Comments on: How to Stay Sane While Querying Literary Agents http://www.tinhouse.com/blog/16373/how-to-stay-sane-while-querying-literary-agents.html Home of the magazine, the books, and the conference Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:07:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: susan jane terry http://www.tinhouse.com/blog/16373/how-to-stay-sane-while-querying-literary-agents.html#comment-76765 susan jane terry Mon, 20 May 2013 07:45:05 +0000 http://www.tinhouse.com/blog/?p=16373#comment-76765 Thank you for a much-needed article. Since beginning my querying, I have tired of reading the tarot cards all day. Slush Pile From Hell was the funniest thing I've read in a long time. I don't know what I'm doing. I wanted to have fire power so I finished three books in five months, thinking I would have big-time ammo there. Since querying, I'm almost finished with a fourth (it's a murder mystery about a woman who can't get an agent) and things are progressing fairly well. I started this whole process on Facebook and the only way I could begin the querying or, for that matter, finish any of these fabulous books, was to get off Facebook. Now that I have an extra 24 hours in my day, I know I can do anything. Thanks for the advice. For anyone who has to practice patience when they are dreaming of private jets, it's good solid advice. I think. Thank you for a much-needed article. Since beginning my querying, I have tired of reading the tarot cards all day. Slush Pile From Hell was the funniest thing I’ve read in a long time. I don’t know what I’m doing. I wanted to have fire power so I finished three books in five months, thinking I would have big-time ammo there. Since querying, I’m almost finished with a fourth (it’s a murder mystery about a woman who can’t get an agent) and things are progressing fairly well. I started this whole process on Facebook and the only way I could begin the querying or, for that matter, finish any of these fabulous books, was to get off Facebook. Now that I have an extra 24 hours in my day, I know I can do anything. Thanks for the advice. For anyone who has to practice patience when they are dreaming of private jets, it’s good solid advice. I think.

]]> By: Jane http://www.tinhouse.com/blog/16373/how-to-stay-sane-while-querying-literary-agents.html#comment-56619 Jane Thu, 14 Mar 2013 15:40:49 +0000 http://www.tinhouse.com/blog/?p=16373#comment-56619 I love this. At the same time I want to disagree with "Get the hell off Facebook: When I say “Facebook,” I also mean Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, whatever." All the agents, voicing the state of the publishering industry, want to know you have a ready-made "platform". And by "platform" they mean followers and by followers they mean Twitter, etc. So yes, my dog is now tweeting multiple times a day, tweeting almost more often than he takes a pee. But he's gaining followers. As the grass is green, thus goes the publishing industry. I love this. At the same time I want to disagree with “Get the hell off Facebook: When I say “Facebook,” I also mean Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, whatever.” All the agents, voicing the state of the publishering industry, want to know you have a ready-made “platform”. And by “platform” they mean followers and by followers they mean Twitter, etc. So yes, my dog is now tweeting multiple times a day, tweeting almost more often than he takes a pee. But he’s gaining followers. As the grass is green, thus goes the publishing industry.

]]> By: Elaine http://www.tinhouse.com/blog/16373/how-to-stay-sane-while-querying-literary-agents.html#comment-51441 Elaine Mon, 25 Feb 2013 23:18:42 +0000 http://www.tinhouse.com/blog/?p=16373#comment-51441 Wow Courtney, thank you for this!! I am glad these articles stay up as long as they do. I am on my first journey of querying agents, and after receiving four rejections in the last three months, I have started to get...do I dare admit? Okay, discouraged. A former editor at Paramount has helped me edit my work and it's very clean and--according to her--good, but I am entering a new phase of complete self-doubt. And your recommendation to start writing again sounds very, very sad. Like I'm passing a grief milestone and moving on. But it would connect me with this craft I love so much. The feeling of birth and relief after writing is what I need to focus on...oh, I forgot to mention the feeling of scuzzy mouth from not brushing. Thank you for the encouragement to keep up hygiene. At this moment I am gearing up to eat something healthy and work out. Deep down I know the rejections are a GOOD thing because I know my ms needs to be with the right agent. And maybe in a mystical way, my work is being protected from being with the wrong person. Thank you for sharing so openly your experience. So nice to know I'm not alone. Best wishes to you! Wow Courtney, thank you for this!! I am glad these articles stay up as long as they do.

I am on my first journey of querying agents, and after receiving four rejections in the last three months, I have started to get…do I dare admit? Okay, discouraged.

A former editor at Paramount has helped me edit my work and it’s very clean and–according to her–good, but I am entering a new phase of complete self-doubt. And your recommendation to start writing again sounds very, very sad. Like I’m passing a grief milestone and moving on. But it would connect me with this craft I love so much. The feeling of birth and relief after writing is what I need to focus on…oh, I forgot to mention the feeling of scuzzy mouth from not brushing.

Thank you for the encouragement to keep up hygiene. At this moment I am gearing up to eat something healthy and work out.

Deep down I know the rejections are a GOOD thing because I know my ms needs to be with the right agent. And maybe in a mystical way, my work is being protected from being with the wrong person.

Thank you for sharing so openly your experience. So nice to know I’m not alone. Best wishes to you!

