I Got Google Babe
by on February 26th, 2010
filed under On Writing
Adventures in Query Land continue…
It’s a numbers game.
Writers hear that all the time when it comes to querying. Yet I’ve read agent’s blogs and interviews where they talk about being offended when a writer pulls their name off a list & blindly queries them.
I can see their point.
Everyone wants to feel special like they’ve been chosen. I get that. But the fact is, I have met in person only a handful of agents (and even less editors-ya’ll are slippery eels), so if I can’t query you based on a happenstance meeting, how else am I to query you?
I’ll tell you how.
The list of acquiring agents my writer’s group lists (in my case Romance Writers of America). Absolute Write’s Water Cooler. Predators & Editors. AgentQuery.com. I could go on & on….
But. My most important tool in vetting out an agent is Google. Crimenelli but you can find out anything about anyone on Google! There’s no hiding from Google. So let me tell you my wonderful, intelligent, chosen, potential agent… I Googled you (oh yes it’s a verb now!) and I’ve read every blog you’ve guest blogged on, every interview you sat through, every mention of your name, agency name & client names, I follow you on Twitter, Facebook & Myspace. I know what you had for lunch, what your favorite ice cream flavor is (or if you’re lactose intolerant), I even know what color underwear you put on this morning (okay, maybe not that).
In other words, I spent a good deal of time choosing you to query. So when you get my letter or email know that I chose you. I chose you because I thought we would work well together, you would appreciate my work and you could be the one to guide my career to soaring heights of Best Seller-dome.
Feel special.
Stay tuned for more adventures in Query Land.
Queries sent-60
Requests for a partial-2
Requests for a full-1
No’s-19
Swipe Swipe Baby
by on December 4th, 2008
filed under Undecided
All of the political ads that bombarded us a few weeks ago during our favorite shows have now been replaced by ads for toys, electronics and other goodies we can spend money on this holiday season. One that caught my eye was the “new” Monopoly game. This version is electronic, so instead of money you pay for things with the swipe of a debit card. There’s been a lot of speculation about how soon the world will switch to electronic money transfers and do away with cash altogether. I still think it’s years ahead of us yet, but the makers of Monopoly obviously know something I don’t.
Trying to explain to #1 son where babies come from and how they are made was a whole lot easier then trying to explain to him where our money comes from and how it gets made. Up until that point whenever I told him I didn’t have money for something he wanted his response was, “Just go to the bank and get some. Or use your credit card.”
He was 3.
Since then we’ve made a conscious effort to let him in a little on how and why we spend our money the way we do. We let him see us making our spending decisions. When he has money to spend we help him choose how to spend it, explaining such things as sales tax and the benefit of saving it for something he really wants. When we grocery shop and he picks something he wants off the shelf he automatically recites the current price for it and whether or not it’s on sale before he asks if he can have it. He knows I’ll ask.
Watching the TV commercial for this new Monopoly game I couldn’t help but suppress a shudder. Our kids are already losing the ability to spell because of texting and spell check, the ability to research from a book because of Google and Wikipedia, the computer generated violence in games has anesthetized them to the realities of real life war and they are unable to socialize with another human without depending on a computer/game as a conduit. Soon they won’t know how to budget using the money they actually have or how to give and receive correct change. They don’t need spelling, pretty soon they won’t need math either.
Here’s the selling blurb for the new game- ‘Wheel and deal your way to a fortune even faster using debit cards instead of cash! All it takes is a card swipe for money to change hands. Now you can collect rent, buy properties and pay fines – with the touch of a button! It’s a new way to play the family classic that’s been brought up-to-date with modernized tokens (including a Segway personal transporter, an Altoids tin, space shuttle, flat-screen TV, baseball cap and a dog in handbag!), higher property values and locations based on your favorite landmarks Gameboard comes with title deed cards, chance and community chest cards, 6 debit cards, 2 dice, 6 tokens, 32 houses, 12 hotels and instructions.’
What do you think? Are game manufacturers keeping up with the times or are we doing our kids a disservice by shrinking their real life skill set?
google me
by on July 21st, 2008
filed under Undecided
Have you ever Googled yourself? Ever Googled a former flame or long lost friend?
Apparently there is a Beth Yarnall running around Napa, CA who makes a really great blueberry tart. And there is a boy with DH’s name in Juneau Alaska who is a competitive swimmer. Monkey Boy’s name didn’t come up at all but #1 son’s did 3 times. Twice in his school’s newsletter and once because of baseball. Kind of scary.
My sister’s name comes up because she is an editor and has worked on books and magazines. My mom has many listings of her name because she is so active in local politics (she’s going to run in a local election even) and my dad was listed in conjunction with his work as an engineer.
Yes I did look up a couple of old flames… interesting stuff. I’ll just leave it at that.
Go on try it. See who you can find.
