that poem was in my fifth grade E...Oh, and - Janet, that poem was in my fifth grade English book. I have never forgotten it.<br /><br />Also, I've never used the methodology. :) Though I will employ a spoon if one's handy!DLMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08768285199864217885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-1875642836157026852015-09-05T14:55:41.995-04:002015-09-05T14:55:41.995-04:00Do I smell spam ... ?
kdjames, I haven't seen...Do I smell spam ... ?<br /><br />kdjames, I haven't seen a stated *policy* before that "no response means no" on a full, but I've had two that never responded and I wrote them off after six months regardless of their policy. MY time is worth more than that sort of rudeness/poor organization.DLMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08768285199864217885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-56744111477783733062015-09-05T11:15:48.089-04:002015-09-05T11:15:48.089-04:00Julie Weathers:
I agree. Wholeheartedly. Julie Weathers:<br /><br />I agree. Wholeheartedly. Megan Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00752842865397799428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-25472087115858631022015-09-05T06:13:58.482-04:002015-09-05T06:13:58.482-04:00Wowzers. I guess that client has lived a blessed l...Wowzers. I guess that client has lived a blessed life if they can't understand life happens! Communication is the key (as everyone has said). Even a fragile woodland creature like myself can have my nerves steadied if I'm given timeframes, or an update or the like.<br /><br />2Ns, it's the fifth day of spring here. Trees are flowering, magpies are <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhW9vpB6lGQ" rel="nofollow">dive bombing</a> and it's getting *warm*. =)AJ Blythehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04529233142099749005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-39798258416189577842015-09-05T00:53:31.044-04:002015-09-05T00:53:31.044-04:00I think an intelligent author needs to be a "...I think an intelligent author needs to be a "whyner". Not that you need to check your email every 15 minutes, but if you've received 25 rejections, it might be time to question why and do some adjusting.<br /><br />It's like target practice. You have to make adjustments and hone in. You adjust your query, your opening, your first fifty, the whole story at times. I didn't want to completely gut my story twice and rewrite it, but it's a far better work now. We have to continually ask how we can improve and that comes from asking why something doesn't work.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-34318149820219053532015-09-04T23:50:34.835-04:002015-09-04T23:50:34.835-04:00Kindness and good manners, as Laura Mary said, go ...Kindness and good manners, as Laura Mary said, go a long way in professional interactions. And between texting and email, it takes very little time and effort to pass along necessary information.Theresahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18165072684559960801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-20406604520789662592015-09-04T21:29:12.033-04:002015-09-04T21:29:12.033-04:00It's been a long day, I've jumped on a few...It's been a long day, I've jumped on a few times, read, skimmed and I want to add one thing. Knowing what I know, I cannot imagine a writer being so stupidly uniformed as to hold against Janet, the need to wait. If you know anything about agents than you know the ones who are on our side. <br />My nose is not brown. Respect is golden. It works both ways you know.Carolynnwith2Nshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998702410764388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-47380650797017717072015-09-04T20:59:40.607-04:002015-09-04T20:59:40.607-04:00I think impatient writers fit into one of three ca...I think impatient writers fit into one of three categories—whiners, whyners, and winers.<br /> <br />Whiner: Checks their e-mail and, upon finding nothing, complains about how its been one week since Agent Awesome received their full and they haven't heard ANYTHING. <br /><br />Whyners: Checks their e-mail and, upon finding nothing, asks themselves why their query and/or pages aren't generating interest, why they haven't heard anything back. Curious, they will research and/or twitter stalk Agent Awesome a bit more, maybe nudge them, and then spend a few more hours worrying before editing their current MS and query for the 50th time. <br /><br />Winers: Checks their email and upon seeing nothing, pours themselves another glass of wine and writes something else. Agent Awesome will get back to them when AA gets back to them.<br /><br />In short, writers have different expectations of agents. <br />Agents have different expectations of writers. <br />Agents have the ability to make their expectations clear from the get go. Writers don't.