Every time I speak at a writers’ conference, and every time I foolishly wander into an Internet chat room, I can expect to hear certain questions from aspiring authors. Sooner or later, in one form or another, one question always seems to come up:
Why won’t agents and
editors tell me why they rejected my book? Or worse, why won’t they answer at
all?
As a writer, I certainly feel their pain; how can I ever
hope to improve, if no one will tell me what needs improving? But after three
years as agent, it’s easy to see the other side.
First, it’s not my job. I know that sounds unbelievably cold
and callous, but it’s true. I’m here to identify promising writers, offer their
works to prospective publishers, and then negotiate the deal. Every minute I
spend away from those functions, causes me to shirk my contractual obligations to
existing clients.
