R. writes:
I saw a manuscript being shoved (eh, maybe that’s not the right word, but still) into the authors hands and asked if they wouldn’t mind taking a look. Given the authors classy & graceful response to the inquiry, I gathered that this wasn’t an uncommon request, but I couldn’t help feeling appalled.
Does this happen often? Is there some sort of etiquette that I’m not aware of? Even if I had visions of being a writer, I couldn’t imagine using another writers signing as a launchpad to being discovered.
Short answer: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Long answer:
Sadly, it does happen often. I’ve had a couple of people try to assault me at conventions, where it’s somewhat more accepted. At a con, it’s annoying. At a signing, it is really inappropriate.
It’s the height of rudeness to do this sort of thing at an author’s signing. An author’s signing is the chance for the readers to connect with the author. That’s it. Full stop.
When we went to Patty Briggs signing, we sat in the very back and even though I really, really wanted to chat with her after the signing, we ran up, said a couple of words, got quick hugs and took off, because we didn’t want to monopolize her time. In fact, Gordon and I went out of our way to be as anonymous as possible, because it wasn’t our signing.
Same etiquette applies to aspiring authors. It’s never a good idea to shove your manuscript at another author*.
First of all, it’s rude – we’ve established that.
Second, professional authors rarely have time. If you follow the blog, you will see that I pretty much took one day off this week, and that was mostly a collapse. I even worked through Sunday. If I have to push myself this hard to meet my deadlines, I probably don’t have time to look at your manuscript.
Third, the aspiring author might be a crazy person. There are documented cases of professional authors receiving manuscripts or fan fiction, and then being sued, because the sender claimed the author stole their ideas. At a convention in Colorado during a panel a woman from the audience ran outside, brought in her laptop, announced that she just wanted us to “hear this!” and began reading badly written erotica out loud. I actually had to make her to be quiet, because I was moderating the panel.
Fourth, professional authors are just that, authors. They do not publish books, they do not agent books, and even if they love someone’s manuscript to death, they can’t really do that much for an aspiring author. They can give a quote. They might possibly – possibly – offer an introduction to their agent. But at the end, just because they liked it the manuscript doesn’t mean the agent will like it.
The majority of professional authors got where they got by either sending their manuscript to a publisher to to an agent**. Sure, there are exceptions, but the odds are, if someone wants to be published, they have to send their manuscripts out and collect rejections the old fashioned way.
If you have questions about the publishing process and there is no way you can find an answer online, go to the signing, meet the author, be nice, and then drop them an email reminding them that you’ve met and asking if there is any way they can answer a couple of questions. Most people will say yes.
_________________________
* Unless that author is a friend and doesn’t mind the torture.
** Here is an informal study Jim Hines has done on the subject.
Thanks for the link to the informal study, Ilona. It was interesting, and I am a fan of MythBusters.
Thanks so much for another great insight into writing and publishing. I greatly appreciate the way that you address subjects directly, but with explanation for your position, humor and reason!
Yikes! That’s crazy
That’s gotta be hard to deal with as an author. There’s really no winning in that situation.
Loved this post. You are so right on this issue, totally rude to try to shove your manuscript on an author at a signing and as you state….you are an author …not a publisher. It’s a shame that people have to be worried about being sued or stalked these days.
People actually do this… man sometimes people just amaze me. And not in a good way *head shrugs*
i think i’ve tortured you enough. :::kicks book:::
look for box. small box. wee little box.
If it hadn’t been done right in front of me, I wouldn’t have thought it possible. *shakes head*
The signings of Patty Briggs & Jim Butcher down here in HB, California was the height of awesome. Huge turnout for both authors.
Thanks for answering the question though!
Wow, it’s hard to believe people do that. Thanks for the heads up, though I don’t think I would have even had the nerve to do more than mumble a hello. *snicker*
Some people have no self awareness whatsoever. It’s worrying.
I wish I could be surprised at things like this, but I really can’t. I know all too well the cluelessness of some people.
Thanks so much for posting on this topic. I’ll be linking to it for sure.
I’ve yet to have someone hand me a manuscript, but I know it’s coming. I have had an earnest young writer ask if I’d recommend her to my agent. I didn’t know this girl. I’d never read her work. When I told her I couldn’t do that (as I see it my reputation would be on the line) she was seriously offended, like I’d run over her favorite puppy or something. It was a very *awkward* moment (probably on par with your Colorado panel experience). I’m sure there will be more of those moments as time progresses. It seems to come with the job.
Oh, I made SURE my agent and editor knew that the ONLY way I’d refer someone would be to let them know as soon as I’d done it…otherwise: person is lying. Have had complete strangers ask me to rec them to my agent and that’s a big No.
I like the short answer much better…
‘aaaaaahhhhhhh…..’
I like that one the best too…
It’s short. To the point. Expresses the frustration…
Ditto what Shiloh said. Been there, done that, REALLY don’t want anybody to repeat it. I do NOT read unpubbed manuscripts. OH…and don’t approach an author’s agent and lie and say they recommended you. You WILL be found out.
Yasmine
Thank you for taking the time to explain!
(Totally off topic: French fans of Kate protested, and the series will be fully republished in 2011, with new covers. For information
)
Awesome!!!
Agreeing, and on top of what else is said here, thrusting a manuscript at an author and stating that the author “owes you” because the author is published and you’re not is also not acceptable.
“author “owes you” because the author is published and you’re not is also not acceptable.”
Holy….
Seriously. Somebody said that to you? My jaw just dropped.
Whoa.
Author owes you? Wow, now there’s a technique due to fail. I’d probably break out in laughter. I’ve officially heard it all now.