<br />Writers should adhere to Agent's expectations if they plan on querying said agent. <br />Writers should make their expectations clear to agents before entering agent/author relationship. <br />And unreasonable expectations should be tossed out the window ASAP.<br />Otherwise rudeness is probably inevitable. <br />Megan Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00752842865397799428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-34733197272494472972015-09-04T19:38:02.534-04:002015-09-04T19:38:02.534-04:00Wait. There are agents who have a stated policy of...Wait. There are agents who have a stated policy of "no response means no" on a requested FULL?! WTAF? How incredibly rude. I can understand that it will take a while, maybe a long while. But no reply, ever? On a full? No. That's unacceptable. <br /><br />I haven't queried anyone yet, but when I do those agents won't even make it on the tail end of my list. How helpful of them to narrow it down for me.<br /><br />I'm just going to pretend I didn't see the allusion to peas being edible. Under any circumstances.<br /><br /><br />I'll be writing all weekend. And ignoring further calls from my daughter, apparently, who just called to taunt me with the cool fall weather in Boston by saying she wore a long-sleeved shirt today. <br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-40825989623545222952015-09-04T15:43:09.800-04:002015-09-04T15:43:09.800-04:00I'm on my way to Carkoon with this one. I thin...I'm on my way to Carkoon with this one. I think a 'T' is missing in: Expecing someone to be endlessly patient...<br /><br />If you eat peas with a knife you may cut yourself. A knife can be sharp or dull and some have a point. Most cultures think licking a knife is bad manners. That client was an ass and deserved a licking. In Italian they say two things: <i>La mamma del cretino è sempre incinta</i> = the idiot's mother is always expecting and <i>meglio solo che in cattiva compagnia</i> = better off alone than in bad company.angie Brooksby-Arcangiolihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08000615140577512304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-77823173217294376612015-09-04T15:27:55.661-04:002015-09-04T15:27:55.661-04:00Writers have vivid imaginations. No response invit...Writers have vivid imaginations. No response invites a nervous breakdown "Is the agent not responding because she's in the Himalayas with no cell phone service or because she thinks I'm the worst writer ever and not worth responding to?"<br /><br />I'm Southern, so no response means no strikes me as lazy or rude. I understand busy. We're all busy. Just a quick or no lets everyone know where they stand. <br /><br />This weekend I'm working on my screenplay, the house, the garden, spending cuddle time with Hubby and the pups (and the cat who is terrified of the storm we're having right now) and starting rehearsals for my new show. It's a great day to learn lines. Happy weekend, y'all!CynthiaMchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12175917641033760408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-30317141004771733722015-09-04T13:01:58.086-04:002015-09-04T13:01:58.086-04:00EM: The nameless former client fired their agent. ...EM: The nameless former client fired their agent. Nudging politeley on a partial or full will not put you in anyone's bad books. <br /><br />To get on the super secret agent blacklist, I'm pretty sure you have to:<br /><br />- be egotistical and arrogant ("My work is perfect. I don't need an editor. You should be happy I chose you. If you change one word of my work, I'm finding another agent. If you can't sell my work for a million bucks by Tuesday, I'm going elsewhere.");<br />- be abusive - name calling, threatening, insulting;<br />- be scary (for example, physically stalk an agent; delve into their most private lives; again, threatening); or<br />- steal their booze (although you don't want to steal their desserts, either, there is at least one person who has done so and has survived with at least one arm intact)<br /><br />I doubt woodland creatures ever make it onto that list, simply because they're afraid of winding up there. Wooand creatures can't be arrogant - it goes against their anxious little souls. And woodland creatures would rarely scare an agent, simply because the woodland creature is too scared itself.<br /><br />A nudge here and there isn't going to put you on any list. Wait a couple weeks or a month past the date they say, then nudge. Wait two or four weeks or months, then nudge again. I'd nudge twice - three times if you're sure you should have received a response and are worried you might have missed it. After that, it's time to move on.<br /><br />It sounds like you're doing everything you need to do to find an agent and get published!