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There is no criteria for writing.Writing is a way to express feelings, so no rules can be apply.

There are a number of agents that will make these requests -- sometimes for huge revisions, which the writer completes and resubmits. Then the agent will pass with almost no clue of why they are passing (because they don't know). It's happened to me before -- twice -- and now I'm much more reluctant to revise for an agent.

It would be different if the revisions made the mss stronger, but in my case, they didn't make it stronger, only different. If an agent doesn't see the potential enough to sign me and THEN discuss revisions, they aren't passionate enough to be my agent. To be honest, there are a lot of agents out there that don't have a clue what they want, and think by rearranging your ms like furniture, it'll help them figure it out. It usually doesn't.

Just make a back up!

I'd like to add some advice I was given by veteran published authors when my first revise-and-resubmit request came in.

*Keep a copy of your original manuscript.*

Opinions, tastes, preceptions of trends, and so on are all subjective and ever-changing. For all you know, it's the original draft which might sell and go on to the New York Times Bestsellers' List.

Something you said really struck a chord for me. "My advice is to move on to your next book (making sure it’s not the next book in series) and keep writing." I am writing the next book in a series, and I think that's not working for me. I'm halfway through and am enjoying it, but I keep feeling I'm supposed to be writing something else. I'm going to take your advice and move on to that next book outside of the series. The key is to be joyful while writing, not writing because it's a "should." Thanks for showing me what I knew, but wasn't able to articulate.

I also think that's good advice. If you continue with the same series, you're putting too many eggs in one basket. Every writer has their own methods, but I find it helps when I switch to a different genre. I think differently when I'm working on a contemporary romance than when I'm writing romantic suspense or paranormal, so I find I write and plot them a little differently.

It's so easy to get caught up in revisions for a particular WIP -- especially if you are getting good responses but you're not sure if you have it right yet. I think that makes us more susceptible to requests for changes.

It's the same with contests -- when I first started entering, I took the judge's advice as gospel and, in doing so, made revisions I shouldn't have. I did get some excellent advice; the trick is separating the wheat from the chaff. Now I try to focus only on the changes that are true to the story.

Since I'm full of doubt and angst, I gave my ms to a few select friends and my dad, with instructions to give me their honest evaluation, with no sugar coating. Some other friends didn't get it, because I knew they'd be unable to tell me the book sucked, if that's how they honestly felt.

Only after my dad and friend N., both big mystery readers, told me I'd hit a home run did I stop describing the book to others as "90,000 words, possibly 90,000 words of crap."

Having trusted readers evaluate your work before you send it out is very valuable. The key is finding people who will be honest with you, even if it means telling you to find another line of work.

www.thebiglitowski.blogspot.com

I love this post!

Thanks for acknowledging, Jessica, that it's incredibly hard to judge your own writing. Since writing is communication, it's almost impossible to know the other side of the 'conversation.' If you get enough feedback over time, you can start to get a sense of things, but even then....ultimately, you have to stay true to your vision and hope that it reaches people.

I believe you should still listen to and incorporate feedback, but only when if feels right to you instinctively. That includes feedback from agents. Writing is subjective on both sides of the book.

Researching agents, and making sure that their taste aligns with yours, and the books they represent are books that you admire - I think that can help you know whether this agent is one to listen to.

Honestly, changing the whole gender of the protagonist - that really made me sit up and take notice. I don't know the book, so maybe that was an excellent suggestion, but it made me alittle nervous to be honest.

There is no "I'm there", because writing is a constant learning experience. You keep writing, you keep learning. You can see how far you've come if you look at older works.

AI agree with keeping an original copy and only changing the ms if the change is right for the book. At the end of the day it's only your name that's going on the book.

I think what Jessica said makes sense. Make sure you aren't responding to only one opinion. Don't be in a hurry but put your work out to a few select people and see what the consensus is, then make changes.

If the suggested changes make you feel excited, I think that is a good sign that you're on the right track.

An agent suggested some overall changes but it made me take a good, hard look @ the ms. and inspired me to make it even better. If your reaction is, Why didn't I think of that before? then you know the advice is worth taking.

Even if they pass, I feel confident that I'm making my book the best it can be. So yes, every little bit of helpful feedback is appreciated.

An agent made some suggestions on my ms--a few major issues including POV--and I did make the changes, but only because they made sense to me. She took the time to get on the phone with me and she's got a great track record, so I decided to trust her judgment. She asked for a short exclusive, which I granted, and although she ultimately passed, I do believe the ms is now better. I don't feel led astray, I feel very grateful for her advice.

Dear Agent,

If I make the changes you suggest will you represent me?

The question doesn't list how many agents the person has submitted to. If you like the manuscript, before you file it away consider sending to other agents. What one agent doesn't like someone else might. While you're shopping keep writing. Good luck!

As with everything in life, the publishing industry can be just plain unfair. You've probably read dozens of books with obvious flaws that you could write better. You've probably had works rejected that exist in even worse forms. That's the way it goes. It's subjective, like everything in life. But it sounds like you're determined to make it, and you're willing to take advice from the people with the power, which is really the most important thing you can do. I think too many writers think they're too important to take the advice of editors, and they lose out on the opportunity to have their book published altogether because they aren't willing to make a few minor changes.

Back to designer Bunk Beds ; I love to highlight these few designs that I saw, just look at spacify.com

It wasn't a deal breaker, but my agent also suggested I'd have a much better chance with my latest YA novel if the main character were female. Since this was not possible, the book is now going out with a male lead. Did I make a mistake?

What are the benefits of working on a different series while your first book is out on submission? It seems to me that if my first book gets published it would help me to have a leg-up on completing the second book--but maybe that doesn't account for all of the revisions that will be suggested?
Also I'd like to finish my trilogy-in-progress whether it's published or not, but maybe that is the wrong approach...?
Appreciate your thoughts Jessica and commenters. Great post--I always wondered if I was alone in thinking it's impossible to judge one's own writing.
-London

Why on earth would you advise against writing the next book in a series?

This is a lovely post. Thank you.

Thanks for the reality check Jessica. There are no guarantees in life and especially not in writing and publishing. We just need to keep working hard and get through the tough times because you never know when something absolutely wonderful will surprise you.

I think an agent is just like any book lover--either it resonates with you or it doesn't. I pick up many best-sellers and quickly put them down because they don't engage me. I'd rather have someone who loves my work instead of an agent who considers it their bread & butter.

A post straight from the heart. I like it.

I think writers sometimes forget how tough it is from the agent's side. The agent takes the bulk of the rejection body blows. Sure, the writer faces massive rejection when sending queries. But, once an agent represents an author, the cold hammer of 'no' is smashed into the agent while Gentle Writer massages the muse.


I am within 60 days of sending queries and treat my writing as a business. PubRants has a good post on the subject.

I really love seeing this side of agents. Thank you so much for this. It's posts like this that show writers that agents are...human, I guess?

Thank you for telling it the way it is.

Jessica, I have a question. If you've agreed to represent a writer and you love her voice, story, and writing style, if that particular project isn't selling, would you then suggest she keep writing and you'll work on getting the next novel sold? (There. I've completed my run-on sentence quota for the day.) Thanks.

I would think agents in this situation must really start to second-guess their taste and judgment. God knows writers do.

As the Bible says, Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the essence of things not seen.

Believing that the magical yes is around the corner is easy...until you round a lot of corners and it isn't there.

You are absolutely right. It takes passion to keep peering around corners, even into dimly lit alleyways to see if the yes is there. Even after searching an entire city full of corners. The cool thing is that, well, it's a corner: you won't be able to see it coming until you've turned it and then it will be right there. So lack of signs that it's coming doesn't mean it's not going to happen.

DebraL--That's what happened with me. Jessica took me as a client for a book that didn't sell. She did have one offer, but it would have meant a major rewrite in a direction I wasn't willing to go. However, she continued to represent me for years after that first project, even though I wasn't sending anything to her. (I'd started selling on my own to epubs) When I finally came up with something we both thought might fly, she was finally able to get me a contract, but she hung on to me on the strength of that first project and I never stopped considering her my agent.

Kate, Wow! Thanks so much for your response - that's exactly what I was wondering about. Good for you and for Jessica. What an inspiring story.;-)

If an agent has sold one book but is unable to sell subesequent books, it seems natural that the agent would lose enthusiasm after working for little or no financial return. I'd think even with best intentions, the agent would lose some of the spark and the client would lose priority on the client roster. How many unsold manuscripts would be a sure sign for both parties that it's time to move on?

Anon 10:33

You're assuming that all agents and all authors think alike. There are so many variables in that question that there's no answer. I struggle with my own self-confidence when I'm having difficulties selling an author, but that is very different from losing passion for an author's voice and her work.

There are a million reasons a book doesn't sell, none of them mean the author is unpublishable.

I think like I said in the post, it comes down to the individual and how both author and agent are feeling about the situation.

--jhf

Thank you Jessica. I know what you mean about struggling with self-confidence, given I'm in this situation. I'm sensing my agent, who I like and respect, isn't excited to go out with my current ms. I guess it's time for a heart-to-heart with my agent.

10:33

What a good question! I've never thought to worry about that but I'm sure it was something I would have worried about once I had an agent. Okay, so I'll still worry about it but these are comforting words nonetheless.

Thank you. It's reading posts like this that keep me going. I'm off to do my daily affirmations before knuckling down to write a difficult scene. : )

My first agent lost faith in my book after he got three rejections. I could see the moment he lost heart, and he never got his groove back. He simply stopped sending it anywhere and stopped pursuing the leads he already had. We parted ways six months later at his prompting.

My second agent lost faith in himself. He still believed in the manuscript, but he was so frozen by the idea of not sending a perfect proposal that he never sent it anywhere. We parted ways when he closed his agency.

Great post Jessica.

Thank you for this post. What a complicated issue! It's clear that you try to struggle with it with integrity and honesty, and also, empathy.

This, again, gives me a view of what it's like to be an agent, some of the difficulties you face. It must be hard sometimes to weigh and balance your commitment to all the different aspects - the writer, your agency, yourself. Sometimes hard calls have to be made, and I can really appreciate how you would try very hard to avoid a situation where you have to make those hard calls!

Great post! I was actually wondering this same thing just yesterday. This makes a perfect point that you need to choose an agent that is passionate about your overall voice, not just your current work.

If Jessica wasn't everyone's dream agent before, I think this post along with comment from Kate Douglas, proves she should be.

Not trying to be a suck up, just stating a fact.

I love your blog. You guys have sold to my first choice in publishers, Hachette, and you give great advice for us aspiring for the great publishing beyond. Keep up the great work. As soon as my critique partners and I are through tearing apart my current WIP, I'll submit to you!
This is not an easy market now, and you ground us.
xoxo

Another great post!

Glad to see agents deal with the same worries but it looks like you have a good way to overcome them.

Q: Isn't it better to stick with an agent's strength's and preferences? e.g. If an agent is known for romance (like you), don't editors expect to see more romance mss. than say, a mystery or thriller? Won't it help authors chances if they go w/ agents who widely represent that genre? I assume they'd have more contacts in their special area, right?

Hard words, but true. Unfortunately, many writers (and I'm as guilty as the next person) don't consider these factors before touching fingers to keys and starting to write. It's crass, it's counter to our "artistic" leanings, but it's a fact of life. Agents and publishers want something that will sell, although not necessarily what's "hot" at the moment.
To borrow a quote from Anna and the King of Siam: 'Tis a puzzlement.

I love this analogy! Unfortunately the people it would benefit the most probably are reading this post.

It's like Top Chef. Once in a great, GREAT while, the chefs [authors] will produce something that sounds insane and misguided (I seem to recall a wasabi-and-white-chocolate concoction) but that really DOES work. And if you're that good, kudos to you. Someone will, in all likelihood, make the effort to help you sell it to the public, whether it's through creative marketing or getting the audience to trust you based on a different "first" dish [book] or whatever else.

And from that perspective, ANYTHING GOES in writing. If it works, it works.

But... how many of us ARE that good? I'm not just talking publishable-good, here, I'm talking Nobel Prize in Literature-good. Most of us should keep the wasabi out of our desserts, and keep the white chocolate away from the sushi, and focus on something a little more classically palatable.

Different is really hard. Really, really hard. But it's not like you need to come up with, say, a PI who also happens to be a T. Rex (been done already, sorry). I was one of the judges for this year's Thriller Award and I can tell you, that even among bestselling and very successful novelists, different apparently is a very tough trick.

Now, french toast ice cream?

It is hard to take you seriously when you say it's a business and "boo-hoo" to those frustrated writers, and then look for different "voices" etc (which hints that you might be interested in art, rather than formula). The truth is, most highly successful writers were rejected by 99% of the agents out there. Once they are "in," as anyone reading their books can attest, the name sells as much or more than the product. Writers have good reason to be frustrated. Of course, likely 99% of submissions are total crap. But to the 1%, hundreds of talented writers with good stories who get form rejection after rejection, the system is clearly broken.

As for different, nothing is new under the sun. The point is, does the book engage the reader, or will it likely engage enough readers to make some money. In the end, this is what publishers care about, or they're soon out of business.

Beef Stew Ice Cream would be topped with hot gravy. Try it in a potato split, savory and delicious.

WORD VERIFICATION: reads. Are you stacking the deck?

Hey, Heston Blumenthal has had massive success with his bacon and egg ice cream.

You just never know what is going to taste great.

*chuckle* A potato split. Oh, good grief. That sounds...gross...and oddly appealing. Whew! Rick, that was...that was really witty.

I've actually been thinking about this quite a bit lately, so this post is perfectly timed for me. I understand exactly what you're saying and I've given myself the "boo-hoo" speech--'course, it sounds different coming from someone other than myself--but it's sometimes difficult to draw that line.

In looking at my YA and my paranormal series, I have to ask myself two questions. Are they different? Could they trend?

Question 1: Well, there are no vampires, werewolves or fairy rings. But there's still teenage agst, romance--kind of--and wit (thank you, Dexx, for the wit). So...check.

Question 2: Well, the YA would be a difficult one to trend, I think. Great story. Love it. It's awesome. I think many others will love it. Will others want to write something similar? Don't know. The paranormal thriller? Oh, heck yes!! It's going to freakin rock!

*thinking* So...I think I'm good. Now I just have to sell the ideas to agents. *wink, wink* But I'll get there. Diligence and sparkly paper with perfume--which really sucks because you can't email sparkles. What's up with that?

This is very useful advice, in terms that are much more accessible to those of us currently outside the publishing industry. I can't help thinking, though, that you're in the wrong business--I mean, Black Raspberry Chocolate Cheesecake? I'd buy it!

Anon 9:22

"You never know what is going to taste great."

You are so right! But you know it when you taste it...

The fascination with different is interesting to me because I'd rather have good characters than a completely new genre populated with people I don't get. Obviously something has to be different or your book is boring but too far off the reservation is just weird. Like beef stew ice cream.

To me, the central word is "underread". Yes, I'm seriously underread. And I'm reading loads, and in different genres. Unfortunately, the list of books to read never gets any shorter. It gets longer instead.

Also, I'm suspicious of the creative process. If an idea comes easy to me, I can be pretty sure, somebody has already had it (and published it). I'm still tickled pink and proud as can be, but then, a few days after I put it down, I inevitably find out that I came in second - or third.

I've made it a habit not to start work when inspiration strikes first, but after I got five or ten different takes on the topic.

That, and reading.

I enjoyed this post, I especially liked the 'boo-hoo' part. Lol.

I honestly don't know how I feel about this, though. It does occur to me: do we really control what we write? Really?

Maybe other people's muse works differently, (highly likely) but my muse has a mind of it's own.

I can tell it: okay, today we sit down and write a clever mystery, following all the classic forumlas with a twist. Then it tells me: okay, today we sit down and write total nonsense that might, in 10 months, resolve into something that is somewhat legible, but it ain't ever going to be a mystery, kiddo.

Guess who wins?

But in terms of the 'different' argument, well, I think if you write something that is different, you should do a couple of things. First, pat yourself on the back a trillion times. That's an amazing accomplishment. Second, know that this is going to be a hard sell. People like comfortable. So, different can and should have a voice, but it's usually a quieter voice - at least at first. Of course, it may pick up speed and take off. But sometimes the world isn't ready for it. That's frustrating but true. Look at how many authors become famous after death, when the world become ready.

I say, let your muse out, and the rest will take care of itself.

But to blame agents for looking for something that will sell - well, selling really is their job.

Anon @ 8:57's quote: "...The truth is, most highly successful writers were rejected by 99% of the agents out there. Once they are "in," as anyone reading their books can attest, the name sells as much or more than the product..."

Okay, THIS made me laugh. So true. Otherwise, how can anyone explain the success of James Patterson (who only outlines his books while a co-writer "writes" them)?

Name recognition sells. And that has zero to do with a book being good/different, or even being readable.

Generally, an agents or editor's taste is no better or worse than a writer whose work is considered too original/not original enough.

If agents knew so much, they'd sell every client's book, not just "some" of them. And editor's wouldn't take on a book they "love" only to see it dead by the roadside without sales a month after its release.

It's a crap shoot any way you look at it. Pretending otherwise? Not buying it. :)

The novel, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, came highly recommended to me and I ordered it along with several other books. When I recieved it and flipped through and found it was a collection of correspondence only, letter after letter, I shuddered. How on earth could this make for a coherent story? It did. It was different and absolutely amazing.

I could not disagree more with this post. When I go into an ice cream store I want my flavor, not something new and different. Give me great Cookies'n'Cream and I'm happy.

When I go into a bookstore, I want the same thing--my favorite. Not something new and different. When I finish reading a great book I want to read it again, and to read anything else by that writer. I don't go searching for some new writer who writes a completely different kind of story.

I ask the bookstore clerk, "What can you recommend that is like 'The Eagles Has Landed' or 'Eye of the Needle.'" I never ask, "What do you have that's new and different."

I believe this post exemplifies why agents and publishers are so out of touch with what readers want and why publishing is in such dire straits. Agents and publishers are so tired of reading the same thing everyday that they search for something radically different. But give readers what they like, not something new and different. Argh.

Anon 10:16, um, forgive me, but I think you misunderstood the post.

I think the ice cream comparison is really really great!! Thank your for that...and explaining "different" so simply.

Beef stew ice cream may be thinking outside the box...but will it sell??? Maybe to a select few. Writing is an art, publishing is a business......bottom line...if it won't sell...it's a waste of time. Writing may be an expression, a creative release for the writer, and that's perfectly fine. But if they want to make money by selling their writing, it has to be something poeple actually want to read.

And as much as authors bash agents and publishers...they do know what sells and they know how to make money. If you're a writer who wants to sell your writing, you have to trust their opinions. If you truly truly think your book is amazing even though it's been rejected countless times, then don't give up on it. But you need to accept the fact that it's not perfect and take the steps necessary to improve it, make it something that will get a "yes".

I absolutely love the ice cream analogy here! Great way to put it into some tasty perspective.

Different is like obscenity, you know it when you see it. I don't know how many books I read that were hailed as something different, but really weren't. Just because the protagonist has a quirk - something like a diabetic, obsessive compulsive, three-eyed eunuch - doesn't necessarily make a book different. If it still follows the same formulas as the rest of the genre, all plot twists are predictable and the protagonist acts like every other protagonist in the genre, then it's just the same old, same old.

Different has become such a hackneyed phrase that it doesn't mean much anymore.

Thanks for this post. It fits nicely with a blog post I'm currently writing, so I think I'll link to you.

Nice post. Lately I've had little patience for people who whine about the requirements of agents without taking into account the fact that agents can only sell what publishers will buy.

Unfortunately, I agree with MeganRebekah. The people most likely to benefit from this post will likely never read it. They're the same people who don't bother to research genres before they write of the publishing industry before they start sending their manuscript out the door.

It is very difficult to come up with something new if you don't know what's already there. And if you don't know the readers and what they are accustomed to and what they want to get out of the genre emotionally, how can you twist upon their expectations and fulfill them?

Great post Jessica.

And so very true.

All stories in the world are basicially the same. A writer has to come up with a story with a different slant that grabs the reader and takes them for an adventure. If the writer can grab the agent, then the story will grab the reading public.

I tend to be an eclectic reader ranging from different genres and non-fiction topics. To do so keeps my mind open to new ideas that might fit in future manuscripts. To keep with the going trend in the genres I write in I read as many different authors as I can, partly for the story content, but also to see how they put their manuscript together.

"A book that the author labels as a mystery, romance, science fiction is not different, it’s ridiculous."

It's not ridiculous, it's just poor labeling. Call it a near-future police procedural with a romantic sub-plot. Or a paranormal romance about a police officer who goes back in time to catch a killer. Or, well, you should get the idea by now...

Oops! flying fingers. I left off the pie part:
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. : 0

Loved this post, Jessica.

Roberta - Like you, I loved The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, partly because it reminded me of Helene Hanff's wonderful book, 84 Charing Cross Road. There's something about reading other people's correspondence (real or fictional) that appeals to me.

I'm always amazed at the number of people who write but don't read. Some say this keeps their work original, because they aren't subconsciously stealing someone else's ideas. Maybe there is an element of truth to that, but I still think it's important to know what's out there.

More to the point, how can we expect others to read what we write, if we don't do other authors the same courtesy?

And I copied and pasted the title from Roberta's post, so I left out the "Pie" part, too! :)

Lavender ice cream is all the rage. I think it tastes like soap, so I won't order it.

Doesn't matter that I hate the flavor, as the chefs continue to churn out lavender ice cream. Someone's buying it, albeit in ever shrinking numbers, so it's on the menu.

Eventually sales will be so low that someone in management will realize that the flavor's a failure and a new business model is needed. Maybe then my whiskey punch ice cream will find a home.

Instead of worrying about whether or not my book is a genre that's selling or not, I just focus on writing it. If for some reason it's too different for the market at that time, then so be it. :) I'll just have to practice patience and wait.

If that doesn't work, there's always self publishing--even though I'd like to avoid that path if possible. :)

Are you sure Strawberry Marscapone with sugar cookie chunks ice cream doesn't exist? Because I want it now...

Treethyme:

Re: "People who write but don't read"

I have seen passing references to this on blogs. Is this phenomenon real? And HOW? I don't get it. I can't imagine being a composer without listening to music...

Personally, I like mysteries, but I prefer soft-boiled, fun mysteries with clues and interesting plots (not traditional cozies). Like the TV shows Psych, Castle or Monk... But it seems the trend is towards dark, hard-boiled thrillers w/ lots of violence. I want something in-between--so that's what I've written and hope to sell. Is that different enough?

Annon 10:16 At one point, "cookies -n-cream" was NEW. And you tried it.

So don't be goin' around saying you don't want something different.

If you LOGICALLY want to win that argument you better chose vanilla or chocolate as your flavor.

You know, I think it's good to discuss things, but it's also good to withhold judgement.

For example, one of the women in my writing group does not read much. She has ADD and just can not focus on the written page.

She is, however, able to focus on her own writing, which is incredible. Her talent is...well, it's amazing. She was born with talent, she was born to write, and it doesn't matter how much she reads. She will be published and sell well, I'd lay money on it.

Sometimes, I think people get caught up in whether there's a trick to this. If I read enough, if I predict the market enough, if I smooze enough agents, etc. etc.

If the talent is there, it's there. If it's not, work on developing it. And yes, I think talent can be developed.

That's my philosophy, anyway. We can respect that an agent's job is to sell. But we have a different job. That is to write. Focus on that.

This is so true, and so needed! Thanks Ms. Faust!

Good analogy. It reminds me of something I once heard in a literature course, that when you boil down all stories to a sentence or two, there are really only six or seven (all labeled something like "The Quest", etc.). When it comes to writing, it's hard to come up with new stories that are completely original; what you have to do is take elements that haven't been combined before and find a new way to join them together.

I’m amazed sometimes by how truly under-read some of those who claim to be authors are.
While I'm sure there are some authors who truly are underread and know nothing about their genre, I find it a constant challenge to stay up-to-date. I read to exhaustion and try to be aware of what else is out there, whether it's on my TBR list of just for my general knowledge, but the number of books keeps growing! Then there's the whole backfile of older books to get to as well as the new releases. Another reason I'm glad to read industry blogs. I learn a lot more about what's out there than I would otherwise, especially if all I could do was browse the shelves at the bookstore.

"when you boil down all stories to a sentence or two, there are really only six or seven"

Some say there are only two storylines:

1. Somebody goes on a journey/quest

2. A stranger comes to town

And yet bacon ice cream is a cult hit. Thanks for reminding me so frequently why I don't read your blog anymore.

Anon 10:16, I agree with you totally. It's why series do well, it's why people buy the next book by the author even if it gets poor reviews.

I also think it's why I don't buy SF mags anymore, they are all trying to get "new" stuff instead of good stuff. That has to be a big problem for them. Can you keep your reader with the same old stuff? What is the balance between old stuff and new stuff.

legul - and yet you just did. Read her blog.

Sort of weakens your argument, wouldn't you say?

Love your analogy, except I haven't had breakfast and I'm suddenly craving chocolate fudge with caramel bits ice cream...but I remember the frustration of hearing editors tell me to write my own book and make it fresh, etc., which is what I thought I was doing--until I actually did it. Then I realized just how hard it was to describe what they were asking for.

