This will be brief.
After goofing with Craigslist for a few months, I'm seeing what literary agents go through, and how--in the process of hunting for the diamonds--they could skip right by a few.
By my estimate, approximately 19 out of 20 of those who post something for sale on Craigslist don't know what they're doing. (I could be estimating low.)
They don't know how to market. their material or themselves.
Spelling and grammar and punctuation are way off the beam. Few come close, or nail those little devilish details.
Don't get me started on replies. Same thing. In equal proportion.
I wish it were not so. I feel for those who are giving it a try and wonder why their transaction dies in the ditch.
Now imagine whole pages of this stuff, herds of it, in your inbox.
These agents have to somehow spot something professional and enticing and throat-grabbing out of all that text and whatever else got thrown at them. I see many actually asking not to send checks, cash, money orders, lovely parting gifts, and consolation prizes. Wow. They do not sound like they're kidding.
I'm glad I'm not an agent.I'm only a published author who wants to do it again, and make a wildly commercial success out of all his future jottings, this time in the fray.
I don't think I have the harder of the two jobs.
--Dave
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