STATUS: I have to say that the world of agenting is good right now. We’ve been having auctions and pre-empts at Frankfurt for Sarah Rees Brennan’s THE DEMON’S LEXICON. It is always fun when a title has international appeal.
What’s playing on the iPod right now? THAT VOICE AGAIN by Peter Gabriel
This is interview week for me. I’m finally catching up on all the requests I’ve received. I have to say that most interviewers pretty much ask the same questions, but I got a really interesting question today.
The interviewer asked me why I decided to go with the “nice approach” when blogging and do I ever long to release my inner snark and just let it go in a rant a lá Miss Snark.
Well, I decided on the “nice” approach because that is basically who I am. I’m nice. That doesn’t mean I’m not tough (and I’ve heard through the grapevine that editors often call me that damn demanding agent in Denver). I’m just polite. So when Miss Snark was around, I never felt the need to unleash my inner snark because Miss Snark was around to attack the topic. I never had to.
Boy do I miss her because there are times when I want to pull out my hair and let it go but I don’t. It’s not my style. I’m not certain I could pull it off with her panache.
For me, Miss Snark had the perfect way of sharing the brutal truth with her razor wit while still keeping an eye on the goal of helping writers.
I know lots of people won’t agree and Miss Snark would probably shake her gin tumbler at me in defiance but that’s what I miss the most. I could be nice because there was Miss Snark to be snarky.
You aren’t the only one who misses Ms. Snark. I think it’s great no one ever found out her real name. Anyone can pick up as Ms. Snark anytime (hint hint).
I can’t believe how much I miss her. She was always there with good advice and her blog was a great place to vent.
Maybe her Christmas present to all her snarklings would be to return on a much more limited basis, maybe post once a week, answer fewer questions and absolutely no contests of any kind.
I know you’re friends with her, so maybe you could put a bug in her ear and tell her we need her back.
Sign me,
Still sad in the midwest.
I used to think I’d like to have Miss Snark as my agent, except that I’d be scared of her.
I looked forward to her wit, too. And, though she didn’t always post all the questions she was asked because there simply wouldn’t have been time, she did get back to readers on a personal basis…with some damn good advice. Several times, when I didn’t even expect a reply (and that would have been fine and I would have understood)she surprised me with e-mails. To be honest, I don’t know how she took the time to do all she did…But it sure would be nice to get her back on a limited basis once in a while.
Didn’t you mean “set your hair on fire”? 🙂
I miss her, too. Periodically I’ll do a Google search for some kind of agent-related issue and a post or two of hers will come up. I always go look, not just for the snark but also for the great advice.
I wonder if she’d ever want to guest blog here and/or at other blogs?
Miss Snark has been on many lips the last few days. Uh … maybe that’s not the way to put that. She’s been on many tongues. Wait … everyone is talking about her. Yeah, that’s it. I miss her, too. Her wit is sharp as George Clooney in a tux, isn’t it?
I’ve been wanting to set my hair on fire all day, so let me just say that I honestly admire your ability to always hold it together. I’m more the snarky type, but without the ability to be funny about it. If you have a secret for smiling when you’d really rather just go off on someone, please share it!
ver: egawds
appropo!
Considering the way she treated my Crapometer entries, I don’t think she’d like anything I’d ever submit to her.
However, I enjoyed her responses whenever I emailed her Clooney alerts or anything that might amuse her.
Her occasional lapses in snarkiness were always welcome.
Yanno, she did make an appearance just a coupla months ago. I wish I could remember, but I think it was on EE’s site.
She taught us well, as do you, Agent Kristin.
Well and let’s not forget, Miss Snark flung her wit behind the screen of anonymity. I’m not sure how well she would have been received, or how professional she would have been perceived, without the character persona.
Snark is more fun, but it’s a dangerous gamble when your trying to run a business. Remember the time she publicly filleted that elderly, albeit clueless, lady who sent her a query about her spiritual, rainbow, cowboy novel? Miss Snark had even provided a link to this woman’s site.
Most of her fans, myself included, thought it in very poor taste. A mistake? Yes. But everyone moved on because Miss Snark is not real. But what would have happened if she blogged under her real identity?
Blogging nice (under your real name) is blogging safe.
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There’s value in all approaches. Your blog is cool as it is.
There’s still a snark-sized gap in my day, though.
Beg her to come back! You know who she is. We all miss her. I know, I know, it was my writing that got me an agent, but it was her advice, and yours, and Dia’s that got me a GREAT agent instead of the first one who offered. The writers of the world need her…and miss her.
We’d be happy if she just commented on George Clooney once in a while. I just KNOW all those hospital workers that got suspended for 4 weeks for looking at his confidential medical records were on her payroll.
