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Ok, at least until the end of the year -- I'm committed to posting once a week. Hopefully more so after that.
Can I just say that I can't really believe that the end of the year is ...erm... a month away? When did the year start flying? (Oh right, January)

Less grump, more stuff...
Wait, two more whines:

1) Everyone I know is sick, so when I started feeling crummy yesterday I took to bed (with laptop) right away. Which means I actually went to bed before one am last night, but I also woke up at six am... and now I feel like I was somehow jipped. Who wakes up that early if they don't have to? (Oh right, morning people) 

2) I've been angsting over what I should write about. It seems a little different nowadays, before I always just imagined I was typing to myself or to my one client that I knew was reading my blog and now I seem (even though my audience is way smaller than it was on AgentObscura) to have a frightful case of stage fright. How amusing. So, I'm going to try and think a little less (erm....) and type a little more and hopefully you'll excuse anything that doesn't quite work as well as I had hoped.

Since this is the last week of the month before the last month of the year -- I think that it's time to start setting goals for the upcoming season. I already ran my numbers for this year (argh!) and am prepped for doing tax-related things in January (can I just say that this is one of the lamest parts of agenting? Sending 1099s? Last year my assistant figured out that if we just mail everything to the accountant that they do the 1099s for us. It's absolutely brilliant!).

What else happens at the end of the year? Well, I think everyone does that thing where they the season slows down, we stop submitting (some people won't submit after the first week of December, some won't submit in December at all... I have meetings up through the 20th and am now wondering why) and we start trying to "clear our desks."  I think agents freak out because they think editors just clear their desks without giving their projects the right amount of consideration and I know authors feel this way about agents, but I think it's the same amount of consideration there is just less pause.

Here's what I mean by pause.

Sometimes I'll send a project to an editor and the editor will call me and say, There is something I really like here but I'm not sure I love it. I automatically want to pull it. Why? Because I want the editor to LOVE it. If it's too flawed, perhaps I can take it back and help the author, but if the first thing the editor feels is doubt... ehhhhh. I think a time crunch or "the end of the year" crunch simply makes everyone say, "Do I love this?" "NO?" "Moving on!"

Which... in all honesty... is healthy and good. I'm always trying to figure out how to tell people that it's OK if it's not TL right away for a manuscript, but I don't know if I want to sell them a book that they can't wrap their head around either. And if I feel that way, eesh.

All my manuscripts for the year are out, I need to get on the phone and see where editors are in their reading and if they need any more information about the author/projects to make their decision and then ... WAIT. (Which, admittedly, is much easier when you have six to twenty projects out, than the pain of having only one out... as the author... so, I won't make my "wait" period sound as bad as an author's, but it still has its moments).

Ok - 8:21, I have work to do. I'll talk to you all soon.
xDia

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I feel like this is the difference between a good agent and a bad agent:

http://badpitch.blogspot.com/2007/11/seth-godin-on-smart-pr-people.html

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I'm off to spend the weekend with A, Mom and my three sister's.  

I'm bringing my writing along . . . but I'm not sure if it will see the light of day.  You know how sisters can be when they get together!

A's play is going well.  She's loving the college theater life!  The stage and theater she's working in is new to her, seats on all four sides, I hear.  I won't say too much more because she hopes to take some pictures and blog about it. 

I'm bringing her the camera to do so!

Poor B . .. . he hates it when I go away without him.  Look at what he built to replace me . . .




Pretty clever, huh? 

All with recyclables.

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Hi kids - your roving reporter Alan checking in from the road, where I'm on day two of a week-long library tour through the Alabaman sub-continent. Today's exotic locale: Montgomery! The tour has actually been going very well, and I have a great story I want to share with you about it--just not yet. I have photo evidence that goes with this story, and I can't bear to post about it until I can include the photo.

I have photo evidence also of tonight's top story, which I may upload next week if I can finally figure out how to get pictures off my phone. I'm not a technotard, I swear--it's just that I have somehow found a thousand better things to do with my time than to actually ever sit down and try to send a picture to myself off my phone. Or download a unique ringtone. Ah, to be sixteen again with time to burn . . .

Anyhow, before I wax too nostalgic about my acne-ridden days of yore, I must share this gem, found in the bathroom of my Holiday Inn Express hotel room. (That sounds like this is going to be worse than it is. Bear with me.)

In the corner on the counter, I found a small plastic sign. At first, I thought this was the "Forgot something? Call us and we'll send it right up." kind of thing you often see. Upon closer inspection, it was a slyly-worded warning that if you steal items from the room you will be billed for them:

Dear Guest,

Due to the popularity of our guest room Amenities (sic), our Housekeeping Department now offers these items for sale:

Irons - $40.00
Ironing Boards - $30.00
Blow Dryer - $30.00
Bath Sheets - $20.00
Bath Towels - $15.00
Hand Towels - $10.00
Face Cloths - $5.00

Each Guest Room attendant is responsible for maintaining the guest room items. Should you decide to take these articles from your room, instead of obtaining them from the Executive Housekeeper, we will assume you approve a corresponding charge to your account.

