Does this matter?

Samantha's_Song · Jan 29, 2009

I hope this is the correct forum for this question, if not then, please do move it.

I have recently been working on my query letter and have had some great help form some AW members, thank you all. Anyway, I start off my query with the words Erotic novelist; my girl is an erotic novelist, yes, but the story isn't erotic in itself, it has one quite graphic sex scene and the other bedrtoom scenes are all talk.
Will this word put agents into thinking that my story is erotic although I've said it's a romantic suspense? Should I remove the word erotic and just say novelist?

Thank you.

Hillgate · Jan 29, 2009

I'd leave it in: it sounds more intriguing!

Inky · Jan 29, 2009

Without having read your query, I'll jump in first.
I would simply put that at the end of the sentence, when giving a quicky--no pun--description of your gal. Too close to the begining, the 'scanning' agent or agent's assistant may read that wrong and toss the letter w/o reading it through, having assumed it's another erotica romance.

Also, this intrigued me. An erotica novelist would probably have a sordid sense of humor that could REALLY provide SERIOUS comic relief throughout the book. Talk about potential laugh out loud reading, which many people love.

Best of luck with both your query AND nabbing that agent!!

alleycat · Jan 29, 2009

I read one of your query posts yesterday but didn't have time to comment. One of the things that did intrigue me about the story was the fact that the protagonist was an erotic novelist. It did not make me think the rest of the story was erotic.

NeuroFizz · Jan 29, 2009

Somewhere in the query you should list (or mention) the specific genre. One way is to put a list of story properties at the top of the query:

TITLE:
GENRE:
WORD COUNT:

Then get on with the descriptive paragraph(s).

Danthia · Jan 29, 2009

Does her day job matter or could she have been anything and the story still works? For example, if she were a plumber, would you still put it in? If being an erotic novelist adds something to the story or gives her a skill that lets her do whatever the novel is about, leave it, but if it doesn't, take out out.

StevenJ · Jan 29, 2009

Samantha's_Song said:
the story isn't erotic in itself, it has one quite graphic sex scene and the other bedroom scenes are all talk.

Hey! I didn't give you permission to write my biography!

Samantha's_Song · Jan 29, 2009

LOL Thank you Hillgate.

Inky, thank you very much. I shall have to move what she does to further into the query, and yes, my gal has a wicked sense of humour about sex and uses innuendo and double entendre all of the time. (my num lock doesn't work for the accents needed)

Thank you Allycat. I never thought about what her being an erotic novelist might look like to an agent until this morning.

Thank you NF. I was told to put genre title etc at the end of the query, I thought it went at the top, but I don't know much about trying to snag me an agent though.

Danthia, thank you, and yes, it does matter what she does, because it causes conflict in the first few chapters of the story.

Steve, I'm not writing DracPorn

RJK · Jan 29, 2009

It may be just me, but if someone leads a letter with something, I'm inclined to think the letter is about that. If I were to start out my letter with "Serial killer Jessica Simpson..." you'd think that was an important part of the story.
If it's not an integral part of the story, don't begin the letter with her vocation, or even with her.

Samantha's_Song · Jan 29, 2009

Yeah, I guess you're right. Thank you for the input

RJK said:
It may be just me, but if someone leads a letter with something, I'm inclined to think the letter is about that. If I were to start out my letter with "Serial killer Jessica Simpson..." you'd think that was an important part of the story.
If it's not an integral part of the story, don't begin the letter with her vocation, or even with her.

veinglory · Jan 29, 2009

I would say that most people who are "erotic novelists" probably would use that phrase to describe themselves. It feels a bit like "scientist"--a job people that people in the job don't tend to use. I would suggest 'erotica writer' or 'erotic fiction writer'? because 'erotic' is otherwise modifying 'noveltist'--i.e. someone who write novels in an erotic manner, rather than someone who writes content that is erotic.

StevenJ · Jan 29, 2009

How about 'Caroline Desmarais, authoress of sophisticated erotica'?

Or maybe that's too haughty & sounds like the beginning of a Bond novel, lol.

Samantha's_Song · Jan 29, 2009

Thank you VG. After thinking about this for a bit, I think I might just refer to her as a fiction writer, or something of that ilk, at least my novel isn't going to be thought in the wrong category that way. I suppose her job isn't really necessary in the query, but it would have to be mentioned in the synopsis, if I ever get that far with an agent, of course.

veinglory said:
I would say that most people who are "erotic novelists" probably would use that phrase to describe themselves. It feels a bit like "scientist"--a job people that people in the job don't tend to use. I would suggest 'erotica writer' or 'erotic fiction writer'? because 'erotic' is otherwise modifying 'noveltist'--i.e. someone who write novels in an erotic manner, rather than someone who writes content that is erotic.

Steve, her name's Caroline Desmarais, not Pussy Galore you know, although that would have made a great name for her, as she's a very sexy gal. Shame that name's already taken eh, but she does always refer to herself as ginger minge.

StevenJ · Jan 29, 2009

Samantha's_Song said:
she does always refer to herself as ginger minge.

Blimey, I guess I was wrong about the sophistication!

How about this then?

'Caroline Desmarais, former Spice Girl and scribbler of posh smut etc etc'

Does this matter?

Samantha's_Song

At least I don't need backing-up

Hillgate

On location

Inky

Eat, Sleep, Write...

alleycat

Still around

NeuroFizz

The grad students did it

Danthia

StevenJ

Bored Fanatic

Samantha's_Song

At least I don't need backing-up

RJK

Sheriff Bullwinkle the Poet says:

Samantha's_Song

At least I don't need backing-up

veinglory

volitare nequeo

StevenJ

Bored Fanatic

Samantha's_Song

At least I don't need backing-up

StevenJ

Bored Fanatic