What Makes Me Wary, What Makes Me Happy

What makes me wary:

* When a new writer looks me in the eye, holds my hand and says, “I really, really want to be a New York bestseller.”

*  When an author says, “My last agent just didn’t know anyone in Hollywood and didn’t know how to make my book into a movie.”

*  When a writer says, “I want to write in this genre type,” but then it turns out she’s never read the competition.

*  When a new writer proudly announces that she knows exactly which literary editors I should send her book to.

*  When a writer asks me if I’m interested in selling the new book in a series she is self-publishing.

What makes me happy:

*  When a writer says “I’ve written five books and had two agents. But here’s something new.”

*  When a writers says, “I like the books on your list.”

*  When a new writer says, “First, let me tell you the story.” And then the story is so spooky strong that I just want to listen to what he has to say.

*  When the first paragraph of a manuscript submission is just so strong that I immediately send it to my Kindle and then almost miss my train stop going home that night.

*  When I’m reading a manuscript and forget that I work in the publishing industry and then I snap back to reality and start to compose a submission list.

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