tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post8384186420594644176..comments2024-03-18T09:09:59.625-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: a more informative query tallyJanet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-80898511328668072172009-07-21T12:07:16.227-04:002009-07-21T12:07:16.227-04:00Janet,
I am enjoying your query totals, your thou...Janet,<br /><br />I am enjoying your query totals, your thoughts of Catholicism, and your Bukowski quotes. Seriously, you've been all over the topic map lately. I love it.<br /><br />I wonder if we could get a partial/full tally in the future. For instance, in a month, how many partials and fulls do you read? Why do you turn them down?Marie Devershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09410825838254396691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-73207148360983564752009-07-19T12:59:31.955-04:002009-07-19T12:59:31.955-04:00Thanks for the info. May your shot glass always b...Thanks for the info. May your shot glass always be replenished, you earn it.Rick Daleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05173516899130463413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-69938888697023089722009-07-18T13:32:00.012-04:002009-07-18T13:32:00.012-04:00"The other part of the process that adds a si..."The other part of the process that adds a significant number of minutes is cutting and pasting the pages into Word so I can double space them, reformat them into TNR 12 and actually read them."<br /><br />There are technological solutions to this time-suck that would cut the time of your manual action to the length of time it would take to select the text you want to transform and press three keys.<br /><br />I've helped someone do this over the phone in 1998. There are several other solutions based on modern software, which would require no interaction: the script would just go into your mailbox and extract the text based on the message flag.<br /><br />Of course, a tech solution will require upfront investment such as time to describe your requirements. Cost is minimal. Implementation knowledge is just a geek away.<br /><br />(Aside note: I just created this macro in two minutes. The rule of thumb is, anything you do over-and-over again, we can automate).Lucas Darrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01405530729663443670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-28707918964670237502009-07-18T13:17:00.891-04:002009-07-18T13:17:00.891-04:00Question: so if we're querying you or another ...Question: so if we're querying you or another agent who requests pages pasted into an email, should we reformat into block paragraphs?Jordan McCollumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16523599384793856702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-61076421877591129942009-07-18T11:53:09.784-04:002009-07-18T11:53:09.784-04:00Whew! What a day in the life. Did start wading thr...Whew! What a day in the life. Did start wading through the 416 other e-mails at 12:48 a.m.? Anyway--Ricky Bushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15861574330175082978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-27032279063699099302009-07-18T11:36:44.234-04:002009-07-18T11:36:44.234-04:00I have to say your method of replying is one of th...I have to say your method of replying is one of the best. Quick rejections if it's nor right, and just as quick "maybe" if you need more time. (I've gotten both.) As someone currently riding the query-go-round, it's great to have that confirmation that the email isn't lodged in a clogged spam filter somewhere.<br /><br />And for those couple of weeks when you're reading through the "maybes" I had that moment of hope that I'd get a request. Even when I didn't, it was still nice to get an actual letter saying so rather than the usual "no response = no".<br /><br />Of course it's horrible to get turned down, but at least it's a definite answer and doesn't leave me wondering if I need to resubmit after a few weeks just in case the first one didn't go through. When that happens, there's always an even chance that it went through the first time and the 2nd query is just going to annoy the agent.Josin L. McQueinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05751043333147850336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-60395120580093879432009-07-18T11:26:32.119-04:002009-07-18T11:26:32.119-04:00Best of luck with the beautiful, elegant one!Best of luck with the beautiful, elegant one!JESSJORDANhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08915521022827231804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-90221117640798092202009-07-18T11:00:08.427-04:002009-07-18T11:00:08.427-04:00Janet - you're wonderful. And, I hope, sleepin...Janet - you're wonderful. And, I hope, sleeping. I appreciate all the personalizing that you're doing. I didn't realize that.<br /><br />But now, I'm worried about the other side. Agents shouldn't kill themselves with work. Is there a way to create form letters that are fast but give reasons for give reasons for rejections? That might be cool.<br /><br />But please, take care of yourself. Go back to bed!Mirahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02558405035294107657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-55998558942250203642009-07-18T10:45:56.822-04:002009-07-18T10:45:56.822-04:00Thank you for this very helpful post. Now I under...Thank you for this very helpful post. Now I understand why agents need 30+ days to respond - you have an appalling amount of work. Thank you for taking each query seriously!Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker and Mantua-Makerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01513482264195697450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-2446764556498028242009-07-18T10:45:35.458-04:002009-07-18T10:45:35.458-04:00Do agents purchase eyeball insurance?
