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It speaks volumes about the integrity and professionalism of both women. I don't know Jennifer personally, but I do know Meg, and I respect her tremendously.

When I read the post this morning, it was one of those moments when the jaw hits the floor - or close to it. It triggered so very many responses -
- fear - good lord, if a NYT bestseller can be "fired" by her agent, what do the rest of us have in our corner?
- respect - for an agent who obviously truly embraces the need to be on board with the client's direction
- awe - for an author who got a shock but is responding with such grace and hope.

I hope and pray to never be in that situation. (Yes, Jessica, that's a hint :-). But when it's handled in this way, with what is obviously great reluctance yet a gut-level fetermination that it's for the best, well, that has to provide some comfort.

I just read Jenny's post and scooted over here to see if you had commented yet ... and you did, and I agree with your thoughts and am glad to read them ...

... but I'm also very curious about what happens in the industry when a writer like Jenny is suddenly looking for representation. I assume her voicemail and inbox are clogged with calls from agents hoping to represent her. (From a writer's perspective, I'm enjoying this thought.)

I love your advice about how writers can set themselves apart when they're seeking representation. So, what do agents do to distinguish themselves?

Kim, I agree 100% One reason I'm so happy with MY agent--that integrity thing is really a huge point for me, and often it can be sorely lacking. I appreciate the link to Jennie's blog.

Kris, you said it bang on. I experienced all those feeling reading JC's blog post.

So do you think Jennifer got a bunch of emails from agents this morning???

Wow...thanks for the link!

So, who's gonna land Ms. Crusie?

And isn't it interesting how the hunters become the hunted in this industry?

It does, you're absolutely right. But without an editor or an agent, you're dependent on the honesty of others, and kindness is nice, but not a help. I think that by the time a writer reaches the author-editor-agent triumvirate, she's grown enough to work as part of a team. Before that there's a long growth period...

"I use all the brains I've got and all those I can borrow too." That's a presidential quote, but I can't remember which one. Anyway, it's always served me well.
;)

I don't know what I'd do without the writing community. I spend way too much time in my head and lose perspective on my own work.
Thank God that there are so many others who can be detached about my writing.
What a great editor!

I'd think although the creativitiy comes from the Author, the knowledge of the market and what will sell comes from you and the editor. At one point you have to put the ego aside and listen to the experts.

This is funny (not hahaha but in the sense that I needed this today). I just submitted another short story for a contest to Echelon Press (a monthly Fast Fiction) and it took three others and myself to get all of our stories ready for submission - It definitely takes a village from where I'm sitting - E :)

As the author in question, I am incredibly grateful for the suggestions both of Jessica and my editor (even though they sometimes can be difficult to hear at first). I rely on them both, and am grateful when they take the time to tell me what's working -- and what could be made better.

And yes, I'd say 'we', because although Jessica didn't mention it, without her guidance, I never would have taken the project on in the first place -- and I'm so very glad that I did. I've learned so much through the experience, and I like to think I've grown as a writer. In many, many ways, the book in question every bit as much Jessica's project as mine. (I certainly have learned to trust her killer instincts.)

I think we authors really benefit from the guidance and wisdom of our agents and editors; after all, they often have their fingers on the pulse of the market (and can see our work) in ways we as authors can't.

As for the comment on 'amazing talent'? My. I think I'll just tape that to my keyboard.

Back to the word processor now...

Great post, Cynthia! How do you have every mention of you automatically sent to yourself? I do search for myself occasionally, but I hadn't thought to have it fire off automatically, nor am I sure how. Any tips?

Thanks,
Heather

Wow! Excellent advice. It'd give me ulcers to use Google alerts, but I do Google my pen name and names my of novels occasionally. I'm very careful. All good so far.

I imagine this is especially difficult for authors. We're told to have an on-line presence. To make an emotional connection with our readers, we need to be *personable.* Yet, we absolutely cannot be *personal.* There's a difference and it can be hard to know where to draw the line.

This was terrific to read, Cynthia, as my new website is up and running. I don't think there's anything "dangerous" on it, but it's so good to keep this stuff in mind. Once, I accidently said something not so great about an agent in an Amazon review - and it was popping up everywhere. Luckily for me, Amazon removed my review, and now it's disappeared. Great stuff to keep in mind. Thanks!

Cynthia, this is something we ALL need to be reminded of. I'm set for Google alerts and check them daily. It's amazing how often things will pop up that concern me. I am constantly amazed at the stupid things some folks will post in public! Are there other ways to get notification besides Google?

Heather,

Both Google and Yahoo offer an Internet Alert service for free!

All you have to do is log on to their "Alerts." (On Google for instance, you click on "more" on their main web page, click on any of the other items that then come up, this will allow you to then click on "even more" and you'll then see the "Alerts" function on the top left). Put in the topic you'd like it to search for. I use "Cynthia Shapiro + Corporate Confidential." so I don't get every Cynthia Shapiro that's out there. (You'll need to Put it in quotes as I have). Then tell it how often you want it to search and send you an alert (mine is every day).

