Or at least someone that knows more than you.

This article from the Associated Press lists the top ten blogs about writing that every writer should read, or at least read one. It’s an old article, yes, but it doesn’t make the information any less valid. There’s only one blog that doesn’t exist anymore (at least I can’t find it), Agent 007, and one that hasn’t been updated since last May, A Gent’s Outlook (ironically set on a bright pink layout). I don’t count Miss Snark’s because it’s a bevy of information. There are two broken links, Evil Editor and Pub Rants, but just go ahead and click on those names and you’ll be taken to their blogs.

If your goal is to get published via the traditional route, by querying and dredging yourself up from the slush pile, you need to learn everything you can about the business so you don’t look like the back end of a mule when you query. One of the best places to start is to read agent and editor type blogs. But be sure they’re verified. Believe it or not, there are people out there on the internet that pretend to be something they’re not. Shocking, I know. How to tell if they’re really who they say they are, especially when some post anonymously? Just listen to what they have to say and watch other verified agent blogs. If they mention each other in a positive way, you can be pretty sure that you’re not getting bogus information. That’s not to say opinions will match but there are some things that are just universal across the board.

A blog that isn’t on that list is Rachel Vater’s which is listed in my writing resources section over to the right. She is a very reputable agent that anyone would die to have represent them. She’s a good place to start even though her posting is sporadic. I’m nearing the end of wading through Miss Snark’s archives now. I’ve been at it for months. Why? Because I’ve been hearing that name for ages and it was about time I checked it out. The information she provides is invaluable. Her voice can get a little grating, at least for me anyway, but I’ve learned so much from reading her blog, not to mention I’ve gotten some valuable blog posts from links I found there. This one, for starters.

Pub Rants is Kristen Nelson’s blog, another big name in the publishing world and Miss Snark gives kudos to not only her but Evil Editor as well (and Rachel Vater too). I would say they’re all worth a read, if for nothing else because their sites have been recommended on ones I read.

There are some people that don’t believe the anonymous agents are actually agents, like A Gent’s Outlook, for instance. The way I see it, he created his site to refute everything Miss Snark said and call her a fake. He even stopped posting on the day she retired her blog. Coincidence? I think not (but then again, I haven’t actually read all of it but his name is mentioned in the Snarkives surrounded by scoffs). Did I have my moments of questioning her legitimacy? Yes, especially with the sheer amount she posted. Where the deuce did she get all that time? But the information obtained overrode that niggling.

My point is research, research, research. Know where you’re sending your queries and don’t send them en masse. Follow the directions the websites and information listings give you. Don’t think you’re somehow exempt and do your own thing. Do include an SASE and if an agent says they don’t accept e-queries, don’t try to set them right and send one in anyway. That’s called not starting out on the right foot. More like a foot and a half under, head first. The odds are against you when you query and, like Miss Snark said, the default setting is no. You have to prove yourself to the contrary. Don’t rack up the negative points before you even get to the first paragraph of your query because you addressed the female agent as Mr.

Just from what I’ve seen of Rachel Vater’s and Miss Snark’s “dur” files boggles my mind. If people are seeking easy fame, they’re in the wrong industry. If they think they’re above it all, they’re grossly mistaken and probably delusional. Read, read, read, read, read. Know what you’re doing so you look intelligent right off the bat, not like you couldn’t give two poops but want the agent to look at it anyway. Seriously, the sheer stupidity of some queriers completely astounds me.

You don’t even have to read all of them. Just pick one because just that one will give you more information than you already had and you’ll be all the wiser for it. Remember, you tailor to agents. They don’t tailor to you. Read how they work, what they want, what they look for and follow suit. Even if they don’t choose your work, at least it’ll look like you have a brain, which is always a plus.

Also, if a writer gives you advice on how they got published, don’t take it, especially if they went against the grain. Chances are, it won’t work for you. Remember, what works for someone else might not work for you. In publishing, it probably won’t. Unless, of course, said writer did everything they were supposed to, like include an SASE and send what was indicated. Then that’s ok because that’s what you should be doing to begin with.