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Adventure Time is good stuff!

Is there a tumblr of some sort chronicling this stuff? If not, there should be.

Andy Ristaino, whose comics The Babysitter and Life of a Fetus are awesomely weird, is a character designer on Adventure time! It’s required watching in the de Guzman-Belew household.

One of the few really good cartoons both child and parent can watch together. Love the comic book aspect of it.

Also Regular Show. Best 1 hour block of cartoons on tv!

On one hand, I can see this being a good thing for teens. I probably would have been into this if it existed when I was younger. On the other hand, I'm glad it wasn't around when I was a teen. It sounds like it could create a lot of pressure, competition, or posturing. In other words, a lot of noise instead of just focusing on the writing.

I think it looks engaging enough. At least they're looking at purchasing books. It can be overwhelming but that's what parents are for. It could be a good thing if monitored properly.

I'm trying to imagine myself going into my parents basement scanning my old diary and then posting all the forgotten poems. Would I ever consider doing that? Um...no.
Would I allow my daughter to? I think I'd make her wait a few months to gain perspective on the raw emotions she'll be putting out there for anyone to read.
Could I ever censor her? Never. I would be proud of her courage.

What if you dislike it, but recognize that it's just a matter of particular taste? Does it make it harder to sell, because even though you know there's an audience for it, you don't care for it? Or is it generally simpler because you've already sold works from that author in the past? (This is assuming prior poor sales or something wouldn't hinder placing the newest work.)

Thank you for the fantastic answer. I've been wondering about this for awhile, and what you've said makes perfect sense. :)

What a great question -- one I have often wondered. And a good try at the answer.

This is an amazing opportunity! Thank you so much for doing the live blog chat stew.

Awesome chat, Jim! Thanks for fielding all of our questions so quickly. It was fun and informative. Looking forward to next time!

This live chat was terrific. I look forward to the next one. Thanks so much!

Jim, you're awesome for being DGLM's guinea pig for live blog chats!!

You all must do this again. The people demand it.

Thank you for answering all of our peskiest questions!

Thank you so much Jim for answering all our questions today! This was a wonderful experience!I look forward to querying you!

This was totally fantastic, seriously. Great moderation, and so quick-moving. And thank you, thank you to Mr. McCarthy for taking the time to answer our questions. This has been tremendously helpful!

I wish I had suggestions for next time, but I really don't. I think this was really well done. I think my only opinion has to do with the poll--seeing as there's a split between the two options, perhaps having a themed chat for the first half hour and then opening the chat for general questions later might be a good compromise!

Thank you. All these questions can send a writer mad. You've kept us out of the asylum a little longer.

Great! Thanks so much for this! I hope next time I can get online in time to post a question too!
:-)

Thanks for the lovely comments, everyone! I know we didn't get to every question, but it looks like I managed about one a minute, so hopefully lots of you got answers you were looking for. I think we'll definitely be doing this again in the future with other agents and maybe some specifically themed chats, so keep an eye out for DGLM Chat Stew Number Two!

A note from your friendly moderator (who barely had to do anything, b/c Jim moderated himself in addition to answering all those questions): What kinds of themed chats would you guys be interested in? Give us some ideas below!

Also, Meagan, that's a great idea!

-Lauren

Suggested potential themes:

The (near) future of publishing

The ebook revolution and traditional publishing

Choosing between agent offers

DGLM client relations and career development

Loved reading the transcript of the chat. I can't wait for the next one!

Great post, Jim. I haven't heard of the play and think that using the structure of a minstrel show to tell the story is unexpected, creative and, of course, controversial. (I hope it's not hurtful.) It's fascinating that you also had to walk through the protestors out front--that would be wild if that was part of the actual show.

You raise many great questions that I have grappled with as a writer. I don't have many answers other than 1) authors must be allowed to tell the stories that come to them and 2) they have a responsibility to be as accurate as they can. Of course, this idea of accuracy and who tells whose story is so complicated.

I'm a middle-aged (groan) white Midwestern mom of one teen boy who owns a black Lab. Does that mean those are the only characters I can write about? I'm a flaming liberal married to a conservative who supports gay marriage. Does that change things? The fact is, there are lots of "white Midwestern women" and we're all different, each is an individual. So, it's kind of crazy to say I can only write "that" character.

My main character in my current YA is a white Midwestern female teenager. Her best friend is a black male, and his family also plays a large role in the story. I hope that this family is authentic and have considered asking black friends to read it with an eye toward those details. At the same time, a family in a small Iowa college town won't be the same as a family (black or otherwise) in Oakland or Brooklyn or Atlanta. They won't even be the same as another black family in the small Iowa college town...so there needs to be room for individuality.

Thank you for making me think!

The very thought of taking a human event or specific event in history or something that happened to a certain race and saying it can only be told by that race is racist. If not racist then it is segregating. We should have reached a point in our humanity were people should just be people and I know that we haven't, but it just isn't right. If it isn't to mock or to wrong but to uplift and teach then what difference does it make as to who is telling the story?

In writing, if there was no picture of the writer on the inside jacket of the cover, would you even be able to tell?

It is such a difficult and multi-faceted question.

People create art based on powerful subjects for many reasons. Consumers/Audience of those subjects come to these works with all kinds of opinions and baggage. Who dares say they know the real motivation of the creators? Who can say their own experience of a topic is universal?

And even if you take away the question of who has the right to tell a story and how, we still have to figure out what criteria we have? What are good goals? Excellence? Being controversial? Addressing a small fraction of the big problem with one possible solution?

I only know my own reactions. Sometimes they surprise me, other times the confuse me. Occasionally they shame me.

As you say, "the writers and director are all white". With such a controversial topic couldn't they have asked a black colleague to collaborate with them as one of their writers? He or she could have brought a whole other perspective that perhaps they wouldn't have thought about or imagined. As we all know a minstrel show with blackface has become offensive to most Black people, therefore one reason (among others, I'm sure) for the protestors.

Personally, my wip where the protagonist is a male, and I am definitely a female, is a work of fiction and all of us have that right to create and imagine, but hopefully with a certain amount of sensitivity as to what we're writing about.

I think there are stories that "belong" to a group of people. There is a certain knowledge base that only comes with being raised a certain way. (Try to learn Navajo if you don't believe me.)

I think that a dedicated writer could, possibly, cross that gap between "us" and "them" and tell the story of "them" so that "us" would get it, but most writers aren't that dedicated. (My current hot button issues are Amish, Dineh, and certain groups of Pagans.)

Tony Hillerman managed to cross that gap, but I can't think of anyone else off hand.

What a loaded question, and one that's likely to be debated forever unless we somehow manage to erase all class/gender/racial lines and forget that we had them in the past. And I can only offer my perspective as a white twenty-something female, with all the privilege that implies.

There are many instances like this where people are criticized for telling stories "belonging" to another race, culture, etc. Yet I often see criticism thrown against white authors (or screenwriters, or any type of artist) if they only include white characters in their works, characters similar to them. So what should we do? I'm not at all trying to make the white writers look persecuted, because they're not, but there just isn't a way where we can both avoid telling stories "belonging" to another race/culture/etc. and tell stories with fewer white characters. Well, I suppose there is, if we write stories where race, culture, and gender don't matter. But most of these are going to be have to set in some hypothetical future, because I find it hard to imagine that even in the most enlightened areas today, one's race and culture and gender don't affect one's experiences and outlook on life. (I have no issues writing stories in the future, since I write SF, but many people want to write stories set in other time periods!)

I think what we have to do, then--and by "we", I mean all storytellers, whether they write novels, screenplays, etc., and whether they're white or Asian or black or Latino or extraterrestrial--is make sure we do as much research as we can when telling stories about people whose experiences are not our own, in order to make those stories as authentic as possible and capture the nuances of those experiences. We're all human, and I want to believe we can come to an understanding of the people who are not us because we have that in common. But it takes a lot of work, and writers should be willing to put that work in.

It's just political bull when various individuals/constituencies/or whatever complain that a writer can't write about something because they aren't a card-carrying member of whatever. It irks me to no end when I see these types of protests. To say you have to be such and such or experienced such and such to be allowed/qualified to write about or from a particular perspective is patently ridiculous and I find those who protest along these lines short sighted, small minded, mean-spirited and just plain ignorant. I have nothing but contempt for that kind of thinking.

Writing is about becoming other people for a while, and developing a sympathy for those who aren't exactly like you. I think only good can come from thinking deeply about what others may have experienced. It would be a shame if writers felt they weren't allowed to tell the story of a person they truly relate to, because some uncontrollable factor in their lives supposedly separates them. We are all human, with the same potential to feel, and we share much more than we don't share.

On the other hand, I understand where the question comes from, and I've asked it of myself often: is it okay for ME to write THIS story? I'm a straight woman, and I wrote a novel about a gay man. I don't care what the straight world thinks of this story(if it's ever published), but the reaction of the LGBT community does matter to me. I do feel like I've stepped into an area that I might not have the right to be in, and told a story that isn't mine to tell.

But in the end, I have to conclude that I have a right to tell any human story -- and that's what this story is. My protagonist isn't defined by his sexuality; his story is about accepting his own fallability, which everyone goes through. This person going through it just happens to be gay. I'm not, but I still feel a kinship with him that I don't automatically feel for people or characters just because they're superficially similar to me. The things we have in common are deeper and more important than the ones that make us different.

I managed to talk a production company out of doing a biopic of Queen Liliuokalani. Many Hawaiian people are still angry over the loss of their nation and furious over the way Liliuokalani was treated. The last thing they wanted was to hear the non-Hawaiian opinion of what happened. They've heard more than enough.

I'm with the protestors. Blackface in itself harkens back to a shameful period in America's history. So forgive me, but I'm supposed to believe the writers are so brilliant when they can't see the forest for the trees?

Controversy sells, so perhaps this is what the writers and producers were banking on. And it's easier to look far and away to Germany at the Holocaust, or South African where Apartheid happened instead of looking at the toil segregation played in destroying lives, families and dreams in America.

American writers and movie producers have a long history of creating black characters who perform with a smile. That seems to be the only way to make US audiences comfortable with the material dealing with black/white relations.

So yes, I'm sure it made for riveting theater.

It's been said that only a non-American could've written Democracy in America, and Tocqueville was most decidedly French. The point is that an outsider offers a different perspective than an insider. We need both outsiders and insiders.

As an author I can say that on a personal level the attempt to portray someone I'm not always teaches me something.

I'm putting this out, not to agree or disagree with what's been said, but to add another perspective:

Not very long ago, I was reading a blog written by an American journalist living in Russia, married to a Russian--and writing comedy articles about Russia. And by her own admission, she's made a lot of Russian people very angry.

Her response: Shouldn't I have the right to my own viewpoint? Do you mean I can't write about what I see?

The trouble was that she missed the whole point of the uproar. Somehow, with I don't know how many years of living in Russia, she failed to grasp basic Russian cultural ideas and values. Instead of getting readers on both sides to laugh, she got one side laughing and the other deeply hurt. The gap didn't close. It's wider than ever.

Writers who go across the culture line are bridge builders, and they take heavy risks. There's always the chance that when you set the last span, it won't land where you hope it will. That's not to say you shouldn't try. Just know that failure can cost you, personally and professionally.

Scrifa--in as far as your fiction is concerned, I am a gay female and I have to say a well-written story is a well-written story.

In relation to the question--society's walls continue to be reinforced by the very people who are trying to knock them down. If I can't buy into a concept that a straight person can 'understand me', then clearly I must believe that a straight person has never been persecuted, ostracised or felt just plain alone. And such a world view is as narrow as the world view of a racist, for eg.

What I think is key is that the opening of minds go both ways. For every time there is a gut reaction that someone has blundered in how they have portrayed you, there must be an examination of whether it is a genuine misstep or whether the individual has simply hit on something deeply personal to you. A good example for me is the "It Gets Better" campaign. Logically--I understand it is done only with the best of intentions. Personally--I find it pointless to have a successful straight person tell me that my life will get better because they have never, nor ever will, walk in my shoes. But I've acknowledged that as not a viewpoint of the LGBT community, but as my own. We are have personal triggers--they key is remembering that they are, indeed, just that.

This may seem harsh, but as a black woman, I have no desire to see a musical like the Scottsboro Boys. To me, the fact that it uses the minstrel/blackface format combined with the fact that "the writers and director are all white" is both problematic and disturbing. As another commenter said, they couldn't hire ANY black writers to assist with this piece?

While I don't believe any stories "belong" to any group of people, I do believe that certain races are, in general, MORE QUALIFIED to tell stories than others. I don't agree with the colorblind mentality that says we are all the same and race does not matter. It does. Without question. There are things I just flat-out know about my race because I have experienced them firsthand.

The problem with telling stories from a perspective that's not your own is that you run the risk of stifling your characters. Unless you're very careful, you either fall into racist stereotypes unconsciously, or you can create characters that seem too squeaky clean to be real.

Is it possible to do it and do it well? Of course! As some have said, the alternative would be segregated writing. In my own WiP, the two main characters are Black and Japanese.

However, I maintain that writing outside of your race/gender/religion requires much more preparation and research than usual to get all the little things right. Simply asking one or two of your friends about their culture doesn't cut it.

And IMHO, if you're not willing to do the extra work, don't try.

Tanya, thanks for your response to me, and for your great comment. You said what I wanted to say much better than I did, and more. Glad I got to hear your thoughts!

Thanks for the comments, all! I'm inclined to agree with L.C. on this--if you're not willing to do the research, you're doing your characters and readers a disservice.

Having had more time to reflect on the show, I still find the idea of it really disturbing, but the actuality of it is potent--it's ultimately about the rejection of minstrelsy and all that it stood for. I still have questions about the writers' qualifications for the piece, but I believe the play was thoughtful and powerful.

This discussion reminds me a lot of the one started by Ellen Wittlinger's article in the Horn Book about the Lambda Award submission rule changes.
http://www.hbook.com/magazine/articles/2010/jul10_wittlinger.asp

Brent Hartinger elaborates here, and on page 2 you will find comments of various opinions.
http://www.afterelton.com/print/200998/lambda-award-should-you-be-gay

Interesting discussion!

I believe it is egotistical for those writers to assume they can write a whole script based on their own limited perspectives.

We need to be respectful of each other. How can we bridge the gap if white Americans continue to profit on the muse of the African American? In the past we stole their music and inventions without giving credit or royalties, and now we steal the stories too.

It is disrespectful not have a black writer on board because there has to be a basis for the truth. Otherwise by playing blind angles the benefit is to those white writers alone.

This continues to be a fascinating discussion. And you're right, Yellow Inkling, it does touch on some of the same issues of the changes in the Lambda Award, which was also interesting. It's also really difficult to dig into these issues with all their complexities in a short post...but I think there's value in trying.

L.C., I like and appreciate your post. I'm not sure if you were referring to me and my post or just talking in general when you said that talking to one or two friends from whatever culture you're writing about won't cut it in terms of research. I agree and hope I didn't give anyone that impression.

I'm really grappling with what you say about the use of blackface and all that implies. The show is trying to make the point that minstrel shows and their inherent racism is bad, but I can see how you would still not want to see it. It makes me wonder about a project that was degrading toward women...would I want to see it degrade women even though the ultimate point was to say that degrading women is bad? I don't know. I don't know if this makes sense, but I want you to know I appreciate you and everyone here taking the time to post, to share their thoughts and feelings.

Michelle, I also think you make some good points. But when you say "it's disrespectful not to have a black writer on board because there has to be a basis for the truth," that's assuming that ANY black writer could fit the bill, would be better than a white writer when writing the truth of this historical time, and I just don't believe that's true.