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-87259254927106471242015-09-04T12:30:35.208-04:002015-09-04T12:30:35.208-04:00I have heard that too. I have 7 partials out (5 re...I have heard that too. I have 7 partials out (5 requested at Writer's Conference) and 2 requested from queries so it is hard to know when to nudge and when to scratch that agent off the list. I am constantly querying as Janet advises. It is maddening. But I get it. I read about 250 books a year. I imagine that is a weekly load for an agent and some of it not quite polished I imagine. I am terribly shy so following up seems intimidating to me. I am now certain that super secret agent blacklist exists and that nameless former client is on it. I don't want to end up there too. E.M. Goldsmithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18387494005655553037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-20959695637929479362015-09-04T12:17:15.201-04:002015-09-04T12:17:15.201-04:00I, for one, am neither shocked nor outraged about ...I, for one, am neither shocked nor outraged about that 'former client'. There are ... let's just say 'idiots', to be kind... of all kinds out there. And as Janet said, the agent is better off without that client. <br /><br />And that means: there's more room for those of us who have a heart! <br /><br />My plans for the weekend:<br /><br />- go for supper with friends tonight, then meet up with one or two writer friends online afterwards and talk about the conferences I went to this summer<br /><br />- on Sunday, watch the Labour Day Classic (Canadian Football - our team always plays our arch-rival from Manitoba at the Labour Day Classic) with my parents and other family members. I'll probably be watching the family more than the game, and if it gets good, I just might start live-tweeting their reactions... My parents already have a couple of online supporters they may never meet, because these fans completely agree with my parents' over-the-top comments.<br /><br />- Otherwise, just surviving the weekend. Maybe giving the dog a trim. <br /><br />- Oh, and writing. I've got short stories to work on, the beginning of my novel to rewrite, and submissions to make.<br /><br />Thank goodness the weather has calmed down here. Oh, it's still changeable, but it's cooler now. It won't even make it all the way up to room temperature for a good part of the next week. (Which is good news for the dog, who really really really needs a haircut, and will probably have to put up with my clumsy efforts instead of a professional's skill.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-20276025446934633252015-09-04T11:38:06.828-04:002015-09-04T11:38:06.828-04:00@DLM
Thank you! At the time it happened, I was to...@DLM<br /><br />Thank you! At the time it happened, I was too numb to really take up arms but once things settled down and life tried to get back to some kind of normal, I was very angry in the way the whole thing was handled. I called to tell them my father died and the director of the school said 'don't come back if you can't be here to teach when the schedule dictates.' I agreed, their philosophy and mine differed quite a bit, but geez, they could have waited until the end of the school year!<br /><br />@Dena Pawling<br /><br />The best time I can remember in the past however many years was in 2003 when the entire east coast to Illinois and beyond in some cases was without electricity. I loved it! No phone, no internet, no planes flying overhead, no incessant, underlying electric hum that we don't even pay attention to anymore because we hear it constantly. I thought it was wonderful! So when I go on vacation, I'm very happy to unplug for a few days. But that's me.nightsmusichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05984119792540771870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-76515273953702889432015-09-04T11:19:36.756-04:002015-09-04T11:19:36.756-04:00I agree with Colin – communication. In this age o...<br />I agree with Colin – communication. In this age of internet, social media, smart phones, etc, we may have reached communication-overload. We tweet or facebook our status and daily minutiae for the world to see, but we fail to engage in basic manners with individual people.<br /><br />On that note - this weekend we're going cabin camping in the mountains with NO WIFI AND NO INTERNET! I'm alternately glad for the break and wondering how I'll survive. So y'all won't see me here on the blog until Monday, altho you can be sure I'll be checking the weekend blog posts when I get back.<br /><br />And, I LOVE AUTUMN! My favorite season. November thru March is my favorite time of year. Of course this is probably because I live in SoCal where the summers are HOT and the only snow we have in winter is in the mountains.<br /><br />For those who read about my “fun with books” several weeks ago, I have a full book review/recommendation for both books linked on that site page now [spoiler alert – I liked both of them]<br /><br />http://denapawling.blogspot.com/p/fun-with-books.html<br /><br />Have a wonderful weekend to all.