However, when I wrote those first chapters of Wolf Tales, I KNEW it was fresh and I also knew darned good and well it was different. I just didn't know who would buy it. That's where luck and timing had to come together, and in my case, they did. So, once again, I will say that you can't quit, you can't give up, and you have to keep improving your craft, but if you're stubborn enough and keep at it long enough, at some point it all comes together. Sooner for some, later for others (like me) but you have to keep at it.

And just a suggestion: Think out of the box, but remember to keep the box in the room.

Can I ditto horserider please?

If Strawberry Marscapone with Chunks of Sugar Cookie exists I have to know.

Mit Moi,

Yes, just as chocolate was a new flavor at some time. But the point is, once we the ice cream taster (or the book reader) find what we like, we stick to that.

Like most readers, I know what I like and buy those type of books. Agents and publishers complain that book sales are historically the lowest they've ever been; well, there's a a reason for that.

Agents and publishers combine to freeze out the books people would buy because they're a known quality and are exactly what readers are looking for, yet folks in publishing keep pushing onto readers books we simply don't want to read.

It's like when Hollywood decides an actor should be the next big star and keeps making failed movie after failed movie with that actor, never taking a step back to understand that the movie-going public simply does not like that actor.

Or how Corporate American keeps trying to shove soccer down our throats; we're Americans, we don't like soccer so stop trying to make us like it. And we're the book buying public; stop trying to force us to read "edgy" new fiction when what we want are our familiar favorites that will continue to sell if you'd simply publish those type of books. I'm tired of futile trips to the bookstore looking for something good yet only finding teen vampire tripe or zombies amongst Jane Austen characters.

I continue to re-read 5 and 6 times the books I like because the publishing world is so intent on being different and edgy that they're not publishing anything worth reading. If publishers wanted to spur sales, they'd publish books we want to read.

"I continue to re-read 5 and 6 times the books I like because the publishing world is so intent on being different and edgy that they're not publishing anything worth reading. If publishers wanted to spur sales, they'd publish books we want to read."

This is just such an odd statement to me and you must tell me what genres you read, because from my vantage point all I see are the same old same old - vampire stories, urban fantasy, and romance TONS of romance. I see celebrities being published and making bestseller lists writing about fictional versions of their lives, thriller writers writing the same story over and over again, and children's book series that never end.

Now none of the above are judgment calls, there is excellent writing and terrible writing in all said categories, but seriously? All publishers are publishing are edgy different books?? The complaint is usually rather the opposite.

I have to find it very amusing that publishers can never win. Most authors complain that publishers aren't interested in anything new and exciting (be it new different styles, or new authors), and yet here we have people complaining about too much originality?

The world is a strange strange place.

(For the record, I think this post is very apt, and the ice cream analogy perfect.)

I like new things. I mean, I'll re-read my favorites 20+ times...or once a year just for the heck of it. But I hate stagnant water. It smells gross. It tastes gross. And, frankly, it'll make you sick. So why stagnate the mind?

To my fellow writers, I need something fresh and new. To the agents out there, thank you for searching for something that's a little outside of the norm.

Excellent analogy. I was thinking about this topic watching America's Got Talent, too.

The acts have to be more unique than the average song and dance, same-ole thing; but if someone says, "Everyone tells me they've never seen anything like it," you know it's going to be hideous. Like Beef Stew Ice Cream!

I blogged today about the book Q&A (Slumdog Millionaire), which tells a great story in a very unique way. The format of the book is what makes it fantastic. But it's not so out there you can't follow.

"Blame the agents all you want, but the truth is we can only sell to publishers what readers want to buy,"

I couldn't disagree with this statement more. The most common complaint I hear from book groups and friends who are avid readers is there is seldom anything new or exciting. Everything, they lament, is a variation of the same old same old. And I don't just mean vampires - gack.

I honestly believe the publishing industry has completely failed to grasp the old business adage, Change or Die. Their fear of the new, including the avalanche that e-publishing is poised to become, places them in a position to become the GM of tomorrow. And I believe that tomorrow is a lot closer than they think.

With GM and Chrysler's business models as their touchstone, it should be obvious that what agents and publishers should fear most is the status quo. It's a shame for readers that writers seem to be the only visionaries in the morass we refer to as the publishing industry.

Y'all need to ditch the myopia begotten of your fear of failure and start thinking at least half as creatively as writers, give the readers something they can really sink their teeth in, get excited about.

I long to feel the electricity in the air when someone mentions a novel that is so unique, so exciting, that everyone at a social function has either read it or is on a waiting list to read it. Sure there have been a few of those, but not nearly as many as there were 20 years ago. And the majority of new and exciting books were unagented novels and either self-published or published by small presses, books that subsequently caught fire through word of mouth because readers were excited.

I'm telling you: change or go the way of the dodo. The end is closer than you think.

Good grief. There's "hard facts of publishing," and then there's ranting analogies into the ground. The only thing worse than the thinly veiled contempt (for those who call themselves authors) is the sycophantic responses from those who call themselves authors. Oh, but perhaps she didn't mean you?

In Rehoboth Beach we have an interesting ice cream store. It sells, and I am not making this up, bacon ice cream (both plain and covered in chocolate). It's novelty gets people to try it, but then they warn their friends about it. We try to torture people who come to visit by convincing them to get it.

My husband tried play doh ice cream. It is bright yellow, tastes like play doh and has play doh chunks in it.

I had nice lavender ice cream, with real lavender petals in it.

Anon 2:43, you posted that anonymously, so how does that make you any better?

You know what bugs me? People who give Jessica a hard time, even to the point of insults, and do so anonymously.

Cowards.

You have an opinion, put your name on it.

What?! You're telling me my book-in-progress about a love-sick vampire who travels back in time to steal all the recipes for Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" is not different and unique?

Wow, this is really getting folks worked up! I think this post is well-written and thought-provoking, and at the core is pointing to the fact that we, as writers, need to explore our own voices and improve our craft.

Writing a good story that's worth reading is, was, and always will be the key to success. Concentrate on that, rather than whether your work is "different" enough, and everything else will fall into place.

:) I'm having fun reading the comments today.

Just goes to show it's impossible to please everybody! That goes for the blog and the publishing industry.

Cold Stone had Wasabi ice cream once. Yep. You see how well that was received.

Love the analogy, but now I'm hungry. Gee, thanks, Jessica.

GREAT post all around!

And it's funny you should point out how under-read many people are. I don't get the opportunity to read quite as much as I'd like, but I average two middle-grade novels a week (and I write MG novels).

I come in contact with newbie children's writers regularly, and many haven't even bothered to read the Newbery Award and Honor books. That's the first place to start, people! One newbie writer recently commented that she was writing a novel about a kid with ties to Alcatraz, which "had never been done before. There are no historical fiction novels for kids about Alcatraz." I had to point at that "Al Capone Does My Shirts" by Gennifer Choldenko is about just that... and won a Newbery Honor!

At the very least, writers should use Amazon and Google as a tool for discovering what books out there are similar to their own.

Don't color too far outside the lines, kids.

For fiction consumerism I am exactly what Jessica describes. I like bestsellers most of the time. I read critically acclaimed work and some of it bowls me over but the books of the modern era that I read over and over are vanilla, chocolate, and occasional strawberry. I'm just as guilty as the posters above who confess to looking for "more of the same" at the bookstore.

I hope this does not cause a collective apoplexy but for the edgier, less consumer oriented writing that is getting produced but not published epub promises to blow the lid off. It won't take long (younger consumers are not hesitant about this type of product or technology) before there will be some epub or another that does for writers what Sundance did for independent films. It will be avant garde, cool, a resume builder instead of "that doesn't really count." It won't be nearly as risky because there won't be money tied up in printed books or fear of heavy book returns.

For all you artsy souls who can't bring yourself to write something that would appeal to us, the unwashed masses buying the books you hate, there is light at the end of the tunnel. It's likely coming from the train that is about to hit traditional publishing.

Different and good v. different and bad. Different itself is pretty easy. Different and good is very hard.

Interesting and enlightening post. I read a lot, usually in the genre I write, but I pick up books in other genres as well.
You never know what you can cross-pollinate. :)
But I do stick to rough rules within my genre (and subgenre) and one of the first is to ask myself "Would I pick it up and buy it?"
If the answer is maybe, then I look at the story again, with a view to make myself pick it up at the bookstore -- and take it home.
There is different, and there is different. I want a good read, well written, with great characters I can root for. I want the sex to be hot, but believable. I want to lose myself in the story, basically.
All of that applies to *any* book. It's not different.
The approach is what makes a book different, not the mixing of flavors.
Maybe I like my icecream just the way it is, but if you offer me a variation on the theme... well. I might just jump on it. And once I get a taste, I might want more.

At least that's how I interpret it. :)

Great analogy.

I have had beef tongue ice cream, and it was... ah... different.

Great discussion going on here today!

I feel like I'm on the fence because I like new and I like the same old, same old as well. It depends on my mood. I'm not upset or offended by Jessica's analogy. I think it's all about her post on July 3, about being true to yourself. I have no idea what kind of career I'll end up with, but I know I need to try and create one.

[i]"A book that the author labels as a mystery, romance, science fiction is not different, it’s ridiculous"[/i]


Okay. You just described the 'In Death...' series by Nora Roberts.

I completely agree with you, Mira. I notice that, on a lot of writing blogs, the folks who are the most opposed to the post at hand express their vitriol anonymously.

Although I appreciate the "ice cream" analogy, I don't fully agree with it. I can even see both sides of the publishing argument... the need for similar titles to appeal to a built-in audience and the desire of some readers for "new and different" stories.

Still, I have a lot more respect for people who sign their comments. It feels like the vicious "anonymous" commenter wants it both ways: to scorn the blogger's point of view and yet keep the door open for a future agent-writer association.

Though I don't think I'm guilty of spreading manure all over anyone's publishing blog, I am an Anon commentor.

I comment as Anon because I don't have a blog to promote and so have no blogger account.

I also never use my real name because my name is common. If I used it, it wouldn't really let anyone "know" who I was, anyway. And fifteen other people with that name would then say, "Hey, why is that girl using my name?"

If Jessica or anyone is offended by Anon comments, they can always set their blog to print only those with blogger accounts (Janet Reid does this, as do others). Maybe that is the solution. Although it isn't your blog so it's not your right (or mine) to say.

Anon 8:40, personally, I have no problem with people who prefer to post anonymously for various reasons.

But there are two or three people who tend to do it here specifically - it may only be one - and they hide behind the anonymous label while they are vitriolic (good word, Laura), mean-spirited, condescending and insulting.

It's one thing to post anonymously because you need to say something and are scared it will rebound. It's another thing to just be picking on someone as a target because you don't like the system, or you don't like that person.

Then I feel like it's just cowardly. It's not fighting fair. It's hiding in an alley and sniping rather than facing someone directly.

So, my feeling is: cut it out. And whenever I see it going on here, I'll say something - unless the moderators prefer I don't.

Oh good god. I wasn't calling everyone who posted anonymously a coward!!!

Oh, please don't misunderstand.

I was talking to some specific posters here.

Jessica - Maybe you mentioned this in a previous blog and, if so, I apologize for asking about something you've already addressed. Recently an editor from one of the big NY publishing companies spoke at my local RWA chapter meeting.

She said that when she meets authors in pitch sessions, one of the first things she asks is "What author's books most closely resemble yours?" or "What book that you've read recently is similar to yours?"

I was surprised, because I thought the whole point was NOT to be like everyone else. But she said one reason she asked the question was to get an idea for the author's "feel" for the market, and also to find out what (if any) books they had read.

As an agent, what's your take on this? Is it a good idea for an author to mention books/authors whose style resembles theirs, when pitching or querying? It doesn't seem right to me, but I can understand the editor's reasons for asking.

Kim by your tone you seem to hate authors.
I love to read all kinds of books I just want a well written interesting story, unfortunately that so hard to find. I think book sales are down because there's so little that's good out there. Publisher's have become like Walmart they just want to make big bucks on crap books.

Anonymous - Maybe you're reading the wrong genres? I'm not saying this to be sarcastic, I mean it seriously.

I don't have high-brow tastes, but I love to read. Mystery, romance, paranormal, urban fantasy, women's fiction or books that are labeled "literature" -- I read them all.

I read about a book a day and at least one or two a week become "keepers." There are lots of great books out there -- I sure don't have any problems finding good ones! (Or maybe I'm just easily pleased.)

I agree with your post--up to a point. But often I come out of my local B&N empty-handed because so many books seem too predictable to me--I can recite the plot without even reading the novel. I guess that's why I gravitate to quirky fiction and nonfiction (not necessarily literary--just a book that doesn't make me yawn...and that promises to give me something "different." And yes, sometimes this means mixing up genres a bit).

Please explain why this post doesn't completely contradict the last one.

Maybe that's the problem--not the genre, but the predictability of the plot.

The last book I read was such a downer that I doubt I'll read that author's next book.
Who needs more doom & gloom?

ps/ Why would anyone say Kim hates authors based on her comment? Makes sense to me...

Boo-hoo, some poor agent doesn't want to think outside the box.

I'm going to have to disagree with this post. Readers DO NOT buy 'the same only different' they also buy things that are totally different and unique.

At one time Harry Potter was new and Twilight was new. Now they are a dime a dozen.

Every trend started out as something new and later became mainstream and that is ignoring the success of books like House of Leaves and The Raw Shark Texts that are totally outside the mainstream and yet are both critical and financial successes.

What I see here is an agent who sees that publishers are buying lots of YA books and lots of Vampire books (and even YA vampire books) and doesn't want to put in the effort to look for those one or two unique projects that might come across her desk that could make both her and the author very wealthy.

Keep looking at 'the same only different' and you will miss the next Harry Potter or the next Twilight (or even the next House of Leaves) and it will be some other agent who gets rich off of 'The Next Big Thing'.

Different means you still have to appeal to readers. A book that the author labels as a mystery, romance, science fiction is not different, it’s ridiculous.

I can understand how a “mystery-romance-science fiction” marketing label, even if it accurately describes the content, isn’t conducive to the brick and mortar business model of selling books (digital publishing and ecommerce, with its reliance on search engine technology, might be a different story).

I can understand how using multiple genre terms to pitch or sell a book can be convoluted as well as an ill-advised strategy for authors (which is what I think you mean by the above statement. Otherwise, it seems as though you are saying that books involving multiple genres are ridiculous).

But there are so many cross-genre books in existence, and when I describe a book I’ve read to a friend, I’ll often remark on the cross-genre elements contained therein since those are the books I enjoy reading. I don’t stick to the marketing label on the spine.

And I happen to love books that contain mystery, romance, and science fiction. I don’t think my reading tastes are ridiculous.

There is an audience for Beef Stew Ice Cream—even if only someone like Willy Wonka could pull it off—but the manufacturer wouldn’t necessarily call it that. What a book actually is and how a publisher markets it can sometimes be two totally different things.

Wasn’t paranormal romance its own Beef Stew Ice Cream at one time? It went from a dead market to having its own shelving in bookstores. The authors found their audience, albeit the audience grew in large part by reader-driven endeavors such as magazines (LoveLetter), and online communities (PNR).

Don't forget. At one time people thought pistachio ice cream was horrible and disguisting. What you think of today as different and unsalable is what may become the mainstream tomorrow.

A+! Love the ice cream comparison, and the comment about writers who don't read. Is there a worse moment than talking to a writer who has re-written a book that is already out there and finding out they don't know it?

Anon 11:55:

Actually Harry Potter and Twilight are perfect examples of exactly what I am talking about. They are the same, but different. They are, to a certain degree, traditional stories with a new and unique twist and done in such a way that they captivated the audience that was already there.

Sometimes it's difficult to explain myself unless you can truly spend time in my query inbox. However, I do think that those of you who get it do get it and yes, as Heather said, I certainly agree in cross-genres. If you take a quick glance at my list you'll see I've been doing those books for quite sometime and it's because of the cross-genres that I've become more and more interested in fantasy. However, it's the author who tries hard to make a book a little bit of everything to please everyone rather then focusing on one thing and making it different that has the most trouble.

--jhf

I was gonna say the same thing about HP. I mean, how many boarding school stories were there before HP? How many stories about a boarding school which taught magic? HP just added its own spin, its own elements - its own flavour.

"Kim by your tone you seem to hate authors."

Okay, I have no idea how you got that from my comment. If that were the case, I'd sure be in the wrong business, wouldn't I?

My point is this: Everybody has their own tastes and their own opinions on what should be in bookstores. One commenter wants more of the same, another wants stuff that's dramatically different. But the publishing industry's best reference guide to what the book-buying public wants is sales records. And that dictates what editors are looking for and hence what agents are going to send their way. Any one of us could shout from the rooftops "We want something different!", but our shouts just aren't going to be as loud as those sales numbers, because publishing is, after all, a business. We'd just sound like a vocal minority.

My point is that, numbers don't lie. Book sales are down and there is a reason for it. We all may have our theories, but mine is that sales are down because agents and publishers are looking for "new and different" instead of tried and true quality. Publishing should look for the type books it was producing when sales were higher, not continue to produce books from a period when sales are low.

I will never, ever buy a zombie book about Jane Austen characters nor a book about teen vampires. I buy what I like to read and when there is nothing good out there to read then I buy nothing. I am an example why book sales are down. Sure, there are some who will buy those books, but obviously the number of people buying those books is lower than the number of people buying the tried and true books of the past; this fact is confirmed by the declining sales figures. You can squawk all you want that the best sellers are these new kind of books, but some book has to be a best-seller, no matter who many actual sales there are.

Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth is a perfect example. Because of exposure on Oprah's Book Club more potential readers found out about it and rocketed it to best-seller status again. That's a 15-year-old book written the way books should be written. If more of those type books were published today, teen vampire books and zombie classics would not sell because readers would have a far superior product to purchase. Enough said!

Oh, ridiculous, Anon 10:57.

If Oprah told people to read the Yellow Pages, it would skyrocket to the top of the Best Seller list. People don't read books she recommends because they crave quality. They read them because they adore her.

People buy teen vampire books and zombie classics because they are being entertained by them, because their friends are reading and recommending them.

Your argument that if more "of quality" like Pillars of the Earth were published, then people would gravitate toward that instead of the pop culture, mind candy books is simply nonsense! There is always quality being published, and there's always mind candy, and people read what they want to read. More people want to read the mind candy -- and always have!

You may not like it, but that's the audience. It would be a foolish publisher who ignored that.

Book sales have been down in recent years because of two things: 1) younger generations were watching more television, spending a lot of time on the computer, and reading less 2) the economy sucks.

Now, for the first time in a very, very long time young adult sales are up. What are they reading? A lot of paranormal. It's my hope that this means reading is back in vogue and will lead to better sales for many, many types of books as this generation grows up. It's certainly an encouraging trend. Those "zombie books" that you refuse to buy may very well be revitalizing the entire book market.

I, for one, don't buy the argument that book sales are down because there aren't any good books to buy. But if you want to try and prove it, go and self-publish, sell millions of copies and then come back and convince me.

As a huge Jane Austen fan, I was at first put off by the zombie connection. But the idea has grown on me and my online book club is going to read the book. It's sort of like the Oprah thing. I bought the book because I love P&P, not for the zombies.

It might be fun. Remember fun? Isn't that what all of this is supposed to be about? I know it's a business, but if you can't have some level of fun, why bother?

Ok. So I wander into an ice cream parlour. And I'll have a scoop of something I know I'll love at the bottom of the cone, because I know I'll love it, and a scoop of roasted eggplant because that's so weird I just have to try it. And if that isn't there, I'd have a scoop of Beef Stew because I really cannot imagine that I would like it, but it's so weird, I need to find out how anyone thought it would work. (I've bought drinks and crisps and - gasp - icecream like that. Just because it's there. And Heston Blumenthal's restaurants do a roaring trade, and he's far weirder.)

But give me an icecrem shop full of chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and I'll walk past. Tried them, don't particularly mind them, but I've eaten them often enough that I'll hold out for the next shop that hopefully will have something different. Offer me Black Raspberry Chocolate Cheesecake and Strawberry Marscapone with Chunks of Sugar Cookie and I'll look at it: cheese? Why do these people keep putting cheese into everything? I hate cheese. I want to buy cheese-free icecream! And I want to buy a nice, solid flavour, not fruit-with-something-with-sugar amalgamations that sound as if they'll taste mainly of sweet and artificial flavouring. And I'll walk straight out of the icrecream shop if those flavours are too prominent, and I won't come back.

This analogy is very, very apt indeed. In the last couple of weeks I spent five hours browsing high street bookstores and come out with zero books, because they're full of (well, actually, not very full right now, the shelves looked stripped) of books that all sound the same and all don't sound like something I want to read. So I, a certified readaholic, read what's on my shelves and visit second-hand bookstores and borrow from friends and order on the internet through personal recommendation, because I can't get the style of books I like at all on the highstreet.

And now, I *really* want that roasted eggplant icecream, because roasted eggplant has that sweetish undertaste that might actually work. Probably not on par with the chocolate-with-chilli icecream that was to die for...

10:57:

I will never, ever buy a zombie book about Jane Austen characters nor a book about teen vampires.

You might not buy a book about zombie Jane Austen characters, but millions of other people have and that IS another example of why this Agent is so wrong -- someone took a chance and put that Beef Stew ice cream on the shelf with a fancy looking cone and it was a smash success.

The book itself is complete trash. The writing is piss poor and the idea falls flat on its literary face before you can even enjoy the face munching zombie goodness, but that didn't keep millions of people from taking a taste.

It was the impossible mix of flavors that no one thought anyone wanted and it turned out that everyone did.

Actually Anon 6:24:

"this agent" thinks that Pride and Prejudice with Zombies is exactly what I was talking about, but not as beef stew ice cream. That book is the absolute perfect example of Strawberry Marscapone with Chunks of Sugar Cookie. It's just the perfect blend of different. It's not trying to reinvent the wheel in any way, but taking what has already worked and worked very well and creating your own unique version.

--jhf

I'm with green_knight. I'd definitely try the weird ice creams. I'm one of those people that goes to restaurants and orders the thing on the menu I've never heard of and can't pronounce.

I've heard of raspberry blue cheese ice cream, but must admit I never ate it. I'm not a raspberry fan.

My all time favorite dessert to date is an heirloom tomato tart with basil gelato and basil syrup. The tart was sweet, like berries. The waiter said he had a hard time getting people to try it, but everyone who did thought it was the most amazing thing they'd ever eaten.

I like to broaden my horizens in my reading too.

I have to say... I order the same thing at restaurants, I buy clothes from stores I know make good quality stuff, and I see movies from the same directors... why?

Because I don't want to waste my cash- I work hard for that stuff- I want to be pleased when I spend it.

I am not saying I want to read the same book again and again... but I want to read things that are familiar in tone and feeling.

It's our job as writers not just to write what we want, but to write what we think the public wants to read... and if we know kids are reading the paranormal- rather it be vampire, warewolf, or superhero- then we should write that.

Kids love trends... do you think it was a GOOD idea to tight roll your jeans, or did Misty's cousin's roommate from college tell you to do it-so you did?

The want to follow things-they want catch phrases and styles, they want characters they can relate to, but not so much it bores them.

I think a lot of the authors out there are trying to stretch the envelope for the sake of telling people they stretched it, and they have every right to... but will an agent take on your book? Uh-no. An agent is in the business of making money off books and cultivating best selling authors, not making sure you get to see your memoirs of a tube sock in print.

Jamie,
I want value-for-money, too, but one of the non-negotiable qualities in books is that I want to be intrigued. I have experience enough as a reader and writer to be able to predict far too many tropes and plots, and I am bored with them. I want to read books I could not have thought up, which means a wider range of characters and lifestyles and worlds than we often see.

It's our job as writers not just to write what we want, but to write what we think the public wants to read...

Ptui.

It is my job as a writer to stay true to the story. It is also my job not to stand between the reader and the story - which means honing my craft so my words deliver exactly what I want them to say, which means not making the reader work to compensate for my lack of skills, which means finding the right level of diction, style, pacing, level of details, viewpoint etc etc for the story, which means not abusing the reader's trust for my own amusement.

I also owe it to readers not to patronise them by deciding what they want or don't want to read.

I have a friend who once opened an ice cream store.

The first week, the delivery driver left ten gallons each of vanilla, chocolate, raspberry, strawberry and tequila-jalapeno ice cream.

The next week, the driver returned and saw that all the flavors, except tequila-jalapeno, had sold out. Still, his instructions were to leave ten gallons of each flavor, each week.

After about two months, my friend was beside herself. She usually sold out of chocolate by Friday evening, subsequently losing customers, and she was beginning to have storage space problems with the build up of tequila-jalapeno.

Still, when the driver showed up each week, he insisted on leaving ten gallons of each flavor.

"But you only sold ten gallons of chocolate last week," he'd tell my friend. "Why do you want more?"

After much cajoling, she finally elicited from him a promise 'to look into it'.