Do I believe that African-American writers should have been involved in the play and could bring a different--and critically important perspective? Yes, especially if you get the right African-American writers. And the right white writers, of course. What I'm trying to say is that we are not interchangeable cogs. We are distinct individuals with distinct knowledge and characteristics, we are the sum of our parts.

I think this is an important post for aspiring writers to see because I do think that unagented writers often think an agent wouldn't take you on unless it's a guaranteed sale. My first book did not sell, but my second one did. And my critique partner's first book did not sell. And a friend of mine is writing his second book right now because his first book did not sell. We all have wonderful agents. There are no guarantees.

Great post for writers, Jim!

This post is wonderful. As a writer about to start querying for the first time, knowing that there are agents out there who will be honest, both about their love for the work and about its prospects in the market. I could never ask for more than a truly honest agent who loves my work.

Writers who have you as an agent are fortunate indeed.

This is one of the most intriguing posts by an agent I've read. Thanks for telling the truth and letting us experience this from your side of the desk.

This is unrelated to your blog but I hope you can help.

I've read conflicting information on what to do when an agent has a copy of your ms but since sending you've made changes to it. Is it okay to notify them of the changes? Does this irk agents? I'm sure I'm not the only writer to have experienced this.

Before you yell at me for sending an ms to an agent in the first place. Know that the ms is complete, was complete at the time. Because an unpublished manuscript is something that can always be improved upon, I did another round of revisions.

Thank you for any help or suggestions you can offer.

Oh, Jim, I can just imagine that phone call! Did the author politely recommend sending the publisher up in flames?

If I ever have an editor ask if my past life includes smuggling, spying and guerrilla warfare...!

Jim:

Because the poor sales of your first book still stings, that makes me feel good. I hope to engage in a client/agent relationship and keeping that in mind, it'll make me feel like we're on a team.

Sheila

This is an intriguing post, but of the things that intrigues me is what happened to that first writer, not just the first novel.

Jim, did you keep him/her as a client? Sell other works? Part ways immediately, or later? It's nice to know that the unsold manuscript is a moment of regret and reflection for the agent, but what happened to the writer? What happened to your agent relationship?

Ha ha ha... that would be an awkward phone call! Great post, I enjoyed it.

Rosemary's Baby. I Am Legend. 1984. Poe (all except the Rue Morgue ape murderer story) Green Tea (short story by Le Fanu). The Ruins. The Turn of the Screw. The Road. The Silence of the Lambs. The Horla. Man, I love Halloween.

Funny how many of us grew up reading King, when we were probably too young. Forbidden fruit maybe? But yeah, a few were clunkers. From a Buick 8 comes to mind. I think my favorite horror novel might be Ghost Story by Peter Straub. You know a book is really scary when it still freaks you out on the second reading. Clive Barker also gives me shivers.

Amen on the Halloween appreciation. Clive Barker was one of my horror heroes and I love The Hellbound Heart and Books of Blood in particular. They were so creepy and alien to my young mind.
Have to agree with you, though, The House of Leaves is an all over fantastic book. Great title, great premise, and I thought the execution was mind-blowing. It was disturbing reading it late at night, but I couldn’t leave the book alone. It has to be the scariest book I’ve read, mainly because it felt the most real.

Bentley Little is a lot like Stephen King. He'll write something that makes your insides crawl, like The Resort or The Walking, then you'll turn around and read a couple hundred pages of The Ignored waiting for the story to magically unfold (it doesn't).

I love horror, movies and books. So, when I first started writing that's the genre I tried to focus on. Unfortunately, I sucked at it.

Dean Koontz's "Odd Thomas". I'm an avid re-reader, but have only had the strength to read that book one time.

The scene where he sees the evil shadows swarming around the beds of the children freaked me out so much I had to stop reading and study how he did it, because I can't figure out how to do creepy w/o music (and my current WiP has lots of creepy).

It's hard to argue with Peter Straub's Ghost Story. A truly creepy story that I'm sure would keep me awake all night if I read it again now. I'm a huge Stephen King fan, especially The Stand, The Shining, and Bag of Bones. Of recent books, Scott Sigler's Ancestor is a real creepfest. You'll never feel at ease around a cow again.

No one creeps me out more than H.P. Lovecraft. I will NOT read any of his stories now that I live alone. I won't even bring them in my home for fear they'll be "calling me" to read them. :o

I read The Shining in my teens. Even now, (many) years later, it still has the ability to terrify me. Yes, the movie too. :-)

Great post!

Some of my favorites...

Ghost Story--Peter Straub
'Salem's Lot--Stephen King
House of Leaves--Mark Z. Danielewski
Hell House--Richard Matheson
Off Season--Jack Ketchum
The Road--Cormac McCarthy
The Nightrunners--Joe R. Lansdale
The Ceremonies--TED Klein
Lord of the Flies, William Golding
The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson
Rosemary's Baby--Ira Levin

Sorry to steal a couple of yours, Jim, but those novels deserve multiple mentions. :-)

Jonathan Janz

What Was I Scared Of? by Dr. Seuss. Thirty years later, and I'm still creeped out by the pale green pants with no one inside them.

As a kid, my dad and a family friend had a long biblical discussion late into the night about the end of the world, so I would have to say that, as a kid, Revelations was pretty scary.

Now I like Stephen King, Chuck Palahniuk, Cormac McCarthy, Dennis Lehane, and Chris Adrian, among others. (Why can't I think of any women who write horror?)

But I have to say I find horror in all kinds of places. I haven't worked myself up to reading Room or The Road or Gone, Baby, Gone yet because what could be more horrible than a child in jeopardy?

Oh! And my friend Pembroke Sinclair!

It's more dark fantasy than horror, but I found Jonathan Carroll's "From the Teeth of Angels" to be deeply unsettling.

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty. Perhaps more people remember the film rather than the novel, but I was scared out of my wits by both!

Haha...those are good. "A Zombie Learns French" would probably sell well today, based solely on that title.

My over-analyzed book from high school was A Seperate Peace - two guys at a prep school, some sort of accident, blah, blah, deep introspection.

I *should* read it again, just because, but I still haven't worked up the nerve.

I love love love that blog, and would be interested in reading British Battle Royale...all sorts of lovely plot ideas are popping into my head. I wonder if I should be troubled by that.

Actually, A Separate Peace was overanalyzed for me as well, but the book that first came to mind was A Tale of Two Cities. I could not care about any of it until the end because the rate at which we analyzed everything really dragged it down. We couldn't move through the book at a normal pace as a result, so it was hard to keep track of the plot.

Actually, Wuthering Heights and The Great Gatsby are books that got ruined for me. I've since reclaimed Wuthering Heights, but haven't managed TGG yet.

Weirdly enough, my biggest "teacher ruined this" book was Fellowship of the Ring. Yeah. There was this section of lit class where you could pick from a bunch of different books and of course I chose that one, but the heavy prose style combined with all the analysis meant that I never got past Tom Bombadil. And I call myself a fantasy geek, sigh.

Two books come to mind, Of Mice and Men, and The Grapes of Wrath. For some reason my English teacher found symbolism around every corner and expected us to do the same. All we saw was another 100 pages that we had to read, intently looking for clues to what the heck she was talking about.

Wait... The Great Gatsby is a book??? According to my teacher it was merely sentence after sentence of symbolism (that we were lucky enough to go over in exhaustive detail). She did try getting us to watch the movie version, but I was too distracted by the resemblance between a young Robert Redford and my then much-loved Brad Pitt.

My favorite of the retitled books in Jessica's post was the "Everybody Hates America" collage from Tom Clancy!

I was forced to read Bleak House as a serial, with horrific consequences promised if we read a single page too far each week. I think the book is pretty okay all by itself, but dragging out such a long book was torture.

To me there are two big genres of bad book. The first is the more straightforward one--so bad you can't read it. I won't say examples because I hate to bash other writers on the 'net, but everyone's had these... the ones where you just can't force yourself to keep reading. You don't care about the characters, the plot, the setting, anything--you're just not engaged in it.

But for me, the other brand of bad book is far worse, insidious in its awfulness. It's the book that seems okay through most of the text. You put up with the seeming plot holes, thinking "Wow, there's going to be a great explanation/reveal for this in the end." You hang in there for 300 pages, knowing that the payoff is going to be worth it. And then... nothing. Betrayal. You get to the end and nothing gets resolved like you thought. Maybe the ending comes out of nowhere, without any hints in the previous text. Maybe there are hints and you saw it coming a mile away and expected that there'd be some kind of a twist.

Those are the books that break my heart. I invest my time and my heart in reading them, and just end up getting let down!

It's the difference between having an awful first date and never calling them again, and spending six months of your life in a relationship where the other person just completely bails on you in the end, leaving you wondering why you wasted your time. ;)

I read a novel by a well know and prolific author that I was thoughly disgusted with at the end. The main character was whisked away out of danger, then her lover/cop friend came back to tell her the serial killer after her was now dead and she was safe, the end. I felt cheated.

Every time I complain about a drear day here in the Midwest, I'm told to make a pot of chili. Hmm? Will gas make it go away?

I read a "how to" book that was so filled with inaccurate and dangerous information, I didn't know how it got published. (Seriously, some of the information in there could get people killed.)

I did read the whole thing so I could (when challenged) say, "Yes, I did read the whole thing and so feel qualified to say how horrible it is. For example, on page 372 it says..." etc.

I'm with Meagan in regards to publicly complaining about a specific book, and I agree with all the points she made. But in all my years of reading, I did manage to read the worst book ever published just a few months ago.

I had high hopes. It was a client of a well-known agent, I'd seen it listed as prizes in blog contests, and in today's publishing climate of only the best make it... I was shocked this book found a home. The writing was bland and confusing, the characters were two-dimensional and cliche, the story made no sense whatsoever, like the author was just adding in random stuff to be 'original' when it really came across as a crack induced plot. Don't even get me started on the dialogue, grammar, punctuation, and pacing. I gave up at page 174.

We haven't had rain in so long that your day seems heavenly to me. I dream of rain.

As far as books go, I used to force myself through ones I wasn't enjoying--mainly because I'm in a book club and wanted to be able to articulate why I thought it sucked. Now I stop reading because life is just too short. One of the worst I ever read was still on the bestseller list over a year after its release. I'm still shaking my head over that one.

I read this aloud to Hubby and he didn't hesitate in saying Steven Brust, The Phoenix Guard. But he just finished it a week or so ago, on a friend's recommend. He may not have liked it, but it seems to have given them a whole new way to speak to each other. Having heard them, I don't plan on reading the book anytime soon, but I'd recommend everyone check out the dialog at least once. It's certainly an experience.

Probably any novel written by any member of the cast of Jersey Shore would get my vote.

I seriously try hard to forget those "worst" books, so most of the time, I couldn't name titles if I wanted to. The ones that still stick with me are the nightmares picked out by Lit professors as an educational experience.

Yeah. They taught me something alright. Mostly that I should have majored in history instead of English.

:P

I think the worst sort of book is one that plays with you. So sure, you make it to the end, but it breaks all the rules it set up in the first place, so the end is not only unsatisfying (I can live with an unhappy ending) but makes the whole book crumble.

Anything by Marion Babson. She seems to have a covenent with gravity. I read several books in a row and the villain dies as the result of:

1) Falling out a window.
2) Falling off a ship.
3) Falling off a stage.
4) Falling off a building.

You can see why I didn't start a fifth book.

I agree with Meagan Spooner that sticking it out until the end in a book, only to be dumped by a poorly tied up ending, is about the biggest thing to ruin a book for me.

The other is poorly executed gimmicks. Like trying a new style or voice and it just falls flat. I recently tried to read a book by one of my favorite authors. One who happens to be very good at recognizing their character's voice. The problem with this book was that the character 1 - didn't speak English as a first language and 2 - saw everything in metaphor. I think one or the other would have worked okay for me, but trying to figure out from the first person present tense narration what was going on, when it was all written that way, made it too difficult to wade through.

Worst book I've ever read? Is a New York Times bestseller...so I won't burn bridges by listing author name and title ^_^

I really hated Madam Bovary. Then there's the book that make me get off my butt and start writing because, by golly, if something that read like it was translated into English via a couple of random languages and then back could get published, then surely, I should at least try.

But the book that makes me sad was vanity published by someone I knew and mostly it was just awful, but there was this one chapter that was riveting despite some errors, and I thought to myself, my God, what if he'd kept working at the writing?

I'm in the camp of not finishing a book if I can't stand it. Life is too short. The most recent of these unfinished books was The Witches of Eastwick. Call it classic all you want I couldn't get past the first 20 pages, I was just so bored by it.

The worst book I've ever read, and the only one I've ever felt like flinging across the room, is well-written and about a subject I love.

What I reacted so violently against (I am not prone to violence in general), was her use of the book to elevate and bolster herself. In this book, she uses underhanded comments that put down people whom she claims to matter: a dear friend, her husband. Yet in her writing, they come across as Philistines while she is the enlightened and tolerant Renaissance woman, that whole insistence that she still loves them despite their bad taste and lack of sophistication.

Bad writing I've come across, but very seldom do I get a bad taste in my mouth. But self-absorption and insecurity wrapped in mean spirits: that I abhor.

I finished the book, but it may have been the beginning of realizing some books do not get better, and if everything in my gut tells me to stop reading a book, it's okay to do so.

Last year I read a book that was getting tons of attention. I didn't read any of the reviews, just went ahead and read the book. Wow--great plot, beautiful prose, two intriguing mysteries. I was riveted to the end, when the author utterly failed to wrap up one of the mysteries. (THEN I read the reviews--tons of people were as incensed as I was.) No matter how well the author writes, I'll never read another book by them because I don't trust that I'll get a satisfying ending.

In my opinion, Great Expectations is entirely too boring to trudge through. It most certainly should NOT have been forced on me in high school with an english grade hanging in the balance.

I'm with Tracy - Great Expectations was one of the few books I didn't bother to finish. Mine were, and it wasn't.

I'm a putter-downer. In addition, if I'm feeling uncertain about a book, I'll skip ahead to the end. So I'm no longer surprised by cheap shots or ham-fisted wrap-ups. (Philip Pullman, I'm looking at YOU.

Plus, if I decide to keep reading, I find that I notice things that might otherwise have slipped past my attention. Mysteries, for example, are no longer a "whodunnit" but a "howdunnit" and "whydunnit," which suits me just fine.

So... how does a YA book (with no picture) get banned for nudity?

It's a question that often comes up in the library field from the collection development side as well, especially for YA books. But even with books for adults, there are collection policies that determine what we will or won't buy: books on certain subjects of low interest to our users, textbooks, self-published and even some small press books, and so on. And we strive to carry books representing all sides of important issues, but what about the really far-out stuff, especially if it's not from a major publisher? It's a question librarians grapple with all the time, even without public pressure to ban something: if we don't select a book, are we in effect banning it?

Thanks for reminding me to blog about Banned Books Week, btw. I've let my blog slip recently but this is a good opportunity to get back on top of it.


As for whether I'd work with an author whose work I found reprehensible (if I were an agent or editor, I presume): I probably wouldn't. It's a free market and if the book has any merit, I'd count on someone else to pick it up. The money wouldn't be worth compromising my own ideals if I were really bothered by the subject matter or opinions expressed.

When I get published, I would love to have one of my books banned. There is no more sure-fire way to gaurantee the stoking of the public's curiousity about something than to ban it. Kind of like how I always tried to sneak a peek at late night Cinemax when growing up, because my mother expressly forbid it.

To answer the question, no I don't think I could work with someone whose work went against what I believed in simply to make money (even a great deal of money). Unfortunately, I have too strong a sense of what fairness to allow myself to do that. Fortunately, I'm quite open-minded so it would take something really offensive to turn me off to a project completely.

