tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post6119722947524746845..comments2023-09-06T05:48:05.398-06:00Comments on Terry's Place: #writerfailTerry Odellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-8560579963292316132009-04-15T13:16:00.000-06:002009-04-15T13:16:00.000-06:00Great post, Mary Louise!
The only thing I have is...Great post, Mary Louise!<br /><br />The only thing I have issue with is the "no response means we're not interested" thingie. I've had both email and snail mail queries go awry, only to find out four or six months later. With the advent of email queries (which I love), I wonder why more agencies don't adopt an automatic reply just to let the writer know her query has arrived? You know, like the note you can get your email addy to send out when you're on holiday. That would solve the issue. The writer knows the query was received. After that point, no response really does mean "We're not interested." Otherwise, it's a guessing game. Has my query been rejected, or is it lost in spam-land?Cindy Procter-Kinghttp://www.museinterrupted.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-42115018744450713102009-04-15T08:24:00.000-06:002009-04-15T08:24:00.000-06:00Thanks, Terry and Mary Louise!
An excellent post ...Thanks, Terry and Mary Louise!<br /><br />An excellent post and so, so true. Thank you for bringing some solid reasoning to one of the more bizarre writer/agent controversies this year :).Marilyn Branthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05303846770348840645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-64322139829487927822009-04-15T07:38:00.000-06:002009-04-15T07:38:00.000-06:00Nice post. I remember that exchange on Twitter. Re...Nice post. I remember that exchange on Twitter. Reminded me of some of the horrible queries I received when I was editor for a magazine. Some people just don't get "professional."<br /><br />Nathan Bransford has an interesting thing going on his blog where folks can be agent for a day. I participated and gained new respect for what agents see on a daily basis, although the queries were not as bad as some mentioned by Colleen and Lauren.Maryannwriteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09479027709233807149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-71479436237887716102009-04-15T07:01:00.000-06:002009-04-15T07:01:00.000-06:00Hi, thanks for the great read. Professionalism at ...Hi, thanks for the great read. Professionalism at all times is definitely the thing. It's bitter tasting when someone doesn't want your stuff, but if you're getting rejected it also means you're getting work out there for people to see, so that's half the battle.<br />Also, if some of those who don't understand the business end of receiving all that writing, they should try running a website for a few months. Literary or otherwise, it's hard work!Mark R Hancockhttp://www.memecortex.net/blognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-20259861671282317682009-04-14T19:30:00.000-06:002009-04-14T19:30:00.000-06:00Hi, Nancy - thanks for popping in.Hi, Nancy - thanks for popping in.Terry Odellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-40047954422354990532009-04-14T19:26:00.000-06:002009-04-14T19:26:00.000-06:00Mary Louise and Terry, just popping in to say, "He...Mary Louise and Terry, just popping in to say, "Hello!" and great post, ML! I enjoyed it.Nancy Robards Thompsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-85967926650313685222009-04-14T17:27:00.000-06:002009-04-14T17:27:00.000-06:00Well, well, a voice from the past. Hello there, Me...Well, well, a voice from the past. Hello there, Melynda Beth Skinner. Glad you stopped by. Great advice.Terry Odellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-20816451953974343502009-04-14T17:18:00.000-06:002009-04-14T17:18:00.000-06:00Hear-hear, Mimi! Yea verily!
