Agents
Looked up agents in the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook today and tried to imagine some hardbitten jaded contemptuous agent reading the first 30 pages of my novel. Blanched. Looked at the first few pages of my novel and decided it was crap. Rewrites! Rewrites!
Finished the Tacitus. Nobody comes out of it very well except a delicious general called Corbulo, who very wisely stays out of Rome throughout Nero's reign, fighting the Armenians and displaying a dazzling and sexy range of military competence, a la Russell Crowe at the beginning of Gladiator.
The lovely Cormac, who normally takes Thursday's yoga class and constantly reminds us in his delightful soft Irish brogue just to experience our yoga practice today and not to judge ourselves, was mysteriously absent and substituted by a Yorkshire woman with a flat boring voice and enormous boobs. It was not an improvement.
Finished the Tacitus. Nobody comes out of it very well except a delicious general called Corbulo, who very wisely stays out of Rome throughout Nero's reign, fighting the Armenians and displaying a dazzling and sexy range of military competence, a la Russell Crowe at the beginning of Gladiator.
The lovely Cormac, who normally takes Thursday's yoga class and constantly reminds us in his delightful soft Irish brogue just to experience our yoga practice today and not to judge ourselves, was mysteriously absent and substituted by a Yorkshire woman with a flat boring voice and enormous boobs. It was not an improvement.
posted by FBT at 9:21 pm
3 Comments:
"looked at first few pages..." been there, done that. Stick with it. Some of the things agents receive are truly dire. Infantile, hackneyed, hopelessly twisting in on themselves and collapsing very quickly. I am sure you don't fall into that category, since your writing here doesn't. Once again, stick with it, plus confidence and deep breathing.
I think you should call them anyway. Better to not think it absolutely perfect - then your heart won't break when the editor wants to rework it. People get publishing contracts for abstracts, let alone whole books. In fact, I'd argue you're running *behind* on getting an agent, now get to work!
Also, you might have a look at the acknowledgments in some other books - might give you some idea of agents who come recommended or who tend to represent your style of work.
you make a good point, DG. Pre-emptive self-defence - I like it.
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