This is absolutely the problem in the literary world today; instant gratification. It’s no longer about getting dressed and hopping down to the local bookstore to leave with leaf in hand. You can now have the newest copy of a book downloaded directly to your computer or cell phone (or smart phone as they are now often called). Everything has the capability of being done in point-two seconds, and if more effort is required, most people just do not want to expend such energy.

This is where fan fiction comes into play; and it goes beyond the type of writing that Jenny mentioned. We now have a plethora of second-rate amateur writers who consider themselves “authors”, and do not seem to grasp the concept that they are putting so much of an effort into something that can never really and truly be their own.

They become addicted to and dependent on the instant “fame”–and I use this word with caution in the cyber world–that comes with being a fan fiction writer, and suddenly believe, “Oh yes, I can do this! I am a writer and people love me; therefore, I should be published.”

Now, although I have read a great deal of very unique fan fiction, and do believe that with the right amount of work and effort some people can indeed become published (and some that I know already have), there are just too many people living in a fantasy land. As a result, there is a lot of bad writing to which the fan fiction community (or the fandom as so many people call it) is subjected.

It has gotten entirely out of hand, and I see it much too often these days because of the website that I run. So many people who have become “famous”–again, used with caution–on websites like fanfiction.net believe that having thousands of reader reviews translates into instant book deals.

Well I would beg to differ. I have read portions of a story where the writer had 70 000 (plus) reviews and the work was simply a mess. However, if that second-rate writer is capable of appealing to a vast amount of second-rate readers then gaining tens of thousands of reader reviews isn’t much of a feat at all. Meanwhile, you have other fan fiction writers who are working to create their own unique story (that could eventually be a novel), and are getting no attention whatsoever.

In my opinion, I believe that fan fiction encourages an already lazy (literary) society to never go that extra step in search of a challenge.

I hope this wasn’t too convoluted. I just happen to be coming from the fan fiction side of things, and have reached my capacity to endure word-vomit.

Although, I do agree, it is frustrating when you labor over a query, and it gets you a read of the first 50 pages, and the agent holds your manuscript for a month (exclusively), and finally…replies with a canned rejection offering no critique.

At least you replied to the author’s query and gave your honest critique. I wish more agents would reply to our queries instead of making us wait and wait and wait.

Thank you
Jim Grebey

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!

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