I was reading a post over at Genreality about what to do and not to do when trying to get an agent. It's the same advice that I've read over and over. I'm still stunned that aspiring writers need to be told things like:

  • Follow submission guidelines
  • Wait until the allotted time period ends before checking in about your query
  • Don't slag off other authors in your query
What has happened to common sense? All of this seems obvious to me. Submission guidelines are there for a reason, it's like an entry exam. Are you professional enough and intelligent enough to follow instruction?

Time periods are set for a reason. Agents and editors have hundreds of queries to read and assess. This takes time. They are being professional and realistic so that they can get onto your query without telling you every day that they haven't got to it yet because they were busy dealing with their actual clients.

Since when has it made someone look better when they say bad things about someone else? You want to present yourself as someone the agent or editor wants to work with. It's a job, be professional and present yourself well.

So please, apply common sense liberally!