I like to tell it to do a "comprehensive search" so it captures everything: my press, any blog postings, news group postings, etc. Then you give it your email address and you will get an email any time something new pops up on the web mentioning your name or book. Enjoy! -Cynthia Shapiro

Kimber an,

It is VERY difficult to know where that invisible line is.

My rule of thumb that I live by, and try to get my clients to live by, is to only put things on the Internet, websites, in email, that I'd be okay with absolutely everyone reading. That means even the very last person I'd want to read it!

-Cynthia Shapiro

Kate,

Yahoo does these internet alerts too - also for free.

There are several other services that require a monthly fee such as Burelle's that the PR firms use, but I seem to get more than I need from Google and Yahoo.

-Cynthia Shapiro

I am so grateful to the writers that told me when I first got a blog and started participating in forums to careful what I posted. They saved me from some professionally damaging stuff.
I do rant and rave on my blog, but none of it is directed at specific companies or politics or publishers.
But there is a point where I became "too careful". In essence, I was trying to be so bland....that I succeeded.
Now, I still watch what I say and try not to go on angry tirades.
What is the balance Ms. Shapiro? When is it too personal on a blog? How does one determine the limits?

Excellent post. This worries me a bit. While I can't claim total innocence, I know there are at least ten other "Southern Writers" out there, and there's nothing I can do about what they write. I recently shut down my blog, and if I ever begin a new one, I'll try to come up with a name that no one else has. In the meantime, I know we're often confused for each other.

Interview Girl

I’m in the Bay Area this week, interviewing and exploring the city for possible relocation potential.

I rented a convertible yesterday and had a great drive down to Silicone Valley. I haven’t had a chance in a long time to be the blonde-in-the-convertible, and I gotta say, it felt good.

I’ve got sand under my fingernails, the beginnings of a distinctly non-librarian looking tan, and I’ve burned off at least a few sad winters’ worth of Midwestern Ennui in the past two days. In other words, I’m having a good time. Wish you were here.

Dogblog is really good today, by the way.

I admit I can get jealous. It's frustration at the work to pay off ratio. But I can tell when I'm getting like that. I can feel it. So I avoid people then. I rant in my private journal, or stay off the net for a few days. I batten down the hatches and work on my own piece, my own plans.

What gets me is when people throw "you're jsut jealous" in my face when I'm not. When I just plain ole didn't like their story, or their attitude.

Absolutely just getting to the point of published is something to be crazy proud of. Even when I don't like a story I always look at other things, like nice tight writing, or something that is new.

It takes a lot of balls (metaphorically speaking) for people to step out there and put their work in the public eye, knowing that sure, people may love it, but people live to be mean more.

Tell your writers that if someone feels the need to try to "put them in their place" or tear them down that the perpatrator feels threatened should mean more than all the nasty words in the world. It's hard to remember sometimes, but it's true.

Jessica, I just posted today (as an unpublished writer) on the virtues of having an agent and how agents earn their 15% and this is an aspect of agenting that I never even thought of. Everyone needs a cheerleader sometimes and I don't think it ever occurred to me that cheerleading might be part of an agent's job description.

I definitely get jealous but I keep it in my head. It's only human nature, I think. It's just something we need to be cognizant of. More than anything, though, I feel a need to support fellow authors. I have a list of the books I want to read but I simply can't afford them all and I feel guilty borrowing them from the library because I'm not supporting the authors by buying the books outright!

Right now my life is pretty darn good. I love writing. Have always loved writing. One day I hoped to be published, as most of us do. But jealousy, hmmm, maybe more like envy if I've been writing for 7 years and an author with only one manuscript gets published before me. Just wishing I was in her place not wishing her to fail or sell less books. Would just love to fulfill my own dream but certainly not at the expense of someone else.

I too have problems with envy, but I can't imagine tearing someone else down. If I'm really feeling low, I'll avoid people (online too), but I try hard to offer congratulations at least. And am just as likely to go buy their book if I can manage the cost. As for my own career, I try to think in terms of there being a larger reason why I haven't broken in yet!

I've caught some of this already and I'm not even past Stage 2 of the Rejection Evolution! I try to remember it's people venting and not to take it personally. The nice thing about cyberspace is I can delete it with a simple click of the mouse. I imagine having to deal with it face-to-face at a conference must be horribly disheartening. My sympathies to your clients.

Jealousy is a tough old bear. But I think part of the problem is that people don't *realize* that what they are feeling is jealousy or envy or whatever. They don't recognize the negativity of their own behavior.