So, what DID he do? Two things. First, he decided to spend a whole bunch of money marketing tequila-jalapeno ice cream, because clearly it wasn't that it was just crappy ice cream; he LOVED it, and was sure everybody else would, too! People just needed to be convinced to buy it. Second, he told my friend to reduce the size of her chocolate scoops -- without, of course, lowering the price -- because the supplier had diverted chocolate production capacity to tequila-jalapeno in anticipation of the marketing campaign's success.

His first step was to put up a big poster, showing a delicious, glistening scoop of tequila-jalapeno under the heading "Our #1 Bestselling Flavor"*. His second step was to reduce deliveries of every other flavor, making tequila-jalapeno the only thing in the cooler by the time the weekend rolled around.

By definition, buyers can only buy what's for sale, and sales of tequila-jalapeno at first skyrocketed. But soon, people just stopped coming to my friend's store. Eventually, she convinced the supplier to renew her supplies of chocolate, vanilla, raspberry and strawberry. When the truck showed up, the new delivery driver threw in ten gallons of broccoli-cumin. He just LOVED it, and was sure it would be the next big thing.

Sigh.

Broccoli-cumin? Come on, you made that whole thing up.

It was, however, a really funny and clever story that made some good points.

Nice job. Two thumbs up.

""this agent" thinks that Pride and Prejudice with Zombies is exactly what I was talking about, but not as beef stew ice cream. That book is the absolute perfect example of Strawberry Marscapone with Chunks of Sugar Cookie."

Have you read it??? While it is a financial success, the book itself is complete crap. Are you saying that what you are looking for as an agent is poorly written trash with a quirky topic?

Again, that would be the Beef Stew ice cream you started out saying you didn't want and not the Strawberry Cookies that you can tell right from the description will be a big hit.

Not to get stuck in a discussion of one book...

I still see an essential problem with your initial post. You are saying you want 'The Same Only Different' because as an Agent you know that 'The Same Only Different' is what you can sell to publishers and I'm sure you do a credit to your clients by picking clients who are writing books you know you can sell.

The problem is (as other people have mentioned) that book sales are down. The public isn't buying 'The Same Only Different' in the kind of numbers they were two years ago and that is why you need to be keeping your eye open for the Bacon Flavored Ice Cream that everyone wants, but doesn't know they want yet.

Why wouldn't an agent want what they can sell? I don't understand anyone thinking that isn't what an agent wants.

Publishers don't want to make books that can't sell- so they aren't going to pick them up from agents. It's an agents job to guess which books a publisher will buy and go from there.

That's that.

Ho, ho ho, Chi Minh . . .

Readers don't know what they like until some hype burglar tells them so; or until they read it -- not necessarily in that order.

And neither do you!

Well, I am a reader not writer or agent. Sadly the books I read are cross genre so I must like Beef Stew ice-cream which actually sounds revolting! A bit of a downer to be told my reading habits are ridiculous.! Luckily there are agents out there who do cater for what might appear to be my specialist taste. The post feels like too ideas conflated into one. Or maybe the Beef Stew remark was meant to get people thinking in which case I think it was a very successful post.
I certainly hope that books don't go to ebook format completely so the question of what an agent can sell as book going on to a bookshelf has to be an important issue. As an artist from a different genre, (singer) yes I definitely think that just being an 'artist' is not enough. For a start it's the perfect way to get reamed. So with regard to that portion of the blog doing your homework as a writer seems apt in whatever way you can. Interesting blog!

Thank you. For this post and for all you do, thank you.

Trust the gut! Hope your Fourth is a fun and relaxing one.

That was a very encouraging article. Thanks!

Thanks--but don't you mean FLAIR?

Or the next great British novel?

Thank you!
And yes, or the next great British novel

Booker prize here I come, lol.

Thanks, a motivational shot in the arm always helps.

Have a great holiday!

It's always good to hear encouraging words amid all the life lessons we learn on these blogs. Thanks!


Novice Writer Anonymous

Great timing. My brain was just getting bogged down with all the rules and restrictions until I could barely get a sentence out.
Thanks!

Jessica, This is one of my favorite posts you've written. Sometimes I think we writers are nothing more than a bundle of nerves with heads; that's how nervous we become trying to figure out what's right and wrong in the querying/submission process.

Like Charlie Parker the great American sax player once said, "You've got to learn your instrument. Then, practice, practice, practice. And then, when you finally get up there on stage, forget all that stuff and just wail!"

Here's to writers trusting their instincts and letting their talents wail!

Thanks for an amazing quote DebraLSchubert. Watch yourself--you just might end up on my blog.

Jessica, thanks for a great post. Sometimes I feel like an ass for thinking that I might get published one day. As you pointed out the book biz is subjective, tough, and clogged up with so much talent.

But I can work hard, and keep reading, and as I do--well, I start to have those moments that Stephen King talked about in On Writing, when I read a book and think, "I can do better than that!"

Great post. If there is one thing I've learned from my role as a student of publishing, it's that most questions are answerable with common sense.rt

No truer words were even spoken, Jessica. Example--all the years I wasted (well, not really, as I did improve my skills) writing what I "thought" editors wanted. When I finally wrote what I wanted, my career took off. Trusting in yourself isn't always easy, but it's the one place where you generally won't go wrong.

So often we forget!

Successful art is both business and personal and if we don't stay true to ourselves, we'll quickly be nothing but business and ultimately unsuccessful.

Thank you for these encouraging words today!

Thank you. Now have a great holiday.

Wonderful post. I love your 'cut to the core' approach on things. It's insightful and compassionate. I saw your Title, and immediately started to relax.

I also really appreciate the comments. Aimmee, I couldn't agree more!

On the other hand, Jessica, I hope you're right. Sometimes, I think someone should follow me around and shout "NO!!" just before I do anything.

Suppose I could follow myself around shouting 'no.' But that might seem alittle odd....

I ended up breaking up with my cowriter because he would not trust himself. He absolutely refused to believe that the industry was subjective and became convinced if he could find the elusive right steps, the book would sell.

We had a book project done and were just starting to submit it to agents. Of course, we got rejections. He started sniffing around, looking for reasons. He became convinced that something must be wrong with the book (we're talking barely hitting single digit rejections, with one full request) and that the first chapter needed to be rewritten. Couldn't explain what needed to be rewritten or why.

Then he started sniffing around published authors. Some it was workshops he attended, and their advice became "We must do this"--even if it was wrong for the book or for either of our writing styles.

The worst was a published YA author who actually read the book. The book was set during a war and many of the characters were soldiers in combat. The YA writer reacted badly to it because she was vehemently anti-gun. Because of her reaction, my cowriter concluded that agents must be rejecting the book because we had guns in it! He started talking about removing the guns from the story--nevermind that it wouldn't make sense or be credible.

I tried to tell him that just because she was published didn't mean she knew what was right for our book. But he got so locked into "This author said" and "That author said" that he not only pushed me out of the book, he pushed himself out of the book.

You are so right. I had so many different people critique my work that if I had made all of the suggested changes my book would have been a totally different beast. Instead, I decided to listen to all the critiques with a grain of salt. What really worked was reading my material over and over until I got it right, and trusting myself. Now the entire ms is under submission with an agent, this is a first for me. This process has been one hurdle at a time and with each hurdle the book improves.

Learning to trust yourself isn't easy, as I've come to realize.

I have several critique partners, and when I get something back from them, they often give contradictory advice. One of them says to cut all the "bad" language and to tone down the hot scenes. Another says to cut the magical aspects because those aren't needed. Another, who I'm seriously listening to, says there's too much snark.

The problem is, they all have a point, and I'm sure others will agree with them. But do I really want to write something with no heat, no magic, and only words my grandmother would use? Well, no -- because that's not what I like to read.

It's hard to ignore advice when you know it may alienate some readers -- maybe even some friends. But if instinct means telling the story you want to tell, I guess part of that is developing an awareness of the difference between a critique partner's personal taste and their own instincts for problems in my writing. And then figuring out how to distinguish between the two.

TreeThyme, I know exactly what you mean. I've gotten completely opposite advice in critique groups. Cut that, don't cut that. Too much of this, not enough of this.

When that happens, it's tough! I guess you have to sit with it, and go with your gut. Sometimes, it's obvious, but sometimes.....maybe the skill to trust yourself and your voice is something that grows with experience.

Jessica,
One of your agency's authors, Jo Dereske, put me on to your blog a couple months ago and I've enjoyed reading your posts ever since. Thank you. Today's post helped confirm what I've long believed, but I appreciate the reminder.

If you ever decide to represent YA, I'm sure many of us would flood your inbox. Maybe that's a good reason not to...hmm.

I would never join a critique group. The last thing I want is other writers suggesting how I should construct or change my work. I am not interested in supportive criticism. I believe that when work is changed, based on the opinions of others, the writer no longer owns the work. It has become compromised.

I do not write to please publishers. That seems so fake. What's the point? I write what I want to please myself. My audience finds my work. And when they do... they find ME.

Marjorie -- though I tend to shy from critique groups, too (for different reasons), I think they can quite useful w/o compromising your work -- they might point out plot loopholes, character inconsistencies, etc. that have nothing to do w/ your tone/voice, etc... and, after everything's all said and done, you don't have to listen to them.

Bane:
I tend to like to keep my work private until it is posted. I feel to even hear other people's opinions compromises the work. I do not like to empower other writers who (in groups) are readers. Sometimes these other writers have obtuse agendas when they critique a work. I feel that after a work is published, readers can form opinions. And I certainly would never write to please publishers.

In terms of how groups can be useful regarding character and plot... I think it is better to have one person who can function as a "sounding board" as opposed to strangers in a group. If a sounding board is desired.

Writers in critique groups sometimes give conflicting opinions and I really feel all it does is confuse and compromise the integrity of the project. It is invasive and meaningless to me.

Can you picture JD Salinger in a critique group? Or Woody Allen? They are confident in themselves... and so am I.

I'm confident, but I know my writing has been greatly improved by my critique partners. I don't always choose to take their advice, but they sometimes see things from a different perspective. If it makes my story stronger, I'll take their advice. That is not to say I always follow every suggestion, but, from my standpoint, the input is helpful.

New reader here. I've been catching up on all your old posts and just wanted to say how much I appreciate you taking time out of your day to share valuable advice with us.

Happy 4th!

Marjorie - I totally hear what you're saying in terms of confidence. I will say that in some ways, trusting yourself is exactly where it's at when it comes to writing.

On the other hand, I adore my critique group. The thing about writing is it's communication. I miss things. Stuff that I think is crystal clear...well, isn't. It's good to get feedback on that. And then, if you trust yourself enough, you can take in what's helpful, and ignore what isn't.

Wow, thanks for the encouraging blog. It's extremely needed when waiting on pins and needles for query responses from agents.

It gives me hope in my anxious little world of waiting.

I am curious as to why a literary agent would post a blog with run-on sentences. Is this a deliberate stylistic choice or do the rules of grammar not apply to blogs? I am not being snarky. I am actually curious.

Thanks, Jan

Whenever possible I like to blame my dog. Ate the guidelines, dirty pawed it, or was just so darn cute I got side-tracked. There's no penalty for paying attention, and quite a few when we don‘t. Seems rather odd we don't do it better. I wonder how much adrenalin is expelled seconds before the click of the send button that should be re-routed into purposeful review, instead of dawdling in that fantasy, “I’m finally ready.”

I've always found it interesting that people get mad at agents. I really, really want an agent. I've come close, but not quite close enough. But I'd much rather work with an agent than try and do it myself. I love to write, and although I think that I probably could--eventually--figure out all the contracts and stuff with an editor, why would I want to do that? It sounds so boring. I'd much rather be able to write and have someone else do all that yucky stuff I don't want to deal with.
I want someone there to help me, someone I can easily ask questions. Someone who can worry about the mounds of money I'll obviously be making (that's said with some hopeful sarcasm) and everything else I don't want to worry about so I can focus on my writing.

I've never been bothered by the guidelines. In fact, they're nice because by following them, it's one less decision I have to make, one less thing to worry about.

playingwithchildren.blogspot.com

Have faith. There are those of us that ARE respecting guidelines. I've been editing my book from over 145k words down to 114k (still cutting). And its because I DO respect the advice of agents and try to educate myself on what the publishing companies are looking for. Some of us aren't making excuses. We promise!

I'm really surprised so many people get guidelines mixed up. IT's so easy to access the correct info online..

It's an interesting phenomenon. I don't know if it's an art thing or it's just common all over. If you want to go to law school, you have certain things you have to do and certain approaches you have to make. Same with med school, dental school or any school. If you're applying for a job, you have to fill out the company's application the way they want to, show up for the job interview at the appropriate time and place and dress appropriately and fill out more paperwork, take a physical, sometimes a drug test, blah, blah, blah.

By and large, publishing is asking you to act professional, follow somewhat broad guidelines, and generally speaking gives you a fair amount of leeway in how you approach them, in order to take a look at your work.

Yet for some reason--possibly ignorance, possibly arrogance and quite possibly both (hell of a combination)--an awful lot of people think they're exceptions and can do what they want and agents and the publishing industry will just say, "Oh never mind, we recognize how brilliant you are, come on in."

Oh Jennica or Jessifer.(oops, couldn't help myself)
Jessica, this seems to be the ongoing thread of that cirlce of "publishing these days." So many people think they have that next great novel and are too lazy or too ignorant to do the research and understand the industry, let alone the submission guidelines.
I have two mss ready for the query jump, but I would never send them to you or any other agent that represents your genre. The mss are memior and YA fantasy. (I read your blog every day because you teach about the process and the industry.)
If somone created the next greatest kids board game she wouldn't shop it around a clothing manufacturer or a sporting goods company.
It's pretty simple to find, read and follow submission guidelines, but only if the writer is serious.
I couldn't do your job--I'd trash everyone of those @%$&!'n lazy, ungrateful, childish and misdirected submissions in a hearbeat.

Jessica,

I stumbled across your blog several months ago, and I'm glad I did. I've never posted, being content to read your articles and reinvigorate my dream of publishing my novel.

To be honest, after reading years of horror stories about the publishing process, I had nearly resigned myself to editing and formatting my novel myself and giving it away for free. Why endure the pain and suffering of the publishing process if all I really want is an audience?

Your blog has helped changed my mind. I appreciate the last few articles in particular - not only because they offer "valuable tips," but because you come across as human, sincere, and even fallible. It's tremendously comforting to find someone like you on the other side of this game.

I can't wait to query you some day. You're the only agent on my "list," and I'm comfortable with that. It may or may not be a fit, but at least I already know I'll rest easy waiting to find out.

--Kevin L. McDonald

What if do you follow all the guidelines but the agent ignores your ms? I got a same-day request for a partial, spent a week writing a synopsis and preparing the partial for snail-mail, including published works,
then the agent sat on the ms. for months? Then when I try to nudge, it immediately gets rejected (without any explanation, of course). So what's up w/ that?

I have fulls out w/ various agents who passed their promised deadlines but I'm afraid to nudge for fear of rejection. You're damned if you do, damned if you don't...

Hey Jessica,

Speaking of things you hate....

Writers are encouraged to query in (small) bunches. Writers are asked to send requested pages in a timely fashion while the agent is still interested. Writers are told never to send full manuscripts to more than one person at a time.

My question has always been, how does the writer respond to an agent asking for the full manuscript when another agent already has it in hand?

"I'll get that to you as soon as Janet Reid rejects it" seems to lack a certain something.

Stephen

I actually like the guidelines. It's much easier for me to query someone when I know exactly what they want than if I have to guess. I would never have thought to blame the query guidelines for myself getting rejected. Although it is nice to hear that you don't automatically ignore queries for what are clearly mistakes, because sometimes they happen, especially when technology has its little glitches. Sometimes, I think, people start to feel frustrated by their rejections, and just need something/someone to blame.

Anon 9:42:

I disagree with the "damned if you, damned if you don't" theory. I think that's something authors put on themselves because rather then think the work was what got the rejection letter it's easier to think it's because you checked in. Frequently when authors check in it just so happens that I had just read the material. I hate to say how much the timing just happens that way. It was not rejected because you nudged. The letter probably just hadn't been written yet. You're getting full requests which is fabulous. The next step is representation. You just need to keep plugging along.

Karen Amanda Hooper:
Thanks for the kind words. I do know that most of you listen and listen well. I see it in my inbox daily. The query letters keep getting better which shows that many of you are paying attention.

Stephen Rogers:
Writers are encouraged to do a lot of things, none of these are rules. The reason for small batches is not to satisfy agents, but for you to see if you need to rework the query before going a second round. That's actually for your benefit. I think sending it out in a timely manner only makes sense. You should never query until everything is ready. Certainly you shouldn't need to write the chapters or synopsis after you get a request. Those should be done. As for encouraging never to send fulls out to more then one agent at a time who said that? It certainly wasn't me. Most agents encourage multiple submissions so that's a "rule" I've never heard of. In fact, if you read through old posts you'll see exactly how I feel about exclusives and I know there are a lot of agents out there who agree with me wholeheartedly.

--jhf

Great post. I get tired of hearing people complain that everything is stacked against them, the rules are too hard or idiotic, that the submission policies aren't logical. If you want to succeed in this industry, you have to follow the same "rules" (used loosely) as everyone else.

I'm an aspiring author and you are only too well aware of the accompanying frustrations, but I really appreciate your sharing the other side. It makes it easier for me to take a deep breath and get over myself : ) Thank you!

Jessica,

Thanks for answering my question about full manuscripts.

I still feel uneasy about sending out more than one full at a time, but that's my problem. :)

Stephen

Has the AAR ever approached agents with the notion of standardizing the query process, at least on the email end of things? I know agents vary to some degree on what they want on initial queries, but the beauty of emails is that you can ignore what you don't want to read. I know a fair number of agents are not in AAR but even many who aren't still claim to adhere to their rules. Anyway, I have no clue if the AAR is anythinng more than an association to standardize rules of practice or if they have more involvement with agents, and not that writers need an excuse to be lazy, but it would be kind of cool if writers could go to the AAR site and see, "ah so this is what AAR agents expect to see."

Regardless of that ease, it really doesn't take much, other than a bit of time, to figure out what agents want or expect regarding submissions. And if you can legitimately not find any info on an agent, one can certainly just email them and ask. I did this with an agent the other day because I could literally find no useful information about her. She emailed me back with a little bit of general information, and now I don't feel like I'm querying her blind.

Writers need to understand (most do I think) that agents want to believe that you are interested in their represention for legitimate reasons, even if they are minor. Blindly throwing out queries into Agentland makes it look like you don't give a shit about who represents you, and given the nature of the partnership and what it entails, that's an attitude that no agent wants to see.

I know the excitement of finally finishing an ms, and wanting to get it out there into agents hands, but finishing is only the first step in a long, long process. So, celebrate, take a deep breath, and do the work for the next step, which obviously, is more than just clicking the 'send' button.

{"As for encouraging never to send fulls out to more then one agent at a time who said that? It certainly wasn't me. Most agents encourage multiple submissions so that's a "rule"}

Thanks for clearing this up, Jessica. The original comment scared the begebbers out of me. I feared I'd shot myself in the foot by having two fulls under consideration, yet I could find nothing in my notes to verify his statement. I'm breathing easier now. Thanks again.



Confucius says, "He who speaks without modesty will find it difficult to make his words good."

I really enjoyed this post. You know, it really annoys me that authors complain about getting form rejections when they have sent out a
"form" query. That makes no sense. I think selecting an agent and really taking care to write your query for that agent is important and imperative.

Thank you for some great information!

Great post.
Wow, I could never imagine doing a mass query.

Because isn't an author supposed to spend some time researching the agent? You know, to check out their blogs and their style of writing/communication to see if it's a fit??

Hmmm, but maybe I'm on glue or something.

Thanks for the post.

Agents are the first hurdle. If you can't clear the first hurdle, you're all, "That hurdle is too high!" Regardless of whether hurdles two through ten are just as high, and just as impossible for your legs to leap over.

There's a reason that hurdle is at the height it's at. If you can't get over it, you'll never make it through the rest of the race.

Delurking for a minute...

A lot of what I've seen lately leads me to believe most of those who compalin about the way publishing works are folks that haven't done their homework. They haven't done the research on proper submissions. And they haven't perfected their craft yet, either.

My first submission years ago was perfect I thought but I had no clue and the rejection was the right response. Did it hurt? You bet but it made me look at the piece and see it as others did.

I'm a member of several writing groups and see a lot of novice writers with the "my writing is great - I'm just misunderstood and agents hate me" attitude. Yet when you look at their writing, it needs serious work craftwise. Of course, they don't see things that way. And they don't like it when you point it out either.

So, they complain. They complain about agents taking too long to reject them, not taking long enough to reject them, they complain about agents blogging and twittering instead of reading slush and how it's so unfair.

Writing something publishable is hard work. Getting an agent is hard work. That's just the way it is. Complaining doesn't do any good.

Do the homework involved and the doors will open.

*steps off soapbox*

Mysteries in the Making

*bangs head on desk* Darn typos!

I've had to jump through plenty of hoops for other jobs. A Certified Professional Nanny earns top dollar for a darn good reason!

What I gleaned from that experience is that 'jumping through hoops' is one more way to prove you're willing to do all the hard work and follow the rules, thus reassuring those concerned you're capable and can be relied upon.

I only ask that agent and editors keep their guidelines clear and up-to-date.

You know, considering the fast and easy availability of various agents' submission guidelines; the voluminous amounts of advice on how to write a stand-out query; and including the harder to find but very helpful tips for writing a good synopsis...as far as I'm concerned, the query/submission process has always been the EASY part.

It's not rocket surgery!

The reason so many aspiring authors neglect professional guidelines, I think, is because there's still a rose-colored mythos of writing as a pure "art" - if you're unacquainted with how the publishing industry works, maybe it's harder to accept the fact it IS an industry and there ARE rules to follow.

I guess you could call it artistic hubris (my book is the next American novel! What do you mean, word count?), but I think it's more about first-time submitters not realizing that things like word count, genre, proper address really do make a difference.

I'm not a writer myself, but a fanatic reader. A while ago I started looking for book review sites, ended up on the agent blog circuit somehow, and realized just how many aspiring authors I'm glad DIDN'T get the go-ahead.

I know this sounds harsh, but really, when you look at sites like QueryShark it makes you realize just how many people think they're ready to be published authors when in reality, they're light years off. The least you can do, if you truly are a good writer, is to do a quick bit of research on what is expected.

If you can't or won't because of hubris or sheer ignorance - that tells me you're not very smart, or have severely overestimated the quality of your own work. So I have less confidence that I'd want to actually read your book down the line.

I have great respect for those who have the discipline to create a book out of nothing. But even if you have done this, AND are extremely gifted, that is no guarantee this one particular work you've queried is going to be attractive to me as a reader.

I trust the double gatekeeping agents and editors do for me: when I go into a bookshop, their filtering makes sure EVERY single book I see around me has something good going for it. I trust agents' judgment as a reader. Why shouldn't you, as an author?

Conversely I really hate to think amazing books are getting passed by because of a crappy query letters, so if you're sitting on that kind of golden egg, shape up! Better queries!

Regarding word count: I am sure this has been asked before, but are you looking for the standard word count (where you could up the words on the page and do the math) or the word count generated by Microsoft Word? Sometimes those numbers can be different, and I'm not sure which to use.

Thanks, Jessica for the vote of confidence! I'm Anon 9:42 and my 3 mss. have been out from 6 weeks to 5 months. I did nudge at the 3-month and 4-month mark but nothing final, just "I'll get to it soon..."

Isn't it true that agents who are excited about your work respond sooner, not later? If there's a problem, I wish they'd tell me so I can fix it. The waiting is nerve-wracking! What's a writer to do without being a pest?

I'm dating myself, but wayyyy back in college, I had to take an Intro to Computers class. The professor was very specific-80% of your grade was based on following her directions. We were psyched. An easy A.

True story, she still teaches at UNH actually--most of the class failed. Her directions were always basic. "I want 1 in margins, two lines after the date, etc." But for some reason, even by the end of the semester, people still didn't follow them. They'd get their assignments back and complain about their grades. They weren't being given a fair shake, blah blah. It wasn't their fault. blah blah.

Finally, the last day of class someone asked WHY??? And she said it was the biggest, hardest and most important lesson every student needed to learn in order to be successful--how to follow directions. She also said it never ceased to amaze her how few could or how well those that did fared later in life...

I've never, ever forgotten her, or to remember to use the right font. Eek.

Jessica:
"I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, getting published and staying published is hard enough without making it harder on yourself."

The key words for me was "staying published". I understand that there is typically a three book leeway given by a publisher; that if by your third book you haven't hit certain expectations (books sold) that you can pretty much figure your publishing career is kaput or at least mortally wounded. Am I right?

Jessica,

My first name is Jessica as well, so Jennifer is a pet peeve of mine too.

I spent months researching the query process, visiting agent sites, and preparing my strategy for publishing my book.

There are lot's of resources to narrow down to the right group of agents, the right formatting of queries, and all sorts of advice from agents and editors on publishing etiquette.

I've found agents have been a godsend in working towards my goal of getting published. And because of the advice, I have started getting requests for partials on my manuscript.

Thank you all for the time you take to put the word out to us hopefuls!

