Comments on: Question: Getting Published Without Querying

By: Question: Agent Green-Hungry? Or Agent Salty-Busy? « Dennis Cass Wants You To Be More Awesome

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 11:01:23 +0000

[...] I hope you’re also doing things to make the agents come to you Back in December, I wrote a silly yet informative parable about getting published without querying. I’m not in any way trying to talk you out of [...]

By: Why You Don’t Need to Query « Dennis Cass Wants You To Be More Awesome

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 18:59:31 +0000

[...] 1, 2009 · No Comments Back in December I posted a parable about getting published without querying. Since then people have been asking me to continue to develop that idea. Here [...]

By: theskza

theskza — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:11:40 +0000

Well it’s tough right? I mean those not dressed in costume might be seen like they aren’t playing the game by the rules, so when it comes to enjoy the big party, they will always be outsiders. That’s how I’ve felt, as I’ve been a journalist talking to this publisher or that author or whatever you can get in. But when I’ve tried to throw myself in the ring and get these same people to look at my material, the uh, secret costume I’ve been wearing under my Clark Kent overcoat, then I’ve got nothing but polite no thank yous at best. Now I’m trying to just straight join the line-up out of some stoic masochism or something. Either way I can’t tell if my methods are the problem or if my costume is just shit. Y’know?

By: Sara Aase

Sara Aase — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:55:28 +0000

What I mean by that: Take the magazine query. Editors want you to pour hours of work into writing that thing. So you do. Only to hear…nothing. Even if you break in, you’re still on this treadmill. On the other hand, if you have something that editors themselves desire, like a book, a buzz-generating web site, or what have you, you’re through the ropes. That’s not to say the big thing is easy, but it should not be overtaken by the treadmill. Note to self.

By: Sara Aase

Sara Aase — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:30:56 +0000

I’m coming to think that the less you follow the established rules, the better. And now is really the time to explore those other points of entry.

By: pseudosu

pseudosu — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:04:25 +0000

(o_O)
This thread better not just die again…

By: Berit

Berit — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:51:02 +0000

Erotic Space Vampire, eh? Nice. If you really wanted to go to the party, enough to assume you’d still want to go in five years, you’d probably try everything and anything. Striving to calmly err on the correct side of that dedicated-desperate line. While taking in more and more info about said party. Also, seems the chances would be highest in a less-crowded entry point We’re going to talk directly about what those are, right?

By: pseudosu

pseudosu — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 00:54:37 +0000

Um- Somehow become a bouncer and let myself in?
No! – my costume IS a bouncer costume, ala wolf in sheep’s clothing?
OR- Make my costume bulky enough to surreptitiously “pack heat” & threaten my way in?
See? (o_o)

By: denniscass

denniscass — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 23:09:19 +0000

You’re right on the read:

Big Event = publication
Bouncers = agents/editors
Costume = query

The relative merits of the work have purposefully been left out of this thought experiment.

By: pseudosu

pseudosu — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 21:55:37 +0000

(o_o)

Last time I sucked at this but here goes–
Assuming the “Big Event” is getting published, and the “bouncers” are agents, and the “costume” is your query…

I’d assume the people breezing by constume-less had some insider connection I did not. Good for them. I guess I’d work on my costume like all the other poor schmucks and hope mine was good enough.

This doesn’t really address the work itself right? That seems to be a key missing link here.

Like last time– (o_o) not sure I get this.