I had to think seriously about this, because this is data that could, potentially, make an agent (me) look bad. Very bad. Very very very bad. Worthy of hatemail and scorn and bad karma and tossed tomatoes. Do I know how hard it is to write 200 pages? Well, sort of. (I've considered cranking out 200 pages just so I know.)
But our incredibly busy schedules limit the time we have to spend with each manuscript. (And though I'd LOVE to simply drink tea and read all day, unfortunately, there are other things to do as well.) We know we have to get to the good ones ASAP, or someone else will snap them up. So where to our time constraints, and your readability/publishability/writing ability, intersect?
For the greater writer good, I am risking wrath and giving you an inside look into what actually happens when we receive your manuscripts--and I will make a line graph of the number of pages it usually takes me to reach a decision about whether a manuscript works or not.
You see the potential for unpopularity: no one wants to write 300 pages, only to be rejected after the reading of one. Alternately, no one wants to assume that we get to page 299 loving it--and then there's a twist that changes everything--so close, so close and yet so far! (Truth be told, if we get to 299 and love it except for page 300, the vast majority of us would tell you how to fix it. So don't worry too much about that. Also, unless you insult me personally in the first page, I will read more.)
For the greater writer good, I am risking wrath and giving you an inside look into what actually happens when we receive your manuscripts--and I will make a line graph of the number of pages it usually takes me to reach a decision about whether a manuscript works or not.
You see the potential for unpopularity: no one wants to write 300 pages, only to be rejected after the reading of one. Alternately, no one wants to assume that we get to page 299 loving it--and then there's a twist that changes everything--so close, so close and yet so far! (Truth be told, if we get to 299 and love it except for page 300, the vast majority of us would tell you how to fix it. So don't worry too much about that. Also, unless you insult me personally in the first page, I will read more.)
I'd like to get a good sample--the other charts were based on more than 100 queries, so for purposes of statistical analysis, it'll be awhile before I feel like I have a good number.
That said, there are currently 144 of the best crop of manuscripts I've ever seen in my inbox.
So, not to worry--plenty of material to work with.
2 comments:
You said you'd announce the winner... but uhhhh you didn't. :)
hehe who won?!?!?
I actually like that you posted this, plus, I'm not much of the salad throwing kind of gal when I hear something I don't like. What you said did make me wonder something...you mentioned how if you liked the majority of the book, but not necessarily the ending, it wasn't "out" for you yet, pending on revisions.
Does this ring true with other parts of the book as well? If there's a particular chapter that just doesn't do it for you but you still like the story ... ?
I find it fascinating, all this agent stuff. Especially how the business of agenting is essentially the same, but every agent has their own personal twist to it.
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