While I can see how that would be more efficient for them as agents, I can’t help but feel we are being shoved towards “fast food” novels as writers where you may as well just skip to the end and be done with it. It bums me out.

I’ve even seen more than one agent this year suggest that your manuscript should tell the reader who the main character is, what they’re up against, and the stakes in the first sentence like a thesis statement.

There’s one in particular whose QT comments thread is just a laundry list of authors being like “they requested my full and I sent it and I never heard from them again” and I’m like MA’AM JUST SEND A REJECTION.

For real. “Highly editorial” agents too will be like “I truly liked this one but the pacing is just slightly off” like okay sounds like a small fixable issue and isn’t that where the “highly editorial” part comes in??? But alas, no 😩

See! I would LOVE that! I’m a huge fan of the edit/revision process. It just seems like no one wants to do it. I’ve even seen several publishers with sub guidelines that state the manuscript should be professionally edited before it’s submitted.

YOURE HERE!!!! So good to see you somewhere other than X 😄

Yaaassss! I welcome our new overlords!

Apparently? And editors/publishers have REALLY big feelings about it.

I also feel like it would be more practical and they’d spend less time sifting through things that weren’t a fit for them.

Like this bio I’m reading details the time they’ve traveled abroad but says nothing about their interests or experience. I’d be roasted to death if I just sent a query to an agent telling them about my recent vacay in Mexico.

This is why we can’t have nice things.