]]> By: Andy Jezuitski http://www.tinhouse.com/blog/16373/how-to-stay-sane-while-querying-literary-agents.html#comment-20223 Andy Jezuitski Thu, 01 Nov 2012 14:51:39 +0000 http://www.tinhouse.com/blog/?p=16373#comment-20223 I dug the post I dug the post

]]> By: rachel snyder http://www.tinhouse.com/blog/16373/how-to-stay-sane-while-querying-literary-agents.html#comment-12402 rachel snyder Fri, 31 Aug 2012 15:44:07 +0000 http://www.tinhouse.com/blog/?p=16373#comment-12402 Great post, great advice, great tone. I queried an agent not too long ago, and a friend in NYC told me: "Don't even think about hearing back before Labor Day. All the agents are on Martha's Vineyard, drinking Chardonnay (or wishing they were), and no work is being done." Makes sense to me -- and even if it's not entirely accurate, who cares? Life goes on... Great post, great advice, great tone. I queried an agent not too long ago, and a friend in NYC told me: “Don’t even think about hearing back before Labor Day. All the agents are on Martha’s Vineyard, drinking Chardonnay (or wishing they were), and no work is being done.” Makes sense to me — and even if it’s not entirely accurate, who cares? Life goes on…

]]> By: Pam Parker http://www.tinhouse.com/blog/16373/how-to-stay-sane-while-querying-literary-agents.html#comment-12340 Pam Parker Wed, 22 Aug 2012 18:10:22 +0000 http://www.tinhouse.com/blog/?p=16373#comment-12340 Courtney - this is a terrific post! Some of your advice, I have already followed (become a reader for a literary magazine), and some I need reminders about -- especially exercise, and ahem, yes, sometimes, getting dressed in the morning. I kind of like writing in my jammies. :-) Anyway, thanks again, this post is very timely for me! Courtney – this is a terrific post! Some of your advice, I have already followed (become a reader for a literary magazine), and some I need reminders about — especially exercise, and ahem, yes, sometimes, getting dressed in the morning. I kind of like writing in my jammies. :-) Anyway, thanks again, this post is very timely for me!

]]> By: A Roundup of Writing Posts | Pam Writes http://www.tinhouse.com/blog/16373/how-to-stay-sane-while-querying-literary-agents.html#comment-12339 A Roundup of Writing Posts | Pam Writes Wed, 22 Aug 2012 17:59:39 +0000 http://www.tinhouse.com/blog/?p=16373#comment-12339 [...] In query letter hell? Check out Courtney Maum’s post at the Tin House blog, How to Stay Sane While Querying Literary Agents. [...] [...] In query letter hell? Check out Courtney Maum’s post at the Tin House blog, How to Stay Sane While Querying Literary Agents. [...]

]]> By: Omar Luqmaan-Harris (@BookMarketing33) http://www.tinhouse.com/blog/16373/how-to-stay-sane-while-querying-literary-agents.html#comment-12274 Omar Luqmaan-Harris (@BookMarketing33) Thu, 16 Aug 2012 00:20:45 +0000 http://www.tinhouse.com/blog/?p=16373#comment-12274 Thanks for writing this, I enjoyed it. I can totally relate as I collected 18 rejections before opting to self-publish my debut novel. That's the only thing I would add to your list: Take control of your own publishing destiny, invest in a great content editor, book cover design, and put your work out yourself. Thanks for writing this, I enjoyed it. I can totally relate as I collected 18 rejections before opting to self-publish my debut novel. That’s the only thing I would add to your list: Take control of your own publishing destiny, invest in a great content editor, book cover design, and put your work out yourself.

]]> By: Afternoon Bites: Inside Artists’ Colonies, A Dave Tompkins Primer, Bob Mould Gets Loud, and More | Vol. 1 Brooklyn http://www.tinhouse.com/blog/16373/how-to-stay-sane-while-querying-literary-agents.html#comment-12270 Afternoon Bites: Inside Artists’ Colonies, A Dave Tompkins Primer, Bob Mould Gets Loud, and More | Vol. 1 Brooklyn Wed, 15 Aug 2012 18:00:42 +0000 http://www.tinhouse.com/blog/?p=16373#comment-12270 [...] Courtney Maum on querying agents. [...] [...] Courtney Maum on querying agents. [...]

]]> By: Deborah Ann Lucas-LeafRiverWriter http://www.tinhouse.com/blog/16373/how-to-stay-sane-while-querying-literary-agents.html#comment-12269 Deborah Ann Lucas-LeafRiverWriter Wed, 15 Aug 2012 17:46:47 +0000 http://www.tinhouse.com/blog/?p=16373#comment-12269 I love the honesty of your post and the recommendations about reading and reviewing other peoples work. This reminds me of the lecture by Cathy Day at Midwest Writers Worshop 2012 about being a good citizen of the writing community--supporting other writers. And moving on to the next project--great advice. I am diffeent in that I resist sending my pages out when requested because I want to be sure it is my best, but when is it ever finished? Never. I know that. We all have our battles, and everyone talks about how painful the writing profession can be, but my experience tells me that most things worth achieving take work and perseverence and a daily struggle with out inner demons. For me, it's just something else to write about. Like you have in this post. I'm rooting for you. Hang in there. I love the honesty of your post and the recommendations about reading and reviewing other peoples work. This reminds me of the lecture by Cathy Day at Midwest Writers Worshop 2012 about being a good citizen of the writing community–supporting other writers. And moving on to the next project–great advice. I am diffeent in that I resist sending my pages out when requested because I want to be sure it is my best, but when is it ever finished? Never. I know that. We all have our battles, and everyone talks about how painful the writing profession can be, but my experience tells me that most things worth achieving take work and perseverence and a daily struggle with out inner demons. For me, it’s just something else to write about. Like you have in this post. I’m rooting for you. Hang in there.

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