I ran across an agent’s site proclaiming what they wanted and what they didn’t. They emphatically did not want any more novels about middle-aged white man angst.* Really? Doesn’t this sound suspiciously like all those declarations that the world can’t possibly stand one more book on vampires (declared variously in 1975, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009)?
No more male midlife crisis novels, huh? Goodbye to the next Updike! Hey, Roth! Apparently, you SUCK!
Uh-huh.
I know. The response would be that it’s not Updike or Roth writing this flood of manuscripts that they want to damn and dam up.
My answer? Updike and Roth weren’t always Updike and Roth. Once upon a time, they languished in slush piles, too.
At least when you do your research you can figure out which agents have silly prejudices and avoid them.
*No, you guessed wrong. My novel is about a sixteen-year-old (with angst.)
Filed under: agents, publishing, Rant, agents, publishing, queries
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