This is an interesting post. The most fascinating thing I read was that agents have different guidelines (published on their site) if they request more work. I've noticed submission guidelines for queries, but never for after the initial query. I'd always assumed the agent would just tell you specifically what s/he wanted if they requested more.

Jessica - thanks for the post.

I'm amazed at the back and forth discourse lately between agents and writers. Did it all start with #queryfail day? Was that the catalyst for the myriad of blogs from both agents and writers venting their frustrations? Has the proverbial worm turned? : )

Personally, I follow the guidelines set forth and hope for the best. I study the writing blogs and aim to perfect my query letter into a shining beacon of brilliance that will have agents knocking down my door. Lastly, I continue to write. It's what I do.

As for why I don't have an agent yet? I just haven't found the right one. He/She is out there somewhere. One day (soon, I hope), he/she will be stunned (in a good way, I might add) by my query letter and offer immediate representation. Hey, a guy can dream, can't he??

I'm curious, though...

Having recently participated in Nathan's "Agent for a Day" by reading and commenting on 50 queries, I actually found it much easier to navigate through the pile by eliminating the ones where the querier truly had no clue.

You know someone wanting to submit a 120,000 word YA novel or or a query that told about the author but not the book's plot.

In a way it made me wonder why agents complain about a person NOT following directions. Doesn't that just make moving through the query in-box that much easier?

(of course, people NOT sending queries would be better, but still...)

Anon 3:43

Maybe agents don't skim through the queries, trying to spot the gems. FYI, I heard somewhere that Twilight was originally 150,000 words and the finished product is around 120,000 words. You would have skipped right past it.

(By the way, I skimmed right past a bunch of the queries on Agent for a Day, too... glad I'm not an agent.)

:)

I'm a Jennifer and Jessica is a pet peeve of mine as well. :)

Why does that bother us so?

Anonymous said:
**The key words for me was "staying published". I understand that there is typically a three book leeway given by a publisher; that if by your third book you haven't hit certain expectations (books sold) that you can pretty much figure your publishing career is kaput or at least mortally wounded. Am I right?**

That's not necessarily so. An old acquaintance, Alis A. Rasmussen said that Bantam dropped her after sales of her 4 novels fell below 500 a month. ( Or maybe it was 5000--I forget). The novels were a science fiction series. She re-invented herself, and as Kate Elliott she's had 14 fantasy novels published by DAW. (15 if you count her collaboration with Melanie Rawn and Jennifer Roberson.) So hope is there.

One thing we learned from #queryfail is that there are FAR TOO MANY agents who are just deleting a query unread due to little things (wrong name, misspelled name, 'Dear Sir') at the top of the query and I think that is where all the hate from #agentfail came from -- from agents who weren't even bothering to read the submitted query letter.

If my query letter doesn't grab your attention, that is my fault. If you delete my query letter unread because it said 'Dear Sir/Madam' (which is a professional business letter style greeting) then there is a real problem here and it isn't the author who has the problem.

“Why am I not grabbing an agent’s attention?” should probably be your first questionOf course, when one gets generic rejection responses, it's hard to answer that question. You can ask other authors, both agented and not, and they can give you ideas...but ultimately, only the agent knows for sure.

Just the nature of the business, I suppose...

You're assuming all agents have clear and concise guidelines.

Also if an agent happens to dislike a particular genre they ought to state that.

Ex: "I absolutely do not accept fantasy." (I noticed Bookends stated that.*)

If that's not in the mix, then blowing up at someone who saw the word 'fiction' and figured a 'magical realism' story might just be lost.

It's also kind of funny that agents don't like form letters. ;) Is that not a bit of irony? It's nothing personal it's just people are busy and they'd rather move on with their day, both agent and writer. People have lives and can't always respond personally, though if work is submitted it should at least be considered.

I agree that writers should familiarize themselves with guidelines, but those ought to be crystal clear. Otherwise people get confused, not because they're being stupid or vindictive.

Just a thought...

Absolutely, without a question, it's an excuse. I would not want literary agent standards to be any other way so that when I finally catch a break I will have something to be uniquely proud of.

I hate to even wade into this murk, and I'm probably going to regret doing it, but:

"Dear Sir/Madam" is only appropriate in the world of business when you do not know the name of the person to whom you are writing, as in the case of a letter to a customer service department. When you query an agent, you should always know his or her name, and the name should be properly spelled. To address an agent as "Dear Sir/Madam" shows a lack of research, and implies laziness.

There are professional courtesies in writing and publishing that differ from the business world in general, not least because the relationship between agent and author has a strong personal component. If you as an author are not aware of the differences, then I am sorry to say that the problem is indeed your own.

Sorry if I happened to query you. I'm sure it was a screw up with genres. I think I saw the word, 'spiritual, new age, etc' and figured the work was a similar genre.

What happens when a book happens to fall into two different categories, one which the agency accepts, one which the agency doesn't?

Anyhow. It won't happen again, if I did submit, which I don't even remember so it's possible I didn't. :)

CNU:

No apologies necessary. If a book does fall in two genres try the agent (I've posted on this before). The worst thing that happens is a rejection.

I have yet to get to the point that I'm ready to query an agent. But to me, if one can't do so much as read simple guide lines and follow them, then perhaps they need to venture off into another field.

Love the straight out suggestions. Thanks

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Is it a hole or does a great book fit a new need then others follow suit? After taking a great novel writing class the writing exercises proved any theme can be adopted, but the one most interesting is the one that comes from the creative hole in me and my need to fill it. Specifying needs is like trying to pin down why a piece of art is lovely, the beauty is perceived by the viewer. Can’t change anyone else’s perception. CAN keep working on the art.

I've always assumed that this hole isn't so much something that agents and editors are looking for, specifically...but rather something that is written really well AND somehow stands apart from 99.9% of what's in the slush piles.

Agents and editors can't say exactly what that special something is...if they could, they'd want to be an author and write it.

But they DO know what that 99.9% consists of...so when they see something that's different, they know it. That's the 'hole.' In essence...it's not what agents are looking for, but rather the alternative to what they're NOT looking for. (I know, a double negative.)

The whole reason the hole changes shape is because that 99.9% changes. A book that's a perfect fit for a market that craves something different (but not too different) one year most definitely isn't going to be the same, the next year. Of course! The market changes and what the reading public wants to buy changes.

Anyway...that's my take on it, in case that helps anyone...if I'm right.

How long do these holes exist for? It seems to me that by the time you do your research, generate a plot idea, write, and revise a book, things may have changed in the market.

Nicely said, "Just write your book, submit, and, trust me, you’ll find your time."

That's all I can do...write what I write, then, we'll see what happens. I keep my eye on what's going on the best I can, but no one has a crystal ball....

Great post.

Sure, we could "find our time" if only agents would find the time to read requested mss.! Sadly, agents offer all sorts of excuses why they don't have time to respond to queries or mss.

By the time they finally do, the author's window of opportunity may have already passed...
Can't agents find a more efficient way to read and respond to submissions so writers don't waste MONTHS and YEARS of their time?

Anon-

I feel your pain, but I don't think you can blame agents for this.

I should be reading smart, non-fiction books about solving world hunger. Instead, important books wither on the shelf while I devour YA fiction daily.

Is that my fault? Maybe. But I give credit to the YA authors who write stories I CAN'T PUT DOWN.

Get it?

It's up to us writers to create work agents can't put down. They have no responsibility to read boring stuff just because it's what they should be reading.

Thanks for the clarification. This is what I already assumed. And I don't write fast enough to find out what's hot at the moment and then write something on that, so I'll take your advice and just write what I'm writing!

I'm not sure why anyone would want to write something that's not in their hearts to convey. Writing is an art form. An artist doesn't create their art because it's "what's popular" at the time. She creates her art because it's what's in her soul to be spoken. Write what is in your soul to be spoken and trust that your words will fall upon the right ears (or eyes!).

I don't know about other novelists, but I don't approach a novel by studying what's currently hot or not in fiction. I write whatever particular story is tumbling out of my mind. What's important is the story I want to tell and the way I want to tell it.

Where these stories originate in the deepest recesses of my brain, I have no idea. The muse beckons and I have to write.

I think it's problematic to write to fill a hole anyway. In trying so hard to include this element or that in an attempt to perfectly tailor a book to an agent's/editor's taste, it's easy to lose sight of the story you want to tell. To a large extent, you have to write for yourself, or else it becomes a chore and it's clear when the book suffers for it. You can't force a compelling voice or that spark that will make a book stand out from the rest. (I could add more, but Kathleen MacIver already said it very well.)

Now I'm not saying it's a bad idea to try to write something you think will work well for the market, based on what you think will be trendy. If you know that zombie pirates are going to be hot, and you have a zombie pirate book inside you, write it! But often I think it might be better to just write the story you want, then worry about tailoring it if you can. If it's good enough, it will eventually get published. And if it just doesn't work... well, hopefully the next book will.

"How long do these holes exist for? It seems to me that by the time you do your research, generate a plot idea, write, and revise a book, things may have changed in the market."

9:02 AM, March 31, 2009

Livia, this is the crux of the matter. Really, stuff that's hot now, flooding the market now, are books that were bought a year, to two years ago. You can research what's being bought now, but can you have a book, done, polished and subbed to an editor, by tomorrow? If so, that editor might not get to it for months...by that time, your story might not be so "hot" anymore...I think in the end, you need to be aware of what's out there...that's just being smart, but ulitmately you need to write "your" story and do a damn fine job of it...let your voice be heard, and hopefully it will resonate with an agent, editor and if the timing is right, you'll get your, sale!

I think trying to follow a writing trend is like trying to fall in love. It can work, and has worked, but not as smooth and easy as writing something or loving someone who naturally moves you.




Confucius says; he who will not economize will have to agonize.

Here's the tricky thing: everything's been done before, so you need to try something fresh. Or at least it should feel fresh. So if you're writing about a PI, well, it's going to be tough. Or a cop. Or a spy.

Sometimes you can make it "fresh" simply by writing about women in the more male-oriented genres. Sometimes not. Child wizards? Tough one right now, but it's not like JK Rowling invented the concept.

Read a lot and try to write about some angle you've never read about before... but not too fresh or publishers won't know what to do with it.

Marie, you missed the point--agetns are supposed to read their queries and REQUESTED mss. as part of their job. They wouldn't request mss. if they were boring. If they find their clients' work boring, then maybe they can help with the feedback and revision. It's hard to be timely when agents sit on mss. and queries for MONTHS and waste our time as we wait for their responses.

Anonymous 12:24:

First off, I'll be upfront and say that I'm most likely the worst offender at BookEnds when it comes to timeliness of response. I hate that and feel guilty about it, but I try my best with the time that I have.

That said, I have to disagree that it's something I'm "supposed" to do as "part of the job." I'm not paid by the hour. And every minute that I spend reading submissions is a minute I'm not working on my clients' projects -- the stuff I actually get paid for. Obviously if I have the time and the desire to build my client list, then yes I need to scout my submissions. But my existing clients are my top priority. If that weren't the case, my title would be "query reader" not "agent."

I never understand it when people get mad at agents and editors and want to know "What is it do you want?" As if they could magically write a werewolf mystery if that's needed.
Write what you write! Geesh!!! And query many many times until you hit the one that works, but don't assume you're such a great writer that an agent will walk you through exactly what they want. Drives me nuts.

It seems like it would be impossible (especially as a debut author) to try to plan a novel based on a hole in the market. There's so much work and time that goes into a novel, it seems to me that you'd spend more time reworking your WIP to fit the newest hole that you'd never get it published.

There never, however, seems to be a slowdown in the publishing world for requesting really great stories... Maybe that's a hole that never gets completely filled.

No problem, Kim--you're not the only agent who is too busy!

I just wonder why agents continue to solicit submissions, attend conferences and request mss., then don't bother to reply to queries or REQUESTED material? Maybe overworked agents need to take a break and quit accepting and soliciting queries and mss. if they're too busy to read them. After all, writers don't get paid by the hour either and our time is just as valuable. Just a thought!

Nice insight. You have answered a question that I've wondered about for quite some time.

This is a fantastic post. My agent and I talk about our work and I love that he's honest enough with me to to tell me straight up if he doesn't like an idea or if he doesn't think it'll sell. Sure, the first time he told me he didn't like something of mine, my feelings were hurt for about three seconds, but I could tell that he was trying to help me build the best career I could.

I think this is a reasonable and common sense approach. I have a question that I believe is related. What if one of your clients takes some time off from submitting (for whatever reason)? Would that cause you to end the relationship? Is an author still salable after a lull in publishing?

Thanks for answering a question I've been pondering for a while! :)

Jessica, Very interesting. I've got a related question. What if a client writes (or wants to write) a book in a genre other than what you normally represent? If you like the idea and the genre isn't wildly outside your norm, would you try to sell it? Or would you suggest she find a different agent for that book?

Great post. I've always wondered how that would work.

The closeness between an agent and a writer is wonderful.

I attended a talk at writer's conference on "the story behind the story." The speaker mentioned that Lois Lowry and her agent did not agree at all on THE GIVER. If I remember correctly, the agent felt the darkness of the book could be career-ending. But she insisted.

Since she was an established author, he went ahead and shopped the book. But he didn't think it was viable. We can only imagine his surprise at its success.

There's no mountain without a way over it or around it. It's nice to have someone to help show the way. Publishing is no exception.

Encouraging post, Jessica. Thanks.



Confucius says; everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it.

Whatever happenened to a writer writing something because he/she HAD to write it? I can't imagine wanting my agent's or editor's or anyone's approval to write my next book. Especially before I had a second draft. Then feedback is viable. But why let someone else into your raw creative process?

I believe a risky project involves an established writer attempting a new genre using a new voice. Sometimes, the writer just doesn't get it right, no matter how passionate he/she is about the project. i tried writing at chick lit-style mystery at one point, but Jessica wasn't in love with the first three chapters. I liked it well enough and I felt the writing was strong, but it didn't entirely feel like "me." We batted other ideas around for a while and together came out with a fresh series idea that Jessica has since sold to St. Martin's. You've got to trust your agent's instincts, but in the end, if you really want and need to write the book, write it. You've got to be willing to let it go unsold, however if it doesn't hold up to your previous work.

I believe a risky project involves an established writer attempting a new genre using a new voice. Sometimes, the writer just doesn't get it right, no matter how passionate he/she is about the project. I tried writing at chick lit-style mystery at one point, but Jessica wasn't in love with the first three chapters. I liked it well enough and I felt the writing was strong, but it didn't entirely feel like "me." We batted other ideas around for a while and together came up with a fresh series idea Jessica has since sold to St. Martin's.

You've got to trust your agent's instincts, but in the end, if you really want and need to write the book, write it. You've got to be willing to let it go unsold, however, if it doesn't hold up to your previous work.

Anon: When my agent looks at the beginning of something I'm working on, even if he doesn't like it, he tells me that if the muse is speaking, to go with it.

We writers have to remove this block that separates the creative from the logical. My first book is a humorous, light book. Following it up with something that goes in an entirely different direction could be a career killer. Some thought has to be put into what you're writing, and letting an agent in, just a little, on the creative process can really help focus you. At least it did in my case.

Thank you.

You are writing about all sorts of great topics I either haven't thought about yet or haven't read about elsewhere. I'm always learning something new.

Thanks!

Anon: If you have several ideas vying for attention, your agent's input can help you focus on the one that's most marketable and will help your career best. Also, if you have a multi-book contract, unless the books were all done when you sold, you usually have to get your editor's approval on the succeeding books before you write them.

Jessica,

What if you sign a client, his book sells well, and he has an idea for another book in a genre you don't represent. Let's say he's hell bent on writing it, and you know it will be good, because he's a good writer and his first book is doing very well. But you just don't like that genre at all (pick the one you like least).

What do you do? Do you represent it anyway because you know it will sell?

Alternatively...what if you get a query you love followed by a manuscript you love, but the author also has unpublished books in generes you don't represent...will you not take that author on as a client because of those other books?

Good posts, Jessica. I met you last year at RWA in San Fran and enjoy following your blog.

Keep up the great work and thanks for all the insight!

Elaine Burroughs

Very interesting. I'm pre-published (ha!) and have no agent, but I'm working on another novel while one makes the rounds. So it's always interesting to visit your site and gain a little insight.

You constantly referred to your client(s) as 'she'.

Don't you have any male clients?

That's such great advice, thank you. I'm constantly reassessing the business of my writing both in terms of finances and in terms of passion about the project. We so often forget that success is often backed up by years of hard work. And you have to grow and change during that, or you get stagnant.

I just wanted to say thank you for your posts. I only recently found the wealth of blogs from agents and other publishing professionals and, after a couple months, have begun pulling away from them because their outlooks make me feel walls surrounding my writing that I truly believe shouldn't (or don't really) exist. For example, the negative opinion about writing in more than one genre leaves me stifled. This is a case where the business side overwhelms the creative side too much. Your post today about the willingness to change and evolve during a writer's/business's growth is very helpful. And I truly believe that regardless of which genre I write in, if the book is good and marketable, I will be able to move forward telling the stories that I am inspired to tell.

My husband and I decided on "The Five Year Plan" and I set a goal to be NY published (or well on the way) by a certain time.
Interestingly, an epublishing career began and I've managed to make a few sheckles with my writing. However, I keep my eyes on the prize.
This past year, I did more submitting than previous years. My plan for the next year is to keep at it.

Anonymous 8:37 made one of the points I was about to - that sometimes change is good, and it is great to read that there is an agent out there who thinks the same thing. (Though I will admit the five year plan had me freaking out a little bit when I read the title, I calmed down as I started breathing again and kept reading.)

As for following the market, I think you are right that people shouldn't write something "just because" it is what the market wants. On the other hand, just because you want to write something doesn't mean you are following the trend - it might just mean you want to write it. Otherwise, after yesterday's post, we would have all started on our 'commercial women's fiction' pieces.

Thanks again for presenting such a useful and positive blog.

Great post.

I'm in my 5th year of writing full time, so I would add two observations.

1. Writing careers evolve. When I started writing, it was all about novels. I signed a contract for my 4th novel last week. But I make my living writing magazine articles and market research reports and editing a technical journal, among other things. Who knew? I'm currently interested in adding ghostwriting and collaborations and nonfiction books to the mix.

2. Writing careers fluctuate. Some years are better than others. Clients come and go. Types of work comes and goes. Rolling with the punches is a way to keep your business alive and still stay sane.

Ummmmm, I think you forgot to mention the other reason 2004 was so momentous....

Jessica, Kim's post cracked me up! I love the idea of agents evolving, too. As a writer, I enjoy the natural creative evolution that occurs (how Darwinian!). The novel I've finished and am currently seeking representation for is, as you may recall, women's fiction/humor. My next endeavor is a series called, "The Doctor's Wives Murders" based on two characters from my finished novel. I love mysteries and true crime, so it will be fun delving into this arena. As a writer, you have to write what you love and what gets you jumping out of bed in the morning to write.

I agree that writers shouldn't chase the market. But it seems these days that's exactly what agents and editors do--follow trends, buy what's "hot."

They seem too easily influenced by current fads to make the easy sale (*paranormal, YA, erotic romance). Seems they think too short-term and not long-term, waiting until the economy improves and the market rebounds.

So what's a writer to do when our novel doesn't fit in these categories?

As someone who's been working on a novel nearly five years your advice is timely and well put.

Fabulous advice, thank you.

My five years have come and gone. It doesn't bother me though, because with no publishing contract this is my time to explore and grow. Looking back to 2004, I see amazing progress, can't beat that.

Excellent advice. I'll try to think in five-year-plan terms more often!

I remember reading something like this when I was in high school; my teacher was (and still is) one of my sounding boards, and he gave me an article that said to write what you love, and then sell it like no tomorrow. Chasing the market only ends up in heartache.

Interesting look from the business perspective of publishing--thanks for posting.

Great advice. For me it's been five years, and a lot of growth has happened, so I can say that I'm happy where I'm at. Here's hoping to five more great years of productive growth for all of us.

Good advice Marissa! When I started my book I had no intentions of publishing. It was just a story that needed to come out. As it reveals itself, I learn. So, either it's meant to be published or it's meant to teach me something. Either way I am happy.

Great post, Jessica! My two cents: five years is quick! Many writers take longer than that to break out. I've been writing novels for 11 years -- four of them so far -- and am on agent #3. I'm optimistic that the third time's the charm. What's kept me going all this time is positive feedback from agents and editors, and a passion for writing. If novel #4 doesn't sell I'll just concentrate on novel #5. I guess the moral of my story is: if you are growing as a writer and love doing it, don't give up!

You've just given me a fantastic lift.

I knew writing was going to be a long haul, but I'd forgotten that my other way to pay the bills was going to be equally hard.

Right article at the right time.

This is really good advice, thank you for it. I'm 2 and a half years into my five year plan and I am happy with how things are progressing. I'm just learning to roll with the punches :)

As an entrepreneur and a writer, I just want to say how much I enjoyed that post. My company is three years old and while we're financially successful, we too go through internal changes continually. Letting your company grow in this flexible, organic fashion is such a joy. Thanks for the topic.

I must beg to differ. Any "writer" who has not sold anything in fiev years is a crank. Forget five years, they should quit after five rejections. If they keep writing after that they need to have their fingers broken.

This just points once again to how important it is for 'voice' to shine through in the query. It also indicates, to me at least, that there really is no ideal way to write a query letter. Yes, you want to have certain elements in it, like what it's about and who the main characters are, but beyond that, you're trying to hit that special note that will ring true to the agent and get them to accept the material. You can find all kinds of information around the blogosphere on writing queries, and some of it comes directly from agents (this site being particularly useful in that regard), but what you will find is that they are all slightly different. You cannot write a query that is going to appeal to everyone or even a majority of them. You'll be lucky to find a few out of many. An agent has to love what they see, be inspired in some way to think, "This is something I might like to represent." So, really all you can do is try to write a query that is inspiring to yourself, that makes you think your story is something you would want to read, because what you are trying to do is make that elusive connection with someone whose tastes and inspiration coincides in some way with your own that made you write the story in the first place.

All my lowly opinion of course, such that it is. Good luck to all who are involved in this process, because it is an elusive and fickle creature to tame.

J. Duncan

Okay... now see (in my silly sarcastic mood), we read numerous site submission guidelines that say not to query more than one agent at the same agency because you discuss queries between yourselves. Here is an example of where if the query was on Kim's desk, it would never make it to "the weekly meeting" or another agent's desk.

I'm not condoning simultaneous submissions within the same agency (who rep the same genre) because I totally understand the annoyance of that. But can you see the frustration of hearing that news? Sigh.

Thanks for the insight though! Glad to hear that simultaneous submissions in general are helpful! Now I'm just wondering if I'm querying all the "Kim's" of the agenting world. ;)

When I queried, if there was a separate email submission for agents within the same agency, I would send to all the agents that I thought were good matches--once one had declined I moved on. I got several requests this way. In fact, I got turned down by Jessica but Jacky requested the partial. As Janet Reid says, there are no rules.

Thanks for posting on this. It just confirms to me that what you're hoping for in your query above all else is to find the perfect set of eyeballs, and the more you submit, the better your chances.

Along with Jimn and Purple's comments, let me add, it kills me to see authors changing their story to accomadate one agent or their critique group's preference, like I see happening with these little contests they have going on. You are jepordizing your whole book based on a few lines submitted to be critiqued. It is fine to listen to the technical advice they give you, but don't rewrite your entire story because a certain subject is not their thing or they have seen something over and over. Has the something they have seen over and over been published over and over? Don't rip out words because one person doesn't like them, if you get the same opinion from several sources then you may want to reconsider what and how you have written your MSS. As Jessica said everyone has their own opinion.

Personally, I like when an agent is specific. I think it's helpful on both sides. It enables me to refine my pitch and query, and it helps the agent get what they're looking for. This is not to say I rewrite my book (unless I get great advice that makes sense!) or represent my writing as something other than it is. It's more a matter of good communication.

It's also important to research your most desired agents and then, as Angie said, you have to find the right set of eyeballs!

Since I just discovered your blog, I'd not seen the pitch submissions, and it opened my eyes. A few were wonderful... enough that I found the author's websites and left them a note. Others made me shudder. What I found amazing was that you received them all in about a 4 day span. I'm not sure how you wade through it all on a daily basis.

Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for the insights. :) It helps to remember that nothing will ever appeal to everyone every time.

On the flip side to what some of you are saying, I'm making a TON of revisions to my manuscript based on the advice of an experienced agent who took the time (along with her assistant) to give me helpful feedback. Are the revisions painful? YES. But are they making the book better? YES.

Even if this agent doesn't offer representation, I'll still have a better book to shop around. And if other agents contradict the advice given to me by the agent for whom I'm making the revisions (highly unlikely), I still have my original manuscript.

What really irks me is when your query/pitch hits the mark enough for an agent to ask for a partial or full, and then the ms. sits languishing on an agent's or editor's desk for months without a response. Then what?

Why are agents in such a rush to ask for a ms., then take their time reading it, esp when they know the ms. is being circulated to other agents?

I think that's one of the wonderful, exciting things about researching and querying agents -- the fact that it IS subjective, and the excitement of finding the right person to represent your work -- or, in your case, the right writers to represent.

I always think of the query/submission process as similar to looking for a soul mate for the work -- you're got to date around before you find The One.