<br />Dena Pawlinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14444683810125395220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-23954421623734016162015-09-04T11:07:28.197-04:002015-09-04T11:07:28.197-04:00Why thank you, Laura Mary! I could have used a com...Why thank you, Laura Mary! I could have used a comma before that last clause, but I'm pleased it's clear anyway. It's been interesting writing; I go *into* those same sacred-twilight feelings myself as I explore.<br /><br />When my <br /><br />nightmusic, I'm not angry or on fire, yet the word that came to my mind was "outrage" - even without chasing down your ex employers with torches, there is an impropriety and disproportion there that beggars common decency.<br /><br />On "no response means no" - I have gotten that on both fulls and partials.DLMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08768285199864217885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-18671170734478895332015-09-04T11:04:59.349-04:002015-09-04T11:04:59.349-04:00Bagpipes? The poor flamingo wasn't dancing, he...Bagpipes? The poor flamingo wasn't dancing, he was trying to escape. Couldn't figure out where the noise was coming from.<br /><br />Bagpipes should only be played outdoors, in a glen.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11543685541225544175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-60743869099579545062015-09-04T10:50:27.935-04:002015-09-04T10:50:27.935-04:00@Colin I have not been around these parts much mo...@Colin I have not been around these parts much more than a month podna! So that's cool - and quite right too. Thanks for the fins up! <br /><br />It's just I have a novel to finish in less than three weeks now so I need all the creative distractions I can find. :) I don't want to do any more housework! Marc Phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14655107171881634183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-81557819003863903462015-09-04T10:39:18.929-04:002015-09-04T10:39:18.929-04:00E.M. Goldsmith asked: "There seems to be a gr...E.M. Goldsmith asked: "There seems to be a growing trend that the cone of silence means rejection. At least with query letters. Is that the case with partials as well?"<br /><br />I know of someone who finally closed out a full request after getting no response to nudges. And that's not even the first time I've heard of that happening. So not only have we moved to many agents not responding to queries, some of them won't respond to partials or even fulls.Jenzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11652680551107638557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-21856305867578622332015-09-04T10:39:18.234-04:002015-09-04T10:39:18.234-04:00DLM - "the way life suspends time at deeply i...DLM - "the way life suspends time at deeply important moments, how at births and deaths and profound illness or fear we enter sacred time and there is a silent yet bustling strangeness around all activity."<br /><br />So beautifully put (better than my usual 'wibbly wobbly timey wimey' response)<br /><br />I've felt that a few too many times, it's baffling how the world carries on around you, do they not know that you are the centre of the universe and it's time for everything to stop spinning for a while, while you readjust? <br /><br />I had to make my way across London on my own for a funeral earlier this year, and the whole way there everything around me just seemed grossly inappropriate. How dare people be barging past on the tube, how dare there be traffic, how dare that person sit next to me and start eating a big mac. Do they not know???? No of course they don't. Life carries on. <br /><br />Sorry, that's a bit deep for a Friday afternoon. More flamingos anyone?Laura Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01604133412050870730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-2275674866973103402015-09-04T10:26:37.742-04:002015-09-04T10:26:37.742-04:00@DLM
Yes, in my long and eclectic life, I thought...@DLM<br /><br />Yes, in my long and eclectic life, I thought I'd seen/heard pretty much all there was but losing one's job due to their father's funeral sort of took the cake for me.nightsmusichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05984119792540771870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-80318165067430702832015-09-04T10:14:40.139-04:002015-09-04T10:14:40.139-04:00Marc P: I don't know how long you've been ...Marc P: I don't know how long you've been around here, but my observation is that the Flash Contest season is mainly during the summer. Her Mighty and Blessed Sharkiness will throw the occasional one in other times of the year, to celebrate a birthday, for instance (I'm still dead chuffed about that, BTW--and that was back in March!), so don't expect one every week. As nice and fun as that would be, QOTKU can't always be spending her weekends reading contest entries and picking winners.Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.com