Friday, December 16, 2005

Fun w/ Query Letters and Booze

Totally ganked from Livejournal's Agent Obscura and her commenter Mandywriter . After AgentObscura's long list of drinking game for agents (too many- go see for yourself)... writer commenter added the following:

"I've got a better game... us writers can gather our rejection letters and drink away our sorrow.
1 drink- any letter that begins with "Dear Author"
1 drink- any letter that says "Just not right for us"
2 drinks- any letter that says "our client list is very full..."

1 drink- any letter that aplogizes for the use of a form letter
2 drinks- any letter that puts the actual name of your submission on it.
1 drink- any letter that reminds the writer that publishing is a 'subjective business'

2 drinks- any letter that encourages you to submit your future work
2 drinks- a letter that has your actual name, typed correctly

3 drinks- any rejection that comes in within 4 hours.
3 drinks- a rejection that takes more than 6 months.

3 drinks- any letter that says what they didn't like about your submission, and it makes sense.
3 drinks- a letter that says what they didn't like, and it DOESN'T make sense

2 drinks- any letter that says they "just didn't connect with it"

Last, the whole bottle- you got a request!!
~Amanda H."

And Nadia's additions:

"Amanda - that is so hot...To which, I must say that Agents need ones for Editor Rejections:

1 drink - "I'm sorry to have taken so long to get back to you..."
2 drinks - any time an agent uses the word "ALAS"
1 drink - "I really liked this but..."
a whole bottle - "Is this author's first language English?"
1 drink - "I'm sure you'll find a good home for this elsewhere."

or

1 drink for every author who signs with someone else without letting you know (before you read the manuscript)
1 drink - for the authors who call you to let you know that they just sold the book you rejected (sigh)
1 drink - for the book that sells that sound EXACTLY like one you just took on to represent

or for editors

1 drink for every manuscript you really love that you lose to another editor who could pay more
1 drink for the project you took home over the weekend to read, but then was pre-empted on monday
1 drink for every agent who calls you while you have a deadline to meet
1 drink for every one of the 46 meetings you have to go to each week
1 drink for long revision letter you write to an author, that the author then uses to fix their manuscript and sell elsewhere.........

::sigh::::> but, I like the query letter one best."