Agent-Writer Relationship

Having read several entries of the blog, I can say she sounds like a great agent but...terrible taste in music. Just horrible. I get depressed and want to scream every time I read one of her "What's in the Ipod" updates.

Um, with all due respect, that is Kristin Nelson's blog, not Rachel Vater's. I sincerely hope you never make an error like that in a query letter! =)

LOL...ahh, that makes more sense. Sorry, I couldn't resist the gentle teasing about a serious subject. Always triple-check the right name on queries! (This being general advice not directly to you.) And yes, that was a very informative, excellent post by Rachel. =)

I also read the post Ms. Vater posted after that (August 8). I found it interesting she used my query (changed it slightly, but I could still recognize it) as an example of work she hates. I submitted it back in April and she rejected it in June, but she makes it look like she just got all these bad examples. I think she had to dig pretty hard to come up with her list of unsuitable queries.

Valona said:

I also read the post Ms. Vater posted after that (August 8). I found it interesting she used my query (changed it slightly, but I could still recognize it) as an example of work she hates. I submitted it back in April and she rejected it in June, but she makes it look like she just got all these bad examples. I think she had to dig pretty hard to come up with her list of unsuitable queries.

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Did she include similar comments with the rejection she sent you, or was it a form rejection?

arkady said:

Did she include similar comments with the rejection she sent you, or was it a form rejection?

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Form rejection.

Valona said:

I think she had to dig pretty hard to come up with her list of unsuitable queries.

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I doubt that. :] The vast majority of queries agents receive are unsuitable, but some of them make better examples than others because they create an opportunity for teachable moments.

kk

Kristen King said:

I doubt that. :] The vast majority of queries agents receive are unsuitable, but some of them make better examples than others because they create an opportunity for teachable moments.

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I guess that says volumns about my novel. Maybe I better give it up.

Valona said:

I guess that says volumns about my novel. Maybe I better give it up.

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No offense Valona, but you need to develop a thicker skin if you're going to stay in this business. Publishing can be brutal to a writer's ego, so it's imperative we learn not to take things so personally. (And yes, it's very hard and I'm still working on it myself so I understand!) Just because one particular agent dislikes your query letter doesn't mean another won't love it. And just because you may (and I say MAY because I haven't read the query in question) have a weak query letter doesn't mean the manuscript itself isn't spectacular. It just means you may need to tweak the query to showcase what is unique, fresh, and exciting about your book.

I hope you take this in the spirit it's intended. Don't give up over what one (or even more) agent says! Keep submitting, and most importantly, keep writing new things because they will get better and more marketable the more you learn.

Don't worry. I was only being facetious. I certainly have no intentions of giving up. Ms. Vater opinion isn't worth a hill of beans as far as I'm concerned. I just thought it was kind of tacky that she would use it in her blog of what constitutes a poor query. Actually, she didn't critize my query so much as my story idea. It just wasn't for her. I'm sure another agent will someday feel differently.

Valona said:

I also read the post Ms. Vater posted after that (August 8). I found it interesting she used my query (changed it slightly, but I could still recognize it) as an example of work she hates. I submitted it back in April and she rejected it in June, but she makes it look like she just got all these bad examples. I think she had to dig pretty hard to come up with her list of unsuitable queries.

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If I replied to yours in June, it wasn't your query if it was on my blog in August. When I go through the query stack and blog them, I'm also stuffing envelopes for them at the same time or replying via e-mail.

Seriously, I don't have to dig when I get hundreds of queries a week. A lot of queries are so similar, it would surprise you. In fact, that's one of the reasons I started the blog, to show there are a lot of ideas that are similar and it's possible to distinguish yours from the rest... but first you have to know what else is out there.

But I don't expect writers to take my taste as a rule or a law. It's just one agent's thoughts, which may or may not reflect another's.

Thanks for showing up Ms. Vater. You've taught me a lot about layering and premise that is bound to serve me well.

Tri