Perhaps a author can tailor the tone of the pitch or query to suit the preferences of different agents. One might get it, another might respond to a different approach.

Getting to know agents and their level of seriousness or humour can go a long way.

I wouldn't dramatically change the manuscript until an agent expresses interest.

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I've seen how a story can be loved by some readers, hated by others. Sometimes the stronger the voice, the more vehement the feelings in either direction.

When you love something that your fellow Bookenders don't like, do you go with your gut and pursue it?

"Sounded so cute..."
With respect, is "cute" what you're looking for?
Where does the simple straightforward description stand if "Cute" wins the day?

If no one else but my dentist was available to take my gallbladder out and my only other option was dying, then

YES! I WOULD WANT THEM TO TAKE IT OUT!

Take a chance on that manuscript you really like! Branch out! don't pass up another JK Rowling! Don't stress out your authors, so that they give up!

Don't make them spend time on the business end of the deal, rather than writing!

There was nothing else out there like HP when JK Rowling sent her work out. It was too detailed! Someone took the chance of their life and won! AND WITH THAT I'LL BE SUBMITTING TO YOU TOMORROW! HAHA!

I can see why the demographic would be a bit disconcerting, but as Jessica points out, that's shorting the ability of the agent just a bit.

Thanks for the pos.

Do you ever find yourself in a situation in which a prospective client's manuscript may not be exactly your cup of tea but you can immediately think of five editors who would love it? Would you offer representation in such an instance?

I'm responding to Kimber An's question about why industry professionals do not ask readers what they want. First, I'm a market research analyst for a global company. Yes, publishers could (and some do) conduct surveys or focus groups and learn that some segments of the population prefer historical romance while others read YA stories involving vampires. However, this would not tell them what readers really want. Because what we all want is a compelling story, which varies because of different tastes. I make a living doing primary research, and I can tell you that all the statistics in the world cannot explain a phenomenon such as Twilight. It doesn't explain why my daughter, who rarely reads, gobbled up all 4 of those books in one week. It doesn't explain why I, the over 40 mom, bought a Young Adult. Actually, I read the Preface when all the hoopla about the movie started. I got goosebumps when I read the first line. From that one page, I knew, knew this book was different. Yes, the conflict was riveting on that first page, but that alone did not explain my reaction. I've yawned over similar setups in romantic suspense novels. No, the reason I bought Twilight on the spot and could not put it down is something no researcher can measure. It is the author's voice and her ability to tell a great story that drew me and hordes of other fans into her story world. I imagine it is that experience that agents and editors are looking for in a book. The bottom line is that marketing your book is a subjective process. Just because one agent or editor rejects it doesn't necessarily mean it won't appeal to another agent or editor.

So true...so very true. Our agent, thankfully, understood his own limits in regard to humor books to send our proposal to several colleagues to review before sending to editors. Long story of how we ended up together, but what we write (mainly what Dennis writes) isn't what our agent normally handles. At the same time, we match up in so many areas that the relationship is working beautifully. It's kinda weird, actually.

Love the blog and loved Talking to Tim.

Jennifer & Dennis
www.momanddadarestudying.blogspot.com

If agents and editors all loved the books that would go on to become bestsellers, publishing would be limited to a narrow range of vision indeed. Diversity of taste among publishing professionals creates the diversity of books on the shelf (good thing for us readers). It also gives hope to those trying to get published. You don't need everyone to fall in love with your book; one agent and one publisher will do nicely.

To Anon 9:48, if your dentist took out your gallbladder, you might live, but chances are you'd be a botched mess. Same if someone who didn't believe in your book took it on anyway. This is what Jessica meant when she said that a bestseller in one agent/editor's hands would not be a bestseller in another's. The book might get published...but if it doesn't find its readership it'll disappear in three months. All your hard work down the tubes, and good luck getting published again.

BTW, published authors do spend time learning the business. That's a big reason why they get published--they take the time to figure out how things work.

Very nice post, eye-opening information about the author/agent/publisher involvement with books. As a newie, I really appreciate these glimpses into the business side of publishing.

What a great question and what a great answer.

Thanks to both you and the reader who emailed.

I learn something new every time I come to your blog. Thanks for that in-depth look at the publishing world. Makes me understand it a little better.

Christine,

I find it very hard to believe that all published authors went out and studied the market before they they were published. It is easy to believe that afterwards their eyes were opened to the market. As for the dentist comment, you missed the point, and it was the same point you made in the beginning of your comment:
"If agents and editors all loved the books that would go on to become bestsellers, publishing would be limited to a narrow range of vision indeed." Studying the market tends to make a person write the same things that have already been published. Jessica may have a certain genre that she normally publishes and loves, but if someone has written something totally different, someone had to take a chance, why would it not be you?
PS a botched mess possibly, but your still not dead, and you still have hope. Who knows, that dentist may have been born to be a surgeon!

Thank you for taking the time to answer this person's question. It really gives us a deeper insight as to the factors of acceptance and rejection.

I would be interested to know if you have ever come across a ms that you loved but was beyond what you normally rep, and yet you chose to take the author on anyway because of the good feeling you had about it.

The first thing Jessica's post reminds of me is what I've been preaching for years--if you are a writer who wants to publish, NEVER QUIT! Just because one editor or agent, or many editors or agents, reject you, does not mean that you don't have what it takes to be successful. It might just mean you haven't found the right match for your work. Keep writing, keep submitting and keep learning your craft. The right match is out there--you just have to find each other.

Hi! I'm Meg Cabot's agent and wanted to clarify your comment about Meg's first YA novel. THE PRINCESS DIARIES wasn't rejected by every agent in New York City. I was already Meg's agent when she wrote it and had worked with her on launching her career with her historical romances. I loved THE PRINCESS DIARIES immediately. We did encounter MANY rejections from editors, though. Thanks!
Laura Langlie

I enjoyed this post a lot. It has answered many of my questions. Thank you!

Nice to see other agents on here! *looks up*

If a person is supposed to have his gallbladder removed but doesn't, that's not something that will cause him to die. I was supposed to have mine out three years ago and haven't done it yet. If you eat too much fatty food, you'll have severe pains in your gallbladder occasionally, but it's certainly not fatal. However, having a dentist--someone who isn't a surgeon--attempt to take our your gallbladder? Now that is much more likely to be fatal. I mean, does a dentist even know what a gall bladder looks like? What if the dentist takes out a vital organ instead? I just...I'm sorry, but that whole comparison was screwed up in a million ways.

And I'm not even sure what the point was. You said that Rowling's agent took the chance of her life and won? How was it the chance of her life? That agent didn't do anything different by taking Rowling on than she did with any other author she took a chance on. You only say she took the chance of her life because now we all know how successful Rowling became.

"While I don’t think I used the term until recently, I first became aware of what’s now called Urban Fantasy back in my early days of publishing in the early 1990’s when I was introduced to Laurel K Hamilton. As you might know, I didn’t add Urban Fantasy to my area of interest until very recently and primarily that came about because I received a submission that I absolutely fell in love with and offered to represent. Well I wasn’t alone since the author had a number of terrific agents vying for her business. In the end she chose to go with someone else, but since her book was a cross between Fantasy and Romance (and while sold as a romance, eventually published as fantasy) I realized I was missing out on a whole segment of the market by not asking for fantasy and urban fantasy submissions. I’m also reading a lot more urban fantasy now then I ever did which just goes to show how an agent’s tastes, like those of a reader, can change. The irony of all of this is that I was actually the assistant to a SF/Fantasy editor for years. It just took me this long to catch up."

I believe by Jessica's own words, she just became a surgeon.

I think writers start questioning the system when they get frustrated with how unpredictable the publishing industry is. So much depends on personal tastes, and it can be very hard not knowing if you have a potential best-seller that's being rejected by an agent because of personal tastes or if your novel sucks and you just can't see it. I went through my phase of questioning the need to find an agent that "loves" my work. Now, even though I still don't have an agent, I've come to realize how subjective the industry is--and that it should be. There's no getting around that not everyone likes the same books.

Kate:

Thank you for your encouraging words!!!

Couple things.

The demographics may be correct on who are buying books (45y old women) but did it note what they were buying? Maybe they were purchasing children's books for their children, books for gifts to friends, and/or gifts for their spouse, parent, etc. They may be purchasing 28 books a year but I don't know many women that read more than two books a month. My guess is they are buying ALL genres.

AS for gallbladder surgery, some dentists have surgical training on the mouth and know their way around anesthetics (also can Rx drugs). Hopefully they took anatomy to know where the gallbladder is. While I would NOT want one operating on me, I have to play devil's advocate and say I would much rather a dentist taking out my gallbladder (yes gallbladder cancer IS fatal so leaving it in would KILL the person) than a med student who plans to specialize in Gastroenterology or Oncology but has yet to perform surgery and has no idea how to use anaesthetics.

I think of the "missed bestseller" argument along the lines of an old romance.

I expect if your ex wound up someone's dream husband, you might feel some twinges of regret, but you'd also know that what works in that couple's relationship might not have worked as well for you.

Superwench?

The Harry Potter books were much longer than an normal book aimed at it's age group. No one would touch them for a long time because of it. Someone finally gave it a shot.

The gallbladder was used mainly because it was Jessica's comparison. There are instances where not having a gallbladder removed can be fatal. Your's is not one. A bursting gallbladder is similiar to a bursting appendix.

While a dentist does not have the same medical training as a doctor they do have similiar, and I would much rather have a dentist take out my gullbladder than let's say an taxi driver.
Let's face it, book agents can change their minds about what they represent, and no one is going to die because of it.

Vicky, actually, you're doing exactly what I suggest. You're figuring it out because you're in there with your daughter and you're picking the books up yourself for your own pleasure.

Instead of just looking at sales numbers.

Keep up the good work! The world needs you!

Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series is always mentioned as the epitome of YA romance, and everyone wonders how any agent or editor could possibly pass on it. Well, I know I'm in the minority, but Twilight was a DNF, for me. I found it dull and repetitive--and that is in its finished state. I can easily see how carefully an agent must select the book s/he represents. I know I would've missed the boat on this one!

Twilight is totally NOT my cup of tea either, but I can see why it had such wide appeal. I'm a blogging book reviewer. I interact with readers all the time. I'm not sure I could repeat the same magic as a writer though. I can't write within the confines of genre/subgenre to save my life.

I think this is the best answer I have read as to why agents don't necessarily kick themselves when they pass on a book that later sells well.

I've seen friends get agents on a good story with good writing, and through the guidance of that agents turn those manuscripts into outstanding writing. Another agent might not have done that.

As a book reviewer, I'll agree that a person's taste plays a large role that you just can't get around. I've been given books to review that other reviewers have loved, but I honestly can't find anything nice to say about. Like agents, I'll stop reading a book if I don't like a book after the first 50-60 pages. I've learned things won't get better if they aren't improving by then.

Knowing how I feel when reading a book I don't like (even if the writing is technically competent), I don't see that anything good can come from forcing an agent to take on something that may become popular but she doesn't enjoy reading.

I also don't think it's fair to assume a certain demographic will automatically like or dislike certain books. True, I don't like all books in every genre and I like certain genres better than others, but I've enjoyed books from pretty much every genre. Just because two agents share certain physical statistics doesn't mean both will like the same genre or series within a genre.

Driving my niece around the unplowed, unsalted streets of northeast Ohio (an MD with two years surgical experience, she's in town to look for a new residency) I asked her the best way to choose a surgeon if you needed a procedure.

Her answer: The surgeon who does the most procedures like the one you're contemplating is, hands down, the one you want.

She did qualify that statement. If the surgeon is inflexible about learning new techniques (niece contends all surgery will be robotic within a few years), then choose the doc who does the next largest number of procedures.

Assuming you have a choice, does that philosophy apply to literary agents as well? Hmm. Good question.

Wow, Jessica, great post and answer. Thanks for putting it in perspective.

Let's say genres = human body parts
Now let's for every human body part there is a doctor that specializes in it. (There wouldn't be very many doctors available for each part, but that's beside the point.) Now let's say humans start evolving we gain new body parts, and lose others. Some of the doctors would need to evolove also or be left without a job. Some doctors wouldn't evolve they would stick with what they knew (that is assuming their body part wasn't one human's didn't have any more, but the few that evolved would be in higher demand than the ones who did not. Now back to books, agents, and publishers; evolution is continuous. Someone has to recognize the change, and take on the new and different stuff. Kimbre/Ann maybe it's time to stop classifying and setting categories, limiting ourselves by sticking to one thing. Maybe the next genre will revolve about what you've written. And the agent that evolves will be the one that took the chance of a lifetime and won!

Interesting post, and comments. Also enjoyed the Talking With Tim interview. Thanks.

The writing industry is a wide and varied as the human race. And it's all subjective....to the tastes of agents, editor, publishing houses and finally the buying public. That's what makes it so incredibly fascinating and frustrating. When I originally queried agents, one responded almost immediately and said something along the lines of "to sell to NY you need to write damn fine prose and it's not here. this won't sell." Ouch. Two days later I had requests for representation from two agents and this ms that "would not sell to NY"...sold to NY three months later.
See? totally subjective...

Isn't the fact that those books got published after all proof that the system isn't that bad, though?

It may not be perfect but nothing is.

The fascinating thing I find about publishing is that there is no market research.
My husband is in the fragrance business. If Bath and Body Works wants a new fragrance, they will test panel several fragrances before they market anything.
I would imagine market research would bump up the cost of a book, so maybe I'm not advocating it, but how can you put out a product whose success or failure is based on the consumer's taste without asking the consumer's advice?

This post was amazingly informative. I read "Twilight" and I think that I honestly would have been one of the agents who passed on it. I can see both viewpoints and, not being very savvy about the business, don't know exactly where I stand. But I believe that every book, given the perseverance of its author, has a niche somewhere in the world. It sounds to me like it all boils down to luck - will your manuscript be the one that gets published after being passed on 10 times or 100 times? What if you stop trying after 10 times and the 11th try would have been successful?

Reply to Chris Redding's post. I'm the market research analyst. (FYI: I work for a Fortune 500 computer MFR, but I started out in consumer research). A few years ago, I asked a publicist whether or not romance publishers do research. She told me that most of them have shoe-string budgets, although I believe Harlequin does/has done research. Since your husband is knowledgeable about firms doing testing panels for fragrances, he may be aware that primary research is expensive. Depending on the type of methodology and geographies (costs increase substantially with translations), the costs can vary. Costs can range from $40K to well over half a million. There are some unusual new methodologies that try to delve deeper into a consumer's *experience* with products and services that might work for books. The idea is to capture a respondent's experience with a brand. Think of those iPOD commercials with the silhouette of someone dancing while rocking out with their iPOD (BTW, I don't work for Apple). Very effective. But, I imagine many publishers find the cost of research prohibitive (especially in this economic climate).

I've noticed that now that Twilight and its sister novels are mega-hits with editors and readers, that many agents, especially those who blog, have mentioned that they are now reading them. I find this interesting and weirdly disengenous. And I wonder if they would have read the manuscripts had they come across their desks. Probably not.

So why bother reading them now?

It's not like there aren't fresh manuscripts with unique premises to read. WHY do agents read the latest hot tomes, then say they want something different? Aren't agents looking for something other than Twilight-look-alikes? Personally, I doubt it. I think very many want Twilight, Harry Potter, Inkheart, etc. and that's okay, but I wish agents were honest about this part of the business and what they're really looking for from new authors.

Thank you for this - it has made a very interesting lunch time read!

I'm laughing at the dissing the Twilight books are getting here. Please remember they weren't written for adults...the market is and was YA teen girls. And Ms. Meyer hit that target dead on with the series. I am a sixty-plus male who writes thrillers. I enjoyed sci-fi as a youth as well so my tastes don't necessarily run along YA teen girl novels. But my daughter (14 at the time and not much of a reader) devoured them. She insisted I drop what I was reading and read the first book. Reluctantly, I did. I think it was slow, and all the angst, etc. that Bella dwells on, and especially the sacharine infatuation with Edward was off-putting for me, but the narrative drive was compelling. The characterization was interesting and the story arc held my interest despite (in my mind) its shortcomings. By the time I read the last book (yep, I read'em all) I think Ms. Meyer produced a solidly well-written and entertaining series. Millions give or take bought the series. At the end of the day that's a pretty impressive recommendation.

This was my question, and thank you very much for answering. Since you mentioned it was a great question...have I earned a partial or even query critique by chance? :)

Back to reality...

The statistics about who rejected what were taken from interviews with the authors and related articles. The statistics about reader demographics, which were specific to Romance novels, came from a study by one of the major publishers done in 2003.

According to her interview, Stephenie Meyer sent out 15 query letters, 14 of which were rejected. People here mentioned that having read Twilight they would have passed on it, but judging by guidelines, most of those 14 agents did not read a word of it. In my opinion, that is the biggest problem with the process. I don't like Twilight, and no query letter would have aroused my interest in it, but after reading the first few pages (which took all of five minutes) I can see how brilliantly the novel is engineered to appeal to teens. Ditto Harry Potter, which I also can't stand. I would have snapped these books up despite not liking them. It's a business, after all.

The other aspect of the question was about changing tastes. As I am trying to get published, I've been reading with a much more critical eye lately. I picked up a book I read--and loved--two years ago and read it again. I found many problems with it, such as juvenile dialogue, unrealistic plot elements, etc. I didn't like it at all--a book I loved the first time I read it. My tastes changed, because I was no longer reading for enjoyment. Yet the readers, the end users of this business, do read for fun. That book had a tremendous impact on my life, and it would have been a shame if I had not read it because of these perceived “problems”.

Writers get frustrated, I believe, not only because the materialization of our hopes and dreams are left to the whims of so few, but because those few read with different eyes than our prospective readers, and because those few rarely actually read our writing before deciding to reject us. As evidenced by the fact that most if not all writers have to work so hard to write a good pitch, assuming they ever can, writing pitches and writing novels are two different skill sets.

You asked me if I wanted a chiropractor to operate on my child’s tonsils. The answer is no, but I don’t want my performance evaluation at work to be judged based on my juggling skills either.

Thank you for answering my question, it was a joy to see at least some of my “writing” finally published by an agent. :)

Nathan Bransford's blog has this to say about market research and publishing:

..."So sure, some more market research would probably be nice -- information is always good. Publishers might be able to respond more quickly to trends, and readers might have their tastes more accurately responded to. They might be able to more effectively focus marketing campaigns and take some of the guesswork out of which books get a big push.

But let's not forget this is art we're talking about. It's subjective. An industry that markets a subjective product is always going to be based on hunches and guesses. Market research could tell you that people want a dog memoir, but it's not going to give you MARLEY AND ME. It could tell you that people like fantasy, but it's not going to give you HARRY POTTER. At the end of the day, science might make publishers more efficient, but the formula that makes a book a bestseller will always be a mystery."

http://nathanbransford.blogspot.com/2009/01/holiday-cheer-secret-formula-of.html

I'm not sure that I know of any competent writers who don't do market research. But in writing it's generally referred to as "crit groups" or "beta readers". And a smart writer makes sure that s/he includes beta readers who are avid readers, not writers.

Anon 11:33 Regarding "Twilight", I didn't see any "dissing". I saw several people politely stating that the books didn't work for them, which is a fair comment.

Anon 1:05 Any writer who wants to be successful should study as many successful works as s/he can. You assess which techniques the blockbuster writer uses, decode any new techniques if possible, and add them to your toolbox. Never stop learning.

Very helpful, as always.
I'm one of those "Slow and steady wins the race type" so I don't query everyone who may represent "romantic suspense". I've seen a few authors who query as many as ten or twenty at once with a manuscript.
I usually find out a lot about an agent before I query. Even so, I completely missed that an agent I queried disliked epublishing.
Now, everyone is entitled to their likes and dislikes, but since I have a career in ebooks, I'd prefer an agent that is neutral or positive about them.
I shrugged my shoulders and crossed them off my list. But, like you said, no amount of research can find EVERYTHING.
Workshops, blog posts and the other agent's clients are invaluable resources.
It is nice to have a translation of "I'm not the right agent".

"While we implore you to do your research and submit to only those agents who might be right for your work, the truth is that you can only do so much research."

It's a bit like using an online dating service. Though your profiles may look like a perfect match, there's no real way of knowing if the puzzle pieces fit until you make contact.

Do your homework, but be prepared to go on a few awkward dates before someone asks for your number.

Jessica,

Thanks for the reminder. I makes total sense. After all, agents are people just like the rest of us, and have their individual tastes and preferences, as do readers.

When someone walks into a bookstore with thousands of books on the shelves, what percentage would draw their attention? I'm guessing very low, perhaps one or two percent. Does this mean all the others are superfluous? Of course not. It merely reflects the wide variety of personal tastes.

How could we expect an agent is that different from the rest of us?

Take heart! With the vast number of agents available, the right one is out there, IF, and only IF, the writing is worthy of publication.

Keep writing. Keep polishing. Keep querying.

“I’m not the right agent for your work.”

I get annoyed by these types of responses, especially the ones telling me someone else will like my book, because I think the agents are just trying to make sure I feel warm inside.

If an agent dislikes my first pages, I want her to say, "your first pages are slow as molasses, mister wannabe." I prefer a badly worded truth over a sweet omission.

If an agent thinks no one will like my work, she should tell me. I might tear up a little and break my favorite pencil, but it will save me time in the long run.

Justus,

If you can get those kind of responses, more power to you. I get horribly frustrated at the thought of querying, but there is absolutely no way I'd expect that kind of answer. It would be nice, but they are agents not critics. As far as doing research, thats a bunch of malarkey. You can research all you want, but the only result is you know who you don't want to turn you down. There is very little research you can do to make sure you manuscript will be accepted. I've looked at the books they sell, I've read blogs. Jessica is by far the easiest to figure out, but, Jessica, there is no one else that I've found that gives out as much info as you. I think the best bet is to eliminate the ones you know you don't want submit to everyone else, and even then you'll probably go back and reconsider the ones you've eliminated.

Anon,

True. Certainly a vague response is better than no response. If I always received the cold-shoulder, I would fear all my queries had met spam filters.

I can't tell you how frustrating this can be. The problem for me is that I essentially write three different things.

Crime and thrillers, which my current agent handles.

Children's, which my current agent handles.

Nonfiction, which my current agent doesn't handle.

I've also picked up a collaborating/ghosting gig and I'd like to do more of it and I'd be very interested in an agent that had the kinds of contacts to hook me up with more of that.

I kind of doubt this is a one-agent-meets-all situation.

Anon 9:29 is right on. Bottom line is for all practical purposes the best you can hope for at the query stage is to try to match your genre with an agent who reps that genre. Then you hope for the partial/full request and finally, and only then, snag an offer for representation. At that point you interview that agent...only then can you even hope of gleaning whether or not you are a good fit for each other. But that's only the first date as someone already likened it. First dates everyone is on their best behavior...it isn't until a few months into the relationship that you begin to see the 'real' individual. I suspect the same holds true at the agent/author level. FWIW.

Bravo. So true.

Finding the right agent is difficult when you don't have personal interaction or contacts. I agree, it'd be helpful to novice fiction writers to get some direction and helpful feedback, esp if we're "close." Frustrating to guess why a ms is rejected and a few words will go a long way! It's happened w/ me on several short stories which encouraged me to revise and resubmit, and get published in major women's magazines.

Writers don't expect a detailed critique but agents have a unique perspective that has nothing to do with the quality of the writing (i.e. is it marketable?). Wishful thinking, perhaps? But to writers looking for agents, that agent who spends the time to jot down a few words of constructive criticism will make a lasting, favorable impression. Who knows?

Those few words of encouragement or praise may be just the motivation a writer needs to rewrite and resubmit with a wonderful, worthy ms. and reward that agent who cared enough to comment. You can bet the writer will then sing that agent's praises if he/she succeeds. Word of mouth works both ways!

I've always looked at the challenge of trying to attract an agent to a product in much the same way you would look for someone to date--of all the people in the world they have to be excited about wanting to date you too.

In terms of writing, it's never enough to write the correct genre or research the specific type of books within that genre that an agent has represented. The book must excite that person and make them feel as if they are missing out on something special by not representing your book.

Definitely helpful. I can only do so much and the fact is, I'd like someone competent who I'll get a long with. Hard to tell just by reading their website.
Although, I will say that there are certain blogs by certain agents that let me know that agent isn't someone I want to work with, just by the tone of the blog. Not you, of course. :-)
So, interesting post.

I have a project I'm going to send to agents after the first of the year. I've got my list of preferred agents and those that look at what I'm writing.

The more I read about the economy and book stores/publishers hurting I believe my query is going to have to knock their socks off to even get them to ask for more- since I'm sure they are going to be even more picky when taking on someone new.

But I have a question after reading Jenifer's comment- which impacts an agents first impression - knowing a writer's e-pub list or the awards they've won?

That helps a lot Jessica, but I have a question. Since genres are getting so specific now (paranormal romance, historal fantasy etc.) shouldn't agents start specifying the genres they represent that way? Perhaps agents should make a list of genre-specific things they represent so people don't get confused. That way, a writer won't waste their time querying an agent with a romantic fantasy novel when that agent only represents YA fantasy or something. How come agents don't just do that though?