I don't know that books "deserve" anything, including publication. I think authors deserve the opportunity to publish. I guess publishers are really the ones who decide what "deserves" to be published... and they decide that based on what they think the public will decide "deserves" to be purchased ;)

I don't believe in banning books. I know that some of the MS's that I have worked on would be banned by certain groups in the US. However, I don't feel that someone should sell out their values to make money. I wouldn't write something just because it was going to make me money and I don't think that agents should publish just because it is going to make them money.

Kristin Nelson just posted today about turning down a book that had multiple offers of representation. She thought the book would sell but wasn't passionate about it.

I don't think declining to represent a book (such as one denying the Holocaust happened) makes you complicit in book-banning. It means you chose not to take on a project because you weren't passionate about it. You didn't tell other people NOT to read it, or stage a protest trying to have the book removed from schools/libraries/etc. I wouldn't take on a book like that (or one like that O.J. Simpson one) for a million dollars, but I absolutely support the right for those books to be in the world--and I support my right not to read them.

A similar thing happened to me recently. I stumbled across a really old, dusty book at a shop that most people there had forgotten about. I don't remember what it was called, but it was by a serial rapist recounting his side of the story.

I dropped it and went back to the YA section, disgusted. I had no interest in reading about someone making excuses for his violent crimes. But that's my choice and I think it should be up to the reader. If someone wants to write/represent/publish a book about a controversial or horrific subject, they ought to be free to (and equally free not to).

I think the principle of book-banning annoys me so much because it's all about that idea of someone else telling you what you should read or think. Declining to represent or read something doesn't make us complicit (unless we claim outright that the book should be burned). I think it just makes us willing to exercise our right to choose what we read and endorse.

The library question is interesting. Could a movie-rating system work for books?

Of course certain writing should be banned, if banned is the right word. I think this belongs at the Federal Courts level. It really is a 1st amendment question.

I see nothing wrong with a junior high library restricting their collection in a way that elminates titles deemed too adult by community or school standards for kids. I don't think a school not carrying a title should be seen as a book being banned.

Where is it in our rights to force a children's library to carry books they don't want? For any reason.

What I mean is: saying that a book is being banned because one (generally) school children's library doesn't carry it is hyperbolic rhetoric meant to incense. A book is banned when it is not allowed to be published, basically, or circulated AT ALL to the public... usually by law.

Also, in honor of Banned Book Week, I posted today about the book SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson and we're giving it away on the blog. :)

At my library, the Amish are just as big as vampires and have been for years. I suppose it depends on the market, but in our rural area Inspirational romances are big business. Amish seems to be the biggest request, closely followed by Christian themed books set in the time of western expansion.

The Amish trend has not really taken off in Australia. I've read a couple because I was curious about their lifestyle. I did enjoy them, but it after a few I'm ready to follow those sinful bloodsuckers again ;-j

We've actually got a few amish here in the boondocks in Michigan. Just yesterday I was talking to my brother who said that not even the mafia would bother coming this far out to take care of "business" and I mentioned that perhaps the amish are secretly a clan of ninja's and that they kick bad-guy butt as well as tip cows.

He said if that were true, he'd definitely read that book. I don't think he's read a real book in 15 years.

This kind of trend is one that can very easily tick me off. I belong to a minority religious group, so I feel pretty protective of other minority religious groups. Especially ones that can't defend themselves from bad, lazy or ignorant descriptions.

If the novel is very accurate, it won't offend me. Sadly, I see way too many novels portray minority religious groups in stereotypes.

If this is the beginning of a trend, I can't say it sparks my interest. Then again, historical romances (or romances in general) have never really done it for me.

Now, give me some Amish vampires in a love triangle and THAT'S a book I'll wanna read ;-)

"I mean, there are only so many ways to not use electricity." ~ Holy. Ghost. Ever so often one of you guys write something that makes me sprinkle abrupt-laughter-spittle on my screen.

The chaste sorts of romance appeal to some people, especially those who want more longing instead of sex. Actually, it very well might appeal to anyone who liked that aspect of the Twilight books, so the article might not be that far off. Still, I don't think it'll be a huge trend, just a niche for a few years.

I think there have to be Amish vampires out there somewhere. Or at least vampires terrorizing the Amish. That could be somewhat interesting...

Were-amish! They turn beasty at night.

There must be some sort of appeal, because Lifetime Movie Network has had an influx of Amish movies lately (yes, I admit, I sometimes watch LMN with my mom). It's all sort of, "She runs from her Amish past...can he break through her Amish walls...she returns home to her Amish parents..." All rather absurd, like most Lifetime movies.

There's a good-sized Mennonite community about an hour away from where I live (horse and buggy, plain clothes) and I can see the appeal of "chaste" books to them, also, but only if they're accurate. I think there tends to be a fascination with "different," which leads to the danger of stereotyping.

So definitely some sort of appeal, but I can't see a widespread explosion of popularity

Hey, here's a comment from someone who really is Amish! Okay, technically, my background is Amish-Mennnonite, which happened in Ontario and not elsewhere, and has since officially been changed back to just Mennonite. Confused? Yep, me too. On top of that, I grew up with TV and cars. And books. Lots of books.

I'm so leery of these Amish romances. I read an excerpt last year which was so inaccurate it was angering. There are so many misconceptions already. This makes it worse. I wonder if the authors have any first-hand knowledge of the culture and religion they are writing about. I have to be able to trust that an author is writing fiction based in reality, or else I can't take the story seriously.

Like, what's with all this talk of restrained passion and longing and chaste purity? Hello? Ever noticed how many kids Old Order families have??? I'm pretty sure these folks are well aware of the God-given gift of sex. Talk about running out of ideas without electricity!

The there's this idea that most Amish/Old Order youth can't wait to get the heck out. I have a hard time believing this. I'm sure most look at the rest of the world with curiosity, but also likely a feeling that everybody else is living a strange life. Think about it.

Anyways, that's my perspective. But I just love to stir up a controversy. It's in my blood. Don't forget, we anabaptists are original rebels...

Wow, Jim! Thank you for a beautifully written post and for the insight into how you read a manuscript. There's a lot to be learned here!

I felt the exact same way when I picked up The Forest of Hands and Teeth. That first chapter was so intoxicating, I found myself reading it in the check out aisle, to the car and in my car. I sat in the parking lot for over an hour, before common sense kicked in and I actually drove home.

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This is the first post I've read that goes into what an agent thinks when they're reading a manuscript.

Thanks for the post, Jim.

http://ptolemymaps-meyerprints.blogspot.com/

Yes! It depends what you're into, but my recommendations are: for beautiful, almost poetic literary fiction, "Let the Great World Spin"; for a realistic but somewhat romantic page-turner, "One Day", and a book that just simply must be read, fresh, original and full of characters you fall in love with: "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society".

I left my wife sitting in a B&N chair the other day starving as I went through the stacks looking at all the different books that were in the areas I was researching. Don't have their card, but also don't have any independent book stores around anymore.

I have a hefty stacks of free books for review that I'm supposed to be reading. This means that I put off the stacks of books that I bought--books I was desperate to read--which means that if the first page of the ARC doesn't wow me, I immediately move into a grumpy state of mind because I'm wasting my time with this book instead of the one I actually want to be reading. Nvermind the list of classics I want to get around to reading at some point before I die.

I think my current tally of books I own that I haven't read yet is 25 ish, with 4 books I'm supposed to review and more always on the way. It doesn't help that my bike route home takes me past two Barnes & Noble stores. Argh!

Yep, I've got all the cards and we have an indie we love near us. My idea of a hot date is dinner followed by bookstore browsing. :) (Luckily, hubby is really nice about it.) I have a huge stack of to-be-reads, both nook and "real." Can't wait to get on an airplane with three quiet hours to do nothing but read. :)

Have a great vacation! Enjoy all that reading.

I went to Barnes & Noble a few days ago to kill time while waiting for a car repair...and left with 3 books :) One of them I ended up finishing that day: "Broken Glass Park" by Alina Bronsky. There weren't any chapter breaks in the whole book, which I found fascinating (and which probably contributed to my inability to put it down).

I ABSOLUTELY have this problem!

I buy books like a crazy book buying thing, and the last couple years I've even tracked how many I buy; I just recently topped 200 for this year. I buy way more books in any given year than I actually have time to read, so I have things that have been on my To Read list for many years! I buy from B&N, I buy from Fictionwise, I buy from our tasty local indie bookstore Third Place Books, I buy from the University Bookstore and its awesome SF&F section--and I buy DRM-free ebooks directly from publishers whenever I have the opportunity.

Right now I'm on a new book buying hiatus until the end of August, partly due to brief income shortage and partly due to simply wanting to knock more things off the To Read list. But this hasn't stopped me from downloading tasty free ebooks either. *^_^*;;

TROPIC OF NIGHT by Michael Gruber is brilliant. Shamans, anthropology, violence, smart, smart horror -- it will kick your brain sideways, in a good way.

Today had to go shopping for work clothes and ended up on Oxford Street in H&M and meeting up with a friend. I eventually had to get home, and she had to get to the British Museum so I ended up walking with her in the general direction of the BM intending to get on the tube at Tottenham Court Road. Somewhere between Oxford Circus and Tottenham Court Road tube stops we passed a Waterstone's, my book radar Beeped loudly but I did my best to ignore it, and kept walking with her. We got to Tottenham Court Road, she walked me down into the tube station I hugged her goodbye and she went back up street level. I then proceeded to double back just to go browse through the Waterstone's for 30 minutes and eventually succumb to weakness and buy a book even through I have 2 currently going at once and at least 2 more bought within the last little while that I haven't even cracked open yet (I know this doesn't seem like an exorbitant number of books, but I am a broke recent graduate and the majority of my book stash is in the parents' house). And then naturally had to walk back to Bond Street Tube station because Oxford Circus was too slammed to even get into, it being rush hour by this point and all. You know you're a bookaholic when you're hiding your habit from your friend and doing extra walking while carrying bags full of work clothes, and spend more money when you've already spent too much on said clothes, and are aware your rent is due today and you're not being paid for the new job until the end of the month.

I know that feeling of purchasing new books only to realize how much on your shelves still needs to be read. The call of new books proves irresistible though; if I try to abstain, I find myself developing a distaste for everything currently on my shelf, and feel I will only be sated by the new book...

Libraries help, though, especially if the book I would have purchased isn't a brand-new release with a miles-long hold list. At least, they help me save space on occasion. I had both the Borders and B&N cards at one point, but I've made myself go less frequently to the bookstore over these last few months because I needed to save the money and space. Tis an addiction of the best kind.

Hello, my name is Jo, and I'm an addict.

When a previous blog post requested pictures of our bookshelves, I opted out, because it would have taken me all day to cut and paste images of the eight bookshelves into one piece, and I would feel terribly guilty seeing all the books that are waiting to be read.

And, it would have taken away from the time I would have to read. One used book store and a Books A Million are my only book shopping options locally, so I'm a frequent flier at the local library.

Thank you for letting us know we are not alone, and for seemingly single-handedly keeping the publishing industry afloat.

Enjoy your vacation!

Yeah, I have about 40 books sitting on my shelf waiting to be read (that's not counting the ever growing list on my Nook!) I read fast, but nowhere near as fast as I tend to think I can.

Until I got my Nook I would buy the hardcover of my fav authors new release (even though I pretty much despise hardcovers) and then I'd buy them again for keeping in my collection when they're released in trade paperback, because that's how I roll.

I may or may not have also purchased a duplicate set of one of my favorite series, because I liked the movie version of the covers better than the originals.

Yep, that's me, too.

I shipped over 100 lbs of ARCs home from BEA. And as soon as BEA ended, what did I do?

Went to The Strand and bought more books :/

Recently, I'm loving SUPER SAD TRUE LOVE STORY (Shteyngart) and LINGER (Stiefvater). You?

I would say I have around twenty books that are duplicates of books I've already owned and three or four that are 3 of a kind! I definitely need to carry a list of the thousands of books that I own to stop this nonsense! Then again I always have a ready gift on hand to give away when the need arises!

I forgot to mention that I just finished reading Guillaume Musso's Seras-Tu Là? It was literally a page turner. When you thought the story couldn't possibly get any more interesting or exciting, he kept coming up with another twist! I havent' read the English translation, Will You Be There, so I don't know if the translation is as good as it is in French.

Hearing that you also have this problem makes me feel better about myself! I worked in a bookstore for three years and continued to get use out of two corporate member cards (that were not my employer's).

I'm finally getting around to Kingsolver's The Lacuna. It's a beautiful, beautiful novel. Also, Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude is still one of my favorite summer reads!

Every time I enter a bookstore, I give myself a limit. One book, maybe two. And before I know it, I'm heading home with four or five because I just couldn't put them down.

Not only that - I am constantly rearranging my bookshelves and complaining how I don't have enough space. You know how some girls love shoes and would love a walk-in closet? I'm like that with my books. My living room is slowly turning into a library.

I own, I guess, a few hundred books -- not an impressive collection by booklover standards, but large enough. I have probably only read half of those books. Since I thoroughly intend to read most of the rest, I don't allow myself to buy new books. Except when, oh, there's a book coming out that I really must support. Or when I'm in an independent bookstore. Or when I'm in a chain bookstore. Or...

Yes, I too have a problem.

I can heartily recommend Meljean Brook's steampunk novella Here There Be Monsters in the anthology Burning Up.

Read it. It's wonderful.

If you haven't already stocked up:
THE POSTMISTRESS by Sarah Blake (If you liked Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society)
ALL OTHER NIGHTS by Dara Horn (Genius Civil War spy drama)
Both with vivid, flawed characters.

Have a great vacation!

I just binged on 9 books at B&N. It's the smell. I'm glad there are others like me.

My personal quirk: If I attend a book signing or reading, I buy the book. Or, at the very least, I buy another of the author's books that are sitting on the table. This should be good news to all of you authors out there: It does pay to appear at events in person! I bring home stacks of library books, determined not to be lured by the pretty covers in the B&N and Borders (yes, I frequent both, as well as the most fantastic indie, Rainy Day Books in the Kansas City metro area). But somehow, even if I just stop in at one of the above for a cup of coffee, something ends up in my purse. (I buy it, not steal it.) And I have a shelf and a half full of books waiting to be read.

Oh Jim, you must, must, must read Superman: Secret Identity by Kurt Busiek and Stuart Immonen. It's not about Superman- it's a coming of age story about a guy whose parents named him Clark Kent. It was extraordinary, really subtle, amazing storytelling, and the art was amazing.

You also must, must, must read Fun Home by Alison Bechdel, which is actually a memoir in graphic novel form. It's about her coming out as a lesbian, and her discovery that her father- who committed suicide- was a closeted gay man. It will gut you in a good way!

Next should be JOHNNY THE HOMICIDAL MANIAC: THE DIRECTOR'S CUT or SQUEE (or BOTH) by Jhonen Vasquez. Don't let the titles put you off- there's some amazing, deep (and sometimes anarchic) thinking in these books, and the art is gleefully chaotic.

And if you haven't read Neil Gaiman's SANDMAN, it's like required graphic novel reading. Not only did it launch the lives of millions of teenage goths everywhere, it's just exquisitely wrought from words to art.

And what SANDMAN did for goths, LOVE & ROCKETS by Jaime Hernandez did for riot grrls and alts. A seriously great and under-appreciated title, for sure. Likewise GHOST WORLD by Daniel Clowes.

Everybody and god will tell you that Frank Miller and Alan Moore are AMAZING. I will tell you that they are old-school, perverted misogynists with absolutely nothing interesting to say.

