There are a lot of us agents out here trying to do all that we can to help out with your writing career. We provide feedback. We give you suggestions. With that said, you have to remember that you simply cannot take us literally all of the time.
This business is very subjective. There are simply too many times when the only answer we can give is, "it all depends on the situation." Your story, the person you are sending it to, and what the editors and agents ask for vary far too much to make a blanket rule.
Along the same lines, remember that things change in this business. What worked last year might not work this year.
In the end, you have to use your brain. Think! what is going to work best for your situation. This doesn't mean you ignore the guidelines of who you are submitting to, but adapt.
Scott
Interesting... What is it that you are looking for at this exact moment?
ReplyDeleteDenise,
ReplyDeleteThe point is that when you hear some professional saying something, sometimes the literal meaning is not what they are stressing. A good example of this is when an agent says they are struggling selling their contemporary stories. Does this mean that contemporaries aren't selling? No! It only means that they can't sell their stories.