We’re now three years into the lifespan of this blog, and in that time it has seen many changes. I’ve gone from breathlessly discussing what is happening on the Hills to seeing an ad for it the other day and thinking, “Wait… there’s another season? I thought it was over a year ago!”
The world changes so much in three years.
But that’s not what this post is about – I thought I’d check in to see what you’d like to see more/less of on the blog and to solicit feedback. I aim to please!
More/less queries?
More/less writing?
More/less publishing news?
More/less Nathan’s writing life?
More/less Nathan speaking in the third person?
More/still-more/no-really-I-mean-way-more monkeys?
The last time I checked in people asked for Forums, so this isn’t an idle exercise. I am definitely curious and very much appreciate your thoughts.
And I can’t thank you enough for reading and commenting – some of you have been around since the beginning and it really means a lot! Thank you thank you thank you.
More writing including more of your writing life… or life in general.
Some more queries.
More Nathan writing about Nathan – but in first person. (Feel free to go on speaking in the third person if it releases the inner demons.)
Monkeys – always welcome in my book: although not literally.
Exactly the same amount of high-quality publishing news as we have come to expect.
😉
This post is funny, and really nice at the end.
Too crazy busy to post yesterday, but I couldn't resist the chance to offer suggestions now – that's cool that you're asking for our input.
Well, I love your blog, obviously, so if you didn't change a thing that would be totally cool for me. Like many others, I think your instincts are dead on target. And that you post daily, and have such variety is admirable.
So, I'll just speak to what I like and would love seeing more of. I like it when you take on issues at the forefront of the industry. I think it shows courage and integrity. It's also a big part of what makes this blog – you open discussions about topics that are on everyone's mind, or topics that are of great importance to writers and publishing – you share your insights, and then you give everyone equal weight to weigh in on them. This keeps the blog current and relevant, imho.
Even visionary.
Another thing – I also like hearing what you think about things – you're insightful. I don't always agree with you, but that's part of the fun of it, isn't it? 🙂 So, I truly love that you have lots of space for us to give our opinions and share, but sometimes I find myself wishing there was a bit more Nathan on the blog. Does that make sense?
One thing I'd love more than anything is something I think it might be hard for you to do. I followed a link the other day to the person who won the football contest – or was that basketball? – um, something like that. Anyway, you gave her a critique that included adding a B plot to the story. It's not that specific advice, exactly, that I'm looking for, although that was great, but I'd love to get a sense of how you look at an MS as a whole and see room for change and improvement. Well, basically what you do with your clients when you are hands on. I know that might be hard to do here, but I personally would love that.
Hmmm, I guess I do have one suggestion. You might link to particular forums on the side bar – like the 'ask Nathan' forum or the critique forums.
Okay, I think that's it. Again, I love your blog. Thanks for everything you do, Nathan.
Nathan, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but in my opinion, it's already perfect. Except…you can never have enough monkeys.
you are so young on your agent job.
Sex, violence, car chases and monkeys! Violent monkeys in sexy cars chasing intergalactic ninja bacon I-Cats! Put that in your blog before I put it in my WIP!
Also, John would like more of Nathan speaking in the third person. About Nathan's writing life, and SON OF JACOB WONDERBAR.
I love hearing what an agent would say to a writer or another agent at lunch. What editors are looking for now (the beauty of a blog is instant news), insider stuff that our agents (who don't blog) don't tell us on a daily basis.
Kia is a little late on this but she would love to hear more about Nathan's writing life.
I'm a fairly new reader of your blog and I'd be really interested in more advice for non-fiction writers, particularly querying and writing proposals.
And definitely more monkeys.
Like everyone else, I enjoy monkeys. I really appreciate the query info. (It is just so overwhelming!) I also love reading an agent's perspective on the various aspects of publishing. (Especially when said agent is funny and refers to himself in the third person.)(That's a lot of parenthesis. Maybe it's time to stop.) Happy 3rd anniversary!
I would love love love to hear more about your writing life! I also love your posts on publishing news, because you give so much depth and insight to the news I find on other sites.