But I guess to be absolutely fair to their contributions to the genre, you should read Alan Moore's FROM HELL and V IS FOR VENDETTA. You should also read Frank Miller's SIN CITY and BATMAN: YEAR ONE.

And now I will shut up, before I go into the DC canon of graphic novels and manga.

Joann Sfar, especially The Rabbi's Cat (there are two volumes so far) and the Dungeon series he does with Lewis Trondheim. The colors, the whimsy, and the wisdom... LOVE Sfar's stuff.

I second Sandman (though I couldn't get past the -spoiler- convention).

If you can bend reality enough, I'd also suggest The Invisibles.

My personal favorite is an indie that isn't done yet, Dorothy (by Illusive Arts).

I've got boxes of old Archie comic books in the attic. Does that count as obsessive?

I think that being open minded to any genre that lures in a reader is to be applauded.

I enjoy writing, but I've really gotten into making my own graphic novels/comics.

I started them because I didn't see enough diversity in comics. I've got three webcomics up now (all paranormal) and hopefully one will be a hit with readers!

Might I also suggest BONE by Jeff Smith? I never understood the name, because when I first heard about it years ago, I assumed anything named BONE would be violent, but no, it's sweet and cute and yet great story-telling.

Superman: Red Son blew my mind in so many ways-- it takes the mythology of Superman and turns it around in such a natural way while it answers the question "What if Superman had landed in communist Russia, instead of Kansas?"

I also highly recommend the first volume of Thor, by J. M. Straczynski. I know superheroes aren't considered to be very literary, but J.M.S. really pushes his readers to ask questions about what faith and the gods mean for humanity from the first issue.

I could go on and on about comics, but will try to keep this succinct. I don't have my to-be-read pile in front of me, so pardon any gaps in information.

My recent favorites include:
Y: The Last Man

Fables (fairy tale characters in real life).

Midnight Nation by J. Michael Straczynski (of Babylon 5 fame).

Fray by Joss Whedon. Think Buffy in the far future.

Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis. It's extremely graphic in every sense, but there's a strong thread of heart and storytelling--and absolutely stunning art--that makes it all worth it.

The Walking Dead, if you like post-apocalyptic/horror tales

Oh, and if you're into the more traditional superhero comics, run, don't walk, and pick up any of the recent Green Lantern titles.

A few that came highly recommended to me, but I haven't had a chance to read yet:

Pride of Baghdad by Brian K Vaughn (stray animals in the midst of the Iraq war - story is told from their perspective)

Lions, Tigers & Bears - an indie comic that I, sadly, know very little about, except that the comic store owner was very enthusiastic about it.

Astro City (gorgeous art deco style drawing, and supposedly a good story to boot)

Queen & Country - James Bond-ish spy thriller

Looking forward to everyone else's recommendations. I can never have too many comics!

Wow, a lot of what I was going to suggest was already mentioned. I second midwinter-az's suggestions of Fray, Fables, and Y: The Last Man. I also really recommend Runaways, a comic about a group of children who discover that their parents are secretly supervillains, and that they have powers of their own.

As multiple people have suggested Sandman, I'll go for a slightly more obscure Neil Gaiman comic, 1601. It's a re-imagining of the Marvel universe of superheroes (and villains), but set in 1602. It's great, not to be missed if you were ever into superheroes.

I love the graphic novel as a medium for storytelling, and that it's getting increasingly acceptable as an art form and not "just" pop-culture chic. This post made me so happy. :)

I"ll add Blankets by Craig Thompson to this list. It's a great coming-of-age story that hits all the right notes.

...

Love Persepolis. It's one of my favorites!

Try "The Psycho" by James Hudnall and Dan Brereton.

It's a bit like someone asking for musical recommendations and saying 'there are these guys called The Beatles', but you can't go wrong with Alan Moore.

From Hell and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen are both great (if you've ever seen the movies, please, please don't let that put you off).

A little bit further off the beaten path, at least in the US: The Ballad of Halo Jones is an early SF series by Moore that's just wonderful, and A Small Killing is a graphic novel from the early nineties that's subtle and uses the medium so cleverly.

As a primer for how comics work, what the medium can do, how a comic strip manipulates time, read Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics.

Grant Morrison's brilliant, very influenced by Borges, lots of metafictional stuff. Start with WE3, move onto Doom Patrol and The Invisibles. He's done a fantastic, self-contained, 12 issue run of Superman, All Star Superman.

Paul Pope's THB (difficult to track down, but he's working on a reissue) and 100%.

The Adventures of Luther Arkwright - an epic parallel universe sexy, action-packed series written and drawn by Bryan Talbot that was at least twenty years ahead of its time. His more recent Alice in Sunderland and Grandville are also fantastic.

Talbot and Kevin O'Neill, artist on League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, both did early work on Nemesis the Warlock, which is well worth a look.

Oh, and Death Note. An incredible, twisty-turny series.

(And as a general tip: if you're looking for stuff from the UK, try bookdepository.com, where everything's below cover price and there's free international shipping).

This one is simple but quite effective!

Beautiful!

I have discovered that book trailers are effective when they are well done. When they are created like a movie trailer, with actors that give dialogue - even if the actors are obscured in shadow to keep them unrecognizable - and good music. The picture slideshows that I've seen around the internet, sometimes with book quotes on them and sometimes voiced narration, aren't cutting it. They're not interesting to watch, they don't keep me on the edge of my seat, they don't make me want to know 'what happens next'.

Also, I think book trailers can be more effective when made for sequels.

I agree with Melody. As much as I like tigers, and though the song was nice and the pictures were well done, I found myself getting a little bored, just reading praise, looking at animals and not knowing the title of the book.

Book trailers set up like movie trailers, especially well done ones, would be pretty pricey, I would think, unless the author DIY'd the whole shebang. I think the picture slideshows are a nice, potentially cost saving alternative, however, I think they should be kept pretty short--even shorter than this one.

Book trailers, I fear, do not interest me in the slightest. I've watched one only once or twice, and the only really memorable one I've ever seen was the one they whipped up for Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters.

But I've never bought a book based on a trailer, and even a well-done trailer is not going to make me want to buy a book by an author I don't already know and trust. What sells me on picking up a new book is what has always done that: a look at the words and the story. Give me a well-done blurb, maybe a chapter excerpt, and that's really all I need.

I'm afraid I don't really "get" book trailers. However, I did download a sample chapter of "Stay" to my Kindle, based on the trailer. (I wouldn't have given the book a second look without the trailer.)

So, for me at least, one of them worked.

I have also wondered many times whether book trailers are here for good, or if they're just a trend. I tend to thnk it's the latter, as they have absolutely no effect on me, but I am aware that others respond to them.

This trailer for me was a dud. Not enough actual info as it went, the music was bleugh, and the photos ... not interesting, really. They're just photos. I expected stupendous photos to advertise a zoo book. Stun me. More animals than just the same 3 over and over. If it's a book about just those three, then THAT should have been made clear. As it was I got bored and looked away after a while. I don't know who these people are singing praises, so their praise isn't worth anything to me.

I don't think book trailers work in their current incarnation. At least, not for me!

I love a good trailer that is itself a work of art that complements the book. It should make a person say, "Oh my god. I NEED that book," or "I can't WAIT until that's available." Funny or clever ones are the best, but some books need a darker, edgier approach. As long as it is done well and doesn't look put together by some friend's cousin who knows a guy, I think book trailers can be a great asset, especially if they are posted on an author's page or even the agency or publisher websites.

When a person browses movies online, most theaters have links to watch the trailers. I think the publishing industry would greatly benefit from the same kind of promotion for the books they are most excited to offer.

As someone who graduated from Advertising and Marketing - I am extemely excited to see more and more well done book trailers.
I don't think this trend is going anywhere. It's an excellent way to advertise upcoming titles and I think we are going to see a lot more of them in the future.
I predict ten years from now, book stores will have TVs in them showcasing new and upcoming releases (like video stores do now).

Yes, I watch book trailers and it really helps. Some are not that good though.

Book trailers don't really work for me UNLESS they stand out. For example, Maggie Stiefvater's trailers for Shiver and also Linger are works of art in themselves. She hand cut hundreds of pieces of paper to create stop-motion book trailers. The concept was subtle (in other words, no straight-from-the-book quotes or photo montages banging you over the head) but she managed to capture the tone and essence of her book in under a minute. Another good example -- Steve Brezenoff's Absolute Value of -1, which uses quirky original drawings.
The thing these trailers have in common is an innovative approach. The authors thought out of the box using nothing more than their own creative mind, some paper, ink, background music and a little computer magic. The result? The audience gets a real taste of what to expect when they read the book, not another well-meaning attempt that just didn't go anywhere.

I don't watch book trailers unless they are recommended or come with a posted link to something I'm reading. I'm usually much more impressed by the ones that have actors--I forget the title, but the trailer for a historical novel on Cleopatra's daughter was impressive and emotionally engaging.

I don't think I've yet felt any inspiration to buy a book just from watching the trailer, but it's possible that cumulative exposure which includes print and other media could have an effect. Most advertising works that way.

Likewise, book trailers don't make me buy books either. They're good entertainment and good publicity. If I come across Zoo Story in the bookshop I might now remember it now (I enjoyed the trailer), but the trailer itself has no impact whatsoever on whether or not I decide to buy a book.

What really works for me is author presence and sample chapters. I come across the author somewhere on the internet (many times through blogs or interviews), decide I'd like to know more, pop across to their website, read some sample chapters and before I know it I'm over at Amazon ordering their book. Incidentally, if they have book trailers on that same site, I usually skip them (the trailers, I mean).

Fascinating post and comments. As an author, I don't look at booktrailers as entertainment for someone who has never heard of my book. Some of the good ones work that way, though. :-)

I think of a booktrailer as a digital business card. Mine are always short (less than 30-seconds). While they are up at youtube, they aren't really intended to win over a potential reader who accidentally discovers one of them on a random lurk.

Rather, the book trailers links are sent to people in the business I am otherwise interacting with so they have an idea of what I do as a writer. They also serve as a visual add-on when I am doing an on-line interview and are available to anyone doing an on-line review. In short, their main use is as an attachment to something else, and NOT a stand-alone selling tool.

You might also notice, as I have, that publishers are posting booktrailers at their websites for featured titles. Again, this is in conjunction with other information about the book and not intended as stand-alone entertainment. :-)

Most authors will be limited in funds in producing their 'vook'. Here is our effort for my new novel, Captain Cooked. But what is fun about the production of this, I turned to a young friend of the family who had created his own comedy website, all graphic work created off of his computer. At 14, Hunter is very talented. Of course, his father assisted, but only advisory. And cost? $100 and he gains credit for his future resume. Can be seen at You Tube, search "Captain Cooked" or here below. I am a big believer in the book video to sell, but the true issue you are out there trying to find eyes for your trailer as you are trying to find readers for your book. Where is your time best spent?
S.P. Grogan
www.CaptainCooked.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K9g3GglE-Y

I hadn't heard of this book until you posted this trailer. Which was excellent. But I'm a sucker for animals, and also, the title is amazing. Life in the garden of captives? So hooked. Just bought it.

Don't watch them unless they happen to show up. Caught one for Tess Gerritson on TNT last night. Hadn't seen a book commmercial on tv for a very long time so I watched it and thought how it didn't seem as interesting as the cop show I was watching. Truth be told it seemed wanting in comparison. Perhaps that is the downside of placing book ads in shows that are more engaging than what the book ad is promoting?

I do recall many many moons ago a radio ad for Grisham's The Firm. He was an unknown at that time having written the modest seller, A Time To Kill. His publisher really got behind The Firm and this was one of the ways they did it. Until that day I hadn't ever heard any sort of electronic ads for a book. I still remember that because at the time it was so new and unique.

I think that when you already have a love of a series, they are a nice touch. The recently released Chronicles of Vladamir Todd was a great trailer but it gave nothing in the way of plot.
Richelle Mead's series (my absolute favourite) had such a poor trailer that if I hadn't read the books, I probably wouldn't have. That trailer is now deleted from my memory. (Sorry, Jim).
I think trailers are a waste of money. They are more likely to hurt your chances than enhance them.

I wrote a post on this topic a few months back and--my, my, but the response has been interesting. Enough so, that I now periodically post book trailers on my website for my readers to rate. The majority of what I've found? The responses fall somewhere between tolerant and outright hatred. The trailers which go over well all border on parody (Sense and Sea Monsters, Abe Lincoln--Vamp Hunter, Libba Bray's Going Bovine...). The serious ones must to be really well-done and simple (Cronin's The Passage or Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games). My personal thoughts? A book trailer is better left UNDONE if it can't be excellent. Otherwise, you get people like me who write posts just to complain about "the cheeze factor. It’s bad. And frankly, I, as a legitimate reader, am disturbed." http://mchristineweber.com/when-it-comes-to-book-trailers/

Thanks for reposting this. Still definitely relevant! As a former MFA poet who's currently working on a YA paranormal romance, I've seen these attitudes pitifully frequently. In fact, I had a conversation with a former classmate a few nights ago where he said something along the lines of: "At first I thought it was a joke that you were writing a novel about a merman. But then you wouldn't drop it!" Then he added some stuff about how it's smart of me to "go commercial" and try to tap into "hot markets." And how maybe he should try to write for teenagers--despite the fact that he's completely unfamiliar with their reading tastes.

Over the years, I've learned to be a little less angry about that kind of comment. A little. But it hasn't been easy.

I am so glad this got reposted, for those of us who are newer blog followers. I think every writer of genre fiction has faced something like this at least once, no matter what stage of the writing/publication process they're at. This kind of prejudice and snobbery is what kept me from pursuing a creative writing degree (and later was the big reason I decided not to go for an MFA) because it was so prevalent in my college program. It doesn't bother me too much coming from the average layperson, because I can't expect them to know, but it does irritate me when teachers come out with that stuff.

Thanks for this post!

Glad to see this repost, too. And I think it's important to point out that "Madame Bovary" was the "Valley of the Dolls" of its time. The boundaries between literary and commercial are permeable, and often blur with time.

My agent has been wonderful...but the first project we worked with didn't sell. The good thing about me, though, is I'm almost sickeningly prolific and I just send her projects, usually 3-5 completed manuscripts, and let her pick whatever. You guys know what sells better than I do and it amazes me that what I think she'll love is usually the one that she says won't work right now. The key is "right now." Someday maybe we can revisit these other manuscripts, hopefully after we sell something else!

I really appreciate your thorough response to this question about what to do when a book project does not sell. Thank you.

Thank you. This is a great post, and I think the only one I've seen recently that talks about what happens if things don't go the way you hope. Good to know the different possibilities. Thanks again for sharing!

You wanna know what books shouldn't be selling? Books by Perez Hilton and Tori Spelling. Whoops -- Check out my rhymes!

Great post, Jim, very detailed and sensitively done - thanks. I really hope when I get an agent that there will be the confidence and belief in each other that you've described.

Stephanie Faris - appreciate your comment as it's good to know that if you work at project after project, one of them may stick and the best thing to do is to keep writing.

It's just good to know that sometimes it may not be the book/story that is bad and it could easily be market conditions.

I recently experienced Option 3. Sadly, the loss of confidence was on my agent's side, but not for the reason you might think. One day he woke up and apparently lost his faith in the fiction market. Celebrity and Non-fiction. That was all he could sell, even while being at a top agency (WME). In the end, he made a good business decision, which I respect. And it was good for me, if he no longer believed he could sell what I write. So we patted each other on the back with sincere best wishes and empty promises to buy a round if I'm ever in NY. Back to querying...

I don't think that's fair at all. I understand people pay to attend conferences with the hope of landing an agent; however, they also pay to learn, which I feel is very important. Why else would they offer workshops, panels and master's courses?

