Comments for Ashley Grayson Literary Agency Blog

Comment on What’s a “hardcover e-book?” by DED

DED — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 04:36:15 +0000

Good essay. Thanks for sharing.

Comment on The ultimate agent query, NOT! by Danna Wilberg

Danna Wilberg — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:59:38 +0000

Dear Ms. Grayson,

Those of us who are new in the writing arena are encouraged to keep queries short, to the point. “Above all, don’t waste the agents time…”

I read books, attend conferences, and seek advice from anyone who has successfully made it past the query stage. Have you posted one of your favorite query letters as an example? I would love to read it. Thank you!

Comment on Amazon pulls Macmillan titles from online store by Macmillan VS Amazon and the eBook Wars « self-publishing is the new black

Macmillan VS Amazon and the eBook Wars « self-publishing is the new black — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 02:53:39 +0000

[...] There’s good analysis also from Macmillan author Charles Stross. More analysis from agents Ashley Grayson and Rachelle Gardner. A roundup of stories on the [...]

Comment on The ultimate agent query, NOT! by Paul Woodlin

Paul Woodlin — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 04:50:12 +0000

I think query letters are getting shorter because for about ten years I was being told, “Editors and agents are busy. Keep your query letter to one page. Sales people in publishing houses have short attention spans. Write a one page synopsis.” Of course, that doesn’t explain a bad query letter, but it would explain a short one.

Comment on The ultimate agent query, NOT! by Justin

Justin — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:34:46 +0000

Hi Ms. Grayson:

I understand you must receive a great deal of query letters that are poorly written, but if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to share an irony I thought about when I read your Feb 8th post.

For fiction, you only accept submissions from book-length published authors, which means the people sending you these query letters did something right in the past. I can, in all honesty and full objectivity, tell you my query letter doesn’t brag or embellish on the quality of the story, provides information about the plot, and only offers a very general protagonist bio, but you’ll never read it because I’ve only published short stories, magazine articles and newspaper columns.

Certainly I understand why that’s the case, and I’m not complaining. Your first and foremost responsibilities are to your clients, and while I might say “that’s not fair now,” if/when I get an agent I’ll expect the same thing if reading query letters significantly hinders his or her ability to help me get my novel published.

Perhaps being previously published enflames egos and that shows in the query letters, and perhaps – to your earlier point – these specific queries aren’t from authors. But certainly some of your query letters are from novelists, and while I see your point, I wonder if by selecting such a narrow audience, you invite a certain arrogance in these letters.

Just some thoughts. I’ve enjoyed following your authors and wish you the best.

-Justin

Comment on Harlequin Horizons, a mug’s game by Harlequin’s vanity press and your bottom line « Red Plume Press

Harlequin’s vanity press and your bottom line « Red Plume Press — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:00:46 +0000

[...] http://graysonagency.com/blog/publishing/harlequin-horizons-a-mugs-game/ [...]

Comment on The ultimate agent query, NOT! by Travener

Travener — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 21:11:24 +0000

I was under the impression that you weren’t open to fiction queries in the first place (whether novels or “fiction books”), as it states on your PM page. Am I wrong, or was your fiction-book querier just clueless about this, too? (And shouldn’t that be “book of fiction” anyway?)

Comment on E-books set to drive publishing in 2010 by What the iPad Needs «

What the iPad Needs « — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:16:15 +0000

[...] labs to construct a touch screen that also scans, k? I mean, the appeal of the iPod (according to this blog post, and I agree) was the ability to upload our own music to the device, right? So the ability to [...]

Comment on The ultimate agent query, NOT! by Teresa Frohock

Teresa Frohock — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:01:01 +0000

It will never cease to amaze me how a person can spend a year or more writing a novel only to dash off a query letter in twenty minutes.

I think Jenny hit the problem on the head; it’s about the instant gratification of someone finishing a novel and expecting immediate approval. There is a sense of entitlement in that anything less than complete admiration for an individual’s effort is considered as a personal affront.

I cringe every time I read a post like this on a reputable agency’s blog.

Teresa

Comment on The ultimate agent query, NOT! by Eva O'Dell

Eva O'Dell — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 02:56:18 +0000

The query letter can be a beast but it doesn’t have to be a tragedy. Thanks for the advice, I’ll be sure to delete all those things now… No more “This is the best novel in the whole world and no one will be able to resist the urge to read it”. Darn, I guess I better start over