Hope you t...Do agents purchase eyeball insurance? <br /><br />Hope you take off some weekend Me time.Angie Ledbetterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16407006980893727627noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-65070179781164826252009-07-18T10:43:41.922-04:002009-07-18T10:43:41.922-04:00Thanks for sharing your tallies!
I'm curiou...Thanks for sharing your tallies! <br /><br />I'm curious now, though. With two fulls requested the other day and three more requested last night, about how many requested manuscripts do you tend to have piled up at any given time?Jessica Brockmolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05333664969192588015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-12415805459158808032009-07-18T09:44:26.368-04:002009-07-18T09:44:26.368-04:00good stuff, hope you get SOME sleep tween read/rep...good stuff, hope you get SOME sleep tween read/reply/read times?laughingwolfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08873675614347328116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-59243257490622853332009-07-18T09:32:50.981-04:002009-07-18T09:32:50.981-04:00Janet, Two hours to read through 12 queries? Wow. ...Janet, Two hours to read through 12 queries? Wow. I don't know how you do it. Thanks for explaining "open queries" btw. It's nice you were able to treat yourself to starting your client's ms, but I hope you squeezed in a good night's sleep!Debra Lynn Sheltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08238268767406623274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-57346115922630257232009-07-18T09:02:04.900-04:002009-07-18T09:02:04.900-04:00So that's 5 fulls requested in two nights. Yo...So that's 5 fulls requested in two nights. You realize of course that might qualfy you for sainthood among the vast unpubbed masses!Fred Limberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16014492895798758734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-9958525742202700652009-07-18T07:59:19.111-04:002009-07-18T07:59:19.111-04:00Janet - terrific post.
I just wanted to tell you...Janet - terrific post. <br /><br />I just wanted to tell you that statements like...<br /><br />"one is so beautiful and so elegant that I'm almost afraid to read it because if it splats on page 50 it's going to break my heart."<br /><br />...make me all verklempt because of course I hope to someday be that manuscript, but also because it shows us all how much you care. Most importantly, though, I love it because it shows how much hope you have for manuscripts like this one...and that makes you just like us. <br /><br />Thanks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-48171702091993914752009-07-18T06:31:38.391-04:002009-07-18T06:31:38.391-04:00You are so much kinder and more patient than I.You are so much kinder and more patient than I.Literaticathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15513424208149456614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-67284574507806483292009-07-18T03:32:29.482-04:002009-07-18T03:32:29.482-04:00Thank you so much for letting us know about this! ...Thank you so much for letting us know about this! Both informative and hopeful. I laughed when I read, "That's a sign to put down the mouse, and pick up the shot glass." It baffles me when authors can send nasty responses to agents that put so much time and effort into the endless pile of queries.Kourtnie McKenziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13712482236542260328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-72427239561953454712009-07-18T01:48:45.218-04:002009-07-18T01:48:45.218-04:00What the heck am I doing up this late?? I'm ou...What the heck am I doing up this late?? I'm outa here!<br /><br />(Nice tally)Mamehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04853842158606222286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-24830741108362237962009-07-18T01:40:56.572-04:002009-07-18T01:40:56.572-04:00the obvious, but not helpful, answer is: I read un...the obvious, but not helpful, answer is: I read until I know it's not right for me. Sometimes that takes one sentence (yes, sad but true)<br /><br />Sometimes it takes the entire novel (rare)<br /><br />Mostly though, it's about a page.Janet Reidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-52280997593697708932009-07-18T01:32:28.451-04:002009-07-18T01:32:28.451-04:00This was interesting. Thanks for the behind the sc...This was interesting. Thanks for the behind the scenes look. How much do you usually read before you decide a story's not for you? I love the cartoon about the editor that rejects manuscripts that start with "The."Catch My Wordshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06338761214938263819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-53946849539827584422009-07-18T01:29:10.879-04:002009-07-18T01:29:10.879-04:00Honestly, I think you do way more than most agents...Honestly, I think you do way more than most agents do when giving queries consideration. <br /><br />Plenty of wiggle space for writers who've done their homework, and no excuses for the ones who haven't.<br /><br />Complainers be damned.Sandra Cormierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00231342310371529022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-10796873889628146072009-07-18T01:24:06.867-04:002009-07-18T01:24:06.867-04:00Thank you so much for taking the time to post your...Thank you so much for taking the time to post your tallies. <br /><br />I recently saw The Proposal and thought of you. I promise I was not comparing you to the ultra bitchy, super scary Sandra Bullock character.Werecathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04602590619580010798noreply@blogger.com