I see writers frequently posting on blogs and on Twitter about rejections they've received from literary agents. I always feel a bit uncomfortable seeing those comments. Unless you are incredibly lucky, rejection is a part of the publishing business, and I can't help but wonder: Who else is reading those posts? If you post your ten thousandth rejection, might not an agent who has your manuscript think perhaps those other agents had a good reason for the rejections? Might not that taint their opinion of your work before they've even read it?
Granted, some people don't blog or Tweet under their real name, but still, nothing on the net is truly anonymous. Sometimes it's not a matter of can you say these things online, but should you? You just might be shooting yourself in the proverbial foot.
It's easy to feel frustrated and overwhelmed or to wonder if it will ever happen. Trust me. I've been there. Just stop and think a bit before you unleash your frustration on the world. Rejection happens. You can't control it, but you can control your own response.
And don't get me started on writers who routinely make public slurs against agents or editors or publishers. People see it, folks; they talk and they remember. Wouldn't you rather be remembered for something like, oh, your work?
And if you haven't read it yet, you should definitely go read this article by Andrew Shaffer.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
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8 comments:
No kidding. Sometimes I think people don't quite get the reality of how public the internet is.
If you want to complain about how horrible you think someone's treated you, then use email to talk to the friends you're trying to reach, or IM. Don't stick it out there for Google Alert to grab. The last thing an agent wants to see is a potential client trashing people who they work with and count as friends.
I'll admit to doing a query stat round-up, but I didn't name names, and it was a trunked book by that point, so it's not exactly the same thing.
I also find people posting acceptance e-mails to be in bad taste. Nothing wrong with quoting part of it, you know, like a nice comment about the story, but some people post contract info and everything.
Maybe it's just me, but it seems like too much.
Absolutely, Josin. And I don't think posting stats for a trunked novel is problematic.
Ken, I agree with you. That communication, in my mind, is a private business agreement between the publication and the writer, not something for general consumption.
One other thing to be aware of is that you don't know who is following you anonymously. I have several anonymous followers. They don't show up in the followers box, but I know that they are there.
Damien,
I agree. When I first started my blog a few years ago, I watched what I said--still do. Folks should read what they're about to post several times before they press "publish."
Reasonable comments of those who work hard to be successful.
On the other hand, you have to understand the ones who are left behind: getting published is hard to achieve, using the social web to complain or just mourn is easy.
Telling them not to do so might be good advice, but please accept, that the complaints are the noise of the rat race out there - in former times we just didn't hear them this loud ...
Fandom, I certainly don't begrudge anyone a gripe or two. I know how difficult this business can be. I just caution folks against doing it publicly.
Excellent post, Damien. I'm often shocked at what people post, whether under their real name or not. Why anyone would be compelled to use a totally open forum to bash someone they profess to want to work with is beyond me.
I do want to say too that I understand Fandom's response; it's hard not to vent frustrations, particularly when you have people commiserating with you. I was there not so long ago. But had I vented about every frustration and every rejection, I imagine I'd still *be* there, because no one wants to take on a pain in the butt client who moans about every slight. So I was cautious in my
public posts because earning representation and a publishing deal were more important than short-term b!tching. At the risk of sounding harsh, I've got to say that in the long run it was very much worth sucking it up.
I now have a publishing contract and I know my new editor has Googled me. It showed up on my tracking report from my website. At the risk of turning this response into a whole new post, let me just say I appreciate your directness. Keep up the great work.
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