tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812909700950069050.post5915392503781488355..comments2024-03-16T01:00:59.945-04:00Comments on Query Shark: #80Janet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812909700950069050.post-45132672567501107752008-12-23T17:35:00.000-05:002008-12-23T17:35:00.000-05:00I guess I should feel good that my query letter ha...I guess I should feel good that my query letter hasn't been roasted on the site; yet I'm a bit blue because my real query letter didn't light your fire. Oh well, such is the life of the neophyte author. Got to keep trying all those agents then ,don't I?DCShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03125613995070496696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812909700950069050.post-14323528852975887572008-11-02T18:45:00.000-05:002008-11-02T18:45:00.000-05:00I thought the title meant it was a story about a M...I thought the title meant it was a story about a Mac user.Shona Snowdenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02588447219623308333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812909700950069050.post-56512178148353738402008-09-26T13:19:00.000-04:002008-09-26T13:19:00.000-04:00Tolkien uses exclamation marks in almost every lin...Tolkien uses exclamation marks in almost every line of dialogue. After a while you cease to notice.nonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00415222406280230021noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812909700950069050.post-3636840738867258752008-09-23T08:37:00.000-04:002008-09-23T08:37:00.000-04:00Just one point on technology - a reel to reel tape...Just one point on technology - a reel to reel tape recorder is an analog recording device, not digital.<BR/><BR/>My plea to anyone using technology as a plot device is this: please do your research on the technologies used. There is nothing more frustrating to a technically adept reader than implausible placement of computers and gadgets.<BR/><BR/>I'm not asking to limit fiction to reality, per se. That would be boring. And perilous. Imagine if Scotty had never been able to beam Kirk up...Rick Daleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05173516899130463413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812909700950069050.post-58375878124471428842008-09-21T02:56:00.000-04:002008-09-21T02:56:00.000-04:00I'm hoping the digital tactics involve robots!Your...I'm hoping the digital tactics involve robots!<BR/><BR/>Your day job is a bit hazy. It isn't clear if you helped found the thing in 2000, or whether you joined later. That's only one of the unclear things in the query, but I don't think anyone's mentioned that one yet.Polenthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14029549865473069051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812909700950069050.post-50987915446287379262008-09-19T13:21:00.000-04:002008-09-19T13:21:00.000-04:00subject, verb, clause. Thank you thank you thank ...subject, verb, clause. Thank you thank you thank you. I wish someone would scream this from the mountain tops!!ssashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15527483283426518167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812909700950069050.post-51026511440958639422008-09-19T02:27:00.000-04:002008-09-19T02:27:00.000-04:00I nominated your for an "I Love Your Blog" award (...I nominated your for an "I Love Your Blog" award (http://gabrielbeyers.blogspot.com/2008/09/you-like-me-you-really-like-me-i-would.html). I hope you don't mind.Gabehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01681544221244043315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812909700950069050.post-9209388672279771382008-09-18T19:38:00.000-04:002008-09-18T19:38:00.000-04:00I like exclamation marks. Anyone who rejects someo...I like exclamation marks. Anyone who rejects someone for using an exclamation mark in a query letter is probably not going to like the same things I do though. <BR/><BR/>If you want a sober, stiffnecked punctuation puritan, you probably don't want me for an agent.<BR/><BR/>Wait, let me re-punctuate: If you want a sober, stiff-necked punctuation puritan, you probably don't want me for an agent!!!!Janet Reidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812909700950069050.post-30522918598435690462008-09-18T19:33:00.000-04:002008-09-18T19:33:00.000-04:00Janet, you scare and awe me. lolJanet, you scare and awe me. lolSabina E.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14679639206346030919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812909700950069050.post-83961951287947233522008-09-18T15:40:00.000-04:002008-09-18T15:40:00.000-04:00It doesn't matter how much you tweek and perfect y...It doesn't matter how much you tweek and perfect your query letter, you still have a 90 percent chance of being rejected. I must have changed my query letter to my first book 10 times...nothing worked.The Rejection Queenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01288683065588449736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812909700950069050.post-3481726618663135072008-09-17T16:26:00.000-04:002008-09-17T16:26:00.000-04:00i took the parts of the letter and put them into a...i took the parts of the letter and put them into a notepad doc, just to see if it read well without your commentary, it didnt. i dont understand how someone can write 95k words and mess up the pitch so badly.ricgalbraithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17217465975152924203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812909700950069050.post-84570968233125615922008-09-16T18:19:00.000-04:002008-09-16T18:19:00.000-04:00I liked the link to the panties. Although that loo...I liked the link to the panties. Although that looks a lot like Chairman Mao in the pocket rather than some old, low tech recorder. Somehow, I'm thinking good ol' Mao might get you a bit further in the new world than a big, whirling box.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812909700950069050.post-63534226957344784992008-09-16T16:34:00.000-04:002008-09-16T16:34:00.000-04:00I didn't even notice the exclamation marks when I ...I didn't even notice the exclamation marks when I read through it the first time since I wasn't bored or annoyed enough to actually kick into edit mode, but I agree. I've been told exclamation points should only be used for 1) the most extreme cases or 2) when no matter what you say, it doesn't seem to cover the over-the-top-ness of the statement.Teagenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10595226597188375674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812909700950069050.post-53460740428751636362008-09-16T16:30:00.000-04:002008-09-16T16:30:00.000-04:00When I first read the title, I thought it sounded ...When I first read the title, I thought it sounded kind of interesting, but reading the rest, I got the sense that this would be a total mess as a book. And the part about digital tactics lost me altogether because I have no idea what you mean (as Janet said). I don't know. This letter overall kind of confused me and I lost all interest.Teagenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10595226597188375674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812909700950069050.post-68498927221489230962008-09-16T11:43:00.000-04:002008-09-16T11:43:00.000-04:00I see you added an exclamation point to "Thank you...I see you added an exclamation point to "Thank you for your time and consideration."<BR/><BR/>I've been told exclamation points were taboo. Unless! You! Really! Mean! It!<BR/><BR/>I'm probably being really picky, and I'm sure it wouldn't make a difference a request for a partial or a form rejection.<BR/><BR/>Any thoughts?Kathryn Hupp-Harrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03776391661543060879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812909700950069050.post-40338752931060120862008-09-16T11:18:00.000-04:002008-09-16T11:18:00.000-04:00Trying hard to show that you have researched the a...Trying hard to show that you have researched the agent/editor in question and know that your book is right for them can lead to these issues of having old information. I don't think there's an easy answer except doing even more research to make sure the facts are correct. Or just limiting the information to what can be found on their website, but that still may not show who is a current client.Sarah Laurensonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09252565450452195395noreply@blogger.com