Now, I am not a twitter-er and I have no intention to start micro-blogging ( I barely have time to just plain, blog. ), so I did not get to follow the original #queryfail. I'm not sure I would have wanted to. I would be too afraid of seeing my query posted all over the place, being ripped to shreds. I don't care if it is for a good cause ( educating writers on what not to do.). However, I did have the chance to read agentfail over at Bookends LLC, blog.
I didn't get very far into the comments before I had to shut down my browser. I couldn't read on because I was starting to get depressed. I'm on the road to publishing at the "agent needed," stage. Reading so many comments on bad agents cause me much worry.
Oh no! Sounds like there are so many bad ones out there!! ( I know, or at least I hope I know, this isn't the case.)
The thing is, it was dedicated to bad, "failing" stories about agents so naturally it would be filled with those horrors. I just don't feel at this stage it was good for me to keep reading on. I was either going to scare myself into never submitting again, or become too cynical.
I think some good did come out of Agentfail. It seems many blogging agents are in agreement that the "no response means no," policy is bad. Maybe more agents will adopt this thought process too and just have an auto-reply do the rejects for them. It is nice to see that your query did make it to the in-box and not the spam folder, before being rejected.
Personally, when I see a "no response means no, or will respond only if interested," I submit and then write off my submission as an automatic "no". Probably not the best way to look at it but, frankly just don't expect to hear back from that agent. I'm not going to get my hopes up, but I'm not going to avoid them, because I know I need to query widely to find an agent in this tight industry. If I do hear back from them, GREAT! If not, it's no sweat off my back. I just keep going down the list of "agents I want to work with."
So tell me, what did you think of Agentfail? Was it helpful or hurtful?
About The Author
Katie Salidas is a USA Today bestselling author and RONE award winner known for her unique genre-blending style.
Since 2010 she's penned five bestselling book series: the Immortalis, Olde Town Pack, Little Werewolf, Chronicles of the Uprising, and the all-new Agents of A.S.S.E.T. series. As her not-so-secret alter ego, Rozlyn Sparks, she is a USA Today bestselling author of romance with a naughty side.
In her spare time Katie also produces and hosts a YouTube talk show; Spilling Ink. She also has a regular column on First Comics News where she explores writing from a nerdy perspective.