Sign of the economy?

My agent wasn't accepting unsolicited queries when I queried her... I didn't realise as she'd changed her policy a few weeks before and info I had was a bit out of date. She still took me on cos she loved my work (and my query letter caught her eye just as she was about to delete I imagine).

I'm not sure if it is a good idea to query an agent who's closed to queries but what I'm saying is, sometimes rules might be meant to be broken, I donno....

Oh, and to add, another agent asked to see my work after reading my 140 description of it to a friend on Twitter ;-) So yeah, network baby!

Libbie said:

Network, my friends. Network.

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How exactly does one go about that?
The only place I have for networking with other authors is this site. Although I could appeal to my professors, I know a few that have published books, though their books seem to be in different genres than I write in.

Shadow_Ferret said:

So if we can't get to these writers' conferences (they all seem to be 1000 miles away), or we are socially inept, then we're screwed?

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The writers' retreat I put on is just a small group of friendly people--even if you're socially inept, we put up with you and share what we know about writing and the industry. Sometimes it's possible to find people online who are willing to share the same way, such as on here at AW.

I've met some writers who had terrible social skills but who were NY Times bestsellers--sometimes it helps to just have written a great book with a fresh voice.

Miguelito said:

Lock picks. Glass cutters. Ninja suit.

Just my unprofessional advice.

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Then what? Slide my MS into the middle of the slush pile?

Shadow_Ferret said:

I've already done that. I was rejected, but I was just using him as an example

So if we can't get to these writers' conferences (they all seem to be 1000 miles away), or we are socially inept, then we're screwed?

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I skipped out on meeting Nathan Bransford a couple years ago (when he was at a conference within 100 miles of me) because not only am I socially inept, I didn't have anything near a novel-length work to even interest an agent in.

I'm hoping to fix working on fixing that second part this month.

Karen Junker said:

The writers' retreat I put on is just a small group of friendly people--even if you're socially inept, we put up with you and share what we know about writing and the industry. Sometimes it's possible to find people online who are willing to share the same way, such as on here at AW.

I've met some writers who had terrible social skills but who were NY Times bestsellers--sometimes it helps to just have written a great book with a fresh voice.

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So, as long as I can write the book, there's hope...

If today, more than in recent years, agents aren't open to unsolicited submissions, I fall back on what I said in an earlier post. I can't see how it can be anything but a direct reflection on the horrendous economic times. Lets face it, agents and the agencies they work for stay in business by supplying publishers with new, exciting writers -- in addition to handling the flow from the published authors they now have in print. Were agents not able to supply publishers with fresh blood, if fresh blood was in demand, publishers really wouldn't need agencies. So, beyond the backlog of submissions which always exists at agencies, what beyond today's economic crisis, and its spurious fallout, would suddenly make so many agents hang up an "no unsolicited queries and/or manuscripts sign" sign?

I believe that querytracker recently added that stop symbol, but agents not accepting queries is not a new thing. If you search for "all fiction," you get 848 results, and if you select the box that eliminates those not accepting queries, you get 659. So 78% of the listed agents are accepting queries. Which is no reason to panic.

The economy stinks on ice.

I'll keep submitting. I was going to give up and become a banker instead but the TV told me I don't understand the economy. I'm better at this anyway.

Shadow_Ferret said:

Well, I do find it odd. I mean, the agent is supposed to be the gatekeeper for the publishers who do NOT accept unsolicited queries,

But now if agents don't take unsolicited queries, who becomes the gatekeeper for the gatekeeper?

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I think that right at the moment fewer books are being published so agents are busy trying to place work by their existing writers.
If they are closed to submissions it probably means they have more than enough to deal with and are prepared to risk the remote possiblity that they are thereby closing the door to next big thing.

Karen Junker said:

Never underestimate the power of networking in the bar at writers' conferences.

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Been there, done that, numerous times, am terrible at it, found it a truly horrifying experience.

caw

JJM said:

How exactly does one go about that?
The only place I have for networking with other authors is this site. Although I could appeal to my professors, I know a few that have published books, though their books seem to be in different genres than I write in.

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Sorry I didn't check this thread sooner to see your question.

Make friends with authors. Through them, make more friends with more authors. If you're making friends with good authors (who are also nice people with whom you want friendship), sooner or later you'll be friends with published authors who've got agents.

Through total serendipity, I happen to have a really excellent contact in the publishing world -- a three-time, well-reviewed MG author who's also an editor at an FSG imprint. Her parents were one of my husband's foster families while he was growing up, and he lived with them a long time and became very close to their kids, so she's kinda-sorta my sister-in-law. Sort of. She caught the bouquet at our wedding, and I guess that's all the contact you need. She hooked me up with "permission" to query an agent who doesn't take unsolicited queries, but does like my genre. She knows this agent because she (the agent) works at the same agency at my friend's agent.

As it turned out, I got this full request before I queried the hooked-up networked agent, and the request was exclusive. But if the gal who's currently interested ends up rejecting my manuscript, I can go on to query this other agent.

You never know what kind of opportunities your network may open up for you. But it's up to you to seek out and tap those opportunities. They won't fall into your lap. You've got to assess your "surroundings" and be proactive.

While there is good luck, there is also bad....the authors I know would rather walk barefooted over broken glass than tell me who thier agents are.They keep all valuable info to themselves.
If I appeared to share an agent with them, all by accident, it would be embarrassing, like crowding their privacy.Thank goodness for this site and the internet in general, plus the directories of agents - I am really grateful.
At any conference, the pushy writers crowd anyone important to their future careers. Very difficult, even if you're charming and efficient, to elbow in at the bar/cafe/corridor.

maryland said:

While there is good luck, there is also bad....the authors I know would rather walk barefooted over broken glass than tell me who thier agents are.They keep all valuable info to themselves.
If I appeared to share an agent with them, all by accident, it would be embarrassing, like crowding their privacy.Thank goodness for this site and the internet in general, plus the directories of agents - I am really grateful.
At any conference, the pushy writers crowd anyone important to their future careers. Very difficult, even if you're charming and efficient, to elbow in at the bar/cafe/corridor.

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Maryland, I find the bar scene at most conferences intimidating myself unless I know someone. However, the reason why conferences are so awesome is that lots of agents take pitch sessions and do panels, and they are very easy to approach post-panel and chat with. I am not the most outgoing person and I've managed to talk to a lot of people.

Shadow_Ferret said:

Well, not sure what you mean by "roam" but many are on facebook and twitter and many probably read online fiction magazines. Not necessarily scoping out talent but just because they like to read.

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Is it a good idea to have a facebook, twitter, etc, just for my writing then?

benbradley said:

I skipped out on meeting Nathan Bransford a couple years ago (when he was at a conference within 100 miles of me) because not only am I socially inept, I didn't have anything near a novel-length work to even interest an agent in.

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Wow. I don't know I could have met with him either. Good luck!

Libbie said:

Make friends with authors. Through them, make more friends with more authors. If you're making friends with good authors (who are also nice people with whom you want friendship), sooner or later you'll be friends with published authors who've got agents.

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I appreciate what you're saying. I'm only friends with one soon-to-be on the shelves author. I'm so intimidated by her work - it's excellent. And I would feel like I was taking advantage of our friendship by ever trying to get to an agent or publisher through her.

As far as conventions and such, I can't afford them right now. I'm paying down debt in preparation of starting a new family...so that's out. Priorities and such, and my family means more to me than getting published.

Though I'm not giving up.

I need to query again.