who's qualified to give advice?

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Sydewinder

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I'm just curious - I see so many people on the various AW threads telling other people what they need to do to get an agent or get published, and then you dig a little deeper into the advice-givers (their blogs or comments on other threads) and realize they're not agented, not published, nor does it seem they've ever worked in publishing.

There is a saying that goes something like: Don't take career advice from anyone you wouldn't switch places with.

Do you think such advice is true for the publishing industry?
 

KathleenD

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Ehhh... some of the best advice I've gotten has been from the unpublished here.

Look for people citing their sources (citing SFWA, QueryShark, Making Light, et al, is better than a parking garage validation in terms of money saved), and look to see how many people are saying a thing. Things like "money flows to the writer" and "wait for an epub to survive a year before tying up your copyright with them" and "the stuff that's trendy in print now was acquired two years ago so don't try to write to trend" is all totally valid no matter who says it, IMO.

Mind you, I've ignored the second example twice, and both times I had my reasons. But it's still a good, sensible rule of thumb.
 

Smish

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Yes and no.

There are unagented and unpublished folks who know what they're talking about. They've done the research, have seen what works and what doesn't, and have experiences to share.

There are also unagented and unpublished folks who are clueless and/or crazy.

It's pretty easy to recognize who is who.

Also - listen up, this is important - there are agented and/or published folks who give bad advice. What works for one person doesn't always work for another.

Good luck. ;)
 

Amarie

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I've been here a couple of years and I'd say about 80-85% of the advice here is good, whether it's from published or unpublished writers. Publishing is an evolving business, so the value of the advice is better when it comes from people keeping up with the industry, published or unpublished.
 

Sydewinder

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Ehhh... some of the best advice I've gotten has been from the unpublished here.

Look for people citing their sources (citing SFWA, QueryShark, Making Light, et al, is better than a parking garage validation in terms of money saved), and look to see how many people are saying a thing. Things like "money flows to the writer" and "wait for an epub to survive a year before tying up your copyright with them" and "the stuff that's trendy in print now was acquired two years ago so don't try to write to trend"

I think those little nuggets are more common sense things that only the willfully ignorant don't know. It would fall in line with advice like "Don't publish with Publish America" or "don't stick that fork in the outlet."

But you're right, checking sources is a good idea, which is what I did to lead me to this query. :) Of course, the first creative writing class I took was run buy a guy who wasn't published. I thought that was strange. Made me feel a bit like a dummy for paying without checking the bio first. LOL
 

DeleyanLee

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Depends.

I'll listen to advice from people who have already accomplished what I want to do. If I'm trying to finish a book, then people who have finished the book--published or not--has experience to share.

If I'm having problems writing a scene or constructing a character or figuring out how to edit my own work--published and unpublished can contribute to the conversation and give me ideas.

I'm looking for an agent? Then those with agents, but are still unpublished, have knowledge that I could use.

Published is nice, but published isn't everything.

That said, all advice should be taken with a sack of salt and measured against your own personal goals for your writing. No one else can know how your process works (maybe not even you, which is why trial and error is the main learning tool) or exactly why you're doing this.

Like clothing, "one size fits most" but you're not always going to know what fits until you try it on. I've also got some of the best advice from unpubs and some of the most destructive from pubs.
 

Polenth

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One thing to consider is where the advice came from. And by that, I don't mean the messenger pigeon (which is what you're focusing on), but where it actually came from. I'll tell people not to sign with PA, but it's not because I've ever been a publisher and I've never been a victim myself. I know what's going on because people who are in publishing and have been victims have put the information out there.

Anyone who discounted that advice because I don't have an agent or work in publishing is making a mistake.

There are times when people give advice that seems to have been pulled from the clouds, but it's not unusual for someone unpublished who's been around for awhile to know what the professionals have said the last hundred times it was asked.
 

Monkey

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If it's something like a critique, I'd say everyone is qualified to give their opinion and advice. It's the author's job to determine what applies to them and what doesn't. Someone may never have written so much as a short story, but know that your main character is coming off as a whiner.

The same thing applies to anything put forth as a "rule" of writing. Anyone can give their advice--it's up to the writer to decide how much credit to give any particular opinion.

The opinion or "rule" or critique should be judged on its merits, not on who posted it.

