What We Say We Represent, We Really Do Mean It

I have to post this today because I find it really funny. Now, when I say funny, I mean, it is something I laugh at because I can see how unprofessional, and yes I am going to say "stupid" here, people are in this business. People who think they somehow know better. 

I want you to learn from these people and to NOT do what they are doing. I especially want you to learn from this considering this is another one of those "AGENT" people that someone has gone out and hired to find an AGENT to represent their client. 

When an agent or an editor states clearly on their website (or for that matter anywhere in public) what they represent or acquire. That is it. This is a black and white issue. There are no tricks to this. There are not hidden secrets. We are not like the "secret menu" at Starbucks or any other restaurant. We put that information out there for a reason. To help you make the right decision. To help you decide if we are the right place to send your project to. Here is an analogy.

If you see this...

Are you going to yell at the store manager when they don't have...

I would doubt it. 

You wouldn't even go into the store. You would drive right by it and go find the store that is right for you. Why? Because you used that skill you learned in Pre-school and Kindergarten when you started with...

And yet...

Here we are today. With this nice little rant on a Thursday. When I say I only represent traditional romance and women's fiction. When I say I DO NOT represent movies. What do you think that means? 

So I got one...and I rejected it... Because it was a Mafia, Thriller, Screenplay with no romance at all. 

And the guy proceeded to reply back with how the state of the industry had gone down hill and how on Earth could someone turn down someone who had been represented by William Morrow (OK, so if he had been why isn't he now and why is he selling his soul to this guy?) and he had sold over 20+ books with WM and I can see his success on Google and Amazon (again, if he was that good, why isn't he still there?)... 

But I am getting sidetracked. How is it the industry that is failing. It is the simple fact that we have another case of someone not using their reading skills. What I say I represent, I really do mean it. 

End of story. 

Please share this.