Show me a writer u...Hear-hear, Mimi! Yea verily! <br /><br />Show me a writer universally adored, and I'll show you a writer whose work has only been read by her mum. <br /><br />We all write to draw reaction from our readers. What some don't get is that, inevitably, that reaction will fall over the full range of the bell curve. Some will love our work, and some will detest it, no matter how good (or truly awful) it is.<br /><br />If you cannot handle that grim fact gracefully, if a lack of worship of your work automatically qualifies your reader (in your mind) as an insipid Philistine, then you're banging your head against the wall--and probably making everyone close enough to hear you whine and rant miserable. Some will suffer in silence, and some will rightfully let you have it, exposing you as the anathema you are--and those will be the kind ones, the ones worth cultivating as friends or professional associates.<br /><br />Sounds like these agents were kind to themselves and to the poor, ignorant legion of wannabe authors out here who perpetrate gaffe after gaffe never knowing what it is they're doing to themselves. <br /><br />"Brava!" I say.Melyndahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17702181045607572756noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-60238550452734016392009-04-14T16:08:00.000-06:002009-04-14T16:08:00.000-06:00Thanks so much for the positive comments, ladies. ...Thanks so much for the positive comments, ladies. I agree--the writing is paramount. So much of what we writers spend time obsessing over is completely out of our control, we often neglect the thing that is: our writing. Good luck!mimihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15000417982390865802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-85550383694278186612009-04-14T13:16:00.000-06:002009-04-14T13:16:00.000-06:00Great post, and after the glut of people taking #q...Great post, and after the glut of people taking #queryfail far too personally it's nice to see someone put this spin on it. This wasn't about picking on poor authors. It was about teaching the craft of the query--by seeing how NOT to do them. <br /><br />There are a ton of how-to's out there, but I can't think of one that made such an impression. Whether you liked the approach or hated it, behold their success in getting the point across.<br /><br />--Lisa<br />http://authorlisalogan.blogspot.comLisa Loganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18259624498661417075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-35523332061040910802009-04-14T13:13:00.000-06:002009-04-14T13:13:00.000-06:00I am sorry I missed the twitter thing. Knowing wha...I am sorry I missed the twitter thing. Knowing what is not acceptable is a plus. But I don't know if I will ever have an agent.<br />I wish you the best of luck Mary Louise. Determination is the key.Mary Ricksenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12676306822821614446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-43950444583429327872009-04-14T08:54:00.000-06:002009-04-14T08:54:00.000-06:00Great post, Mary Louise! With your determination ...Great post, Mary Louise! With your determination and talent, I'm sure it won't be long before you're published.<br />Best wishes,<br />CatherineCatherineKeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08199528515003734239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-61242787814540742102009-04-14T07:36:00.000-06:002009-04-14T07:36:00.000-06:00Kristy, Kathy -
Mary Louise works all day, but I'...Kristy, Kathy -<br /><br />Mary Louise works all day, but I'm sure she'll be stopping by when she can to see your comments - and thanks for taking the time to share them.Terry Odellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-7175860752222106882009-04-14T07:22:00.000-06:002009-04-14T07:22:00.000-06:00Terry, great blog. I don't have an agent either, ...Terry, great blog. I don't have an agent either, but not from lack of trying. But all the rejections, while briefly painful, were not that big a deal. They haven't stopped me from writing, or selling things I write. I live in a small town and you have to be careful about what you say to people, because everyone is a friend or relative of the person. Agents and publishers move around in their small community. If I bad mouthed someone who rejected my mss, everyone will know about it, and they won't forget my name. Where as, if I go to a conference an meet an agent who rejected my mss. three years ago, they aren't going to remember that, they'll base their decision on the mss. I pitch, bias free. You're your own worst enemy if you bad mouth people.Kathy Ottenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17996558118761118634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-68516692898225622642009-04-14T07:00:00.000-06:002009-04-14T07:00:00.000-06:00Great blog.I enjoyed it, there's a lot to be said ...Great blog.I enjoyed it, there's a lot to be said about personal accountability. I teach my children "Only you are responsible for your actions"... it's easy to forget that as an adult and blame someone else for your shortcomings, or lack of proper knowledge.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-20262788931652837922009-04-14T06:56:00.000-06:002009-04-14T06:56:00.000-06:00Thanks for stopping by. As with everything else in...Thanks for stopping by. As with everything else in life, there's no 'magic potion' for success other than persistence and hard work. And a professional attitude.Terry Odellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-87211078094570167062009-04-14T05:48:00.000-06:002009-04-14T05:48:00.000-06:00Hundreds of my articles, short stories,and poems h...Hundreds of my articles, short stories,and poems have been published by reputable publications including eight books and I've never had an agent. I'd love to have a first-rate agent, but I don't think it's necessary to getting work published. So railing at agents who won't represent a writer seems foolish to me. I agree: there's only one way to become a writer. You have to work at the craft. It has to be something you really want to do.<br /><br />Jacqueline Seewald<br />new release: THE DROWNING POOL, Five Star/Gale--check it out on Amazon, B&N online or ask for it at your local library!Jacqueline Seewaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09177500620940251009noreply@blogger.com