Thank You

I love this. "Due to the popularity of our guest room Amenities . . ." Har-har! In other words, "Since you idiots keep inexplicably stealing the crappy sheets, towels, and appliances, you're gonna pay for them." I love that the cheapass hair dryer in the bathroom--which is attached to the wall, I might add--will set you back thirty bucks if you manage to dislodge it. And how about that "Should you decide to take these articles from your room, instead of obtaining them from the Executive Housekeeper" bit. Does anyone seriously buy this stuff? "Oh my goodness, the texture of this face cloth is like a cheese grater. I must own a set!" And I'm assuming they meant "Bed Sheets" not "Bath Sheets," unless they are referring to the wonderful one-ply toilet paper which is, in fact, one long, continuous sheet of paper.

Needless to say, I won't be taking home any of that loot. The mini-fridge isn't listed though, so I'm assuming that's free . . .

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All right now.  In response to recent posts, some persons have asked, “Well, what would be an example of a truly progressive public library system?”

Well, the answer, at least in my opinion, is that you won’t find it in North America or in Europe, though some are tending in that direction.  To find the library of the future, you’ve got to go to Singapore. 

The first reason that Singapore can have this sort of thing is that the place is rather small—no bigger than Washington, D.C.  That means there is one library governing body for the entire population.  One funding source, one set of rules. 

Check out the hours:  The regional and community libraries are open every day, from ten in the morning until nine at night, excluding holidays.  The shopping mall libraries are open every day from eleven to nine; the children’s libraries are open every day in the afternoons and early evening.  Did you catch that?  Open every day.  Hours are set for the convenience of patrons. 

Oh, and they have rules.  You remember rules, don’t you?  Here are a few of theirs:

“The NLB aims to promote the love for reading and learning through providing a comfortable and conducive environment for such pursuits.  The library is a public place and to make libraries a quiet and pleasant environment, we need the cooperation of our customers to observe the following library etiquette within the library premises.”  [my selection]:

“Switch off/put to silent mode your handphones and pagers.  Speak softly at all times within the library premises.  Do not group around tables/pull up chairs from other tables.  Handle all library materials and facilities with care.  Do not mess up books on the shelves or climb on furniture.  Take only a few books at a time and return them to book bins/shelves after you have read them.  Observe that library reading areas are only for the reading of or reference to library materials.  Do not bring in your own notes, books, files to study on the premises.  Limit your reading of newspapers to 30 minutes per newspaper (one at a time) to give others a chance to read them.  Sit at tables/chairs in designated areas.  Do not sit on the floor among shelves, in the aisles and block other people.  Parents, please supervise your children to observe the library etiquette.”

How much you want to bet they don’t have homeless people bathing themselves in the rest rooms?

I suggest a visit to the National Library Board of Singapore web site, and especially to the statement by Dr. N. Varaprasad, its Chief Executive.  After that, go see what their libraries are like, especially the ones in non-traditional settings, such as the Senkang Community Library, which is, apart from its single librarian, entirely self-serve; also the other libraries based in shopping malls; there are at least ten of those that I know of.  My favorite of all is the Library@esplanade, which is devoted to the performing arts. 

When you get tired of exploring the NLB site (and wishing you lived in Singapore) you can go see the library system’s blogs.  Yes, they have them, and they maintain them.  One is called Highbrowse, and it claims to be devoted to “Helping you make informed reading decisions.”  The site features book reviews, librarians’ recommendations, readers’ contributions and events at public libraries.” I bet that means that the librarians have to review books.  And make value judgments!  Can you imagine? 

The whole situation appears to be a high-tech, smartly-run and well-organized operation, and it’s open on weekends.  Don’t take my word for it; go see yourself.  And compare that to your own library system.

Final note:  you needn’t belabor me with information about government censorship of publications and films in Singapore.  I know all about it, but if you don’t, go here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_in_Singapore 

Michael McGrorty

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The other day I went over to the Los Angeles County Arboretum for a visit—it was too hot for much of a stroll, but I managed to slip into the library there for a chat with Susan Eubank, the hard-working chief of that enterprise.  At least Susan has an air conditioner, which, as I recall, wasn’t always the case. 

In fact, Susan is working on a bunch of new ideas and projects, which you can view at the library’s website.  She’s put together a wish list of books that would be especially valuable to their collection, which you can also go see.  I’m planning to send them a bit of a gift myself. 

The Arboretum is a must-see for visitors, and the library is open to the public as well.  And of course, that wish list is always there for when you get a spare buck—some of the selections are in the four-to-six dollar range!

Michael McGrorty

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I just got home from a road trip on the motorcycle.  Sometimes you just need to go somewhere; I was trying to avoid something but it caught up to me as usual, anyhow.  Even so, the trip was pleasant:  400 miles in each direction, with a spot of rest between.  I stayed with my friend Jane and found her rose garden in seasonal form.

The motorcycle runs fine; the roses are fine.  Me, I've been better, but a glass of wine tonight and a decent spell of sleep should improve my outlook tremendously. 

Michael McGrorty

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