I've been a teacher all my life -- whether I've been teaching a subject or just helping people along in a less formal way -- and I hope that I will always be able to do that. I don't see my behavior changing when (power of positive thinking) I get published, though I know it's possible.

I just hope that I've done enough navel gazing to recognize the green monster when he eats my lunch. I was just talking with another woman in my Sisters In Crime group today about an author whose books we don't particularly care for, but who we adore as a person. Both my friend and I support her in everything she does to help younger authors.

Plus, we buy her books. Do we love them? Nope. Will we buy them in hardcover? Nope. But do we admire all the other work she does, the work she couldn't do if her books didn't sell and she had to go back to a grunt job? You bet. And that, as much as anything, is something we need to remember...authors are, above all things, people. And there's more to any writer than the words on the page.

It's very, very important to understand, at least in my opinion, that one author's success is *every* author's success. The more people who fall in love with books by reading one author, the better it is for every other writer out there. People who read, read. They won't only read my book or your book. If they like your book, they're going to want more than you can provide, which makes room for me.

And Jessica...from the quality of comments I generally see on this blog, I would bet that most of your readers *do* pay it forward.

Rejection is sad but the writing sooths the broken hearts. As long as I have that I can get by.
I think rejection is just part of being a writer. Every letter is just a notch in our belts. I have lots of rejection letters. (even one from you!) I keep them in a mickey mouse can under my desk. Someday when I'm published I will show them to an unpublished writer and tell them to never give up.

Add me to the list of people who get jealous. But jealousy cuts both ways for me. Some days it's just depressing (like today), but most days it lights a fire under my butt, and gets me working harder to improve my writing.

When everyone is selling around you and you're the only one struggling, it's hard not to get jealous. But I don't know everyone enough to know what they're doing to become published. For all I know they sleep two minutes at night and write all day. I think it helps to have a friend you can vent to.

This post made me realize something: statements that are completely appropriate for a reader to make are not necessarily appropriate for a would-be professional writer to make.

Since I've started writing seriously, I've become a very picky reader. However, if I post a snarly review on my blog about a book I didn't like, might that come back to haunt me later?

As a writer, the review stops looking like my opinion and starts looking like sour grapes. I also run the risk of ticking off a potential contact in the industry if my review offends the book's author/agent/editor.

I guess the lesson is that while a reader is entitled to her opinions, a writer needs to learn when to shut up and smile encouragingly.

jj --

You might find John Connolly's comments on reviewing interesting: http://www.johnconnollybooks.com/2006/06/reluctant-critic.html He addresses a lot of issues about being both a writer and a reviewer.

Love this post, Jessica. Thank you.

I believe that regarding jealousy, no other writer’s success can or will impede your own. Celebrate the success of other writers for they confirm that the marketplace is healthy.

Since it took me twenty years to get that long-dreamed-of NY contract while I watched many of my friends move forward with successful publishing careers, I probably could have become really jealous and resentful, but what kept me from that is the fact that I looked at their success as proof I could do it, too. I decided a long time ago that negative feelings replicate negatively. I made a conscious decision to remain positive and upbeat, to continue with my own, personal code of paying it forward and helping other writers in whatever way I could--and believe me, in twenty years of TRYING to get there, I've learned a lot I can pass on! Many of them sold before I did, but I looked at their success as a challenge, and further affirmation that I could do it, too. If my attitude sounds disgustingly Pollyanna-ish, that's probably because it is, but, it works for me. In a way, I think I'd rather fail knowing I tried my best and left behind nothing but good feelings among my fellow authors, than to think I made my success through cruel comments and hurtful acts. In the long run, though, jealousy only really hurts one person--the one who feels jealous. The same with bad reviews and snarky comments--and believe me, I get my share. I ignore them. Why should I give power or even any credence to someone whose intent is malicious? Life is too short to worry about things I can't control and honestly don't even care about. I'm enjoying a certain amount of success right now. I know that probably won't last forever, but I intend to enjoy the present, prepare for the future, and, like Jessica, remain a full-fledged optimist. It gives me a lot more to look forward to every day!

Kate, you're a wise woman with a terrific attitude.

I'm in the 2003 Golden Heart group, a fantastic group of women who formed the Wet Noodle Posse. I've never been involved with such a supportive group. Over 70% of the members have sold, and while those of us who haven't desperately want to, I don't think any of us are jealous of the ones who have. We celebrate each and every sale, we buy their books, and we cheer them on at the Ritas.

That said, there are authors out there who can get down right ugly. I smile and remain polite, then remember their name so that I don't accidentally buy their books. Sad to say, but that list seems to grow daily. :(

Then there are other authors who are gracious and kind. Those go on my auto buy list. It pays to be nice.

Talent is important. But being at the right place, and at the right time is critical.

How can anyone be jealous of that?

I don't do green, except in my garden. No room for such petty feelings as jealousy or envy.

But then, I've been told before that I am an odd bird. :)