Ouch!

[j_cheney]

Well, curious to see what the outside people might say about yesterday's question, I posted the same thing over at the literary agent community (people on LJ who are looking for agents).

Got a resounding...you idiot!

They all say you should never send anything to a publisher until you have exhausted every single agent out there. There might be a slight pro-agent bias since they're admittedly all looking for agents themselves....

*Heavy sigh*
Where exactly is that How to Get Published book that has all the right answers in it? I've misplaced it....

Comments

Dreaming.....

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Well, thanks for not joining in the the "you're an idiot" chorus.

I attended James Gunn's workshop at the UKansas and he's really big on the slush-pile version of sending novels out, so I think that's where I get it from. I have actually spoken with an agent who told me he has no problem taking queries on books that are currently "shopped out".

Anyway, I'm going to a con this week-end, where I'll hopefully meet a dozen agents, all of them eager to look over my work!

Re: Dreaming.....

[jimhines.livejournal.com]

Good luck!

If it makes you feel better, following "The Rules" and doing what every published author was screaming at me to do actually cost me a potentially big book deal. (I was fortunate to get another chance on that one, but still...)

Re: Dreaming.....

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm grateful that you're willing to tkat the time to reassure nervous fledgling authors.

Even if it is a publishing sin, Book one hasn't accrued a single refusal yet, and book two has gotten two, but one was very warm and fuzzy, so it can't be all that deleterious to their chances...