Purgatory's Pit of Doom

Morning, pitizens.

I closed out some no response queries yesterday. At one time I waited till the 60 day mark, but it is clear these people aren't going to respond. So why keep those queries hanging out, mocking me with their silence? One was an agent that I met at a conference. I'm mildly offended that she can't be bothered to send me a form R.

To make up for my new, growing negative response numbers, I sent out a few queries last night. It had been a few weeks since I'd sent out a new round. I also decided that if a no response is keeping me from querying someone else at the same agency, I'm just going to query anyway. Rudeness begets rudeness?

Also, MSFV is doing MG and YA submissions for the May secret agent contest, if any of you are interested.

LOL Mario! Would you believe we have people with light fingers in the library (even though the stuff is FREE to borrow /grr) and random Mr./Ms. Pervy who has to be shooed out of the shelves? Haha guess we have something in common with book stores.

*random thought - I wonder why it's called 'light fingered' when their fingers would be heavier from carrying stolen goods*

{{Cricket}}

Same here Kellion. So frustrating!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the heads up, Octavia *whispering - Ms. Snark scares me*
The rudeness/no response is why I tend to just do rolling queries until I reach the end of my list.

Thanks for the heads up, Octavia. I'm sure it's someone I've queried but sometimes a second look gets you a different reaction. I'll ready my entry.

Good point about the no-response bottlenecks. Like what's going to happen if I query another agent before three months is out? They're BOTH going to want to represent me, setting off an intra-agency turf war? Hahahahahaha!

And yes, I think there are definitely times when no response is a breach of human etiquette and behavior, regardless of agency policy. For example, if you have met the agent, have a solid referral, or have previously corresponded about another manuscript, common courtesy requires a response.

Exactly Kellion and I know it's time consuming - but really, how hard is it to forward a form R? Even one of those 'dear author' ones would be better than leaving someone in limbo.

Mornin' Pit

{{{Cricket}}}

Thanks, Octavia

Kellion, I completely agree. But common courtesy is not so common in this business.

Aaaaannnddd, I got my first official rejection last night. I hadn't gotten any responses to the 10Qs I sent out within the week. At least now I know I exist.

YAY! Steve exists. And his email is working. Sucks you had to confirm those things with a rejection.

Steve exists!!! (((Steve)))

Thanks, Red & Kell. I was falling into that "tree in the forest ..." scenario.

And, for shits & giggles (and having the feeling that this project is DOA anyway) I emailed my query to Qu3ry Sh@rk.

Steve, you're a brave man. But I can't believe your project won't get interest. I mean, I'm hardly the arbiter of taste, but this book and your last one (like all projects here in the Pit, actually) strike me as original and fresh, yet in the mainstream of what readers read and buy. These are not rehashes of the current bestseller list, but they would fit on it. It's frustrating.

{{Steve}} Shitty working inbox. Shitty R. /grumble

HOLY FUCK STEVE! You're willingly going to let Ms. Snark shred you?? *bows to Steve* Erm Cricket? I think we have a new candidate for the 'gonads of steel' category. You've been overthrown...sorry!

Octavia, ugh. No response equals no is bad enough, but not responding to someone you met? Double ugh.

(((Steve))) But existing is good, you know. Given that this is the pit, existing isn't a bad goal to aim for. And I'm with Kellion, I think your book is fresh and fun, but what do I know.

Kellion, good luck with MSFV!

Thanks, guys.

LOL, Soul, 'gonads of steel' or insanity or perhaps they're interchangeable.

I just get that feeling, Kell. And it's really not doom & gloom either. I'll see what happens with these 10Qs. Two were to agents who had requested fulls from me in the past and another was to the agent NB had forwarded my previous MS when he left the business (she was the one who tweets her response cutoff).

Gonads of insanity?

Good luck, though!

Yes Steve, good luck! Everything crossed for you!!
Red that's our new motto down here whenever we query (or hell, the fact that we haven't given up on the dream of getting published all together) *gonads of insanity*!

kellion92 said:

And yes, I think there are definitely times when no response is a breach of human etiquette and behavior, regardless of agency policy. For example, if you have met the agent, have a solid referral, or have previously corresponded about another manuscript, common courtesy requires a response.

Click to expand...

THIS!

Soul, "gonads of insanity" = excellent.

Steve, congrats on existing! And good luck! The shark scares me.

LOL, Red and, yes, soul, that's what we have, 'gonads of insanity.'

Considering 'gonads of insanity,' I can't help but think of Eminem at the end of 8 Mile.

I recommend it for anyone who hasn't seen it. Eminem plays a HS dropout factory worker who dreams of being a hip hop artist. He lives in a trailer with his alcoholic mom and his little half-sister.

Every weekend there is a hip hop "battle" at the local club called 8 Mile. It works like a tornament and the audience decides the winner. The rappers battle essentially by dissing the competing rapper.

At end he reaches the "championship" against a rapper who's posse has tormented Eminem & his boys throughout the movie. Before Eminem goes up on stage one of his boys asks him, "Are you afraid of what he's going to say?" referring to the other rapper.

The light clicks in Eminem's head and he knows what he's going to rap about. He doesn't diss the opponent, he disses himself. He raps about being a bum, living with his mom in a trailer, his girl sleeping with a guy from the rival posse, etc. When he finishes he throws the mic at his opponent as if saying, "There's nothing bad you can say about me that I didn't already say." The opponent is left speachless and Eminem wins.

Eminem essentially us in The Pit. What can anyone else say to us that we aren't saying about ourselves?

Great analogy, Steve. I saw 8 mile before but never made that connection...though now he's freaking beyond rich and...well...I don't think I'll ever live up to THAT

Yeah, Soul, he's rich now but the character in the movie wasn't and never will be. Remember, he left the victory celebration to go back to work the nightshift at the factory.

Oh yeah! You're right. That movie was based on his real life wasn't it? (except the ending lol)

Steve, perfect analogy.

Hang in there, Steve. Very wise in sending to previous agents who requested or referred. I always hit the ones who told me to send in anything else. Those are first picks.

(((Cricket)))

Had one book reviewer ask for a copy of PJ. Then he wanted to know how I got the idea and asked for a blog article. He didn't know what he was getting himself into. Ideas and creation is a mixed bag of nuts. It didn't come to me like it did Rowling on a train, full-bloom and ready to go.

http://blacklagoonreviews.blogspot.com/2011/05/guest-post-with-chris-stevenson.html

Tri

{{{Steve}}}

Never saw 8 Mile, but I love the song, even though I'm not much into rap.

Gonads of Insanity, me likey. Though, to point out the obvious, Steve was born with them, I had to grow a pair. Doesn't that count for something?

*scratches chin* good question, Cricket.

So I'm wondering what you all think / writer's retreats and/or seminars on how to write (or write better). Do you think they are worth while or more often than not a waste of money?