Should you approach a liberal agent if you're conservative

[erika]

I noticed a lot of agents in Jeff Herman's Guide voted for Kerry, which makes me wonder if they would consider a religious/political satire that takes jabs at Ted Kennedy and Al Gore. Should I even bother?

[Sheryl Nantus]

they actually LIST who voted for whom?

that sounds quite... odd. I'd think that sort of info would be personal and all that.

*shrugs*

[erika]

Some refused to answer. Others were very open about their political leanings. A few went so far as to say that there was no real choice. "Of course I voted for Kerry fool!"

I agree a surprising bit.

[Sheryl Nantus]

I'm surprised that was even a question.

you Americans are strange.

:D

[Marlys]

Should I even bother?Hard to say. If an agent loves political satire and knows the market well, she or he will probably be able to sell the book whatever its leanings.

But if they really don't like your views, they probably aren't going to take you on, because there are dozens of competing projects they can be more enthusiastic about.

[Jamesaritchie]

I'd say don't submit to any agent stupid enough to publicly state how she voted.

[Stacia Kane]

I'd exhaust all the conservative agents I could find first. Check the catalog of someplace like Regnery Publishing. Look up their authors. Find out who represents them. Find out who reps Ann Coulter or Bill O'Reilly or Cynthia Hoff-Summers and query them.

That's just my thoughts on it, though.

[Cathy C]

I can't say that I've ever discussed politics with my agent. In all the talking about selling books, it's never come up... ;)

I'm sure I'm the opposite of her views (and probably my editor's too) but that hasn't stopped her from making money for me.

[Kristen King]

My feeling is that what an agent does in the voting booth is the agent's business. If you'd submit to him or her without knowing who he or she voted for, I'd go ahead and submit away. An agent's political leanings are far less important than his or her success in selling books. If s/he can't get enthusiastic about your project, s/he'll decline to represent you. But don't close yourself off from the opportunity by making that decision for the agent. If all of the other pieces fit, go for it.

Kristen

[Anthony Ravenscroft]

Unlike conservatives, liberals are more than willing to take potshots at "their own side." (Though they do prefer humor that's actually funny rather than merely mean-spirited or sadistic....)

If this is a setup for an "a-hah! now I know why all them pinkocommies can't grasp my literary genius!" then I guess whatever works to fill that gap is sufficient.

Any decent agent understands the bottom line -- that's all that counts.

[maestrowork]

Not everyone who voted for Kerry is a liberal. And even if they're liberals, not every liberal is closed-minded. They understand what satire is, and they understand a good satire is a good book.

I hope you're intelligent enough to understand that.

And it's a business. Treat it as a business without this kind of polarizing attitude. And if you're really concerned, just look for conservative agents -- I am sure they're out there.

[Stacia Kane]

Unlike conservatives, liberals are more than willing to take potshots at "their own side." (Though they do prefer humor that's actually funny rather than merely mean-spirited or sadistic....)



??

Right. All liberals are delightful people ever-ready to laugh at themselves, and all conservatives are miserable humorless sourpusses.


And you wonder why the OP is concerned about this issue in submitting her work.

[Jamesaritchie]

Unlike conservatives, liberals are more than willing to take potshots at "their own side." (Though they do prefer humor that's actually funny rather than merely mean-spirited or sadistic....)

.

Suuurrreee they are.

[victoriastrauss]

Submit based on the kinds of books the agent has sold and on their stated interests and preferences, not on what you assume are their political leanings.

- Victoria

[maestrowork]

... and do NOT engage the agent in any political debates. :)

[Popeyesays]

That's why doing current events satire is a risky genre. The relative importance of the lampoon can suddenly evaporate. Timeliness is hard to maintain.

Regards,
Scott

[Anthony Ravenscroft]

Right. All liberals are delightful people ever-ready to laugh at themselves, and all conservatives are miserable humorless sourpusses.

And you wonder why the OP is concerned about this issue in submitting her work.
Good thing that's not a demonstration of my point, then!

Political satire is ephemeral. Any writer who tries to cash in on this moment's Hot Topic is, three months down the road, likely going to have a bunch of jokes as dead as a copy of "Captain Billy's Whiz-Bang." (If you don't catch the reference, that's kinda my point.)

The exception? Dunno, maybe another pastiche of "the Chappaquiddick affair." I honestly don't know what "scandal" a LibRuhl could possibly raise about a Rightist that's would even have a context by the time a year's gone past. Who remembers the plot to install Smedley Butler as President -- much less would recognise a farce based on it? How about Mr Family, Newt Gingrich, abandoning his wife? (No laughs possible, really, but neither does anyone hold onto this for a surefire laugh-getter like "blue dress.")

Worrying about the politics of any given agent seems like a preemptive "I wuz robbed!" rather than a serious marketing question.
Besides, everyone knows us Commie Jew Fags really run the world.:welcome: