Before and After the Book Deal
May. 15th, 2021 08:37 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rynlingThis is an interesting, engaging, and well-written book filled with practical advice that reads like complete fiction and does not apply to me in any way, shape, or form.
I'm not hating on the author, I'm just saying that most people probably aren't going to have the experience of successfully writing and selling mass-market literary fiction, going on book tours, and being on bestseller lists.
Also, it doesn't address the most important thing to most writers interested in a book like this, namely, how the fuck do you find an agent who isn't a scam, how do you even. The idea seems to be that we all live in New York and go to magical book parties with our magical book friends, and agents will just magically find us once we're ready for prime time.
Another idea, which seems to exist primarily among people who aren't on the market and don't know how to Google things, is that you should try to reach out to the agents who represent the authors you love. Which is hilarious, because neither those big-name agents nor their entire big-name agency is ever open to accept unsolicited queries.
Given the lack of real talk surrounding finding an agent, I have a feeling that the process is actually distinctly distressing, which is why people don't like to talk about it. I guess I'll find out.
I'm not hating on the author, I'm just saying that most people probably aren't going to have the experience of successfully writing and selling mass-market literary fiction, going on book tours, and being on bestseller lists.
Also, it doesn't address the most important thing to most writers interested in a book like this, namely, how the fuck do you find an agent who isn't a scam, how do you even. The idea seems to be that we all live in New York and go to magical book parties with our magical book friends, and agents will just magically find us once we're ready for prime time.
Another idea, which seems to exist primarily among people who aren't on the market and don't know how to Google things, is that you should try to reach out to the agents who represent the authors you love. Which is hilarious, because neither those big-name agents nor their entire big-name agency is ever open to accept unsolicited queries.
Given the lack of real talk surrounding finding an agent, I have a feeling that the process is actually distinctly distressing, which is why people don't like to talk about it. I guess I'll find out.
