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.
Rhetorical questions! That's what the blog needs.
That’s funny about The Hills. I was flipping through TV channels the other night, saw a few minutes of The Hills, and thought, "Isn’t that the show Nathan used to talk about on his Blog?" LOL. I guess things really do change in just a few years.
I love this Blog, and the Forums are also great. Thanks so much for all the work you put into these!
Here are my suggestions. I’d love to see more in-depth discussions about writing, including quirky topics like symbolism – basically an Advanced Creative Writing Blog Discussion. I’d also love to see in-depth book discussions in which we analyze a book, not just say whether or not we liked it. It’s always fun when you blog about your own writing life and we all join in talking about ours. And I always enjoy your contests.
Oh, and I vote for: "no-really-I-mean-way-more monkeys". Bring on the monkeys!
I'd like to see more examples of quality writing and writing techniques. Help us get better.
You can never have too many good query examples.
More monkeys and their butts, please.
I am fairly new to your blog and I wonder if once a month or so you could do Questions of the Day. And anyone, with any questions about writing (or monkeys) could ask(in the comment section) and you would answer. Obviously it would be a lot of work for you for the one day, but I think everyone has quirkly little questions and it doesn't seem appropriate to just ask them when it is off topic.
Advanced Creating Writing? Hmm. I think agent blogs are valuable because they provide information on commercial writing and publishing, from beginning to advanced.
I really like your blog, which is why I keep coming back. You are incredibly generous with your insider tips while not mocking us aspiring writers too much.
I would be interested in seeing more of the same, and learning more about what you do as an agent. Maybe take us through one project from start to finish…from asking to see a manuscript to the day it comes out. If you've already done that, then ignore me.
And I do need synopsis help. I'm dragging my feet on that one.
I'd like to see a monkey getting in there and really exploring the space with this cowbell I'm hearing so much about.
More monkeys, cowbell, writing, queries, videos of animals and speaking in the third person
Less i-pad, kindle, nook and endless discusions on how the e-readers with help/destroy/change publishing.
While additional info on queries are good, maybe more analysis on how/why you choose to request more from a writer. Maybe use queries from your clients and tell why you chose them, in a variety of genres. (Maybe also include the process of getting them published, too–and an approximate time line from the day you signed to the day they were published?)
Less Lost. More Glee. More queries. WAY more monkeys. Maybe some squid. More how-on-god's-green-acre-you-have-time-to-blog-work-and-write-a-book.
more nathan's writing life would be nice! i never think this blog is lacking something though, you have a great mix of topics 🙂
I'd love to see more info about topics pertaining to agented folks.
I'd like to see more of the same – plus perhaps an occasional 'blog off today – go write' amnesty. I spend too much time reading and not enough writing. I could do with some kick in the rear reminders, to just BIC. I've been 'hanging around' since 2006, and WIP is still that.
status quo:
publishing news
writing
the value of reading
let's see:
iPad / device convos
mORE:
how the nature of reading / writing is morphing with the aforementioned iPad/device convos
MORE MORE:
are those iPad/device convos going to seem quaint in 10-20 years when the next gen, accoustomed to many-tasking, doesn't even read …
I love the funny stuff, but then again the important information is pretty good too.
More of the same would be great as a matter of fact.
PS you are raising some serious money over at Brenda Novak's. Great to see!
I'd like to see more advice about things that go with querying beyond writing a good query letter, which I think you have already covered.
Maybe how to spice up your first 5 pages? How to get your partial turned into a full request more often? How to polish your manuscript so agents fight over it?
I think when a lot of people ask for query advice they might really need to improve their novel and/or first five pages so more agents want to read it.
I'd like to read about your own process in writing. I don't think I've read many posts about that.
What about a Q and A day once a month or whatever you decide where we can pepper you with questions?
More query information. There can never be too much.
More on synopsis or proposal writing.
More on what catches your eye as an agent. Interesting trends for instance or even things that just set your teeth on edge.
When you read for pleasure, what really strikes you about a book aside from the ones you throw at the wall and bounce back to strike you. Although that might be interesting also.
Thanks so much to everyone for the great ideas! For those requesting Q&A day, that is actually every day over at the Forums. There's a dedicated thread where I'll answer your questions:
<a href="https://forums.nathanbransford.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=4>Ask Nathan</a>
I really like the idea for more queries. I haven't started querying just yet, but your blog and other useful resources have helped me gain a better understanding of what agents are looking for in a query letter and I am going into the process with much more confidence.