I was told the same thing, and I've found a happy middle. By nature, I'm a nice person (or so I hope I am!). I'm always very inviting, happy and cheerful when I meet a writer at a conference. I always encourage writers, give advice and hope that they get what they're looking for in terms of learning. I don't request everything - I don't think it's fair to them to have an agent's request that isn't genuine. I also don't think it's fair to those whose material I AM interested in reading to be in a queue because of manuscripts I'm not interested in.

In the end, it's a business and a passion. Treat others with the respect you want and hopefully you'll receive the same. There's the occasional writer who just doesn't want to hear the truth, but by giving the truth, they'll learn that this subjective world of publishing probably isn't the business for them.

Great blog post - and good link :)

Kathleen

Great post. No answer for the conference thing. It's a tough situation and I can see both sides.

I'm an encourager, too, but recently started to reevaluate how enthusiastic I am. Some people aren't cut out to be writers, for a myriad of reasons. (I'll never be a statistician, not because I'm not a really swell gal, but because I don't have the talent or personality for it.)

I do think we can be realistic while still being upbeat.

Great post, Jim!

First of all, in this business staying upbeat is the key to survival. There are too many other factors to roll over a writer and keep them down in the dumps.

But on the other hand, I think a reality check never hurts. That's where one's writing peers come in before they even reach the agent/editor stage. These are the valuable folks who tell a writer where they need improvement. I believe the craft can be learned. But I also believe there is another factor that should exist like talent. But, and there is a but. As a friend/critique partner I would never tell someone else they couldn't succeed in the business. First of all, my job is to offer feedback--on their current work. By offering that feedback I want them to improve and put out the best work possible so they can succeed.

And finally, well its rude to stomp on someone else's dreams. What goes around comes around. (For all I know they could be working on the next bestseller...)

This make me think of American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance tryouts. For years many of these poor souls have been lied to by family, friends, and themselves that they have what it takes. They end up making fools of themselves. I for one would like to be told, "you sing so bad it hurts my eyeballs," or "perhaps you should only dance in the closet." Same with writing, if after years of trying I just don't got it, I want to know.

Upbeat can be good, but there's the danger of coddling, and when that happens, not only does it encourage those who are never going to reach the potential, but many of them think that they don't need to put forth the same amount of work and effort.

Determination is essential in this business, but not just to keep trying, but to keep improving. I'm just getting into the query phase, but I keep going over my writing to figure out how to improve it, my methods of writing, and everything else.

In teaching, I've seen a lot of students who will keep trying, but there are very few who will actually improve. they just put out the same mediocre effort expecting it to get better on its own, or for me to magically give them a better grade. It doesn't fly with me, and I know it won't fly with agents and editors.

So I'm all for a little reality check honesty in telling someone that they need to not just keep trying, but really improve his or her writing in order to make it.

I think it's a stretch to say people will stop going to conferences because they hear the hard truth (# of queries per day x 365, compared to # of new projects taken on each year). First, most of us our delusional and think we'll beat the odds. Second, as Kathleen noted, a lot of people go to conferences simply to learn and to improve their writing (And to meet other delusional . . . (ahem) writers).

Put me in the delusional category. I misspelled "are". HA!

I don't think anyone should be discouraged, but it would help if agents gave more constructive criticism. Many of my rejection letters sound so encouraging and nice and VAGUE and I wonder if everyone hears the exact same niceness that I did from a particular agent. I know it is impractical to give specific criticism in every rejection letter, but it would probably turn away the unliklies and help those who really have potential to take it to the next level.

As with any other issue, I think it's in the delivery. It's not an either/or thing to me. You can be real with people (and honest in your viewpoints), yet do so in a respectful and constructive way. It's the difference between constructive criticism and bashing. I don't pay good money to attend conferences because I want someone to blow smoke up my ass; I go to learn and meet other writers. :)

I think critique--especially negative critique--is the most fundamentally important thing for a writer to a) get and b) listen to. It's not a commentary on the end goal (whether someone "has what it takes" to get pubbed. Negative critique is a commentary on that moment in a work's life.

Taking criticism is a matter of focusing both on the short-term (this sucks and needs revision right-now-this-minute) AND on the long-term (it will get better if you take critique and might ultimately get pubbed).

Anyone that takes a short-term critique as a long-term condemnation is just not going to improve. They're not willing to put in the hours. They're willing to give up. Anyone that actually gives someone a long-term condemnation, ever, is just crappy. The conclusion might be extensive revision or even starting a new project, but it's never "you'll never get published."

Authors: Making sure that you've taken enough critique into account BEFORE going on query is so important. Once you get in front of an agent, the myriad demands on his/her time mean you've only got one shot. This critique/revise thing is your due diligence beforehand.

I guess I get the writers doubts, but it's my determination that keeps me going, along with ego. Not that I think I'm the best writer in the world, but because I know that if I work my butt off, I'll get better. And yeah, the numbers aren't in my favor, but hey, people win the lottery every day. At least with writing, it's not just about luck, but my effort which will eventually pay off.

I think that's the biggest line seperating writers- those who work for it, and those who want to hear it will come to them for free.

So yeah, bee cheerful, but be truthful too, IMO.

I agree with a lot of the comments on here. Writing and publishing is a subjective business and one must remain slightly 'thick-skinned' in order to move past negative comments, let alone succeed. In a perfect world, there would be a happy balance between constructive criticism and glorified acceptance. In our world, one must slough through the sea of detrimental road blocks and hope, somewhere along the way, the road is paved smooth.

Hokey analogy? Sure. But I think literary agents and publishers alike know what they want and know it when they see it. It's a hard blow to get rejected, but I can only assume the acceptance blows it out of the water.

As authors, we need to be savvy and intelligent when it comes to querying and pitching our masterpieces. If I'm not prepared when I have an agent's attention, well there's no one to blame for their criticism but myself. So, deal, move on, get better, smarten the hell up and try again. And never hold the agent/publisher/editor at fault for recognizing my mistakes.

I don't think the conference organizer should have told you that, no matter what their motives. It seems like they wanted you to be dishonest. However, I think we have a duty to be encouraging to other writers new or seasoned, but equally we have a duty to be honest.

I wouldn't want to be a "dream killer" however, I would be completely honest with a touch of kindness and encouragement. It can be done. I know because I did it. No, not as an agent but as a middle school language arts teacher. Adolescents are not that different from your average struggling writer. Unsure of themselves. Cranky at times. In need of authentic encouragement and honest guidance.

It's a lot easier to just go for the negative and reason it out with, "I was just being honest." It takes some serious thought and human decency to package that honesty with just the right amount of reality AND kindness. But I'll say it again, it can be done.

Yes, a thick skin is a must for the aspiring writer, especially when we encounter those who feel the need to rip and shred, but the only way to become a better writer is to listen to the advice of the professionals and fellow writers - no matter how snarky or rude. Remember, it is about the writing and not the person who wrote it. It took me a little time to realize that.

That's silly. If you truly believe someone has absolutely zero talent, by all means stress to them how difficult the business is and their realistic chances (it's not saying, "you suck," it's saying, "make sure you really want this".) This will accomplish one of two things:
1 - They will eat a LOT of chocolate, and then realize that maybe writing isn't for them and move on to computer programing.
OR
2 - They'll say, "Screw that" and work their little bums off until their manuscript is the best it can possibly be because they are aware of how competitive it needs to be and how competitive the market really is.

Don't let conference runners get you down!

Writers conferences are expensive enough! Don’t go discouraging the wannabes, or the cost will just get higher for the rest of us.

I actually posted about this over the weekend. Publication is all good and well, but it shouldn’t be THE reason we write. Writing is its own reward. Publication, success, fame, fortune; those are all nice after the fact. Still, it would be nice to have one’s own park in Universal Studios based on one’s books:)

You guys are brutal? My experience with DGLM was painful for its lack of brutality.

Your agency recently read my full manuscript multiple times. Upon rejecting it, I was told that I'm a talented writer and that my book was very, very entertaining. When I followed up by asking for specific and constructive criticism, I was told that the agency policy is to not criticize because "fiction is so subjective."

I understand that you have to spend your time with your clients, but I don't think it's unreasonable to ask for some form of critique. You've read the manuscript- you've already formed your critique, why not pass that critique along so it becomes useful?

Gil:

It is unreasonable to ask for a critique. Seriously unreasonable.

(And I'm in no way affiliated with DGLM, not even as a client.)

Gil:

It is unreasonable to ask for a critique. Very unreasonable. (I am not affiliated with DGLM, nor am I their client.)

Heh - I run across this all the time in LA. Here's my two (or four) cents:
I think it's not that you need to be 'upbeat' in order to not scare away potential 'whoevers'- it's about not being whiny or angry at 'x'. (Hey, triple negative!) I know in my (dayjob) business we all find it difficult in various ways and to be with someone who automatically complains about everything just makes your job harder. It's easy to complain and whine. It takes a little more effort to comment in your own voice and take ownership of your words/thoughts, which I think is part of the business side of things for a writer. Think it's best to be honest AND your 'better-but-still-true' self (as in civil, courteous etc). After all, people like your voice in your books. If you're all sweetness and light when your books aren't there's going to be a disconnect. People often mistake sharing their own angst/sore spots with sharing the truth. It's not the same thing. When you focus on presenting the truth/facts, what the listener does with it becomes their responsibility. People who don't already know it's tough to write (esp write pro) aren't paying attention and there are plenty of places that will hand hold people if that's what they want/need. Most going to conferences want to know what's really going on so they can learn (I think someone above said this too). It's not what you say, it's how you say it and that can make all the difference - to yourself too. You can't be responsible for whether people get discouraged but you can give people the option to decide for themselves. It's a hard world and a hard business so it helps if we all do our part to make our own corner a little brighter, but I don't think wrapping people in bubble-wrap is very helpful. They need to be able to think/decide for themselves. If that includes telling them they might want to have a hardhat handy, so be it. Then they have the choice of whether or not to use it. :)

In other words I agree with many of the comments above. :D

A few years ago, I met with an agent at a conference in San Diego. He will remain nameless. He sat down, stated he hadn't had time to read the sample pages I was asked to submit weeks ahead of time, dismissed the fact that I had written 11 nonfiction books because they were small publishing houses. I left feeling totally defeated. Every time I see this guys name anywhere, my teeth clench. Had he read what I submitted and told me it was garbage, I'd be happier. At least, he would have acknowledged my effort.

Say what? *jaw drops to floor* Anyone who knows your reputation, (a conference rep. should have)knows how professional you are. Your rejection of my novel last year was so kind I wanted to be your new BFF. No really, all kidding aside (and stalking), it forced me to take another look at my writing. I realized I needed more education and my novel needed a ton of work. So, I stopped querying it and did what I had to do to make it the best that I could present. Don't squash anyone's dream but do be completely honest.It's a fine art--smiling while you crush someone's hope--better left to politicians.

As far as whether you look like a schmuck, couldn't tell you, haven't met you in person. If you look like Charles Manson or the Unabomber then I can see how the conference rep. might be concerned.

In a sea of not so stellar people, you float to the top. So that being said, I hope you keep rejecting with a kind hand.

Brutality is unnecessary. If someone has hopes that you're 100% will never be met, then what difference does it make if you dash their dreams now, or their dreams are dashed later?

That they try, that they love the art enough to try, is enough. The pursuit of any art is worth the self-growth, self-expression, greater understanding of the art, the enthusiasm they share with others, and the support they give to the writing world (both emotional and financial), whether they meet "success" or not.

We are all on our own journey, the reasons and motivations of which we can hardly fathom ourselves.

Criticism with a kind hand is always possible. Yes, some people just don't hear you unless you're brutal, but my experience as a piano teacher for fifteen years is that even if you're brutal, the ones who won't hear it when you're nice will discount what you say with brutality anyway. So why not be nice?

You can be encouraging while at the same time communicating what needs to be worked on. It's a balance between discouraging and giving false hope.

I think you need to be honest with your opinions. If you feel a writer is hopeless, I wouldn't couch it in exactly those terms but certainly you would be being helpful by saying the writer needs much work to master their craft. Writing, etc. is such a subjective thing. Who is to say the 'hopeless' writer today can't work hard, hone their skills, improve and if they have the fire in their belly to keep going one day write a marketable book? But there is, in my sense of it, a responsibility to give your best take on a writer's work...but don't be brutal about it if it is 'hopeless' in your mind. Of what benefit is it to you to be brutal? And why would anyone want to trample on someone's dream? It's how you say it that counts. I'm not saying to offer false hope. Be true to what you think...but use a velvet glove.

"No one pays to hear they won't make it." Indeed! Thus all of the writing advice books that claim anyone can be a writer by learning the following X number of simple rules. Cha-ching!

But if literary professionals lose focus on selling good writing to readers (which requires encouraging bad writers to leave the playing field) and instead shift to selling false hope to writers... well, are they really "literary" professionals any more?

I live by this rule:
1. Is it kind?
2. Is it honest?
3. Is it necessary?

Pick at least two.

Tricia said exactly what I thought of when I read your post - this is how people get American Idol Syndrome. Everyone needs to know the facts - period. Good decisions are made based on knowing as much as you can about a topic.

So some of us want you to be Paula, while others prefer you to be Simon. I'd say you'd be safer being Randy, Dawg.

This is about scriptwriting but is salient:

http://phillbarron.wordpress.com/2010/06/25/its-not-fair/

Team Billy? Really? Me = Team Alex!!!

Anywaaaaay...I'd love to see you do a breakdown of what works in a query using a real query (you did this for Carrie Ryan's query in GLA...so maybe more examples of this sort of thing?) I'm having a brain block today, too. Oh Monday.

As Cambria said, what grabbed you about a query, but also stats.

How much is in your inbox, what date you're currently responding to, how many rejects vs partials vs full vs "yes!".

What you're looking for (you've been inundated with paranormal and now you're looking for baseball romances, or whatever).

Yes, even if you've posted it before, it can change from day to day and I never get tired of reading it :)

This is exactly why I don't blog. And I mean that in a nice way.

It's hard enough for the people who really enjoy social media to get attention already. Those who blog because "you have to do it these days" are so much better off doing something else, like working on the next book.

That said, I don't see a single thing wrong with asking readers to suggest topics. That's not lame, it's simply opening a dialogue--which the best blogs do anyway.

:-)

Best of luck!

Lucy

Um - Team Kent!!

I get Blogger's Block all the time (and have yet to find a medication that helps). Blogging everyday has its disadvantages, not to mention a blow to the wallet with all the 'medication' I've been trying :)

As Suzi said, we never get tired of reading about the trends, or the stats. And new readers, such as myself, look forward to agents who will offer query gems even when they think they've done them to death. I'm fascinated by 'voice' so anything on that subject would be perfect (so subjective, but so very important for writing, querying, agenting, publishing).

Thanks. Oh, I find turning it over to the readers perfectly acceptable.

I always seem to have something to say which is probably why I haven't struggled with writer's block--yet. I also haven't been blogging or writing as long as most, so it could happen. If you're ever stuck for ideas, I love it when you give book recommendations. I just bought The Passage this weekend and can't wait to start it!

What a timely post! I had blogger's block today as well.

Um, I wouldn't mind at all if you blogged about So You Think You Can Dance. :o) (Team Kent!) Maybe you could tie the show into writing somehow... Haha.

Anyway, I'd be interested to learn more about how your clients have marketed their books. People often talk about the importance of social networking, but what are some other ways that authors can get their names out there?

