Several of you wrote in mentioning that you were relieved that I didn't list your queries in the section (several posts below) where I noted author mistakes.
What I should have said is this: the mistakes that register on our radar are so very different than yours--if you're here, you not only do research, but care about the feelings of agents enough to read their blogs.
If you make genuine, well-intentioned, well-meaning mistakes, 95 times out of 100, we will forgive you. We've taken on works that had barely average query letters. (Not that you should aim for mediocrity, mind you.) We've ignored so many spelling and grammatical errors (even my least favorite, the wrong "it's/its"), you have no idea. (Again, not advisable, just letting you know.) We've taken on work by authors who insisted on calling us down to the lobby to drop off work in person. (Grr.) We've even taken on work by those who dared send us sweets. While all of us are on our respective diets. (Triple Grrr, she says after a fistful of Godiva.)
In other words: if you are (again) a nice person, we'll let a lot go by. Especially if you are a nice person who has work we love. Then, well, you could theoretically make all the mistakes in the book, as long as you're still nice, responsible, honest, trustworthy and hardworking. I haven't tested this hypothesis--our writers are well-behaved--but, well, you know.
It's the authors of ambiguous (or not so ambiguous) intention we're worried about. In the years I've been in this business, I've seen all kinds of strange behavior--authors writing in second-person about horrific torture-murder scenes (you try to like someone after they've just written, "And then I tie you to a chair--and then I pull your hairs out, one by one"--and worse!); one manuscript arrived with a bloody fingerprint (we were pretty sure it was real blood), and several authors have seemed to know a little too much about the crimes committed by their protagonists.
I share the work of the ill-intentioned and under-researched to reassure you. You are doing research. And you are, if I interpret your comments correctly, really rather nice. Research + nice equals you ahead of a good section of the rejection pie chart.
In other words: worry not. Write on.
2 comments:
HAHA did you have the fingerprint crime lab tested?
So, what you're saying is...if I'm nice you'll take my work! *slaps on a big grin and sends you a 10 page query praising you and joking with you*
So, when can I expect that contract? ;)
Seriously though, it's good to know that I'm on the right track reading industry blogs and getting to know people. It just seemed like the natural thing to do.
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