Why you don't get published.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Q & A 70 Does anyone want our books?
Do you ever hear from editors or agents who read your blog and perhaps get interested in a query, and ask you who wrote it?
This happens more frequently than you might expect. However, rest assured Evil Editor will not trample upon his minions' privacy. I'm well aware that once an agent or editor gets your email address, they're harder to get rid of than penis enlargement spammers.
By the way, a tip from the voice of experience: it turns out that once you've had your penis enlarged, the spammers leave you alone.
Have you ever been interested in a query enough to be tempted to ask for the book, but did not want to risk losing your anonymity?
I don't care about my anonymity so much, but with a few of those romance novels, I was afraid if I asked for the book I'd lose my virginity.
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19 comments:
Awe, c'mon... Invade! Invade! Trample! I surrender!
Way to not answer the questions, EE!
(word verif: bdzlsd)
Bedazzled! (almost) Cool.
Virginity = the thing my heroine's lose to Regency dudes, and spend eternity thanking them for it (ok, the heroes have been Scottish, which, I'm told, makes Englishmen think I'm daft)
We should thank you for keeping our e-mails private, in case these editors (or Ms. Snark) want to know just so they can get a headstart on the rejection letter.
Oh, but can they enlarge something.. that's not there? Could there be hope for me yet? Off to write 'Ode to Evil Editor'.
Evil:
Seriously, though, has an agent or editor ever inquired about one of our books? Even once? Or would they rather stick to their normal avenues for acquiring material?
Also, have you heard from any of your victims about the fate of their query letters after they'd sent them out to "real" agents and editors? Has anybody had any luck? (I think this question has been asked before, but time has passed since the last time you gave the answer.) Thanks.
Of course, now we're all dying to know which ones were good enough to catch an agent's attention...
I regret to inform my minions that agents and editors have not contacted Evil Editor about your books. If any agents or editors visit this site, they probably do so, like most of you, in hopes of being entertained, not to seek clients. Which is probably a good thing, as in most cases you are better off sending out queries you've improved after getting input from your fellow minions and EE than having editors visit this blog and read your originals.
Several minions have either emailed or commented that they've had requests for manuscripts with their new and improved queries, though I haven't kept a record of whom. Perhaps they'll chime in again with their success stories.
Of course if any book whose query has been critiqued here ever gets published, all minions are expected to purchase at least two copies.
Somehow I don't think agents read this blog for anything other than the amusement value... this is a place people come to learn after all. They only want us after we’ve learned how not to get snarked, not before. ^_~
But EE, there was that agent email you forwarded to me just last week!
Oh, wait, maybe I wasn't supposed to tell anyone about that? Sorry; I was just assuming you'd been doing that for all your minions ...
The first response I got to my revised query was a request for a partial. The agent in question did admit to seeing the EE post, and complimented me on the revision. So:
-At least one agent is reading. Make that at least two, as Miss Snark reads EE and doesn't take submissions in my genre.
-An agent may read your work here, but even if they like it they'll probably wait for you to send it.
Fingers crossed that my sample pages live up to Evil Editor's deathless prose.
Of course, if agents from this infamous list have been phoning EE and asking for a lead on the queries posted, we should all be thankful he is cheerfully giving them the number of a pay phone somewhere on a street corner of a red light district in Minsk.
How he got that number, we shall not ask.
I've had some good fortune.
Mark of the Beast, a very early submission is being published by Ellora's Cave. Don't have a release date yet but it's already on their "Coming Soon" page. And I've also signed with a fabulous agent.
"I don't care about my anonymity so much, but with a few of those romance novels, I was afraid if I asked for the book I'd lose my virginity."
december quinn has queried?
-JTC
By the way, a tip from the voice of experience: it turns out that once you've had your penis enlarged, the spammers leave you alone.
I really must learn to only read your blog when I'm between cups of coffee. It's becoming more and more difficult for me to convince my IT department to replace my keyboards. :D
"Of course if any book whose query has been critiqued here ever gets published, all minions are expected to purchase at least two copies."
Cathy holds up her right hand, in Boyscout pledge fashion (I wasn't a girlscout..hung with boys). "I solemnly swear to buy two copies of any book which a minion sells."
After all, I am a writer and can submit receipts to the tax man!
Poor EE, he tried so hard not to tell us that the answer to "does anyone want our books?" is NO!
We should know when not to ask a second time.
So, EE (ahem) did you have your, um (cough, cough), enhancement done before or after the (ahem, ahem) cruise missile tattoo? Just curious...
At least one agent reads this blog. I wouldn't have found it without her. Hi Snarkie!
LOL JTC. Nope, I haven't queried...yet.
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