More than once I will hit that proverbial block, which is why I try to keep a backlog of prescheduled posts. Lately, though,I've been running that schedule pretty tightly, and if the muse didn't arrive in time, my readers would end up with reruns. Somehow, in the end something always shows up. Of course I only post once a week. I'll say this though. I look at the events in my life and in the world through a different filter now. Everything is evaluated as a potential topic for a post. For example, the novel I am reading now I simultaneously read for pleasure and also to mine it for material for another blog post. A cousin will call me and the style of our conversation will become a post in which I explore the use of multiple languages ("Speaking Bilingual" scheduled for this Friday). Etc etc So far this is enjoyable. I hope it stays that way.

I don't update my blog often enough to get blogger's block. Wait, that sounds bad...I've only recently started using my blog and my posts still aren't that frequent. Blogging is a habit I'm building, but I've started making a list of topics I'd like to talk about down the road. That way, if I start feeling like I should post, I have several ideas ready to address. I think it will be more difficult to avoid blogger's block when/if I ever start blogging more regularly (a couple times a week or more).

For writer's block...I usually combat it by revising, or by taking a book or movie I didn't like the ending to and imagining how I would have wanted things to turn out. My brain then usually warps the idea so much that the original inspiration isn't all that obvious.

This happens to me often! Sometimes I'll just start writing until a topic begins to form. Or, I might take a thread that someone else has blogged about and twist it a little bit. I keep a file with notes and articles that might inspire an idea.

By the way, thanks for the shout out to our What Women Write blog--and for blogging there!

First of all, I think blogreaders love it when their opinion is asked!

My blogger's block solution? Whenever a good post topic comes to mind, coinciding with some free time (ha!), I write it and save it in my drafts folder (since I have, of course, already posted that day). Then I save it for, well, a rainy day pouring down blank screens with nothing to say.

I usually go to the movies to fight off writer's block. Or read blogs that have blogger's blog.:)

Oppsss... typo - * blogger's block.

I would like for you and your colleagues to write about what happens when you can't sell a book. What suggestions do you offer to writers when the work you've been trying to sell won't sell? And of the projects you take on, how many don't sell?

What Melody said.

Books that don't sell for reasons no one could anticipate -- that would be a great topic. So would serendipitous or speedy sales (say you happened to know someone who knew someone who was interested in a particular subject and a proposal just popped into your in-box). The fastest sale ever made vs the slowest one would interest me, and so would interesting translation or ghost-writing stories.

Writers are lucky in this respect. We've got rewriting angst and rejection miseries to whine about. Too bad you can't turn to the slush pile for inspiration: oodles of material there, just going to waste.

When in doubt post a funny video about writing! I keep a list and jot down blog post ideas when I get them. My blog is about where writing meets life ... so there is a never ending supply of ideas!

For those looking for blogs on query letters, just go to the bottom of this page and click SLUSH WEEK. These guys have already given a massive amount of useful info there.

Subjects I would like: something defining literary and commercial fiction. Is there an overlap? Is literary fiction just intricate wordplay with little or no story? Is commercial fiction just genre pulp without true and worthy merit?

What are the biggest selling topics; now and an 18 month prediction?

What’s happening in percentage terms of hardback paperback sales?

Why do wanna-be authors get extra notice by agents if they are members of “we like to write societies” when all it really shows is an ability to pay annual subscriptions?

Well, that’s my 5 minutes worth. As for all the people with “Bolger’s block” having nothing to write about is much better than writing about nothing. So don’t worry it’s no more serious than an outgrowing toenail.

Another topic: What is great writing? In comments on rehash stories someone said (this is not verbatim) “so long as the author produces great writing it will win though.” But for me great writing is the author exposing his/her imagination and laying it on the page so the reader can pick it up. It doesn’t have to be full of $50 words when there are 2c that can do the job. Great writing for me is, the telling of a story. What is great writing?

A couple more topics. An agent’s view, on the importance of conflict in a manuscript.
An agents view, on changes of points of view in a manuscript.

I have to say, I appreciate finding the gem. I think there's something about recommending it to others that makes me think, "Hey, I'm helping out this not-so-well-known-author become just a little more well known." Being and unpublished writer myself, I certainly hope someone will do this for me someday.

As for Walmart. It kills me that whenever I go in to look for YA for my nieces or myself, the only thing they have is fantasy. (At least at our Walmart.) I love a good vampire novel as much as the next, but I'm worn out with vampires, werewolves, witches and whatnot. I wish they'd realize that just because there's a kick for vampire books right now, doesn't mean that those are the only good books for YA to read. A few options would be nice.

I have a different name for it, I call it the Oprah-effect. Ever since she started her book club and the books she names to it go on to become bestsellers, a good portion of the books published are the same type of books. My problem is that I don't have the same tastes as Oprah.

Opinions vary so widely, I prefer scanning covers in the bookstore or getting recommendations from either my sister or cousin, both huge readers with similar tastes and near perfect records. That said, I really liked GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, even though it's not generally what I'd read!

I won't buy books, or anything else, at Walmart but that's another story. I do buy books based on recommendations--if they're by people I know who have similar taste. I just bought "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" based on such a recommendation and I can't wait to read it!

I won't buy a book until they sell it at Farm and Fleet. Then you REALLY know it's good.

I feel that if a book is good enough it will shine no matter what....Even if walmart doesn't pick it up.

I don't buy many books. I'm a library junkie. But when it comes to what I get at the library, I pretty much go with my gut. I LOVE finding gems. I will get books that are recommended to me, but it's usually only when I've run out of books that I've picked out. However, I like it when people tell me, "Oh, if you liked Book A then you'll LOVE Book B." I definitely check those out.

I find there's nothing more satisfying then spending the day at the local bookstore jacket flap reading. Sure, we all gravitate to the 'New York Times Bestsellers', but how would one get on such a prestigious list without advertising, marketing and flashy reviews? One can only hope others who read books for the simple fact that they were recommended by a friend or colleague or that they enjoyed the jacket blurb will stand as good a chance as any of the others.

As was said in an earlier comment, many unpublished writers are biting at the chance to even get published, never mind find themselves a best seller on a Walmart shelf! Here's to those of us who can only dream to achieve such a destiny! lol

Word of mouth is powerful and I definitely enjoy getting a recommendation from someone. I have to admit it becomes a bit of a turn-off when I see a book in Wal-mart. But I can't say I haven't read books that ended up on their shelves. I tend to also go to Amazon and see what people are buying, similar to a book I have read and liked. Finally, I use a small Boston bookstore's wesbite to check their recommendations and bestsellers. They reliably post good books.

Marissa

The last book I bought at Walmart was Breaking Dawn. It was the day of its release and I picked it up because I hadn't read any of the Twilight series and figured I'd might as well have a first edition hardback. I was able to find the other three there as well.

These books came highly recommended to me by my peers (late 20's college educated females who also loved Harry Potter).

I've never been so disappointed by a book that came so highly recommended.

Moral of the story: just because it's at Walmart and your friends recommend it, doesn't mean it's your cup of tea.

Honestly, I like books that are also movies. I love to read, but I love movies too. So I will tend to read a book if the movie version is coming out because I like to compare the two. For example, The Lovely Bones (book was better) and The Jane Austen Book Club (movie was better).

And as for Twilight? I still think the whole thing is over the top and can't stand Edward or Bella, but I enjoy the movies far better than the books (and not just for Taylor Lautner's abs, though it helps!) ;)

I'm a total hidden gem girl -- I've sponsored reading challenges and love it when people send links to my publicity blog that aren't publisher-sponsored. And I love passing on word of those hidden gems I've unearthed; a number of my readers will pick up anything I suggest now. It's very flattering.

I'll read a book personally recommended to me by a friend much faster than I'll read something that's "hot." There's also something satisfying about helping out a lesser-known author or someone who didn't have the benefit of their publisher's marketing department. :)

Because I hope to be one someday, I prefer to support new authors--and I can't do that by browsing the book isle in Wal-mart. I also prefer to support my local bookstore, so when I know a writer is releasing a debut novel, I'll call a bookstore to see if they have it in stock. If not, I'll ask them to order it for me. It gives them business, and plants a seed in their minds that maybe they should order a few additional copies of that book.

That said, it may take me a while, but I love browsing and finding my own gems. I will buy a book that someone suggested to me (if our tastes align), but I'm always looking for something new as well.

I'm my sister-in-law's Walmart, apparently. She prefers not to read a book until I read it first. That way I can tell her if she'll like it or not. Some people are followers and some like to lead the way.

Personally, I think the reason she buys them at Walmart is because they're much cheaper than B&N.

Like Melody, I tend to pay a lot of attention to personal recommendations of the "if you like A then you'll definitely like B" variety--though I remain skeptical of computer generated Amazon.com versions of the same formula--the things I like about a book are often not directly traceable to other "similar" books, but a matter of style rather than of subject matter or author.

I've also found a lot of my recent pleasure reading at the featured sections at the library. Seattle Public Library has a phenomenal "Great Books You Might Have Missed" section out of which I found one of my new favorites (Hollinghurst's The Line of Beauty) and several completely new to me books that I'm excited to get to. I like this section because it has been selected by people who are in the know about books, the books are (I think) already recognized as 'great'--either critically or publicly well received, and are not the big blockbusters of the moment, so I get a sort of guaranteed sleeper effect.

Similarly, the university library's featured table serves to fill my reading lists quite frequently, though somewhat less reliably, I've noticed.

Well written reviews will often steer me toward a book, as well as mentions of a book in multiple places that I respect (e.g: this blog, I see it on my friends' bookshelf or goodreads, I run across a book announcement). I also have one or two friends whose recommendations I always take promptly because I know we share a taste in books.

I sometimes consider reading 'walmart books' out of curiosity over "what the big deal is" but rarely carry through, perhaps because I don't want to feel like I'm just following a trend, or because I know enough about the book from reputation that I don't expect to be surprised by it (this latter happened with the Twilight series)

I tend to shy away from blockbusters in both movies and books. I didn't start Harry Potter until all the books were out. This works in my favor when I find something I like, because I don't have to wait a year or two for the next book!

I enjoy taking book recommendations from others, but I don't want anyone to tell me much about the plot. I don't want any expectations to burden me.

It makes sense what she said (though I hate to admit it). But I used to have a rule that I wouldn't read bestsellers until I had absolutely nothing else to read. Now I read so much that it doesn't matter. There is usually a reason they are a bestseller, sometimes not, but usually. So I pick those up, but I also love finding the needle in the haystack.

Wow, that's just painful. Does she only buy the bestselling brand of cereal too? Isn't she curious about Choco-Marshmallow Cubes? Wouldn't she like to be the one person who tried something unexpected and shared it with all her friends? Oh, it hurts it hurts it hurts.

Some things I pick by word of mouth like The Help. Most books I choose to read by accident, like just picking up a random book that sounds good in the book store and if I like it I'll research similar authors. I think a lot of people do walmart book shopping though, but I guess that's the point of a bestseller, even people who don't usually read or buy books read bestsellers.

Ha, the only YA books our Walmart carries are Twilight and other vampire novels. I was appalled when I checked out their book section not to long ago...it is bare-bones at best.

My favorite thing to do is spend time in the book store searching for a debut author's book to read. And I recommend books, and take recommendations from strangers, as I go. It's fun.

Oh, this is probably worse than WalMart. NYT bestseller lists are my first source. Sorry, world. I like seeing who comes on as new each week... and, eventually, yes, I buy the book that is on the list for 99 weeks or something.

I love discovering new (to me) writers who finally hit the NYT with their 4th or 14th book and then... ooooh... I get to read the backlist!

Oh, boy. I'd have been hard put not to scream out loud at that moment! :) I get almost all my recommendations these days off blogs and from reader friends. A lot of the books I pick up, honestly, are by writers I "know" online, since I'm hearing about them & would love to love their writing. Sometimes I do...sometimes, not so much. But I also read reviews and go for books I'm hearing a lot about. I don't know that social-networking buzz is any more a valid predictor of what's good than the Walmart shelves, though...

All I know, Jim, is that it makes me want to cliff myself.

/melodramatic writer is melodramatic

Unexpected gems are more satisfying. If I see Oprah or Richard and Judy have recommended something, I feel like I'm cheating.

I think it's a mixture of the two. If I hear great things about a book and the story intrigues me, I'll probably pick it up. But I also browse Amazon and bookstores looking for unexpected books I haven't heard of, but which just sound really good to me.

I agree with you about the 'Walmart' effect, Jim: it's a shame so many books get overlooked because they're not already bestsellers!

I much prefer browsing around to find treasure (and staff recommendations at book stores seem to work well for me many times too) I might just be weird--and there is much evidence to support this--but generally the more popular a book is, the less likely I am to want to read it or enjoy it if I do.

Invariably I'm never really satisfied reading what the pack recommends so buying books at big-boxes doesn't work out well for me unless in the rare case of a non-fiction title that goes big (I think I got The Last Lecture at Target- though I preferred the actual lecture to the book, that's another story) but more often than not I wished I could have the time I spent reading the latest 'it' book back so now whatever the 'rage' is, the less likely I am to pick it up.

I have to echo what J.Andersen and also others have said about YA: please, something that is not supernatural for once? I'd extend that to Women's Fiction too. I like humans. I'd like to read more books about them. Fangs, fur, it's all you see. I'm weary of it, honestly.

Thing is that the same way the big stores limit, say, the flavors of powdered drink mix they'll carry based upon available shelf space they limit what they offer in reading material too. That is troublesome to me. Besides, there are books that some of the larger stores have refused to carry in the past- what if I wanted to read one of those? If I solely relied upon the big boxes for my reading material I'd never know they existed.

Taste truly is subjective. I happen to like grape drink better than orange even though orange seems to be fine with the rest of the world most of the time. So I shop where I can find it.

I love finding gems, but I have to say it hasn't happened very often at all. I'd browse and read some books that seemed to have such great promise, only to be disappointed. I have slightly better odds with reading books that have been pre-screened: winning prizes and such. I've also been sorely disappointed by books with great buzz, so I don't know if I have found a foolproof way for me to find something I know I'd like.

I got an ARC of The Passage and am enjoying it so far. Dragon Tattoo, on the other hand, I put down after some pages. Now that you say you love it, maybe I'll go further and see if I change my mind.

I was recently at the Strand in NY and I was all 'I want to read a book by someone nobody knows.' and the sales guy was all 'lady, if it's a book and it's published then people know about it.' I always want something out of the ordinary.

I find I hate Bestsellers as often as I love them. Living in Japan means I don't have access to much else. Like Walmart, English books here have been prescreened.

But when I get the chance, I buy based on back cover copy.

Oh my gosh, I love the part where he's next to Mary Higgins Clark and her line is out the door. Virtual tours sound better and better! :)

That's priceless!

That wouldn't have happened if they'd scheduled him for Barnes & Noble instead.

I would absolutely buy his book after seeing this: his sense of humor and humility are endearing.

Do U.S. authors ever go to airport bookstores, I wonder? I've seen authors at book signings in British airports, usually doing a cracking business. Lots of people are looking for good reads for their flights and have time to spare.

That was hilarious. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!

This was amazing! What a creative, inventive guy! Thanks for this, Jim!

This sure put him on my radar screen. The guy has a great sense of humor.

I don't personally like it, but does it sell?

What I hate is the opposite, you work on something and right when you're ready to pitch it, something else is hot that totally makes you look like the cheesiest idiot ever. I was working on this Caveman book for years, it was hilarious, very old-school versus new-school, and literally the week I was ready, that dumb-a** ad with the Geico mascot got picked up for a TV show and was all over the news.

Definitely a gimmick that I don't appreciate.

I loved "Hark, a vagrant"'s take on this trend:

http://www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=263

Anyone interested in my manuscript, "Wuthering Heights with Ghosts"?

@Gil... er, didn't the original come with ghosts?

