Monday, October 23, 2006

I love it, she hates it.

Dear Ms. Rejecter,
When an assistant *loves* a manuscript she reads for her boss, to what extent is this a predictor that the agent will eventually offer representation?

It's certainly an indicator that the writing is great, and since we're talking about a full, the agent was probably interested in it to begin with and so I would say the chances are high. If it's just a query or an unrequested partial that I happen to love, it won't necessarily help the author, because no matter how much I love it, the boss has to love it, too. And my job isn't about my tastes; it's about my boss's tastes.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Wow, I've always wanted to ask this question. I seem to be a hit with assistants. They email, they've even called (freaky!). They always say they're going to pass my ms. on to the boss ASAP and that's when the crickets start to chirp. I can't wait for this generation of assistants to graduate to "boss." Of course, their mail will be screened by a new generation of assistants--assistants who might hate my work. Chirp, chirp.