Is It Just Lip Service?
In Which We Talk About Whether It's Productive to Get Jaded 💋
It’s that time of year aboard the Ventorship—and, you know, the whole world—when people start taking stock of how the last year went for them and what they hope to achieve in the year to come. I’m all about setting hopes, dreams, and goals, and I’m also a big believer in manifesting things. Not in the “I’ll just name it and it’ll happen” way, but the “I’ll name it and keep working toward it” way, so really all that manifesting is your hard work. I’m also one of those chumps who sets a dream as a goal, as in, I list something entirely outside of my control and act as if I have any say in whether or not this will come true, so I’m perpetually disappointed. Whoopsie! I think this a tendency that Co-Star called me out on recently where they said Virgos need to stop thinking they’re constantly behind in the Race of Life. Whoopsie again!
Anywho, one of our fellow writers has this to write about their big goals for the upcoming year:
I have two finished manuscripts, both YA LGBTQ romances. It has been well over a year, and I have not yet found a literary agent. I have gotten some positive feedback in my search, but the consistent response has been “this is a subjective industry” and “not quite right for my list at this time.” I rely on QueryTracker News delivered to my inbox to find new and updated listings for agents accepting YA LGBTQ manuscripts, but beginning to feel like I need to be doing something more to find my agent. I also have a fair amount of rage with how many agents list “seeking LGBTQ authors and manuscripts” as the jaded side of me thinks this is just lip service agents include in their profiles.
One of the only things keeping me going is my queer book club where we read both contemporary and classic LGBTQ literature. Many from that group have read my manuscripts and express how it is better than most of what we read in our book club. I won’t give up on my books, but my patience and grace are running out.
My question for you: what more can I do to get these books hooked by an agent?
Coincidentally enough, Patience Running Thin, a similar agent-seeking vent was brought to us this time last year. You can read my general advice for finding an agent in that post. Times have changed a bit, and so I do have one minor update that I hope does not dissuade you or anyone from continuing to write for teens and look for agents: Sales in the YA space are down across the board.
I read a phenomenal newsletter from Film & TV Literary Manager, Audrey Knox, and recently she posted about how when less script sales/writer jobs are happening in Hollywood, agents and managers often take on less clients so they can focus on their current clients and help them find work in the contracted climate. I think it’s safe to assume agents of authors operate the same way. When sales are down in any age category, genre, or format, it would make sense for agents to take on less new clients so they can focus on their current clients actively writing in those spaces to hopefully give them a shot in the rough waters instead of leaving them to flounder and take on someone new. That’s not to say that agents won’t take on new folks, just that they have to connect with a manuscript with their whole body and soul before signing a new client.
So while this news doesn’t help you get an agent, know that the YA world as a whole is tough right now. I know many established YA authors who have no new contracts as publishing figures out what’s going on with this age category. Someday you will find that agent who truly *gets* your work and wants to sign you so they can advocate for you with their whole being in this weird YA climate.
Let’s also talk about about the other very relatable part of your vent: that you think some agents are just giving lip service to underrepresented communities to make themselves look good. This could very well be true, and if I had to bet, I’d bet that this probably does happen from time to time. BUT—and this is a big but 🍑—it will not help you even a little bit to go down this jaded rabbit hole.
Even if you could know with one hundred percent certainty who is giving this lip service, they’re still not going to represent you. You could blow them up online (which I know you’re not saying you want to do, but let’s take this jaded fantasy for a spin for a minute), but what purpose would that serve? You still wouldn’t have an agent, and it would just be inviting so much drama into your life. At most, you’d get some agents to take out of their profile that they want LGBTQ+ voices. That would help get more honesty out there, but I don’t think it would be a big shift in agents calling for queer books. I think the majority of agents who put that they want queer voices really mean it, so even if we could wave a wand and make sure only the agents who are serious about taking on LGBTQ+ stories list that on their profiles, I think you’d still end up with about 98% of the same names on your sub list. Ultimately, agents have the limited capacities that any human has and can only take on so many clients, and at the end of the day, you want an agent who will shout from the rooftops, “I WANT YOU!”
So those agents who say they want queer voices and maybe really don’t care as much and still turn yours down? Give them no more thought. I know that can be easier said than done, but you don’t want them representing you anyway. They’d be a major drag on your publishing goals for this new year and all those to follow, and in the meantime, love on those fabulous book club beta readers who are boosting you up along the way ❤️
What about you, fellow Ventorship passengers? What are your goals and hopes and dreams for 2025? What do you do when you find yourself getting jaded and need to snap out of it? Leave your comments below, or if you’d like to stay anonymous, write your comments to me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com and I’ll post them while you remain mysterious!
Here’s to all our dreams coming true in 2025!
-JJ
If you’d like to vent about anything author/writing related, write to me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: VENTORSHIP. I’ll give you my take in a post, and we’ll crowdsource author opinions in the comments. You’ll remain anonymous, and any haters will be thrown overboard. Ultimately, I think you’re going to be buoyed up by author love and support as we realize we really are all in the same boat 🛳️
I try to look at the positive things. I shared my writing with beta readers and on Qtcritique and met so many fellow writers. Many people tell me that they love my writing and my stories; one agent got more than 100 query letters in November and rejected 90%, but mine has not yet (I can see it on query tracker); that one partial request I got so far (I was over the moon); and all those positive reactions on my current WIP. So, yeah, if this manuscript doesn’t land me an agent, I have another one in store, and I’ll just keep trying.