I'm not sure Fawn. I watched the first 25 minutes of a BBC version- I don't remember any ghosts.

I'm with most of the others. I'm not a fan of the trend.

At first I thought it was a great idea to have zombies roaming across Hertfordshire. In the end, it appeared to me as merely a shallow addition to the text; furthermore, it was bothersome at times... I was lead to believe - by the front cover!!!- that the book implied a clever appropriation of the original but, in all honesty, even Mrs. Bennet's vomiting failed to produce the faintest chuckle. I don't think that re-interpretation is wrong in principle, it's just that P&P&Z felt poorly executed.

I picked up "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" at the book store, thinking, "Clever," read the first page and put it back on the shelf, thinking, "Clever, but I don't want to read an entire book that basically takes Austen's words and throws some zombie references into it."

However.

*nerd alert*
A few weeks ago, I attended Free Comic Book day at my local comic book store. One of the free comic books offered contained the first few pages of the graphic novel version of "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies." I found that telling of the story to be pretty funny, to the point that I would perhaps buy the graphic novel version.

I'm not a fan of this fad as a whole. But I think the idea is clever and maybe it needs to be presented in a medium that is different than the original. I don't want to read Jane Eyre, Alien Hunter. But maybe if it was presented in the correct medium, it could work, which, at least in the case of PPZ, is a graphic novel.

I was thinking the same thing when I was at Borders. The first was clever. The rest are like movie sequels- never as good as the first and lacking substance.

blech.

I'm going for something completely new! Expect my query for Pride of the Living Prejudices. If that doesn’t interest you, I also have a story about magic school where all of the students are vampire superheroes forced to compete in a starvation competition! I call it Vampy New Moon and the Hunger Competition of Fire (with a vengeance). Also, there are dragons and the vampires are always looking at their lack of a reflection in broken mirrors, which serve as a metaphor for their shattered perspective. Tempting, yes?

I agree. I loved PP&Z but then kind of got tired of hearing about all the new book that were doing similar things. (Little Women and Werewolves...really?!) I think you're always going to have coat trailers though like Twilight did with all the teen angst ridden vampire shows/books now.

Oh and I would totally read that book about the vampire superheros! I'll be looking for your query middle grade ninja! :)

I agree with those saying PPZ was a bit clever, but that the trend seems to be getting ridiculous (although my roommate enjoyed Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters quite a lot). However, I have been enjoying Gail Carriger's books, which are Victorian comedies of manners with supernatural creatures thrown in, but original stories instead of appropriations. I feel there's more room for innovation there.

I got about halfway through one of them and was already sick of the trend.

I read P&P&Z and enjoyed it, but I did tire of the gimmick after a while. Once I'd read that book, I didn't feel the slightest interest in reading another mash-up like it.

Does Abraham Lincoln; Vampire Hunter fit in that genre? I had to read it for a bookclub and I was in the minority. Everyone else loved it and I can't figure out why. The history part was interesting, but I could have found that in a well-written biography. The story itself was boring and I hated the style of writing. It's just not my cup of tea, I guess.

O-kay the first of these novels was fresh and found a market and I can understand 2 or 3 more making sales, but after that?

So why all of a sudden dozens of acquisitions? Why would agents look to promote a book that is so alike to a book already written? In doing this at the expense of ignoring a manuscript that has an original concept the book buying public are being treated like they are not capable of making a choice. Offering a book just like the last book you read will force the choice of not buying a book.... another nail in the industry's coffin.

Please oh please just tell me nobody's done Anne of Transylvania Gables yet. Gilbert Blythe as vampire would just about be the end of me.

Where did I put my nitro glycerine?

When I heard of the first book, I rolled my eyes and vowed not to read it because it just didn't appeal to me. I like the classics to be just what they were, IMHO. :-D

I don't use gimmicks in my own writing and I hope my work comes across as such. My WIP has angels and now I see loads of books about angels. **head desk** But I will still rewrite/revise/edit/polish my own work and hope that it stands out.

"So why all of a sudden dozens of acquisitions?"

Because the first sold a million copies (literally), and most small fantasy and humor imprints are happy with sales of, say, five thousand, particularly when they don't have to write a whole new book, just slip in a few new bits.

Or, to put it another way, if everyone who bought P&P&Z just bought *one* of the follow ups, the market could sustain two hundred titles.

P&P&Z was clever, but that's where it ended for me. I was ruined because I'm a big fan of both Jane Austen and zombies. I really didn't like how the bits of Elizabeth that I especially liked got changed into ninja/samurai/martial artist stuff. I couldn't even finish this book, so the other ones just seem silly.

That said, Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter seems interesting. . . mostly because it isn't bastardizing a book I already know and love.

Good explanation anon, but you miss the point.
Lets say the market can take 10 of these titles selling better than 100,000 nice money for all involved. Now the other 190 titles that are going to "sustain" have just as much agent and publisher involvement in bringing them to the bookstore. So why not instead of all that effort promoting a work that is bordering on plagiarism, why don't agents and publisher use that energy to promote something more original that has its chance in the market of selling just as big as the book we were fist talking about.

This way, if everyone who brought a copy of the million-seller brought another similar they would sell in the hundreds of thousands. The demand by those who crave this sort of thing would be met and meanwhile a lot more titles would be on offer and some of the book-buying public who don't buy books any more might return to the bookstore. These non-book-buyers wont return if their choice of something to read is take your pick of any of the 200 of lady with her hair in a bun give a flesh eater a blow job to see how he likes having his flesh eaten.

If all the butchers in the city sold only pork; would there be more or less people eating meat?

Who wants to read my query for Mansford Park & Man-Eating Plants?

I actually like and appreciate the trend. I read P&P&Z and enjoyed it, and once I get some of my more pressing reads out of the way, I'm looking forward to S&S&SM. I'd agree that there does seem to be a bit of excess (2 different adaptations of Little Women?) but, honestly, if it's done well, what's the harm? And if you don't like it, don't pick it up.

"If all the butchers in the city sold only pork; would there be more or less people eating meat?"

OK ... we're not there. There are plenty of other books being published, too.

A book with a very simple hook that's easy to copy sold very well. Not all the imitators will. But publishers, particularly the smaller ones, are going to try to surf the wave ... as always.

Anon, your right, we're not there.... yet.

Your right again, they will all try to surf the wave, but when there are so many on one wave collision is inevitable. I just find it sad that they don't realise there is another wave coming along and another one after that and if they are the first one on the new wave the ride will be so much more fulfilling.

Surly taking a gamble on something new is not that much more of a risk than punting on something for which the market has already peaked.

As for plenty of other books - sure, next to the 200 titles of girl with her hair in a bun ther are 200 titles space adventure trying to pretend they are science-fiction and next to that 200 titles of mystery that are in reality Sherlock Homes rehashed and next to that... you know how it goes.

And meanwhile there are people walking past the bookstore who used to step inside.

Thanks for doing this contest. It was a lot of fun. One more way you guys are earning that 'Best Blogs' award!

The winner was my second choice. It's good to know that I have somewhat of an eye for what's good.

Thanks for the great contest. So many fun first lines!

Congrats to the worthy victor and all the finalists, and thanks to Jim for giving props to my first line. It was fun, encouraging and informative to be a part of it.

Thanks for the opportunity! I'll definitely be querying you when the time comes :)

Please post updates about 'K' and if the ms is as good as the first line. It made me want to read more. What a shame we have to wait!

This was my favorite and not just in the poll but from when it was first posted.

Congrats all around.

Congrats to the winner!

Congratulations to the finalists and the winner! Yay!

This was a great contest, Jim!

All the best. Nice idea!

Congrats to the winner and all the finalists! :)

Thanks again for running the contest, Jim! This has been a really fun way of getting to know you.

Congrats to K and all my fellow finalists! : )

Like everyone else I just wanted to thank you for having the contest Jim! I never expected to be a finalist so you brightened up my week!

And congrats to the other finalists and the other people who entered. Everyone had terrific lines! Of course the biggest congrats goes to K but that's understood :)

My only regret is that you don't rep young adult. But no worries, I'm sure the rest of the agents at D&G will be just as awesome!

Two thumbs up! One to you, Jim, for such a great contest and to K for taking that coveted prize!!! Hopefully, K, we'll all be able to read your story one day!

Btw, I appreciated all the comments, both positive and negative, about my first line!

Congrats to K! A query-less review is a wondrous thing ... don't blow it. ;o)

Congrats to the winner! Good luck to the finalists!

What a fun contest! Thanks for doing this!!

Congrats to K! What a fun contest - thanks for doing this, Jim. :)

Thanks for all the congrats, and thanks Jim, for having such a cool contest! I'll be sending you my manuscript soon :)

Congrats to all the finalists as well!

I wish you could critique every single entry, both Anonymous and Jim. I'm enjoying your reactions to these! But I'm sure you both have lives...

Wow, Jim! Thanks for taking the time out to explain your picks! That was very cool to read.

Any chance of revealing any others you had difficulty deciding over?

Great post! I agree with most of your disagreements with anonymous! LOL Captain Stupendous got my vote but they were all good in their own way. Thanks for taking the time to let us know your thoughts on these.

Would love to know what those other three you keep rotating in your mind are!

I didn't get a chance to read them the first time around, but I definitely want to go back now. The reactions to these are fantastic. And I agree; Thomas Buttermore is a great name. :) Thanks for sharing these!

I don't know what is more funny.

The fact that Jim acted without any ethic in this contest when he didn't inform the participants he desire a specific genre, because I think that the maximum lines in the contest based on this choices would had been 30 at most, and not almost 300, so... satiric claps for you Jim and a reminder for everybody else, he don't really represent this company, Ms. Jane do, so don't think bad about Dystel & Goderich because usually Jim don't evaluate your queries.Or...

...the fact that he actually respond a anonymous commentary, that said actually... what we all think about the choices Jim made. What shows he was not even sure about the choices he made, and that in my language is lack of charisma.

So...in the end what really matters is:

-If you have any horror story and you trying to publish it, don't chose Dystel & Goderich to represent you because they don't have currently a good employer for you. For the others genres, they are the best.

Sorry about the hard words Ms. Jane, but I really like you agency, but the black sheep's always mess the white reputation.

In response to Anonymous 11:29: Huhhh???

@anonymous. Jim has given us an opportunity to have our ms read with out any strings attached. I can't believe you can't appreciate that. What you have just written is horrendous in my opinion. Jim has only done us a favour. who ever said he was obligated to take time out of his day to do this for us anyway? I think he deserves applause.

anon 11.29- what are you on about? From where I'm sitting there appear to be several different genres represented among the favourite lines and none of them are horror, or at least the first lines don't indicate whether they are or aren't. Jim offered us a fun competition with a really awesome prize for OUR benefit. I'm sure he has enough work to be getting on with and yet he still gave us this opportunity. How can you be so dismissive of that?

Bitter trees bear bitter fruit.

I'm trying to figure out if Anon 11:29 purposefully used horrid grammar, or if therein lies the reason for his/her bitterness.

Anyway, here are a couple of my favorites that didn't make the cut.

-- "I greeted his tombstone the way I always did -- with a swift kick"

-- "Someone should have cut me off after the 4th Bacardi and Coke."

-- "Tess Garibaldi wished she believed in miracles, because she sure as shit needed one right now.

-- "I killed my father with a birthday wish.

There were others that I liked a lot too, but these were my favorites.

Dear Anonymous: Really, what I see in your post is an emotional reaction to being rejected. Rejection smarts, and I'm so sorry that you're having a rough go of it. But I'm going to give you some advice from a very sincere place in my heart, and this is knowledge I come by the hard way. Also, keep in mind that Jim is my agent - has been for 7 fabulous years - and to say that I ABSOLUTELY ADORE him would be a gross understatement. I can truly say that I consider him one of the best people I know...in other words, I really DO know his character, and I can suggest to you with absolute certainty that he was not motivated by anything other than offering something really cool for burgeoning writers. He acted without prejudice, even though, to you, it seems like he didn't.

The thing you have to realize is that venting hurts YOU. Jim is very likely unaffected by your comments because he's been in the biz long enough to understand that when people take a verbal swipe at him in reaction to a rejection - it has much more to do with them than him. As you can see from the above, Jim's got some serious fans; not one in you, obviously, but I think you can learn a really valuable lesson from this, and that is; when you are given some criticism - do not react. Do not respond. And above all - do NOT post snark on public blog. If it hurts too much to look at it, set it aside, take a few days, come back to it when you won't feel so wounded, because there are likely some precious pearls of wisdom in there that will help you in the long run. In the meantime, just breathe, sugar, just breathe.

All good calls Tracy! And all near the top of my leader pack. Something about the first one kept needling me. I wasn't sure if it read a little forced--I wanted to read more, but I didn't know for sure that I was 100% on board. I have no real critique of the Bacardi line. It definitely works. It just popped sliiiightly less than some others for me. Tess Garibaldi...how close she came! And the birthday wish...I agonized over that one. It felt spot on, but I wondered if it felt too much like it could come from any number of paranormals. But they are all very good lines.

All best,
"The black sheep" :)

I am fascinated by the discussion going on here. Clearly we all see things differently depending on where we sit.

LOL!! As much as I would love to put my first line in here, I won't. :)

Actually the one line that made me laugh (my absolutely favorite) was (drumroll)

"I greeted his tombstone the way I always did—with a swift kick."

I loved the snarkiness of it. I thought it was a great opening to a story that made me want to read more. And I thought it did great at giving a glimpse of the MC's personality.

Don't worry winners. I liked the others too. :)

But the line above would have definitely been on my top nine.

I would like to know if something like the top five runner-ups in this contest. Some one liners that were close but didn't make it for whatever reason. Then I would like to know exactly why they didn't make it.

Once again...Grats to all the winners. Good luck!!

I loved these two, plus number 4 on your list, Jim.

"With the exception of the two uniformed police officers on the front steps puking into evidence bags, Ellen LeeAnn Walsh's building looked like a hundred other slightly run-down Italianate Victorians in San Francisco."

"I greeted his tombstone the way I always did—with a swift kick."

I do think that it's a momentary decision. If something grabs you at that moment - you'll read more. It could well be that if you go back later and examine what grabbed you, it no longer feels the same way to you. But the grab moment? Priceless :)

This is anonymous 1:09 and 2:08 from your results post, not the one who posted at 11:29 today.

Thank you for outlining your thought process on what attracts you to these first lines.

In the end what matters is your opinion, and in fact your opinion will hopefully make you and your clients some big bucks.

My point of view is from someone who is now line editing a manuscript and trying to get rid of all the cruft – all the it/there/that/had and awkward and passive sentence constructions affecting readability and pacing. These words are essential to writing but their use in a first line is a red flag for overuse and abuse throughout the manuscript. A manuscript with an overabundance of such words is one which often times needs to be liberated from dead weight and can be improved with more descriptive phrasing.

As Mark Twain once wrote:
Substitute "damn" every time you're inclined to write "very;" your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.

Which perhaps led Nathaniel Hawthorne to follow:
Easy reading is damn hard writing.

Anyway, thanks for the contest. Thanks for the blog.

Oh, Jim, I love your "black sheep" sign off. You always make me laugh.

I also love Victoria Laurie's response. So wonderful and sweet.

To Anonymous 11:29- Seriously? Please don't. I'm not represented by Jim and never have been, but I have sent him material before and he's always, without fail, been incredibly encouraging, polite and kind about it. Also, as many people have pointed out already, this contest was a lot of fun for most of us, and it was a very generous thing for Jim to do! Sorry about the vent, but your comment kind of ticked me off.

