*Sniff, Sniff*

I smell a flame war. Bookends has opened a can of worms. On the blog Ms. Faust has opened a posts to talk about #agentfail. I haven't done anything today because I'm reading the train wreck IP. It's sad really, because Faust had good intentions. Nothing like a few bad apples to turn a learning lesson into a cluster%^&*#.

What do you think of #agentfail?

"We'll Call You"

I've come across this variation on several agent sites. It's not necessarily "we'll call you", but "we will respond only if we are interested". There have been many discussions about this being rude, unprofessional, or it makes totally sense so stop your whining.

I'm curious to know how often do authors get the short end of the stick in this business. All these invisible rules are set up to further our career (don't talk bad about other author's books, don't make fun of psycho fans, don't react to horrible reviews, don't bad mouth agent/publisher/editor but only if they are scammers, ESPECIALLY don't talk about being dropped as an author, never talk about the publishers who give crappy advances....)

I've witnessed more than one author crucified in this business. Some well deserved, especially when a normal person would have walked away with what little dignity they had left. And, then there are the authors who are just crucified.

So, what parts of publishing do authors truly get the short end of the stick? Or what do you consider the cost of doing business and authors should just suck it up?

Agent Blogs: The Blessing and The Curse

I'm sure I'm not the only writer who subscribe to agent blogs. These blogs are a wealth of information. Unlike places like Agent Query, Query Tracker, and Publisher Marketplace (these places give you the bare essentials) you get a sense of who the agent is, how they work, what they like or whether or not they are insane. There is nothing worse than finding out your dream agent doesn't fit after you've signed. (Well, finding out your agent doesn't have the contacts necessary to sell your manuscript.)

I know I've found out how an agent likes query letters including what you can leave out. I've also found out what they love and things that will get you an automatic rejection. But at some point reading these blogs can become an information overload. On one hand they tell you what the hell send the query. In the next blog post they complain about people who don't read their guidelines i.e. what they represent.

Today's question: How helpful have you found agent blogs?