After the young lady asked for my recommendation I warned my agent that if anyone invokes my name they’re fibbing unless I contact her and personally give a thumbs up. So far I haven’t done that though I do have a couple of new writers I’m keeping an eye on. They don’t expect me to land them their first NY contract which is exactly why I think they’ll make it on their own.
Hell no.
You’re making me very glad I have no aspirations to be a published author. The gall of some people. Geez!
I think that with what most authors give to fans/other writers who are fans to ask them to ‘read my manuscript” is sooo rude. I write and have friends whose opinions I trust do “honest…no really give it to me with both guns” reading of my stories. This helps me with areas where I am weak, but those are friends, not professionals. Agents, and publishers, and editors are those who deal with this in a professional setting. I was a nurse for years, and one of my biggest complaints was people who when hearing I was a medical professional began telling me all their woes. It ruined the evening for me, and basically made me want to avoid that person in the future. I see pushing a book into someones hands the same way. Whatever their career prior to writing was would they have been happy to have faced the same? I mean, data entry clerk who is pulled back to fix a spread sheet? IT person who has a laptop thrust into their hand to reformat? A policeperson who is asked to fix a ticket, or arrest a neighbor? I think a little politeness is needed the world over. But that is just my jaded opinion.
The rudeness of people never surprises me.
My husband is actually an IT person, and he has had people come up to him at family functions and ask him to fix their computers. We were actually at a birthday party once and my SIL asked him to debug her computer. He was there to socialize not clean up all the crud she downloads all the time! Bless his heart he did it, but he spent several hours doing it instead of enjoying himself. She didn’t even seem appreciative because he told her not to open every e-mail attachment!
Doctor’s get it bad too.
I know exactly what you mean! The same thing happens to my husband and has gotten to the point that my brother’s wife’s relatives have called him to help with “techie” stuff. He bought a t-shirt last year that reads: No, I will _Not_ fix your computer. He sometimes wears it to family gatherings…
Rikkie,
My husband has the same shirt. He has taken to wearing it to family gatherings for all the seasons. The worst is during the Christmas season, when everyone purchases new toys. Two years ago-he spent 4 hours rewiring my aunt’s tv/dvd player/ps3/ and wifi network on Christmas day. The only pictures of us on that day are in the game room with him behind the tv stand and me sitting on the floor watching him.
“I was a nurse for years, and one of my biggest complaints was people who when hearing I was a medical professional began telling me all their woes. It ruined the evening for me, and basically made me want to avoid that person in the future.”
LMAO, oh MAN, does that happen…. I kid you not, I was 19 years old, had a practical nursing license and suddenly had total strangers discussing their eating and err…. eilmination habits w/me.
Fortunuately, at 19, I was much more blunt than I am now…. I had yet to learn the fine art of diplomacy. (I had a lot more fun then.)
Ditto. Especially at parties. I was able to shake them off when I told them I worked in a Burn Unit (which I did at the time). End of conversation.
“and began reading badly written erotica out loud.” LMAO! oh thats bad.
It was awful.
I know there are weird people out there, but sometimes it surprises me. My parents taught me my manners a long time ago (apparently, asking “what do you want?” when you answer the phone isn’t appropriate) and it goes a long way. Some people never learn, and that greatly annoys me (and is sometimes disturbing 0_0)
I hope I never meet the woman with the laptop that read bad erotica out loud D:
My favorite is: phone rings. You pick it up. The person says, “Who is this?”
Well, you called me, you jackass, you tell me who you are.
“My favorite is: phone rings. You pick it up. The person says, “Who is this?”
Well, you called me, you jackass, you tell me who you are.”
LOL. When I read Spot’s post, this is exactly what I thought of. Next favorite: Phone rings and someone asks for “Jack” (or someone else I don’t know). My response, “I’m sorry, you must have the wrong number.” Then the other person HANGS UP without another word! Grrr.
Another classic: I was second in line at Costco and had about 8 items. Guy behind me has 5 items and asks if I could let him go ahead of me. Uh, no.
Mine was back in college: Phone rings and someone asks for “Mary”, I told him that he had the wrong number, and he ARGUED with me. He was convinced Mary lived at that number, because that’s the number she had given him when they were talking on the running trail. I eventually told him, Look, this is a college dorm room, only two people live in this room, and none of us are named Mary. “Oh.” End conversation. Bleh. I’m still amazed he tried to argue with me, and he did it for several minutes!
“Who is this?”
ROFL.
Wow. To think that they were the ones who called. =P
People amaze me. *shaking my head*.
What i dislike is when my hubs “volumteers” me to “help” someone sell online.
I keep telling him it’s not a 1 hr process. It’s time consuming and I really don’t have the time to help someone realize & implement their life long dream.
I have a little syllabus that I made up that I’ll email them that lets them know where to start but after that…your on your own.
UNLESS you want actual classes. But that’ll cost you. lol
And the phone callers. Oy vey. I hate when someone calls me and say, “Who is this?” instead of hello. I am guilty of replying, “Who the hell is this & wth do you want!?!?!”
Oh dear, that Colorado lady is crazy!
Did someone record the Erotica reading lady? I’d love to see this^^ For real, I’d be MUCH to shy to show ANYONE my work (My pets excluded
.
I’ve been thinking about this. It might be funny, if someone should shove a manuscript at you, for you to shove a blank form back for them to fill in and send to your agent to “hire” you to read their manuscipt…when you have time of course…and at your “manuscript reading rates”. So then later your agent can tell them that yes, the author will read your manuscript at $500 per hour and the next open time she has will be October 26-27, 2015.