One of my favourite lines that didn't make it was, like many other people, "I greeted his tombstone the way I always did—with a swift kick." Such a fun line!

to anon 11:29:is amazing how somebody that don't have the decency to show us a name(hey!just like me)can make such a revolt in people.i bet he's just a problematic kid that is now laughing at us in front of his computer.

JC

Dear Anyom 11:29,
If you feel the need to rant while employing horrific grammar and sentence structure try to do so in a place not littered with word lovers. You know, some place that is not heavily populated by writers, readers, editors and literary agents. Try perhaps your local facebook group or may haps even the neighborhood 7-11.

I'm going to echo The Alliterative Allomorph and ask if you could reveal the "almost" first lines...the ones you liked but just didn't make the top 9?

Please? So very curious.

Thanks for the insight, Jim! That was really interesting. I'm going to add another vote for you to reveal the runners-up. :)

I just read all of the entries, and this is the one that jumped out at me:
"Perhaps the hissing should have tipped me off, but honestly, life so far hadn’t prepared me for feral desk accessories."

Great run-down of your favorites and why. I liked having the comments from Anonymous as well. Would love to see comments on more.

Thanks for posting these! It was illuminating to see where our thought processes ran along parallel lines and where we diverged completely. Even for the entries I would not have picked (only because there were others I liked better), we had some pretty similar critiques. I think this kind of exercise is very useful for future clients of yours; as writers, we want to find agents who will share our vision for our careers, and being able to peek inside that agent's head in advance can help us figure out whether you could be that agent.

"I killed my father with a birthday wish" was one that really stood out for me.

black-sheep follower.

I also want to say that this contest spurred me to go back and look at the first lines of my favorite books as well as the ones I truly loathe. While I mostly find I love the first lines of those books I liked I also find that I would have voted for some of the opening lines of books I can't stand had they been listed here.

I was personally intrigued by this line:
"A lot of people still think I'm a terrible person because I didn't call the police right away."

I'm a sucker for horrible events and I want to know what horrible thing happened and just exactly why did they not call the police right away?

Excellent post! Thank you.

I don't know how I missed the 'tombstone' one. That I loved (though I had to wonder if the next line was something about it always resulting in stubbed toes).

My vote for best of your top nine went to "Captain Stupendous fan club" without a doubt. My runner-up was the 'five husbands' line.

Great contest and very entertaining reading overall.

Anonymous 1:09 and 2:08 likes:

Jimi Hendrix had a lot of explaining to do. (How do we get the dead to explain something?)

"Mary Kate Stewart secretly hoped that her Calculus teacher would get hit by a taco truck." (the absurdity and alliteration of a taco truck, although strike "that")

I've finally figured out my problem: All these years I've wanted - expected - a full moon, every single night." (a romantic idea, a thoughtful protagonist)

"Perhaps the hissing should have tipped me off, but honestly, life so far hadn’t prepared me for feral desk accessories." (funny, unexpected)

"Salt. He tasted like salt." (two lines technically but so was one of yours; intriguing - what is the person doing)

"What size boots you wear?" the old man hacked as he led Nick through the open-air morgue, his hand already hovering close to the feet of the nearest corpse. (irreverant, like the tombstone one mentioned earlier but the protagonist is more sympathetic than one who does the actual kicking)

Zahra could smell the old ndovu, a great pachyderm; for three suns now, she’d tracked him. (Nice names and unusual word! I search out the dictionary.)

"I pressed my shoulders into a wooden armchair in Mrs. Wintour’s antechamber, clasping my hands together so they would not tremble with cold and anxiety." (strong tension and mood)

I swallowed my Altoid the moment the rebel hottie across the reading room drew his attention away from his book and busted me staring at him.
(the addition of Altoid and rebel make the classic situation more unique)

Thanks for giving us your perspective on all the first lines you chose, Jim! I'm so pleased you laughed out loud at mine (even if it could have used an em dash ; ).

P.S. to Anon 1:09/2:08/6:32--I liked the Jimi Hendrix one, too!

1) Note to self: Jim likes mythology. *g* I think what throws me off on this one is the sequencing. "Next time" to me implies future tense, but then we get past tense. And weeping jars with rage, IMO. But I'm definitely curious about why, like Jim said.

2) This comes across as ... not vague so much as tempting. Again, makes me curious. My only quibble is that when I read the sentence, my brain wants to fill in an "it" at the end, which probably changes the meaning!

3) I'm with Jim on this one. Love it. "Or something" fits with "pretty sure" for a casual voice. I want to know more about this character, who capitalizes "Catholic" but not "pagan" or "baptist," and I want to know how her sister got a Catholic funeral if she committed suicide!

4) I love the language play here - the fake-Latin, and then the "to which." The character is sharp and snarkish, and I like that a lot.

5) Absolutely disagree. I love that the sentence starts out in such an ordinary way and gets progressively more zany. This is the one that made me lol! I love the names, I love the voice.

6) I feel like it should be Hakebourne. (Maybe I should quit reading Ludlum? *g*) I am immediately curious about who would say this and why.

7) This makes me wonder two things: what kind of thing is this? and the front desk of what?

8) LOVE this one. Love the brash, confident voice, love the semicolon. Love the setup: she's had other women's husbands, but never one of her own.

9) I like "left-coast." Is it that common to say "left coast" instead of "west coast?" The sentence seems a bit passive, but Thomas Buttermore is definitely a memorable name. A writer who can come up with that, and with "Twinkies and white guilt," has got my attention for at least a little bit more.

Okay Jim, you asked for it! I went back and reread all the entries, including Facebook. I tried to break it down to just a few favorites, but it was so hard! There were around 40 that I really liked, so you can imagine the difficulty to end up with 7! I didn't want to repeat some of the lines which have already been mentioned and happen to be part of my favorites (I, too, like the swift kick, the full moon, the taco truck, Tess Garibaldi, he tasted like salt, Bacardi, etc.). Here goes in no particular order:

"Sixteen years ago I left Balmer, Alabama as a black boy. I return today as a white man."
(I'm hooked. How does a black boy become a white man and why would he want to return to Alabama? No offense to anyone living in Alabama!)

"Jocelyn stared at the guy sitting across the table from her, wondering how he’d react later – when he was drowning."
(How does she know that he'll be drowning later and why? It got my interest.)

"I never wanted my wedding performed by an Elvis impersonator, yet I found myself standing beside my fiancé and looking at the King."
(I like the "voice" here and the irony of the situation; sometimes you get exactly what you don't want!)

"The longest journey of my life began with an argument about chips."
(So true! How many times does something that seems so insignificant becomes a major turning point in one's life? I'll read on.)

"Catalina Flores de la Peña's tongue got her in more trouble than any other part of her body, even though there were far more likely candidates."
(I like that it's so descriptive without putting it all down in words. Great name, you just know that this woman is trouble, and yes, I want to know more.)

"In the many millennia Gabe had spent watching over his mortal charges, not once had he ever thought of breaking the rules."
(It brings to mind "City of Angels" a film I love so I'm intrigued by the subtlety of what may make Gabe think of breaking the rules.)

"It was all fun and games, until Ashley fell over the cliff."
(Yep, that will end the fun and games, but now what? How did she fall, was she pushed? Does she survive....is she hanging to a tree limb? I'm interested.)

Thanks for this, Jim! It's just fun to read the lines, even if (like me) you didn't take part in the contest.

One that nobody mentioned that intrigued me: "He awoke in the dark to the screams again. His hands were automatic spiders for the gun."

Wow! I'm so thrilled you chose mine, Jim! I'll shoot you a query if I don't win the popularity contest. : )

Oh, wow. I just saw the comment above mine, but I think the competitors are great! Good luck to everyone! : )

It's funny how subjective this whole reading thing is, because I jotted down my Top 10 list last week -- and none of those were the finalists. Not that these aren't some good lines, just not the ones that would have caught my attention the most.

#4 had me rolling and thus, got my swanky-ass vote!

The 5 husbands first line cracked me up - that one got my vote, although I liked them all. Great contest!

Yup - number 4 made my list too :)

Forgot to mention, the 5 husbands line got my vote too. How very clever!

I agree with Tracy, it's amazing how subjective this is. The lines above are all great, but only two of them were on my personal Top 10 list.

Ara Burklund: I wouldn't be discouraged by Anonymous's comment if I were you.

Thanks for such a great, entertaining contest, Jim!

Great contest. Thanks for hosting. I have cast my vote.

It must have been hard for you to choose, because I saw lots of great lines. A lot. Ones that made me want to keep reading to see where it would lead.

Grats to all the finalists.

Good luck to everyone!

Two or three were on my top ten list. The Thomas Buttermore line got my vote. Fun contest, thanks Jim.

Thanks, Sangu! It's true that taste is totally subjective. : )

I can't decide yet! They're all so good. But my favorite isn't in there. Good luck, everyone!

Wait, what, I'm actually on this list? Yikes! *^_^*;;

Some great contenders here--I really like the five husbands one, and the Captain Stupendous fan club one as well! Good luck, all!

#1 feels too close to pre-existing mythology
In #2 what does"it" refer to?
#3 Am I the only one missing a verb?
#4 "had decided" versus "decided" and the
second "or" with "something" dilutes the
power of the sentence
*5 better stated if it didn't start
with "There"
#6 Okay, but classic problem
#7 extraneous "that," what is the "thing"?
8) The one I voted for, even though it
sounds kind of cheesy like Mae West. Best of the bunch.
#9 This sounds more like a right-coastie
to me. I don't know any educated Californians
who eat Twinkies.

These are all great! I voted :) I also want to add one that I really liked, which didn't make it to this list:
The worst part of spending three years in and out of sleep clinics is having to room with the chronic bedwetters.
(No, it's not mine!)

Like everyone else, only a few of these caught my eye in the initial read-through; one or two I thought were boring and another one or two too gimmicky. That said, I can see why you would have picked each and every one of them, and how they might hook other readers. And yet I'm shocked by the absence of certain lines I found fabulous. Like everyone else said, it's completely subjective. So while the winner's line will be recognized as fantastic, don't feel discouraged if yours didn't make it this time around. I'm sure someone out there likes it. :-)

Maybe it's because I'm on my mobile but I can't find the link to the results. Where are they!? Thanks.

Some of those are really fun! Voting on one of them was a bit hard.

Wow I'm so flattered that mine was chosen. Quite a few of the others had caught my eye when they were posted as well. I don't expect to win but thanks so much to anyone who votes for my line. It's so exciting! (#4)

How long it took me to decide proves what good choices you made.

Lesli Muir Lytle

Oh, tough choices! This was fun.

Wow - so you definitely have a strong preference for first person narrative. Seven of the nine finalists are first person and 5 of the 9 begin with "I" or "I've." I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on first person vs. third. Thanks for the fun contest!

No offense but No. 1 is the only decent one in this line up. When I read the entries last week I found so many more that were much better than these!

I love the 5 husbands line, a classic

One of my favorites made it to the list, yay! Regardless of which ones have been chosen, I enjoyed the opportunity to read so many first lines.

I just glanced at some comments and would like to respond to one of the anons. The use of "had decided" in this case is necessary, IMHO. And the "or something" seems to me, is part of the narrator's voice, and I don't feel as if it's diluted the sentence.

And no, I didn't write it and I don't know the writer.

Wow. I made the list! Thanks so much for picking mine. There are a LOT of awesome first lines here!

Wow- I'm surprised how rude people are.

It's a "one persons opinion of the top 1st lines" contest, people!

I think they're all great. Are they my top 10? I have no idea- I'd have to read them all- but seriously, people are questioning his personal top favorites? That's weird.

Heh. Olivia, if you're surprised by how rude people are, you don't spend enough time in internet message boards. :)

I did tell people to let me know if they thought I was an idiot for my choices, so I literally asked for it! I do reiterate my request that everyone be polite to the other writers. Don't single any lines out for your criticism. This should be about supporting each other, not tearing each other down. Literary bloodsport is so last century.

I'll break these down line by line on the blog tomorrow to explain why I chose each one. I'm also going to ask then that people nominate some of their own favorite lines.

Anonymous 3:57, good eye. I don't think I noticed my first person bias here. Will have to think on that and go through my client list to see if that bears out on a larger scale! Expect updates in future blog posts.

From Anonymous 3:57:

I think I noticed that first person bias because I write narrative nonfiction and have a journalism/academic background so I typically try to avoid first person. I don't know much about YA, but it seems that the intimacy and immediacy of first person (as opposed to the filtered analysis of third person) would have the most resonance for teens, so your choices make sense to me. Thanks again for the fun!!!

Ah! I like five of the ones out there! Oh no, I can't pick!

For what it's worth, I would have given #4 at least 3 pages to see where it went. I was mildly curious about #8, but would bail if the first 3 paragraphs weren't stellar. As for the rest, I probably wouldn't have been looking in those sections of the bookstore anyway. My taste is clearly quite different from Jim's. So, I doubt I'll be querying him.

Lots of interesting beginnings here. Can't wait to see what happens. For my money, I'd like to read more of #4 though!

Like some folks, #8 caught my eye -- but only because I've seen it/heard it before and because it's too close to "How many husbands have I had? You mean apart from my own?" (Zsa Zsa Gabor)

My friendly critique of #8 from a marketing standpoint is that the narrator might not be too sympathetic, especially in this day and age of tawdry celebrity sex scandals. Monica Lewinsky. Rachel Uchetal. Michelle "Bombshell" McGee. Please, we get enough of these sensational confessionals in the tabloids! But maybe I'm too conservative, and want to be both entertained AND enlightened when I read, which may explain my bias toward third person, narrative nonfiction. It's still a great one-liner, though, and goes to show how subjective the publishing world is! A great "take-away" lesson for all of us. Good luck to all the finalists! SE

The five-husbands line is awfully close to the first line of Doris Lessing's "To Room Nineteen," which I seem to recall begins, "I've had so many husbands, I don't need a husband." Probably an innocent case of convergent evolution.

Good luck to everyone. I hope the Facebook entries were counted too, this isn't even on FB today so I would have missed it. Will come here directly in the future. Thanks for the contest.

Can we vote for more than one? I'm torn between the funeral line and "I saw her do it before she did."

The only two that really grabbed me were the Hermes one and the "things like me existed" one. (Some of the others were pretty short, so I'd read another couple lines before casting judgement.) But we can only vote once...

DGLM- True I don't frequent message boards. I guess I was mostly surprised that so many people posted snarky comments anonymously. I figure if you're gonna say it, own it.

And I've reconsidered. You did ask for it. Hehe

Thanks, Jim, for picking mine among so many great first lines! There were quite a few that made me want to read more....and hopefully, one day I will.

Eh, mountains of clever in these lines, but clever is to today's publishing biz what HFCS is to food: a poor substitute for real flavor.

Sadly, the two that merit company with Call Me Ishmael, Happy Families Are All Alike, and It Was The Best Of Times have so far received the least of votes.

I had to vote for #4, too! It made me spit out my coffee. :-)

This seems very subjective - more about what kinds of topics interest you than how good the writing is. Just a thought.

I have to agree with Anon 8:42. I do think that #8 is a very clever line, but if I remember correctly (and forgive me if I don't), the genre was either a memoir or fact based fiction (or similar) and that made the author deeply unsympathetic to me and the line a complete turnoff.

Anon 2:55 - Isn't everything subjective, especially in the publishing world? "Don't send your mystery or horror manuscript to an agent looking for romance." "Don't ask an editor to read your YA manuscript when he or she only deals with non-fiction." Just because you're subjective doesn't mean you overlook good writing!

Suze - I went back to look at the genre, she says "....mine is a non-fiction book proposal that I'm working on,...." which doesn't necessarily mean that it's a memoir or an autobiography. For all we know, she could be writing a book about the life of Mae West or Zsa Zsa Gabor!