Comments on: Ask a Literary Agent http://www.litpark.com/2008/07/09/ask-a-literary-agent/ LitPark Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:30:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: (Extra) Question of the Month: Halloween http://www.litpark.com/2008/07/09/ask-a-literary-agent/#comment-11682 (Extra) Question of the Month: Halloween Fri, 20 Aug 2010 17:59:28 +0000 http://litpark.com/2008/07/09/ask-a-literary-agent/#comment-11682 [...] my number one advocate. And I’m happy for you meet him over the next two weeks as he answers the questions all of you helped to create. Be sure to stop by on Wednesday (this one and next) and join the conversation. It’s an [...] [...] my number one advocate. And I’m happy for you meet him over the next two weeks as he answers the questions all of you helped to create. Be sure to stop by on Wednesday (this one and next) and join the conversation. It’s an [...]

]]> By: kategray http://www.litpark.com/2008/07/09/ask-a-literary-agent/#comment-5214 kategray Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:29:33 +0000 http://litpark.com/2008/07/09/ask-a-literary-agent/#comment-5214 I always say that the ghost of Hemingway is hanging over my shoulder, making sure I never like my own work very much - and then I can't think how to get rid of that thought long enough to be objective about my work and to distill it down the way an agent would like. I always say that the ghost of Hemingway is hanging over my shoulder, making sure I never like my own work very much – and then I can’t think how to get rid of that thought long enough to be objective about my work and to distill it down the way an agent would like.

]]> By: SusanHenderson http://www.litpark.com/2008/07/09/ask-a-literary-agent/#comment-5213 SusanHenderson Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:19:58 +0000 http://litpark.com/2008/07/09/ask-a-literary-agent/#comment-5213 Yes, exactly! I'll be sure my guest gets at this very issue. Is there something presentation-wise that's keeping great writers or great books from getting through the door? Yes, exactly! I’ll be sure my guest gets at this very issue. Is there something presentation-wise that’s keeping great writers or great books from getting through the door?

]]> By: kategray http://www.litpark.com/2008/07/09/ask-a-literary-agent/#comment-5212 kategray Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:03:22 +0000 http://litpark.com/2008/07/09/ask-a-literary-agent/#comment-5212 More than demoralizing. I'm getting all these positive "wow" comments from people who are reading in the voting process, from folks I have never met, and it just makes me feel a tiny bit more depressed. Why? Well, because it means that people would read it off the shelf, and all that means is that I just don't know how to market myself. *sigh* I'm willing to do the hard work - what I need is somebody, I guess, to package me up and sell me. More than demoralizing. I’m getting all these positive “wow” comments from people who are reading in the voting process, from folks I have never met, and it just makes me feel a tiny bit more depressed. Why? Well, because it means that people would read it off the shelf, and all that means is that I just don’t know how to market myself. *sigh*
I’m willing to do the hard work – what I need is somebody, I guess, to package me up and sell me.

]]> By: SusanHenderson http://www.litpark.com/2008/07/09/ask-a-literary-agent/#comment-5211 SusanHenderson Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:52:35 +0000 http://litpark.com/2008/07/09/ask-a-literary-agent/#comment-5211 Ooh, good question, t. Ooh, good question, t.

]]> By: SusanHenderson http://www.litpark.com/2008/07/09/ask-a-literary-agent/#comment-5210 SusanHenderson Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:51:23 +0000 http://litpark.com/2008/07/09/ask-a-literary-agent/#comment-5210 Darby! Great to see you here. Darby! Great to see you here.

]]> By: SusanHenderson http://www.litpark.com/2008/07/09/ask-a-literary-agent/#comment-5209 SusanHenderson Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:51:08 +0000 http://litpark.com/2008/07/09/ask-a-literary-agent/#comment-5209 Query letters and anything to do with reducing your work to a page or to a genre is completely demoralizing, isn't it, Kate? Query letters and anything to do with reducing your work to a page or to a genre is completely demoralizing, isn’t it, Kate?

]]> By: SusanHenderson http://www.litpark.com/2008/07/09/ask-a-literary-agent/#comment-5208 SusanHenderson Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:50:00 +0000 http://litpark.com/2008/07/09/ask-a-literary-agent/#comment-5208 Great question, Brandon. I do know that Nat Sobel regularly contacted the editors when I was working at Night Train to get in touch with our writers. I don't know how many others do that or what it nets. Great question, Brandon. I do know that Nat Sobel regularly contacted the editors when I was working at Night Train to get in touch with our writers. I don’t know how many others do that or what it nets.

]]> By: Darby Larson http://www.litpark.com/2008/07/09/ask-a-literary-agent/#comment-5207 Darby Larson Sun, 20 Jul 2008 04:51:51 +0000 http://litpark.com/2008/07/09/ask-a-literary-agent/#comment-5207 Do you believe that art that sells is art that's good? Do you believe that art that sells is art that’s good?

]]> By: kategray http://www.litpark.com/2008/07/09/ask-a-literary-agent/#comment-5206 kategray Fri, 18 Jul 2008 09:36:23 +0000 http://litpark.com/2008/07/09/ask-a-literary-agent/#comment-5206 I've hit the wall on trying to write query letters - I no longer really feel like I understand what agents want to see. In my case, with the book I wrote being set in the future, most people would classify as Sci-Fi, even though I don't really think that it is, necessarily. As a result, the bulk of agents around, that I have read through mind-numbing lists of, say NO SCI-FI, and then I don't bother sending anything, because it's clear that nobody wants to take the time to find out what the book really is about. I guess I dunno whether that means I need to pitch it differently, or what. That's probably what has led me to the WEbook process (oh, please come and vote...!), because with all the other things I have to do on a daily basis, having a completed novel that nobody even wants to give a chance to look over has become a whining albatross in my life. I suppose that this webook thing will, depending on the outcome, help me think about whether any of the trappings are still necessary - are agents still relevant? are publishers doing what the movie industry did (by not getting into the home movie trend), and will find themselves outmoded by the digital age of books? I just don't know if the answers are out there yet, but I'm willing to be a part of the beta trend and find out. (P.S.: vote at www.webook.com/vote for my book "Sleep", if you care to!) I’ve hit the wall on trying to write query letters – I no longer really feel like I understand what agents want to see. In my case, with the book I wrote being set in the future, most people would classify as Sci-Fi, even though I don’t really think that it is, necessarily. As a result, the bulk of agents around, that I have read through mind-numbing lists of, say NO SCI-FI, and then I don’t bother sending anything, because it’s clear that nobody wants to take the time to find out what the book really is about.
I guess I dunno whether that means I need to pitch it differently, or what. That’s probably what has led me to the WEbook process (oh, please come and vote…!), because with all the other things I have to do on a daily basis, having a completed novel that nobody even wants to give a chance to look over has become a whining albatross in my life.
I suppose that this webook thing will, depending on the outcome, help me think about whether any of the trappings are still necessary – are agents still relevant? are publishers doing what the movie industry did (by not getting into the home movie trend), and will find themselves outmoded by the digital age of books? I just don’t know if the answers are out there yet, but I’m willing to be a part of the beta trend and find out.

(P.S.: vote at http://www.webook.com/vote for my book “Sleep”, if you care to!)

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