Crystal: I suspect they don't get all that specific with subgenres is because one day they may receive, as an example, a paranormal romance query that they don't typically handle, but for whatever reason that query knocks their socks off...low and behold, now they're representing paranormal romances...why limit yourself, unless an agent absolutely wants to.

Justus -

I undertand where you're coming from, I feel the same way. I can't tell you how many "this work just isn't right for us, you need someone who will feel passionately about your work. This industry is subjective, good luck finding someone who will love your manuscript" rejections I've recieved.
Like you, I also wish they'd just say something like "your characters don't work and the writing is too wordy and I don't like the conversation on page 8."
However, from reading agent blogs regularly I can understand why the agents won't ever do that and why some now say 'no response means no.' For every one of us that would love to hear the truth (hard as it may be) and possibly make improvements to our ms, there are the ones who would reply to such letters with abusive responses. Even the generic 'thanks, but no thanks' letters are enough to set people off these days. Unfortunately these few have ruined it for the rest of us.

Alright, question - targeting the right agent is something I'm careful about, almost paranoid. I believe that half of rejections come from targeting the wrong markets. And I think it's very important to find an agent with the same goals and values as you.

So, within reasonable limits, how *does* one find out which agents really are best for them? Besides maybe reading the books that agent has represented, how do you figure out which agents are going to "get" your novel, and "get" you?

-CA

Anon 12:08, you've managed to repeat your long post from another thread.

That's an example of why agents do not write back with comments or feedback to manuscripts that aren't so great they can't turn them down.

Creative A, there's a wealth of info on the internet now, something that wasn't there before (and yet writers still found agents and got published). Start with the links from this site and keep going. Also use Google and keywords for your genre with "agent." If you're good and you hang in there, you will prevail.

I have trouble understanding why some writers think agents should give them a free critique. An agent's job is to sell her clients' books. Maybe that bears repeating.

An agent's job is to sell her clients' books.

Now, there's a lot more to that than it sounds, but my point is: reading queries is practically at the bottom of any agent's to-do list. If you don't know why, read through the archives on this blog, Miss Snark's blog, and every other agent blog you can find until you figure it out.

If you need feedback, join a critique group and/or attend workshops. There are plenty of good ones available online if there's nothing "live" where you live.

If you need encouragement to keep writing... well, maybe you should forget about trying to go pro. This business is built on rejection and if you can't forge ahead despite the slings and arrows, you'll bleed to death.

I think Editor Molly O'Neill of Bowen Press does a great job of explaining the 'not right for me' statement in this blog post: http://bowenpress.blogspot.com/2008/11/on-falling-in-love-editorially.html

Thanks for your post, Jessica. Always helpful.

When seeking out agents, why not look for ones with strong editorial backgrounds? My agent gave me constructive feedback and it helped me shape and sell my first novel. It worked for me!

Melissa M, you are absolutely right.

Agents cannot win.

If writers persist on demanding feedback that they should be getting from their writing groups and/or classes, more agents will just shut down for new slushpile submissions.

Anon at 10:16 - thanks for the kind suggestions. It's not that I haven't tried those, or that I don't believe they will work. but I was hoping there were a few particular ways of going about it that may help the culling process.

-CA

Agents can't win? Boo hoo hoo--cry me a river! What about us writers who create their livelihood?
As long as agents are treated like gods or goddesses, writers will be ignored and mistreated by the public as well as agents.
Why should agents hold all the cards when we create the cards they need?

The one issue I have with Jessica's post is that until you sign with someone you DON'T know how they are "going to be" as an agent. Never mind the "love." I'd settle for someone honest. Agents that promise to answer their emails within a day take three weeks. Agents that swear to update you when an editor passes, don't. My favorite unkept agent promsie is "career planning." Uh, if you can't even get your agent to email you editor rejections or tell you where they've sent your ms, getting guidance in the form of "career planning" is pretty much going to be a crap shoot. And on, and on, and on...

Jessica seems to shoot straight from the hip. Other agents, even "top" agents, not so much... What is that famous Tina Turner song: "... What's love got to do with it...?"

Anon 9:35. Well said. While I have my 'dream' agents, it's still a pig in a poke until you begin working with that agent.

First, I do think it's important for an agent to love your work, and most especially your voice, especially if she plans to offer editorial feedback. An agent's enthusiasm should show when she markets an author's work. Secondly, I disagree that an author can't know how the agent will work until after signing. It's an author's responsibility to research that agent. Talk to authors who are represented by the agent and ask for frank feedback. If you don't know anyone represented by the agent, it's perfectly acceptable to ask the agent if one of her clients would be willing to talk to you as a reference. I did this and everything (which was all positive) I learned from the author turned out to be more than true. Past history is a good indicator of what you can expect in the future.

I'd like to comment on Anonymous 9:35's post--granted, until you actually work with an agent, you don't know exactly what you're getting, but DO YOUR RESEARCH! Most agents are more than willing to give out the names of clients for you to contact--ask them what they think of the agent. Is communication good, is feedback the sort that helps, does the agent fulfill the needs for that client. Granted, all of us have different criteria that make an agent a good fit for us, but it's a good idea to get feedback from other clients before signing with someone who will have a major impact on your career, for better or worse. And yes, I have gotten calls from prospective clients regarding my agent, and I am always very honest with my answers.

I was one of those authors who approached Jessica with an offer in hand. Well, actually, she'd requested a partial of The Accidental Demon Slayer and I had to email back and say, "Well, now I have an offer."

From my experience, an offer from a NY publishing house didn't change Jessica's or other agents' views on my work. In fact, one agent turned me down after reading it. He didn't like the way I'd structured my main character ARC and we obviously weren't going into a rewrite with an offer on the table.

So, no added love. But a publisher offer did get my book read quicker. I was able to get my full manuscript in front of my top six choices for agents within 24 hours.

Agents were reading overnight, or reading over a few days and sending email updates on what they thought. But think about this - every one of these agents had an amazing client list and a great career - when it came right down to it, they didn't need to sign me with my debut author book contract. Truly, I'm just one author. If they didn't like my voice or my style, they'd let me know (nicely). But this is a business and we're all just looking for who we'd work with best. So to sum it up, I wasn't really worried about getting an offer that was only about the one book.

And I don't know if authors should really worry about an agent "loving" everything they do. My husband loves me heart and soul, but even he's not in love with everything I do.

Personally, I’m not as interested in love and roses from my agent. I want someone who is going to give me an objective look at the business. Let my readers (hopefully) be the ones who love the books. I want Jessica to tell me how I should structure my career. Publishing can get crazy at times and an agent really is that steady, solid presence – someone who knows the business and is looking out for you.

Anon 11:34, Kate, and Angie, all very good advice. Good to see this 'situation' addressed from both the agent and the author side.

Kate makes a great point. And I think that's one big reason to get involved in writers' organizations. You can learn these kinds of things about the business.

When I was thinking of signing with Jessica, I already knew two of her clients - one from a mystery organization, and one who is a friend of a friend in RWA. I like both of these authors and felt we had similar working styles. I talked with them both and knowing how they worked with Jessica went a long way toward helping me feel better about going in that direction too.

That's not to say you can't ask for references and contact authors you don't know personally. But it really helps to be involved from the start.

I think I asked a question similar to this. I think, for me, it might take enthusiasm to get behind a romantic suspense about Big Foot. LOL.
Enthusiasm is what I'm hoping for. I don't mean I need a cheerleader. I mean, I want an agent/editor to know I've got the goods...or not.
I agree with Anon 9:35. Honesty is much more valuable than "love".
Research is so important which is why this blog and networking with other authors is imperative. I've learned a lot about who would be right for me.
Some authors don't WANT to know if they get a rejection from an editor. Some do. Some need a little hand holding. Some don't.
One thing I've figured out is one agent can have a different relationship with each author.
I really appreciate your posts.

Anon 9:35, I feel your frustration.
When an agent has a blog you get to know how they feel about things, how they approach things...but when you are making the decision of who to sign with, research or not, you just DON'T KNOW. So it always bothers me when blog posts harp (and I'm not saying you are doing this Jessica! I love your blog) about the importance of finding out these matters beforehand as if you really could see into the future of the relationship. Ask questions, check references, meet with the agent...but none of this is a guarantee of a successful and productive relationship. You can do all these things and follow your gut--but really the truth is revealed in the future, when you can see how your agent acts and behaves, after you sign the contract.

I have to admit that as a currently unpublished writer I am occasionally muttering 'you don't have to love it, you just need to sell it.'

I've had 'good writing, but I can't sell this' rejections, and I suppose that is one situation where having a good offer on the table might change an agent's opinion.


But to answer your question: do I want an agent, any agent? No. I want someone who likes my writing, likes my book, and who shares my vision of my career, who cares for my writing and the kinds of books i want to write. Someone who isn't interested in getting me the deal that is most advantageous for me career (as opposed to the most money for the current book - hey, money is great, but unless you're famous already or your poor tanks, your first book is hardly likely to bring in the most money overall).

(I'm the first Anon)

While it's great that the other commentors have chimed in with exaltations of RESEARCH YOUR AGENT! The implication is that no research was done before signing with an agent. Not true.

I asked extensive questions about how the agent sold, where her editor contacts where, how many times she'd send out a submission before giving up, etc... I was given enthusiastic "perfect" answers. Is an agent really going to tell you up front they'll dump you if your book doesn't sell in the first round of submissions? Are they going to admit they'll let your emails sit around for three weeks at a time without answering? That they'll only nudge an editor if you repeatedly ask them to?

Get real.

For the record, I did email one of this agents clients to get the scoop. But it didn't apply -- that client sold right out of the gate and was therefore nestled in with her agent, and under the wing of her editor.

It wasn't until I'd been tossed aside (a year later) that I found several other former clients of this agent had the exact complaints I did. I didn't know these clients existed because the agent, from lack of submitting, and grossly neglected emailing, failed to sell a book of theirs, and they had to leave to sell with other agents.

In always cringe when unagented writers or writers that have gotten the "perfect" agent right out of the gate make blanket statements of "research!" As much as you don't want to admit it, a lot of getting a good agent is luck.

Very true, Anon 3:31. That's one of the reasons why it's wise to join writers' organizations and get to know others. I've heard a few of those stories as well and (unfair or not) didn't query those agents.

I also talked to a friend of a friend at a conference who loved her agent because that agent had stuck by her for seven years when she didn't sell. This person is now a very successful paranormal romance author. Her agent believed in her and that was huge. You bet I queried her agent. And when I talked with the agent's clients after she made an offer, I heard that "she stuck with me" story a few more times. So, that's the research that helps you decide.

And, no, you can't see into the future and know how you're going to work with that person. Some of it is a leap of faith - on both sides. But you can try to stack the odds in your favor.

1st Anon, this is 11:34 Anon. I am sorry for your experiences with the agent, but your post did make me think about what might have been different in our cases. I belong to a large chapter of RWA and have made a lot of pubbed contacts that allowed me to learn a great deal about different agents. So this was a huge advantage. Also, I only did multiple submissions and was fortunate to get more than one offer of representation. So I did have opportunities that might not be available to all. However, luck played only a minimal part in my landing my great agent. I took advantage of opportunities (contests/conferences) as you might well have done. This got my work noticed and requested. And this part is important. I didn't send it to everyone who requested it. There were agents I never sent the requested material to for different reasons, but in all of these cases, I felt these agents were not the right fit for me after speaking to them at conferences. While your experience was negative and you certainly deserved more professional treatment, I still believe you can avoid a similar experience in the future. A smart agent isn't going to do anything that will potentially damage his/her reputation. In my investigation, everything I heard about my agent was uber positive - and some of what I learned really differentiated the agent. I not only talked to authors, but I paid for full access to publisher marketplace so I could investigate the deals. Granted, not everyone reports deals, but it did give me a feel for what the agents were doing. I also took into account the agency itself (e.g., do they promote their clients?). In addition, I considered how long the agents took to get to my initial submission as it was probably an indication of how organized they were. Perhaps you did all these things and still ended up with a lemon. But, I believe due diligence will root out the bad apples in most cases. If I'd had your bad experience, I'd probably try to talk to multiple authors with any agent under consideration. And if I didn't feel absolutely comfortable, I'd keep looking. Good luck to you!

In all fairness, I think you should consider there is some lag time for a person writing a book--like, at least a year. So a post by you on what you are looking for doesn't really translate to what you get and when, don't you think? I believe most people write the book they want to write and send it out to several appropriate places.

I think it *can* be more telling when an agent lists her favorite authors. Carson McCullers or Jennifer Weiner? EL Doctorow or Neil Gaiman? Or all of the above? Even if the list is varied, often there is something the choices have in common.

well that stinks for me, I sent you an urban fantasy...lol. hopefully you haven't read to many by the time you get to mine. :p

but yeah, I'm a lot like you. In my writing life I tend to stick with genres in which I'm comfortable writing, paranormal, gothic, urban fantasy, maybe some contemps...but my reading life is as varied as the baskin robins slogan. I sometimes get so sick of paras, I won't touch the genre for months..instead I'll go in search of a really great historical, or thriller. *shrug* not surprising that an agent would feel the same way.

Which is why I think getting picked up by an agent and editor isn't based solely on skill. If you've read too many urban fantasies and you're just U.F.'d out, then mine comes across your desk, nothing personal...but. Then again, if you've been reading nothing but historicals and you come across mine...well I can only hope you don't get to mine until you're really in the mood to read an urban fantasy. LOL.

great post!

Anon 8:15 - I don't know that your argument holds up. People write the book they want to, yes. And they often read blogs of agents who don't rep what they write. But if you HAVE written something, and an agent who reps it says on their blog, "I'm looking for [what you've written]", then that agent is bound to be inundated.

Oh and Ms. Faust, now you've done it. You're going to get Historical Romances by the hundreds over the next week. Maybe by the time you've waded through them, you'll be ready for a nice mystery/thriller as a change of pace. I'll just send mine along in a few days....

:D

I get all that.

However, isn't it also true that an aspiring author stands the best chance of publication if she writes in a genre/subgenre which is and is projected to be selling well, such as Women's Fiction?

That's what I see as a blogging book reviewer.

The publishing industry takes a financial risk with a debut author. Doubling that risk by publishing a novel by her in an obscure genre/subgenre isn't practical.

'More of the same, but with a fresh twist' is the order of the day. Not 'Fresh & Original.'

I hadn't planned on sending my query to Jessica because I didn't think it was her area, but now, hmmm... maybe I will. Anon 8:15 I totally understand your frustration. I'm glad Jessica has this post; it gives some insight on reminding us agents are human, not the gods I keep thinking they are. Jessica is right, maybe we should just send out our stuff, accept the fact it may get rejected because they are not the right agent for it, but, darn it, it just takes so much time.

Re: this sentence in Jessica's post:

"... Today I’m in the mood for historical romance, tomorrow it might be contemporary women’s fiction, and next weekend it could easily be supernatural paranormal..."


Yes, this is why querying is so difficult for writers. On top of writing a fabulous book, you are then subjected to the whims of what the agent is in the "mood" for.

There's literally no way of knowing if you're one of fifty writers that just happened to send your women's fiction/urban thriller/clown suspence novel at the same time. Bingo... rejection!

No way to combat this, I'm just sayin'

Do the holidays put ya'll in a mood to read something? You know, thrillers and scary in october, feel good family stories around thanksgiving and so forth?

Ya'll in are in New Jersey so when the snow starts falling do you reach for a winter book to get you in the mood and then come march when your tired of the cold go for a summery set book?

Writers shouldn't get bogged down on what's hot at the moment. We should all write what we write well. I fell into this trap once, when chick-lit mysteries were en vogue. I spent two weeks rapidly writing what I envisioned would be a fabulous chick-lit mystery. So what was the problem? First, I'm not the chick-lit type and so neither was my voice. I don't follow trends in fashion, I never wear high heels, and I dry my hair upside-down every morning and haven't used a professional product on it during this decade. The genre just wasn't 'me' and it showed. Jessica passed on the project and advised me to write something I'd be excited about. I did and it sold immediately. The proposal I came up with was totally orginal and totally 'me.' So don't write for an agent, for trends, or for publishers. Write a great, fresh book and someone will want it. Suddenly, it will be just what they were looking for.

Good luck!

Um, frankly, I don't think my submission fits in any category. LOL.
This is great though, since I know people who AREN'T writing "what you're looking for" do get discouraged.

jbstanley is correct. Write what you love, polish the crap out of it...make sure it's all shiny and the best that you can do and send it out. At the end of the day that's what this is all about. Trying to get your book in the right hands, AT THE RIGHT TIME. Because a great book will sell, but timing is just as important and with a little bit of luck...you'll find that perfect agent who will find that perfect editor.
But it won't happen unless you try, and some for some it will take several weeks, months, years...you name. But for all of you who love writing, you'll keep on, getting on!
Good luck to everyone who's activley subbing!

Lol, the books on my shelves are just as subject to my whims as queries in an agent's Inbox seem to be; I'll pick up something, then halfway through decide I'm in the mood for something lighter or darker, or I'll finish it and want more of the same or something totally different. My shelves are full of historical fiction and non-fiction, thrillers, urban fantasy, historical romance, erotic romance, women's fiction, graphic novels, mysteries... :-)

Good luck to everyone!

"Interesting, because this weekend I was really in the mood for a historical romance."

Sweet. Have I got a client for you. I just finished Barbara Rogan's workshop with a lady that has a kick butt historical romance. We were discussing agents and queries yesterday.

"Yes, this is why querying is so difficult for writers. On top of writing a fabulous book, you are then subjected to the whims of what the agent is in the "mood" for."

Being in the mood for something doesn't mean what you have sent is an automatic acceptance or rejection. The story still has to grab the agent by the throat.

I went to a writer's conference this past week and submitted my query to a well-known agent's workshop. I got accepted to another workshop that was invitation only based on submitted excerpts. The first agent doesn't even represent epic fantasy. She told me point blank she didn't so I had no intentions of submitting to her. She asked me to submit based on the query in the workshop I skipped.

Umm, yeah, that was embarrassing to have ditched her.

It just goes to prove "query widely" is important.

Rachel Vater and Cricket Freeman both said the same thing. Write what you love and don't worry about trends.

I think any insight you give into how you look at queries is helpful--even if it's "you can ignore what I say about what I'm looking for!"

I'm trying to write what I like to read. I figure if I love it, my writing will be that much better. Trying to write to the trends seems like a big gamble with an elusive payoff.

Some good points, Jessica. I think what happens is a lot of new writer's do their "Research", read up, hear that "so and so" agent represents this, so query them, etc. When it's a new battle field to be trekking through, most new writer's aren't sure they're brave enough to send a query to someone who doesn't specify they're interested "at the moment" for that genre.

Plus, when they read agents repeatedly saying "Don't send me -fillintheblankgenre- because I don't rep it." it definitely gets them discouraged in sending a genre that isn't listed as wanted. Though, what genre an agent reps and what they're currently interested in (and is already listed as a repped genre) is totally different, but I could bet some writer's get confused.

I'll tell ya, there probably isn't a lot of agents in love with epic fantasy at the moment but if fantasy is listed as a genre they rep, and it doesn't say anything against epic or YA (seeing as it could really be done as either) I'm not taking any chances. Sure, it may take some extra effort on my part sending a query to an agent who may not be in the mood for fantasy at the time they received my query. But heck, I'm not taking any chances! I'll take a rejection over not ever knowing the outcome.

Jessica: You mean well, but...reading what you want and then what you are in the mood for also produces an unintended consequence in the minds of writers sending queries; i.e. okay, she says she is looking for thrillers, but now she says she got so many thriller queries that she's in the mood for a nice historical romance and when she's inundated with those, who knows what she's in the mood for now? Or tomorrow? Or the day after that? It's a moving target, for sure. So to heck with trying to fill an agent's stated interest, niche, need, etc. Write your book, send the sucker out and have such a kickbutt query and book it don't make a gnat's fig what the agent states she's got a hankerin' for...the query you just sent made her suddenly and delightedly realize this was just what she had in mind all the time...That's the target that never moves..."I'll know it when I see it." And that, after all is said and done is the key. You gotta hit the sucker dead on! And the rest? "Nothin' but buckshot, Bubba, and ever pellet done missin' the target."

All I can say is I listen to my agent and deliver. I may not always like everything I'm doing, but I listen, buck up, and try hard to produce. Right now I happen to be working on a four book deal for erotic romance...I'm not going to remain stuck in that genre forever, but my agent got the deal and I'm not going to pass the opportunity by.

Learning to expand and write in different genres only makes what you really love writing about better...I think so anyway.

An trusting your agent's instincts makes the partnership work.

PS...I'm the anon above. When I said, "stuck in that genre" I didn't mean to downplay it at all. Or any other genre for that matter.

I don't think agents are a whole lot different than most other readers. Of course you'll want some variety. I love cozies but I get tired of cozies as a constant diet so turn to thrillers, romances, historicals, whatever suits me at the time. It makes sense, then, to offer representation for a variety of genres.

I imagine that many writers have multiple pieces they're trying to find homes for, some of which have been completed for months or even years.

Perhaps, what you're seeing is that when you talk about something specific in your blog post, your readers think, "Hey! Jessica's interested in urban fantasy, and I have a story that I think is right up her alley. I should send it to her!"

Anon 1:33, I think you missed the point. When I read Jessica's post, what I get out of it is that what will catch her interest depends more on the voice and the writing than the actual genre. Therefore, the very broad list of what to submit--write a killer book, and it will probably find an agent, not because of the genre, but because of your voice and ability to tell a good story.

See this is what frustrates authors: "Read my submission guidelines to see what I represent. It bugs me when an author don't" then the next day "Try me. You never know".

That sound you heard was a million heads (of writers) exploding.

So the best advice to any author is just send the darn thing and write a darn good query letter.

Good post, Jessica.

Jessica,

At least with posts like this, writers can see that you and the agency have a broad taste in books. That's something to be grateful for in a day when many agents are either closed to new talent, or have vary specific taste.

One day an agent will specify that they want to read Speculative fiction, and many writers will fall off their chairs.

Honestly, I don't discount an agent's appeal for a certain type of fiction, but I do take into account their client list. For example, if I go to an agency's website and see a lot of books sold in a genre I don't write, and few, if any, in the genre I do write, it leads me to wonder one of three things: 1) if the agency is very selective over acquiring that particular genre/; 2) if they have experience with that particular genre (not to impunge their talent, but some agencies have recently skewed towards paranormal/urban fantasy and/or erotic romance, with little sales in contemporary and historical romance); 3) the agency just doesn't recieve that many submissions from that genre (which could stem from concern #2).

Because of this, I'm curious about how an agency handles their desire to represent a particular genre, but hasn't ever had a list heavy with clients who write those genres.

A historical romance! That's what I'll write for NaNo!

;-)

PS: How cool is it that my word verification word is "voidness?" I've never gotten a real word before.

Being as an author only gets one chance with an agent on the manuscript they're currently shopping, it makes perfect sense that a writer would wait until an agent says "this is what I'm specifically looking for" compared to the vague lists.

I've never understood why it surprises people that an agent's list is broad. My reading list is broad too -- it's heavily weighted toward women's fiction because that's what I write, but I also read YA, thriller, mystery, romance, non-fiction, literary, etc. etc. etc.

We're bright, complex individuals, agents and writers. Why wouldn't our reading lists reflect that?

Thank you! I was starting to wonder about this exact subject. It's good to hear that there is hope for individuality with my having been a rule breaker from way back.

Now, it goes without saying that there are rules to be followed as far as the business end of writing such as: spelling, grammar, format for printing out your manuscript, etc... But what is bound within those pages we refer to as our babies or heart and soul should remain ours to a certain degree.

A heart-felt thank you for this post.

Add another thanks for this post :)

I think it also comes from the gut...as a writer, I read all the blogs and guidelines and all, but I internalize it. I don't make checklists or anything like that, just tuck it away in my head--which is why its good if two or three agents cover the same thing. Then when I write my query, all those tidbits I'd internalized come out in the writing, and I know it's decent, and while mine, also fits in with the advice.

I'm SO disappointed. I thought you were a Goddess blogging from your own Agent Island.

Thanks for the post! Anything, even “How To Write” books, must be taken in stride with your own unique talents in mind.

It’s important not to get hung up on techniques. For example, I plot to an extent, but some best-selling writers don’t plot at all. Instead, they are story archeologists. They dig until they have a big pile of disjointed bones (scenes), then they brush them off and magically fit them into something cohesive and brilliant.

Stephen King admits to using such a method in his autobiography "On writing." His is the ultimate writing book in my opinion. He doesn’t try to tell you how to write. Instead, he offers tools you can use to hone your own skills and become successful.

The best thing any writer can do for their career, aside from respecting the obvious grammatical parameters that everyone must follow, is to remember that they are an individual. And individuality is key to unlocking VOICE, which ultimately is the only “technique” any writer ever needs to master.

Voice and a unique story idea are the two things that will stand out above all else to capture the eye of an agent or publisher and land books on the shelves of the reading public.

Publishing blogs are teachers, if we accept that we are students. I've never done everything a single teacher has told me, but I've taken their advice and blended it with a hundred others to help define the way I think. You're doing good work. Thank you. And I agree with Tina. King's book is my favorite.