I think you have a really good balance. I loved the Be An Agent for a Day test you had last week, I think that was one of the most helpful things I've read in a while about queries and the whole process.
I'm not sure if this helps, but thanks for your blog, I for one really appreciate it… oh and I agree with others about the monkeys!
I'd say more writing/reading stuff is always good. The contest stuff is always fun and a nice diversion — queries, contests, agents for a day, first line contests, first paragraph contests, etc..
The publishing news is always everywhere so I skip most of the links on Fridays. Also, I personally love it when you talk about your book, own writing hazards and successes.
I second JohnO's suggestion above…I think that would make a very interesting post.
I would also like to read more about your writing life, Nathan. I am always interested in hearing how writers go about their work.
Thanks!
Marc
Would be good to see more on what happens after you've signed an author. The submission to editors process, say, or even how you've handled second novels by clients whose first published books haven't lived up to expectations.
More about writing and queries would be great. Of course, Nathan as a monkey in third-person would be cool!
More coffee.
Oh, wait, that was for me.
To be frank, I'd like to read more about the cultural culture of publishing in general, literary agencies specifically, and less about the commercial cutlure of publishing.
Give me anecdotes, scandals, controversies, bright shining moments, reflexive retrospectives, and inspirations. Give me richly unique personalities to admire, to loathe, to emulate, to avoid.
Not just dirt, the gamut.
I really appreciate your exercises and advice on queries and writing and well, the whole publishing process in general. The exercise last week was really informative and an eye opener. Definitely more Nathan in the third person (I see nothing wrong with)
I come here for industry news, happenings, and leanings. More Monkees would be awesome too.
I'd say more on how to write…i.e. how to develop character, how to keep tension, how to write snappy dialogue. i mean, it's all about writing a great book, right?
you could offer your own views or have guest bloggers come in, or you could collect the views of other great writers on these topics…
otherwise, i think the blog has a terrific blend of stuff.
More about the industry, please! You always make the news entertaining and approachable. Much appreciated and I'd love to see more.
I'm with Mark Cecil on this one. More on writing.
Something all the *honest* women on this site want to know… boxers, briefs or commando?
Haste yee back 😉
I love publishing news and posts about queries you or your coworkers liked. But let's be honest: it's the monkeys that will keep me coming back! *g*
More queries
More writing?
less publishing news
More Nathan's writing life
More Nathan speaking in the third person?
no-really-I-mean-way-more monkeys
Wow – Haste ye back, that's brazen. . .didn't know we 'honest' women had a spokesperson.
Less about e-publishing trends, but I love your links. Don't stop those please.
Actually, I like your blog just the way it is. I especially appreciate the posts on queries and e-publishing. I recently compiled a list of what I considered to be useful blog posts about how to write query letters. Your posts totally dominated the list (linked below if anyone is curious):
https://www.querytest.com/qthowto.asp
It could have been a glitch, but I was looking through the forums a few days ago and a lot of them were either really slow to load or didn't load at all (I got about 15 error messages and 5 pages that actually loaded). It looked like you had smart people writing on interesting topics, so I would say faster and more reliable forums would be great!
I read this blog for all of the above. That you continue to have something interesting and entertaining to say on a DAILY basis, and that you have stretched that record out over 3 YEARS astonishes me.
Not so much with the monkeys, perhaps. I feel that mutant armadillos are an underrepresented demographic hereabouts, and would appreciate it if you could do something about that.
Thanks for all the laughs, advice and information.
I've felt that, in recent months, there's been less concrete information for aspiring writers (as given from a literary agent's perspective) on the blog. I've missed that.
Features like "You Tell Me" are entertaining and let all of us rabble "own" your blog a bit better, but they're of weaker benefit to us as writers.
Ooo, I already commented, but I should say that I love the first pages and first paragraph stuff, because I like to see how and what others are writing, and then looking at all the comments as to why they worked or didn't for the blog readers.
Even if none of mine get posted, the conversation in the comments are always enlightening. It's like a mini critique group for those of us that don't have them.
More of it all! Except I hate monkeys. Lets have more bears instead.
I think you balance everything well as it is :~D
But really very much more monkeys would be appreciated. I do love them :~)
I'd love to hear more about what happens post-queries…. how about the editor submission process? Is there any role for the writer there, or do we sit by quietly like good little seen-but-not-heard kids?
-Nichole, beyondthemargins.com
More cat videos!
I'm not going to chime in on this one. I like what you do and I think you balance it well.