If you're ever in doubt about something someone says, you can always ask others and get a general consensus, or ask them directly where they got their info, or double-check elsewhere. No harm in it.

You're more likely to get into trouble by taking someone else's word as law just because you believe them to be "qualified" to give advice than you are by considering each "rule" set before you on its own merits, with a bit of research thrown in.
 
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Phaeal

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I am actually the only one who knows the truth, but, noblesse oblige, I let everyone else talk too.
 

stormie

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But there are people here who don't acknowledge all of their publishing credits on their blogs or here. They'd rather remain anonymous.

Or those who had an agent but parted ways for some reason or other.

And I know of a few who are not published at all (or say they aren't published) yet they can give very good advice.

What I've noticed through the years about AW (as opposed to other writer's boards) is that there is a good give-and-take among the members. If something doesn't sound quite right, it'll be discussed.
 

brainstorm77

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That's why you pick and choose.
 
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Don Allen

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Put it this way. You're in a car accident and cut your leg, a man offers to tourniquet your leg. Sound advice, sound practice, but the man wasn't a doctor, he was car mechanic.

Thank you sir, wrap my leg.

The point is that some of your best advice will come from people whom have doggedly tried to get published and found every pot hole along the way....Listen to them, perhaps their guidance will enlighten you in ways a one hit wonder couldn't dream.
 

RobJ

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Put it this way. You're in a car accident and cut your leg, a man offers to tourniquet your leg. Sound advice, sound practice, but the man wasn't a doctor, he was car mechanic.

Thank you sir, wrap my leg.
Wait a minute. You said the guy is a car mechanic. Get a fixed price quote before you let him wrap that leg.
 

CheyElizabeth

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If you hang around long enough, you start reading the same advice time and again. That's when you know it's good advice.
 

Cyia

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The state of being unpublished makes someone a novice every bit as much as publication makes another someone an expert.
 

Sydewinder

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Put it this way. You're in a car accident and cut your leg, a man offers to tourniquet your leg. Sound advice, sound practice, but the man wasn't a doctor, he was car mechanic.

Thank you sir, wrap my leg.

Until you realize that the ambulance is too far away and the tourniquet was left on too long, and now you're going to lose the leg. All b/c someone thought a trouniquet was better than pressure. Tsk tsk :)
 
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bearilou

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There is a saying that goes something like: Don't take career advice from anyone you wouldn't switch places with.

Do you think such advice is true for the publishing industry?

Yes, I think it is. Then again, I think any advice offered, regardless of who gives it, should be given due consideration and do some degree of research, regardless of who gives it.

...ohwait...I'm unagented and unpublished... :D
 

Jersey Chick

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Well, I don't have an agent. Then again, I haven't tried to get one.

I am published, but I hesitate to give any nitty-gritty advice because I don't think I'm expert enough. I don't know I'll ever know half of what some people around here know.

It isn't just a matter of published/unpublished or agented/unagented that makes someone's advice sound.
 

Sydewinder

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Well, I don't have an agent. Then again, I haven't tried to get one.

I am published, but I hesitate to give any nitty-gritty advice because I don't think I'm expert enough. I don't know I'll ever know half of what some people around here know.

It isn't just a matter of published/unpublished or agented/unagented that makes someone's advice sound.

True - but I just tend to give more weight to the advice of someone who is where I want to be, rather than someone who is at my level or below. The person who is where I want to be is talking from experience that worked at least once. The person at my level is either saying something they heard, or offering advice that hasn't worked for them. ... yet
 

Jersey Chick

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But you don't necessarily know if they are or aren't. Someone might know all the ins and outs of having an agent, but have chosen not to pursue representation for one reason or another.

Or what if the person giving advice isn't a writer, but someone here who has a background in publishing/agenting?
 

COchick

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Just like any advice you get on anything, you have to decide if it fits you.

However, I have noticed there are some on this board passing out (sometimes bad) advice like it's going out of style.
 

Sydewinder

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But you don't necessarily know if they are or aren't. Someone might know all the ins and outs of having an agent, but have chosen not to pursue representation for one reason or another.

Or what if the person giving advice isn't a writer, but someone here who has a background in publishing/agenting?

Yeah, I'm talking about when you know. 90% of the time you can tell. EG- you go to their blog and they're talking about the trials of finding an agent. or on other threads they're asking the same questions they're answering ...
 
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