Thanks for this, Jessica. Kind of makes me think of the, umm, was it something Picasso said? Somebody asked the artist (whoever it was) how they managed to create a lifelike sculpture from a solid block of stone. He replied to the effect that he just picked up hammer and chisel and removed everything that didn't look like the subject.

Answering for ourselves the question "How do I get an agent?" or "How do I get published?" is something like sculpting. It's easy to focus on the "hold the hammer this way," "measure the angle carefully before striking," "be sure to use the right gauge chisel" sort of details and forget to remember that taking care of all of them doesn't necessarily leave you with the writing-success counterpart of a finished statue.

[tortured metaphor provided free of charge for today only]

I think it's important to remember we need to go with our gut.

If you get a bad feeling from any suggestion - it's not for you.

Sometimes a comment is enlightening, sometimes it's blinding. We need to know the difference.

I think your last paragraph says it all..."Learn what you can, but write your own book and sometimes, just sometimes, forget all of the rules and let yourself go." Unfortunately, the hardest thing in the world is to take what you've learned and then "write your own book." However, speaking from experience, once you've actually done it, you'll know. It all comes down to voice--finding your own, not trying to mimic someone else's. It also means not always following the rules.

What a great post!!

I've seen posts on pub blogs that people take very seriously; some of the comments are actually sad and you can't help feeling bad for these people. I've even gone so far as to leave encouraging anonymous comments on personal writers blogs because I was worried these people took the pub blog post too seriously. I've been in publishing for a long time, and every now and then I'll read a blog post and actually think, "Please, writers, don't take this too seriously."

If you read a variety of publishers and agents blogs, the last idea you could get is that this industry is simple.
cmr

Right on. Or Write On. Write the book you want to write, the way you want to write it. Then write the best query letter you can. Then let your baby go. While you wait, write another. Keep writing. In my experience with the query wars I've found that both my queries and my fulls are met with a mixed bag. The exercise will hopefully find the right agent who has a passion for the book. Sort of like going on a bunch of blind dates and hoping eventually you will find 'the one'. It happens all the time. Kismet.

While I've always believed I should write what I want to write and not worry about making it "fit", this post truly encourages me. Thank you.

Your blog made me feel better than I have ever felt. I have written two books and have yet to turn them loose. Every agent seems to want something different and I had it in my mind that I had to please all of them at the same time. I had even thought about going the self-publishing route, because I didn't want to jump through all of the hoops. When I do let my babies go, I'll do my best to send it to the appropriate agent, but the query shark will only slightly influence my style from here on out.

I think agents and editors should also be careful with their blogging tone. I've crossed a couple off my list because they appeared as less-than-professional on their blogs. I'm nobody, but a future J.K. Rowling might come searching too.

The biggest danger of publishing blogs is that, if you submit your work to them and are awaiting a reply, you'll check the blog every ten minutes to see if they've written a post about you. Like, "You'll never believe the work of beautiful genius that just landed on my desk!"

You iz to a Godness!

So take it all with a grain of salt. Learn what you can, but write your own book and sometimes, just sometimes, forget all of the rules and let yourself go.

Unless you're writing about space pirates... :-)

I started writing my own story, then got told to show not tell, throw in GMC - internal and external, use few words, be more descriptive....It can drive a person a bit looney.

So, I've decided to go back and write my own story.

Then I'll fly it up the flagpole and see who salutes - so to speak.

Thanks for the post. It could not have been better timed.

BookEnds said: "My fear is that by writing about why we often reject things we are giving authors the impression that it’s just that easy. That there are only three to five reasons for rejection, and if you can get past those you’ll easily sell your book."

And as I have been finding out recently, sometimes there can be no reason for the agent to reject it except it doesn't 'feel right' to them. It is such a subjective indusrty, all you can do is put the best work out there you can and hope it lands on the desk of someone who sees something in it.
Thanks, Jessica, I think we need reminding of this sometimes.

Well, this is just great. I had finally decided to write all literary agents off as pompous windbags with giant egos and delusions of godness.

And now this!!!

So what is your take on queries starting with rhetorical questions. I particularly ask this in reference to Nathan.

Jessica,

Thank you. I think this is something every writer should bookmark. A friend of mine once sent me a pm that saved my sanity when one of my chapters was going through a brutal critique process. She said something to the effect of take all of the advice and examine it carefully. If several people are noting the same problem correct it. But, don't lose your voice and sense of humor in your writing because that's what makes you unique.

I do pay careful attention to writing blogs and there is a ton of valuable information to be gleaned. At the end of the day, they all have the same golden rule. Write something wonderful and we will notice. The rest of the information should be used or discarded as needed.

Just because you have a full spice drawer doesn't mean all of them need to be in the cake.

Charlie Russell was encouraged to go to Europe and take art lessons after he had achieved some success in America. He did and tried to paint like the French artists. Then he decided that wasn't him and burned everything and went back to his original style.

Thank heavens.

Thanks for this posting.

I cannot stand ALL THE PRETTY HORSES. It made me want to throw it against a wall and I was in a library when I picked it up.

THE HORSE WHISPERER is the same thing. I read it all the way through because I bought the book and I assumed that was my punishment for buying something because it was popular instead of screening it like I normally do.

The entire book read like an interview with a horse trader. I could literally see him sitting there drooling and giggling every time the trader dropped a nugget of wisdom. He tossed in a book of cowboy sayings and set a timer to insert witty saying every xx minutes. I'm not prone to violence, but I could be if I had to read something like that again.

Oh, sorry, I didn't get THE HORSE WHISPERER. Excuse the frothing at the mouth. Here, let me wipe that foam off your screen. Yes, I really am harmless. Yes, I've had my rabies shot. And my booster.

Well, Jessica, I won't tell you how the Harry Potter series ends, but it was good. I endjoyed the entire series, but only read the last book in the series. the rest I listened to on audio while on my daily commute. Jim Dale read the series and did a marvelous job. SO, if your commute is 30 minutes or more, I recommend you pick up the audio copies from your local library.

I don't read t lot of books on the NYT best-seller list. The ones I read - fantasies, horrors, and thrillers - don't seem to make the list very often, but that doesn't bother me, Mr. King, or Mr. Koontz :)

Shaun

You know what? I didn't read any of those, not even Harry Potter. None of them interested me enough to steal my attention away from the books I already have to read.

All the books I love are reviewed on my Enduring Romance blog for all to see.
:)
A book a lot of parents and caregivers need is how to prepare nutritious foods children will love FAST AND CHEAP! Tips on teaching table manners would be nice too. Although my little darlings eat their vegetables quite happily, they wolf them down and yap at the same time.
;)

Ah, see this is why I'm a BookEnds Client...

I agree with Kim so much. My all time most hated book is She's Come Undone. I found it absolutely stereotypical--here's the rape by the older man, the lesbian thing in college, the interracial relationship, the suicide attempt--it was as if Wally Lamb was proving he could use every thing he could in his novel. So what that he was a man writing as a woman? I wanted to shoot her myself and put her out of her misery for being such a pathetic victim of circumstance.

(and no, I don't want to debate the book with you. The friend who gave it to me and I still don't talk about this one).

I also couldn't read past the first few pages of A Million Little Pieces. Same thing. The guy was on a plane? Please. I was so happy to see that it wasn't real.

As for books I loved, I did like Harry Potter but thought that the last book had a lot of filler. Harry and Hermoine were in those woods for a bit too long, and what happened to Snape was simply too anticlimatic for all his hype.

Many times OPRAH==Bestseller

Don't you think there was a reason Jerry Seinfeld had Oprah do the voice of the judge in his very successful 'The Bee Movie'?

Wanna good horse book? Try Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand. Interesting, exquisitely written, beautiful characterizations, gritty, tender...and true. Simply one of the best I've ever read. It still glistens in my memory....This one deserved to be a bestseller.

Of all the books the three of you mentioned, the only ones I absolutely loved were the DaVinci Code and the entire Harry Potter series, which I have in hardcover and have read more than once...I read purely for entertainment, absolutely hated The Bridges of Madison County and The Horse Whisperer, and rarely pay attention to best sellers. I won't even look at an Oprah pick--I'm convinced she looks for the least "Feel Good" books she can find. When I read a book, I want to finish it with a smile on my face, not feeling as if I'd like to call out a hit on someone (like the author!) Give me a good romance, any sub-genre, any day!

Of all the books the three of you mentioned, the only ones I absolutely loved were the DaVinci Code and the entire Harry Potter series, which I have in hardcover and have read more than once...I read purely for entertainment, absolutely hated The Bridges of Madison County and The Horse Whisperer, and rarely pay attention to best sellers. I won't even look at an Oprah pick--I'm convinced she looks for the least "Feel Good" books she can find. When I read a book, I want to finish it with a smile on my face, not feeling as if I'd like to call out a hit on someone (like the author!) Give me a good romance, any sub-genre, any day!

I totally got THE DAVINCI CODE - quick, engaging read that turned people on by the controversy hype....what I didn't get was the book that marketed itself as another DAVINCI CODE - THE RULE OF FOUR...

Hmmm. I'll be the social outcats here, I was interested in any of those books. I did try Angels and Demons, but I didn't get past chapter three. It simply did not enthrall me. I've never been interested in reading about horses, I'm not single and looking for advice on men, my children eat fine without complaint, and I heard the premise of the Kite Runner and my eyes glazed over.

I am, unashamedly, a die hard sci-fi/fantasy fan. I can be coaxed away from my shelves filled with space battles and explosions but it has to be for something good. Not just well-written and fast paced, but educational. I like the Roma Sub Rosa series because the author gets his facts right.I appreciate that in a writer.

The NYT bestseller books are wonderful, broad genre, books that appeal to the majority. I'm all in favor of making people read. But until Terry Pratchett hits the NYT list (which he may have) the Times and I will have artisitic differences.

I too thought SHE'S COME UNDONE was depressing, but in fairness to Wally Lamb, his second book, I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE, is one of the best books I've ever read. It's a totally different book than SHE"S COME UNDONE, in character, scope and story telling. For those of you who haven't read it because you didn't like his first, you are missing something.

Frankly, Titanic and Leo couldn’t sink fast enough for my liking.

Amen.

I love the Harry Potter series, although I didn't discover the joy of Potter until my daughters forced me to read the third one. But I have been hooked ever since. A problem with them, however, is that as the series and the author gained popularity, the more poorly the books were edited, or so it semmed. The sixth book was a bloated mess and was torture to read. The last book, however, (and particularly the last 125 pages) was wonderful.
The "Da Vinci Code" was a great mystery story and I couldn't put it down. "Angels and Demons" I could put down and thus it took me months to read. And I couldn't ever finish "The Bridges of Madison County." But then, romance doesn't appeal to me.

So glad someone else wasn't enthralled by MARLEY AND ME. "The World's Worst Dog?" As someone who has had lots of dogs and been involved in dog rescue, Marley isn't even on the radar of bad dogs. I also felt like the parts of the story that would have been more interesting were just glossed over, while way too much time was spent detailing Marley's day to day life..

I loved the DaVinci Code and the Potter series.

For the longest time I couldn't bring myself to read anything by Nora Roberts. I finally forced myself to pick up one of her books based on a recommendation, and was shocked to find that I loved it. She blends the right amount of action and mystery with her romances, although some of her earlier works aren't nearly as good as her more recent books.

And anything on Oprah's list is usually a no for me.

I know this is not a guilty pleasures post today - but a Times best seller I absolutely loved was Prince of Tides. This was even after the movie came out, which is generally a big no-no for me. I may get crucified here, but I thought it was so well written, the characters so fully explored and the emotions all over the place (in a good way). A little to victim-y /enabler at times, but what I still thought it should be a "classic" (I was in college and stuck reading too too much Shakespeare and Greek literature -- anything resembling contemporary life would have been fine).

Books I did not "get":
Dean Koontz (if he was Times Best Seller, not sure?)
Mary Higgins Clark (like the lite-FM of mysteries)
She's Not That Into You (how does some lame writer from SATC get to write a book and get all over TV??! Ugg. Plus he was annoying)

And yes, sink Titanic, sink. And next time, take Rose with you.

Anything by Ursula Hegi annoys the daylights out of me. A dwarf who remembers being born? Pu-lease. I really didn't get it.

And The Horse Whisperer's end came out of left field with the hero (?) totally out of character. That one I really did throw across the room.

[Julie Weathers: I'm laughing, but remind me never to include anything remotely equine in a book of mine. :)]

IN: Time Traveler's Wife. Going back a few years, I also really liked Donna Tartt's Secret History despite what seemed an awful lot of hype. Somebody mentioned Koontz and King -- I think both of them are much better (and sometimes lazier) than they get credit for.

OUT: I mentioned this yesterday on one blog or another -- Prince of Tides. Egad.

I actually haven't read the NYT Review much in recent years (although I sometimes see the list elsewhere, or read a syndicated review). Hence the datedness of the above.

Shelley, thanks for that heads up on Wally Lamb. I admit, I haven't read anything else by him, so I'll check it out and give him a fair shake.

Oh, I did not get Stephen King's Cell. As for Titanic, note that Leo did not get a best actor nod. :)

Also, I do have to admit that I love Dick Francis mysteries (which are almost always set in the horse world)and Janet Evanovich's #s books. I know when I read Stephanie Plum I'm going to be laughing so hard it hurts. And that I'm so grateful I don't know any of those types of people in real life.

mb dabney wrote:
I couldn't ever finish "The Bridges of Madison County." But then, romance doesn't appeal to me.

That book isn't a Romance.

I've never read Prince of Tides, but I did read Beach Music (same author-Pat Conroy) and loved it. Also enjoyed Da Vinci Code which I couldn't put down.

McCarthy's The Road, absolutely. And his writing? Yeah, there is no one like him. Brilliant.

Divinci Code was a snore. Too much discription and predictable journey.
Loved Marley. I've got a dog with no brains too, so I could identify.
Titanic and Bridges of Madison- whoohooo, lets watch people cheat on their significant others. Not my cup of tea as I have no respect for the character so I can't sympathize with their plight.
She's Come Undone-liked the pscyhological profile. Kinda like how people watch a train wreck, I guess.
My favorite books are the ones that are fast paced. So a lot of the books mentioned wouldn't move quick enough for me. (But then an agent once told me my writing was too fast paced so...)

Oprah stuff is pretty much a no go for me.
Way too depressing. Loved Da Vinci Code, but thought it wasn't his best book. Like Deception Point better.
Sorry, haven't gotten into Harry Potter. Have tried, but my 10 YO has read all of them more than once. The only hard backs I bought for him because I knew he'd read them.

I haven't read most of the books on your lists, although I can't help the feeling that I SHOULD, because as an author I should be reading successful novels to learn why they're successful.

I liked The Horse Whisperer, but it lagged a bit from time to time, and the ending was disappointing.

I loved Angels and Demons, and The Davinci Code. The codes could have stood being a little more complicated, but jeez, I had the puzzle figured out long before the characters.

But I kept reading because they were likable.

Loved HP, and read every single one after my kids had the first crack.

Yet, they keep trying to talk me into reading Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. I tried, honest I did - but I just can't get into it.

I don't know about Marley and Me, but my dog ate the walls, floor, cupboard handles and a tent.

He didn't eat us out of house and home - he ate the house and home.

Books are SO subjective. My mother, who is the coolest lady in the world and a retired librarian, will often give me books that she is sure will change my life, and I'll be like, hello? Are you the woman who gave birth to me?

I agree with you on "Titanic" completely. The lessons to be learned from that movie? Good guys die horribly, bad guys get to live on as rich people (for at least another ten years), and it's okay to hang on to a priceless piece of stolen jewelry if it reminds you of the time you were getting some from a ne'er-do-well street urchin in the cargo hold of a boat.

As positive messages go, it's right up there with "Pretty Woman."

Absolutely love VALLEY OF THE DOLLS. Couldn't get into THE DAVINCI CODE. Admit to buying BLACK AND BLUE because it was in Oprah's book club, but it sucked.

JES

[Julie Weathers: I'm laughing, but remind me never to include anything remotely equine in a book of mine. :)]

Oh, I would probably bite my tongue. Or not, depending on my mood. I just kept waiting for the book to get good and finally skipped to the end. Thank goodness he killed himself so I didn't have to; and he did it in typically stupid fashion.

Just don't put your Undressed Nubile Damsel in Distress (c) (UNDID for short) on a raging black stallion no one can tame and we're good.

I agree with you about Titanic. Idiot sea captain drives a boat into an iceberg. Apparently he slept through the iceberg class at idiot sea captain school. Boat thereafter has a hole in it. Boats with holes in them tend to sink. This boat does sink. Story ends. One thing I do not understand:

Why did it do $601,000,000 at the box office?

And what will the sequel be? The iceberg melts because of global warming?

You're a sister, but you don't have a sister? I'm a bit confused on that one.

I've narrowed it down to: you didn't proof that sentence, you're a nun, or you're a redneck. ;)

Chro...I think Jessica means, she has brothers...but no sisters!

Thanks for the insight on your interests, Jessica.....as for summer reading....I'm looking forward to Sherri Kennyons Ash story coming out and the fourth book in Stephanie Meyers Twilight series....

Hmmm, I might have an NF proposal for you in a couple weeks. We'll see.

I need that fast-pace thriller to try to take me away from my day job for a while.

I got a big TBR I plan to work through this summer. It's a split between historicals and contemps.

How much begging would it take for us to get Jacky and Kim in here to give their wish list?

Summer reading: The Missus surprised me for a recent birthday (mine, not hers :) by acquiring four HARDBACKS for me: Douglas Preston's MONSTER OF FLORENCE, David Sedaris's WHEN YOU ARE ENGULFED IN FLAMES, Stephenie Meyer's THE HOST, and Dean Koontz's ODD HOURS.

I'm gonna have to read them fast if I hope to choose any summer reading of my own.!

Appreciated your account of your current "targets." Not only did you list topic/genres, you provided examples of all of them.

(And I don't know if it's by choice or chance that many of them -- certainly the non-fiction -- focus on timely issues like Constitutional rights and government surveillance. One can only hope to see MORE books on these subjects, which have been shamefully overlooked among the public distractions of the last 5-6 years.)

I find myself going for a lot of cozy mysteries this summer. Also, paranormal romance, usually the lighter books. I just discovered Kathy Love's vampire books and have been burning through those. The great thing about discovering an author late is that there are plenty of books out. I'm not the most patient reader when it comes to holding on for the next book.

Just goes to show how my mind works. o.O This is what I get from growing up with a lot of siblings.

I just finished JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series. I'll have a hard time finding something that'll hold my attention right after finishing those.

Any suggestions?

What is lighter women's fiction if not chick lit? I know chick lit is taboo in today's market, but whenever I read a book of women's fiction I think - what are they talking about? THIS is chick lit. I like intelligent chick lit - and I'm 44 - so stories of 20-ish women do nothing for me - but I'm not sure I see the difference.

"I would love to see more women’s fiction (light or heavy). I tend to be very attracted to stories about friendship, marriage, and parenting (from both sides of the issue)... I like lighter stories (although not chick lit) as well as those that can make me sob from page one."

I'm in the mood for something fast-paced AND well-written as well as thought-provoking. It's often hard to find a book that does all three. I thought I was in the mood for something funny, but the book I tried to read was rotting my brain so I gave up.

bKim's wish list (Don't have to twist my arm!) --

Honestly, though, I'm going to be on maternity leave in a couple of weeks, so if you're ready to send something out now be prepared to wait on a response.

Still, I'll play...

I'm craving a lot of the same things as Jessica, actually.

I continue to look for emotional women's fiction. I'm a bigger fan of the weepers than the lighter fare. And I like to read about any kind of family relationships.

There is one exception to my preference for darker stuff...I do love fun, quirky Southern women's fiction. So don't be afraid to send me a book with lots of eccentric characters in a bold story with lots of heart.

In terms of romance...I'm trending toward historicals too, for some reason. Maybe because I've seen a few great ones recently. I prefer a really rich, authentic historical voice.

That said, I'd love to find a straight contemporary romance that knocks my socks off. I don't often pick up contemporaries that aren't romantic comedy or romantic suspense, because I think I'm going to be bored. But I know there are good emotional stories out there. I LOVED Susan Elizabeth Phillips' AIN'T SHE SWEET. While Susan can be a very funny writer, and there are bits of humor throughout that book, I wouldn't categorize it as romantic comedy.

I'd also like to see some contemporary romance that straddles the category with women's fiction. I have a couple of authors who've written really broad stories with issue-driven themes that also contain a really strong romance. Those types of books really hit all of the buttons for me...

That's it for now. Thanks for asking!

You're a sister, but don't have a sister, which either means you have brothers or you're a very witty gay man incognito :)

I love the sister riddle thing, LOL. :-) Someone should write a book with those word puzzles. I used to love figuring those out.

I'm on a Dickens/Bronte/Irving kick. Can't get enough. I miss stories that went from childhood into adulthood, where you feel you've lived their life, not just an episode.

"You're a sister, but you don't have a sister? I'm a bit confused on that one."

Is she black?

Summer reading means "Breaking Dawn." Of course, I'll be in a town with only one bookstore. A delightful bookstore, but one that sold out of "Eclipse" faster than ice cream sundaes last year, although my friends and I trooped back and forth every night to see if there was some lonely copy.

I also just finished "Atonement" and "Under the Tuscan Sun." Both beautiful pieces of literature, although very different. Talk about the definition of "Modern Classic!"

I'm pretty sure Anonymous @ 8:33 has it right. I'm guessing Jessica only has brothers (unless I missed something.)

Spyscribbler said:

I love the sister riddle thing, LOL. :-) Someone should write a book with those word puzzles. I used to love figuring those out.

Here's one for you spy: My friend married when she was 16, but she's neither divorced nor married now. So where's her husband?

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I use summer time reading for most of my re-reads, that is to say, those books I return to again and again that never fail to draw me into the stories no matter how many times I've read them. So this summer I'll be re-reading 'Persuasion' and taking it with me to my writer's conference. I'll also pick up (again) the Count of Monte Cristo. Someone mentioned AIN'T SHE SWEET by SEP which I've just re-read. She's an inspiration to me.

Other than the above, I'll be in line for the latest from Teresa Mederios and Eloisa James to name just a few.

Oh and one of the best 'how-does-that-work' books I've ever read is 'The Psychology of Everyday Things' by Donald A. Norman.

Makes me a bit sad really that you describe what you are looking for -which is exactly what I submitted and you never even responded. My contemporary romance has humour but a dark side too and has made everyone everyone who read it sob (because they liked it!!!) and it has a happy ever after. It's not chick lit but the characters are young. It deals with family issues and friendship so I guess I must suck at queries or something.

My summer reading list - trereading the latest Susan Elizabeth Phillips, The Host, Ritual - Mo Hayder, Second Chance - Jane Green and Ransom by Jay McInerny plus about 50 others.

Anon 6:06 -- fire them an email to see what happened.

I am guilty of gender bias. I think of the genre I write in as basically a female genre (historical romance) so when I'm querying agents, I pretty much stick to females because I look at like 'men don't really read romances', they are more mystery/suspense/thrillers.

Yes. Everything Beverley said except I write in a different genre, however my fan base is female as well. Some men love romance, I haven't noticed any male agents who do.

I write in a genre which has a fairly even number of readers from both genders, so the gender of my agent won't matter as far as that goes. I understand that some people might feel more comfortable working with an agent who's the same gender as them, but for me, that's not an issue. I just want an agent who seems like someone I can work well with.

I thought a lot about this, actually, because I tend to work better with men (I'm a woman). Not that I didn't submit to women and wouldn't have been thrilled to work with any of them, but I did sort of wonder, myself, if a male agent wouldn't be a better fit for me in some ways.

I did end up with a male agent, and I'm very happy. But I do wonder how our working relationship might be different if he were a woman.

I've had a male agent and a female agent and I'm not sure it matters to me (or my career) one bit. I suppose if I wrote romance novels I might think a female agent would be more attuned to it, but I think it would just depend on the agent, not the gender.

I'm baffled as to what difference it would make whether a man or a woman is selling my work.

True Story (and one I'm not proud to tell, btw, but it's relevant):

I once sent an e-query to a blogging agent who said she had only three male clients but couldn't sell any of them to publishers.

The rejection e-response took less than 90 seconds.

Two weeks later I resent the IDENTICAL query letter to the same agent, changing only the title of the manuscript, and sending it from a freemail account I threw together using a catchy female name.

Request for partial. Not kidding.

So, to answer your question, yes. I've gone to agents' web sites, clicked on the "Our Authors" page, seen pictures of 35 women and one man, and said, "Mmmm. Maybe I'll save the stamp on this one."

Given the number of comments I got back on sample pages where agents scribbled "This is too male," I'm afraid agent gender is something I came to consider before submitting.

Well, Dwight, I did get rejected once by an agency that told me, "We only take on women clients."

I did have to ask myself in what other industry this might be an accepted practice, but, oh well...

Doesn't matter to me. I'm a lot more sensitive to age than gender. I got my first agent when I was 23 and he was in his sixties, and my second book was almost completely about Email, which he so didn't understand and therefore wouldn't sell.