Guest blogging – now that’s something I’d love to see Miss Snark do!
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As much as I love your blog, Kristin, I do miss Miss Snark to no end. Still. Probably always will.
For Christmas I would like a clue gun. And Miss Snark back.
Say hi to her.
You may not be snarky, but you’re prescient. Right after reading your blog about full manuscript requests by snail mail, I received a full manuscript request from an agent in Canada. I put it in the mail the next day without a whimper. You have great timing. 🙂
Miss Snark made a brief appearance on Nathan Bransford’s blog when he did a First Line contest. (Maybe last month? Time flies.) It was lovely to see her!
But frankly, Kristin, one of the things I like best about you is your niceness. I’m snarky enough on my own so it’s nice to get some fresh air once in a while.
Oh Ms. Snark. Yes, I miss hers too. But yours, highly enjoyable as well. =)
Christine, Maryland
I know that Miss Snark is gone, but I will have to check out her website.
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The next time I see you Kristin, I’ll bring some matches and gin so you too can set your hair on fire as needed.
How nice to see the blog is missed.
Thank you all for your comments.
Blog posts hang around for a long time. Looong time. You can google something today and get a link to a snark post from years and years ago. Therefore, nice will probably win out if you’re blogging under your own name. You wouldn’t want some off-hand comment, made in a very temporary fit of snarkiness, to hurt you later.
Therefore, it was great that Miss Snark was blogging under an assumed name. Who cares what her real identity was? I was grateful that she was willing to tell us snarklings the truth as she saw it.
And I’m also happy to get Kristin’s perspective too. Heidi the Hick says she’s attending “blogiversity,” learning about the biz from agent’s blogs. With more teachers, we’ll all need the clue gun a little less.
She lurks.
If only Miss Snark could return for one month each year!
Perhaps it would be appropriate if that month started on Halloween (hint, hint). 😉
She delighted my days.
I loved her blog and miss it quite a bit.
She actually commented a good friends blog about a month ago and it threw all of us into happiness and mourning at the same time.
Maybe Kristin is Miss Snark.
Oooo, Miss Snark! 🙂 I read her posts all the time, usually laughing my butt off (no hair set on fire, though).
And, Kristin, it’s gin PAIL, not gin tumbler! For shame. 😉
~Nancy aka jerseygil
http://writerlystuff.blogspot.com
(yeah, I know I’m lazy for not signing in to my blogger account ::shrugs::)
Bah, my internet moniker is jerseygirl, not jerseygil.
Seems my fingers is all tied up.
~Nancy aka jerseygirl
Without Miss Snark’s identity to ponder, I’m left to wonder who the heck Evil Editor is and how even a freeleance editor could have so much time to devote to the various EE blog enterprises.
I like EE, but still.
We all miss the venerable Miss Snark, but we appreciate your willingness to blog about topics that will assist us in the writing and publishing process.
I heart Miss Snark.
So totally.
Blogging’s not the same…
My monitor says thank goodness no more Miss Snark — but I miss the burning sensation of coffee shooting through my nose.
I almost started crying when Miss Snark said she was hanging up her hat. PLEASE COME BACK, MISS SNARK.sa
I miss Ky and Miss Snark every day. The guest blog idea is great!
:lifts gin in toast:
thanks to Miss Snark again and again for leaving her snarkives up and running.
I too bemoan the departure of Miss Snark. Just last week I saw a giant red stiletto and my heart leapt with joy! “She’s back!” Alas, it was just Minney Mouse. We were in DisneyWorld.”
If she posted an entry on her blog how quickly do you think the writing world would know it and click over? I’d love to see the stat counter on that day.
That said, your blog is fabulous Nice Midwestern Agent. Like having chocolate chip ice cream to Miss Snark’s Oreo cookie ice cream. Both delish.
Miss Snark and Janet are high on my list of favorite people. I’ve never personally met either of them. (We all have our secret identities, don’t we!)
Snarkie was responsible for keeping me writing and for encouraging me to persist in submitting. If it weren’t for her, Pixie Warrior would have gone into a drawer with The Man Who Knew (shudder) and assorted other icky stuff.
Though she’s not my agent (doesn’t rep fantasy, does she?), she is directly responsible for Pixie Warrior finding a publisher. Indirectly Rachael Vater (not my agent either) is responsible too because of a hand written paragraph of suggestions. I took them all. It made Pixie Warrior a better book. (Painful process, though, ain’t it. Yarrr!)
Janet is Miss Snark? Who cares! Janet Reid has her own things to say. He blog serves a different purpose. It’s fun and informative.
You just be havin’ bunches a fun up there in the wild Canadian north. I wish I could go, but who’d baby sit my children and the goats?