The blog will be going on a brief sojourn this week as I celebrate America’s 243rd birthday.
But never fear, I will be back on July 8 with more content! I have a whole lot in store, so stay tuned.
In the meantime, if you need any help editing your book or desire some coaching, don’t hesitate to reach out!
And here are some oldies but goodies to tide you over while I’m away:
- The one question writers should never ask themselves when reading
- Character and plot are inseparable
- Spaghetti agents
- Superstar editor Krista Marino on championing books and the publishing climate
- How to start writing a novel
- Do you suffer from one of these writing maladies?
- It’s not you, it’s the odds
- Ten Commandments for the Happy Writer
- The publishing process in GIF form
Need help with your book? I’m available for manuscript edits, query critiques, and coaching!
For my best advice, check out my guide to writing a novel (now available in audio) and my guide to publishing a book.
And if you like this post: subscribe to my newsletter!
Art: Flags on the Waldorf by Childe Hassam
Though I’m wary of neologisms, I’ve coined a few myself, and I commend your ‘Spaghetti Agent’ label. I onced termed them ‘Pargetters’ after a traditional English plastering technique which involves balling up the plaster in one’s hand, throwing it at the wall, and hoping most of it will stick. The term didn’t catch on for some reason…
I had forgotten that 2011 post though I commented on it at the time. It is all too prescient, as last year a very well known NYC agent was exposed for doing what you describe on a big scale, effectively spamming editors and then refusing to tell his clients whom he had submitted their books to unless the clients withdrew all complaints about him. It took a long time for this to surface and the deafening silence of other agents at the same huge agency and elsewhere makes one wonder how many others are trying something similar.
I came very close to querying that agent and would probably have accepted representation from him. I saw no sign of trouble until others (notably the ever-excellent Writer Beware and the Absolute Write Water Cooler forums, and several of the agent’s clients) spilled the beans. A close call!
Another problem is the simple fact that people change. An agent can go bad, or from bad to worse. And I’ve never heard of the reverse happening!
Anyway, Happy July 4th to all, and never forget, if not for the American Revolution we’d all be speaking English! Oh, wait…
Cheers theme song playing in my head now. Happy Vacation!