I think I've queried more women than men but that's because more women than men are selling what I write.

I write Dark Paranormal Romance, and I have to admit, I've received more requests from male agents than female.

I think once you drop horror elements into a romance, female agents get nervous.

However, it doesn't stop me from querying female agents. I would imagine there's one out there who likes horror just as much as romance.

...At least I hope...

Don't consciously look for a particular gender in an agent in my queries. I'm more interested in getting the agent who will best represent my work and who is just, flat-out a damn good agent. Now, though I am male, I do confess that I would likely feel more 'comfortable'working with a female vs a male agent simply because I just prefer women to men in general. But I would not hesitate working with either gender as long as we are 'simpatico.'

Interesting topic and one I haven't really thought about. I'm a woman and wrote a mystery with a female protagonist. But while querying agents, I focused solely on their sales. I'm guessing that about 1/3 of the agents I queried were men (I ended up signing with a female agent, though--luck of the draw).

Some men love romance, I haven't noticed any male agents who do.

Evan Marshall and Ethan Ellenberg represent a lot of romance authors.

Thanks for this topic. A few months ago, RWA featured a male agent specializing in romance in their monthly magazine for members.

I remember scratching my head over why a man would want to specialize in series romance. I do believe that agents have to love what they're representing, and I just haven't seen too many men reading series romance. But then I scratched my head over how unenlightened I sounded.

I'm sure it would matter to some. I think gender bias exists in all walks of life. I work in an all woman office. We don't hire men. Mostly because the boss comes to work in her pajamas sometimes.
When choosing an agent I just look at their sales, clients (do they represent my genre? Do they already have too many like me?) and what they say they represent. And if I've heard them speak thats a plus. Some I'm more impressed with after hearing them. Others no. Lazy speakers make me think they don't push too hard. I want an agent who knows how to sell. A little enthusiasm please!

I find it idiotic that anyone would consider gender in their search for a doctor. You hear that a lot with OB/Gyn -- "oh, a woman understands it better."

Really? Does your oncologist have to be a cancer survivor?

I consider many factors before querying an agent: sales, reputation, current clients, level of interest in my genre, online presence (yes, I like to find that in an agent, though I know there are many excellent agents who aren't on the web), and yes, gender.

I recently queried my top list of agents and my list is predominantly women because the kind of working relationship I want with my agent I think will be easier to come by if I work with a woman.

Ultimately, though, I'll make my decision after having conversations with prospective agents and seeing who is the best fit, regardless of gender. =)

Probably I'd consider it an experiment. I'd probably make it a scientific study to see how male readers (agents) responded to my work as opposed to female readers (agents).

I always try to write with the reader in mind, but ... men are sort of a mystery to me.

I do know that I'm a prude, and while I'd probably share my erotic pseudonym with a female agent, I doubt I would tell a male agent. I'd be too embarrassed!

Great topic. I write mainstream, so I don't worry about gender bias towards me, but gender does have an effect on how I view agents. Here's this man's opinion:
While how an agent acts professionally trumps everything, often you don't have enough examples of their rapport to be able to say how they act professionally- except through transaction records. I don't want anyone to hold my hand; I just want basic respect and understanding. So I look at gender and think about my experiences with it when querying. I.E.: Women tend to be more nurturing, subtle, less confrontational, and when confrontational it can be offensive because unexpected(or because they're female). Men tend to act in the opposite manners. Now, I like women because they're less threatening to me. I view agents as business people- nice enough business people, but still business people, and business people scare me. But on the other hand, even in business interactions, I tend to have more miscommunication with women than men. The potential problem with men is the machismo effect- overconfidence, not consulting with the client on matters that the agent believes are obvious choices(even if the client might disagree). Potential benefit: more direct. Subtlety can go over one's head. So:
Caveat 1: Girls will be boys and boys will be girls, it's a mixed up muddled up shook up world.*
That been said, I compare the qualifications of the relevant agents, and tend to view women more favorably for one last reason: I think women connect to literature more viscerally and emotionally, and I don't feel weird discussing the emotional with a woman. Two men discussing their feelings... yeah. Let's just say I feel kind of inhibited. All this would be more relevant to your relationship with an editor, though, probably. Which brings me to another question: how much of the work does an agent discuss with the client, and how much the business? How much do agents edit today, as well?
Thanks!
-Matt
*- The Kinks, "Lola"

Actually, I don't find it "idiotic" that anyone would factor in gender as they look for a gynecologist. That's a pretty personal experience and if someone is more comfortable with a woman than with a man, who's to blame them?

Personally, both my gynecologist and my oncologist are men and I'm comfortable with them both but I don't get upset with others who don't feel the same.

Anonymous 10:46

No, your oncologist doesn't HAVE to be a cancer survivor, but it sure would help on the empathy end...

And it's about YOUR comfort level. I'm a guy and my doctors have always been men if I had the choice. Not because women aren't great doctors (I've had some great women doctors), but because it is usually easier to comunicate with the same gender, (especially if you're going to be sitting on a table in your boxers for an hour).

But, my fantastic agent is a woman. My genre is non-fiction and non-gender specific. I just wanted to go with an agent who was passionate about the project and 'got' it enough to sell it.

Again, it depends on YOUR comfort level and communication, but I think that the gender discussion is better in regards to doctors than agents. You really just want an agent who LOVES your work, male or female. Unless you're going to be sitting around in your boxers with your agent for an hour...which is a different discussion altogether...

I wouldn't worry about the agent's gender. Ultimately, I want an agent to love my voice and be willing to get behind my stories and get them sold. That's it.

An agent or editor doesn't necessarily become a friend but they have to be someone whose opinion you respect, a person you like and maybe even admire. A person you can work with.

Regardless of the agent's gender, I always ask myself could I meet this agent at RWA National and sit down have a sandwich and coffee and chat like a normal person? Or would I feel so inferior I'd be nervous and dribble mustard down my silk blouse? It's all about comfort for me.

I know of several male agents who represent romance. Steven Axelrod is one. Donald Maass is another. Both great guys I'd love to have coffee with. Sigh.

I've pitched my women's fiction to both genders, but it seems that a woman would be more likely to get excited about it. I wouldn't object to a male agent provided he was sympathetic and approachable, but I have a feeling I'd be more comfortable with a woman.

I have to admit to only choosing female agents to query. I'm sure there are a lot of wonderful male agents out there, I've just felt that I would get along better with a woman...and ultimately, the relationship with my agent will be an important one for my career, so I want someone who I feel most comfortable with. Especially because I write romance.

Although, most of my doctors have been male. Go figure.

I absolutely considered gender when querying, but I'm not sure it was the right thing to do.

My opening lines were about my protagonist miscarrying eight times. Although men rep women's lit, I was definitely worried this beginning might turn them off. Of those that requested partials, the two men I queried were the ones who wrote, "I am just not the right agent for this project," as opposed to the more encouraging and specific replies of the women.

My newest book is from a mother's point of view, but it is about science verses faith and an entire family facing medical and legal difficulties that make them redefine what they believe and who they are as a family. And that, I think, is gender neutral.

So yes, I do consider gender. But it is not a hard and fast rule.

I always wanted a female OB until I was reassigned to a man who specialized in high risk pregnancies. He saved my life on the operating table, so yeah - I'm not as picky now about that either.

I'm writing sci-fi and looking for an agent, and right now it's pretty evenly split between male and female. I'm looking more at who sells what than whether they have a Y chromosome.

The age thing does get me. I know the older agents are established name and can demand 6 figure totals for their clients but I'd rather work with an agent who's on their way up rather than over the hill and counting years until retirement. It sounds tactless and mercenary but when I look at who sells what it isn't the established agents who are representing my style of writing. Those agents represent wonderful books and I don't doubt they're great people, but that doesn't mean they're right for me.

I write womens' fiction so I tend to submit to women agents. I've always felt uncomfortable submitting to male agents because of the female angle, although a few men do represent it. I am always wary of whether they will "get" my projects. Terrible bias, I know. (I also tend to pick up women authors more.)

Doesn't matter to me at all. I worry more about my own gender-- I'm a female who writes mostly sci-fi, and although there are tons of women who read and write that genre, it occasionally gets stereotyped as "for men". I'd rather just find an agent who likes my work, and I'm split pretty evenly in terms of gender as I prepare my query list.

Very interesting topic, Jessica.

I don't think it's ridiculous, because women and men do have a tendency to like certain genres more than others, and logically, we want an agent, who loves our genre. However, in the end, whether or not it matters, is debatable. One would hope that if an agent accepts certain genres, then he/she is either able to put their subjectivity aside, or they genuinely like the genre.

When I was looking for an agent, because of what I write, humorous romantic suspense, most agents who accepted my genre were women. So the question of male/female agent was never something I had to consider.

This said, I was always concerned about giving my work to a male critique partner. Would he, being male, understand the importance of main story line--meaning the romance? Would he not enjoy it simply because of his dislike of what he might consider a "chick" theme? And what about him reading, "those" scenes?

My tag line is "Sexy, suspenseful, and seriously funny." So, yes, my books have sex scenes. I knew when my work hit the bookstores that I would have male readers, and I was okay with that, but the thought of having a man critique these intimate scenes, had me feeling uneasy and unsure if their feedback would be helpful. I mean, my general readership would be women, so shouldn’t I stick to the female point of view?

But you know, Fate has a way of teaching you lessons. And yeah, I got a big lesson when Kim sold me to one of the few male editors in the romance genre.

Amazingly, I have found working with my editor very comfortable. He not only gets my quirky, sexy, romantic stories, but he is very insightful. And occasionally, I’ll get a “Wow, really enjoyed the dish-washing scene!” (Hey, things can happen in any room.)

Yes, I have joked my editor about the disadvantages of having a male editor, especially when he asks questions like: "Can a woman really spend $500 dollars at Victoria's Secret?"

So I guess, due to my experience, my opinion is that the sex of an agent/editor/critiquer shouldn't matter if you are dealing with a real professional in the business.

CC

Yowsers, Dwight Wannabe. That's appalling (and I think I know which agent you're talking about, too).

If the 90-second response wasn't due to some hair-trigger auto-reject that happened to kick in that day because the stars were improperly aligned, then what you describe is bald-faced sexism.

And I really hope it proves bad enough for their business that they quit it. As a woman, that sort of thing makes me furious; I just feel like women should know better.

A good agent is a good agent and I work well with both men and women so I have no preference. But I DO check out the gender of authors represented by agents and if they seem heavily biased one way or the other it affects my decision. I'm a woman and if I see a client list made up primarily of men, I think twice before submitting.

I've had both a female and male agent in the past. Loved them both.

I write fantasy now, but I still have a historical on the back burner if I ever get tired of fantasy. I don't write much erotic and what I do is more inuendo than insert tab a into slot b. If I wrote graphic sex it might make a difference. No, I am not explaining that champagne and Pop Rocks thing to a man.

When I get ready to query I will make a detailed list of the most ideally suited. Then I will search agent blogs and determine if they have a sense of humor.

I sold new construction for years and get along well with both genders. My subcontractors loved me and my decorators loved me because I always treated them like I wanted to be treated. Business is business and I can't imagine the writing business will be any different.

For me, if I have two agents where all other things are considered equal after a thorough interview of each, I would likely go with the female agent. I can't really see a situation where all things other than gender would actually be equal, but as a guy with years of experience working with the public, I have found that I generally work better with women than men. This is nothing against my own gender, but just a continuation of the experiences I have already been through.

I've wrestled with this exact question, because I'm in the querying phase with my first book, which is a fairly male golf novel.

But the project I'm working on now, and the one I want to work on after that, would matter a lot less.

My two cents is that gender matters, especially if you want your agent to be passionate about your project. And certain projects are going to appeal to one gender more than another.

But after you're signed up, I think it's more of a working relationship, and then it's much more situational.

Wow! I didn't think my question would elicit such a breadth of responses and that so many would be highly emotional,leading me to believe that, in many cases, gender DOES matter.

My first thought: As far as a ob/gyn is concerned. My three sons were all delivered by male doctors. Plenty of empathy and great medical credentials. But in the end, the male doctors and I were never on the same page. They were very kind, but they just didn't get it.

It wasn't until I switched to a a female gyn that questions about sexuality and in-depth advice about general health came into play.

As for agents, I could never work with anyone who treated me as if they were doing ME a favor by taking me on as a client. And I believe there are agents of both genders whose personal statements on PM sound as if that is their approach to agenting. They practically state: "You - yes YOU! - lowly unpublished writer - don't you dare query ME - I prefer referrals from clients, etc." So why the hell are you updating every week asketh little unpublished me?

But I digress. I'm guessing that if I were to receive multiple offers (I can dream, can't I?) let's say four total - 2 of each gender - based on my extensive research on agents (and yes, I know I'm trying to get a sense of their personalities and working styles from blogs, websites, interviews posted on the web and postings in Publisher's Marketplace), I'd be willing to bet the ranch that if I interview each of them extensively, that I would end up choosing a female. The genre of my novels aside, I believe I'd be more comfortable discussing my career with someone who shares my sensibilities.

Of course I've been wrong before and could be so in this case. But my query list is heavily weighted toward the fairer sex.

Little warning lights would be going off in my head and I am notorious for being overly trusting.

Ask the questions and be comfortable with what's happening before you go forward.

As for the editing part, that would set off little alarms also. I will polish, edit and put my work through a fairly tough novels workshop before I send it to an agent. Even so, reading and agenting is a subjective craft. If the agent finds nothing he or she would change, it makes me wonder if anything is going to be glaring enough to spark such a request.

I don't expect an agent to be my editor, but I do want them to help me make it the very best it can be before it goes to publishers.

Neither of us win if it doesn't sell.

I'd be suspicous. About the twenty copies for sure and the fact that she has no suggestions for the edit?
Jessica? How many perfect manuscripts do you get?
I'd investigate this agent's track record, maybe email the authors she lists on her site, (is that okay to do?), find out where and when her last sales took place.
Do other agents link to her site? I'm finding most of the "better" agents link to each other. I think they do this out of mutual respect.

I just wanted to chime in that while asking to put money up front can be a warning sign to dig deeper, I've been surprised at how many legitimate agents ask for the author to supply the hard copies for submission.

My agent asked for 10 copies to shop and is with a top and well-respected NYC agency. I have other friends who were in similar situations. So it's not necessarily a red flag that should have you running and screaming.

However, you should always do your homework to ensure the agency is legitimate before you even bother querying. I already knew that my agent was legit, but I also knew my agent's submission strategy and where those copies were going before I even sent them.

The way my agent explained it to me was that its a lot cheaper to go to a local Kinkos elsewhere in the country, and print out your MS than it would be if the agency went to a Kinkos in NYC.

Since many agencies do have reimbursement issues in place for things like copies, this is just a way to keep their overhead low, and save you money in the long run.

I didn't want an agent who edited; I wanted an agent who found me an editor. Thus I specifically shopped for an agent who didn't attempt to revise my work. We've been together for six books now, and we're very happy.

Having said that, she has never once asked me for a hardcopy of my manuscript. I find that unusual, but not suspicious.

I don't know why things like this would weird you out. What is suspicious about not editing? NOTHING. It's something you can even SELECT for in your agent search.

Haven't you already checked her track record to show that she has a host of sales to various publishers?

Eww... What's that fishy smell? I could possibly understand 5 to 10 copies, but 20? Is this agent using a scatter shot method rather than identifying just the right editors to match the book? I mean, if that's all she's doing, why is she needed at all? Just for the agency letterhead? If I were an editor, I'd find this approach mighty fishy as well.

I know it's expensive to have copies made, and electronic is the better alternative. Sigh. Which publisher is it that bought all its editors Sony ebook readers so they could download manuscripts and read them that way instead of on paper? Genius.

I'm just now preparing cover letters to go with the 4 manuscript requests I received just in the past few days. At $20 per manuscript, and then figuring in the postage costs, a couple with return postage, my restaurant budget for the month is severely compromised. So I can certainly sympathize with the agent who asks for help footing the bill for such costs up front. I just don't agree with a scatter shot approach to editor submissions. That seems highly unprofessional to me.

I don't think the non-editing thing is a red flag, necessarily. But I would want to know what your agent is planning to do with those 20 copies. (I know writers who signed with agents who asked for 5 or 10 copies, but never 20. At the least, it's wasteful. At the worst, it suggests your agent is going to scatter-shot your ms.)

I assume this agent has sales in your genre to reputable publishers. Did you talk with any of your agent's clients before signing?

Interesting topic to me esp. with the "should agent edit your work" thing. I know a first time author who recently hit it big with a gigantic deal, but only after ten months of her agent tearing her book apart and having her put it back together.

Then I know another first time author who also hit it big recently with a major sale -- after her agent submitted her ms. to various editors TWO DAYS after she read her submission, with absolutely NO editing on the agent's part.

My friend with the ten months of editing swears that unless an agent makes you edit, and edit hard, especially for a first book, you aren't going to make it. The other first time author feels the opposite, of course, that there's not always a reason to edit.

I expect editing when I finally do snag an agent, though I'm working as hard as I can to do the work up front so I don't spend another year editing a book I already worked so hard on.

Oh, I thought of something else. If the agent does a blanket submission, what happens when editors offer helpful feedback? Maybe revisions are requested, or the feedback switches incites a light bulb moment that helps make the book better. Maybe the book is so much better it goes to auction! But if 20 are sent out all at once, and everyone gets to see the same flaws, the chances of submitting a new and improved version are nil. That would be a real shame.

What does your contract say? You have a contract right? Do these copies get paid for out of the advance before the % is deducted? Is this agent's rate lower than typical because you pay for the copies? What about postage?

NOT EXACTLY GRABBED, GORGEOUS AND GRINDING MAD

(Eleventh in the series at BookEnds, LLC)


A minute later, we were browsing Jacky Sach's office, taking in the landscape, hunting down the banging sounds. The good news was the office looked normal, comfy actually with warm golden walls and a laughing Buddha. The bad news was the orgasmic sounds had amped to Alpha-girl devours paradise and wants more.

"Spankin', unh?" Stink said and tiptoed toward to sounds before earing-up to what looked like a closet door.

My guilt was so choking I couldn't speak. What kind of crazy bastards were we? Jacking BookEnds's stuff, dissing their quirks, earjacking on their sex. Better late than never for sanity to take front stage, I told myself. "Come on, Stink. We're not voyeurs, let's bounce."

Too late, Stink had inched open the closet door. Damn, damn, damn.

Suddenly he slammed it closed. "Run for your life! It's the gerbil lover!"

Oh my God! Oh my God, the gerbil lover was in the closet! I wheeled around, launched a few steps, then froze in confusion. Stink raced around me, clueless to my bewilderment. I grabbed him by the collar and yanked him back. "Who the hell's the gerbil lover?"

Stink rolled his eyes. "Don't you read the National Enquirer? Richard Gere, man. And he's chained to a desk, bondage style."

Cripes! Jacky Sash had Richard Gere chained up. To be honest I was expecting someone scarier. But oh well, crazed Hindu kissing Buddhist have their creepy qualities too. "He's shackled? Is he by himself?"

Stink nodded, tugging out of my grip and bookin' to the hallway door.

There was another round of orgasmic groans. Against better judgment, I hurried to check it out, but before I grabbed the knob the closet door started to rattle, the rattling shook the wall and the door whizzed open.

"Whoa!" I said to Stink. "That's Richard Gere all right."

"Good evening, gentlemen." Gere's voice sounded a little breathless. "Would you be so kind and unchain me?"

Stink craned over my shoulder. "Make him crap out the gerbil first."

I can relate to this at the moment. I'm judging a comp for the first time and after the fifth 'woman must marry man she hates for a year (but secretly lusts after) because of a clause in a will and though he's a total pig to her falls in love with him' plot it makes me less inclined to be patient and kind with the sixth. Not even when they turn it around and make it the man who must marry a woman he thinks is a money hungry slut for a year (although he fancies her like mad) in order to fulfil a will clause/save the family fortune/keep custody of his nephew/stop her marrying his brother, then (oh shock) he realises she's actually a sweet girl and falls in love with her.

I had to step away to keep my objectivity. The entrants don't realise their homage to 1970s romance is marching arm in arm with fifty others, or how depressing the lack of originality is. I'm so glad to see it from this side. I'll never diss an editor or agent again.

I think mood also affects writers too. If I'm in a crappy mood I tend to write crappy. If I'm in a good mood, the characters, dialogue and plot all come together as they should.

a good book can change every mood
I am fully in agreement with this. Sometimes I can feel absolutely horrible, and curl up with a book to escape the world. When the book is worth it, I come out feeling so much better.

"If, however, I’ve been reading a lot of thrillers in my spare time "
You have spare time? Wow! I don't know where you find it.

I believe everything is affected by mood. It's human.
What I'd like to see? Instead of agents posting what's on their ipod, post something like; Mood; romance (Or thriller or historical, etc) then we'd know when a good time to submit our genre.
One of the nice things about this blog is the honesty that shines through.

I'm glad you posted this.

When a person gets a rejection and the agent is kind enough to include something like, "I like the writing, but it just isn't for me right now," then we have hopes it really was just not right for them.

If authors labor under the fantasy every agent is completely objective, the rejections take a bigger toll.

Reading and writing is very subjective, but that agent's spidey sense and intuition will also work for a writer.

Thank heavens.

Now to get the timing down just right....

Jessica,

I love your honesty.
CC

Great. There goes my book about Clone Jesus the insurance adjustor (best gig he could get without his dad pulling strings; also he knows karate).

Back to the drawing board, I guess.

I totally agree that mood will affect whether an agent asks for mroe on a book. Why wouldn't it? You're human! My mood affects what I read; I don't see why it wouldn't be different for anyone else. But I would also imagine mood is only ONE of the factors and not THE only factor in making offers for representation. . .

I, too, love that quote, "a good book can change every mood."

Some writers can just pull me away from anything. They can seduce and manipulate me, pull me into their story, take me into their world.

I'm totally fascinated by that. I love it especially when it feels like the writer knows exactly what she's doing to you. It's a power so cool, it gives me shivers.

Aimless,
correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't what's playing o the Ipod suggest the mood of the agent?

And I guess agents are bipolar just as writers are compulsive obsessive.
That give me hope that if you can synchronize your Mojo to the pendulum swing of your dream agent, maybe she'll see how talented you are. LOL.
Google Eistein's definition of insanity.
Thank God I have other ways to make my name and fortune!

"Let's see if we can cook up some good moods, Stink. Here goes, you greenhorns."



NEVER HAD AN IPOD MUFFLED SO MUCH GRINDED CRACK

(Eighth in series at BookEnds, LLC)



Here's the thing that bothered me while diving under Kim's desk. If Jessica was in the hallway, could her sidekick pit bull be far behind? Truth is, I liked the twisted mutts, but Stink wet himself at even the slightest glimpse.

I inched to the wire-hole at the desk's side, lifted the metal cover, and zeroed in on the door. Problem being, the door was already open and Jessica stood under the jamb, the pit bull at her side. Major uh oh.

Jessica wore Ipod earbuds and was rocking out, her foot tapping to a beat, her ankle tattoo gyrating enough to trigger vertigo.

"Dude," I whispered, elbowing Stinky. "It's true. Tattoo's don't age well."

"Thanks for the tip," Stinky said into my ear. He was clinging to me tight enough to cut short my breathing. And as I feared, he shook like a deprived crack whore.

"I got your back, buddy. No worries."

"It's not my back I'm worried about."

I wormed my neck, eyeballing the object of his concern. My guess was that Jessica couldn't see Stink's protruding backside since she was still 'dancing with the star' by the door, but that didn't stop Stinky from biting his lip.

The office was quiet, except for the mutt's heavy breathing. I imagined Jessica thinking the earlier noise in here had been from some new gadget to this tinfoil freak show, wondering why in blazes they'd promoted girlfriend from editor, hoping against hope that the Crazy Town bus was on its way to pick up Kim.

There came a rustle from the door. I returned to the wire-hole just in time to see the pit bull dart forward before disappearing. Oh crap, now I was biting my lip!

It took only a heartbeat, but the pit bull was at Stinky's crack and growling. Stink pulled back his lips into a loopy grin and fainted.

"Son of a bitch."

-----------------------

(Remember to stop in and say hey to the guys.

http://thegrindguys.blogspot.com/


Like we told Anon 11:52, we'll leave the porch light on)

It's called being human, isn't it?
I've had those days when I HAD to be fair and objective and I felt like {sh*t} or been to busy, or had family troubles, chocolate cravings or the common cold/flu.
Ain't nothing much you can do but step back and find a way to be fair and objective. I do it with music.

This is similar to a lesson I teach college writing students. Some writers want to assume a perfect reader, who's never in a bad mood, who is perfectly willing and accepting, and who has nothing better to do than to think through what the writer might mean. And those readers don't exist. If the end product of a lit-agent search is a book on the shelves, that book is going to be browsed by people in various moods, and that mood will affect sales. Sometimes the bad-mood reading is the one that best predicts success.

And Aimless, I like that blogging agents post bits like "what's on my iPod." It's a nice personal touch, and possibly more helpful in querying because maybe you can show you're interested in the agent's taste in other entertainment, rather than just what they can do for you.