The Final Blog, A Couple of Quotes

While looking around the two websites:
http://www.agentquery.com
and
http://misssnark.blogspot.com

I picked up a couple of quotes that I found interesting in relation to learning things about publication. The first I noticed was actually a question by a reader posted on "Miss Snark", it read: "I've heard that no agent is better than a bad agent, but everyone has to start somewhere, right?"
To this, my thoughts were immediately, is a bad start really starting at all? Anyway... the rebuttal I found on Agent Query: "Good literary agents are worth every penny."
I would assume that if they're "worth every penny" then they would be worth starting with; they're worth the wait. And then, as I read on through the different articles, I noticed how they both mentioned the quality of "new" agents. They both said that it doesn't matter how new the agent, what to look at is the past experience in the field of literary publishing. On this, Miss Snark herself said:
"An inexperienced agent is not a bad agent by default. And 'experience' isn't some sort of universal either. I'm pretty experienced but if you hand me category romance, I'd be a VERY bad agent since I don't know the genre, don't read it, and don't know the editors who buy it."

As I've recently gathered MUCH information on publishing, and agents and how to go about the entire process, from these current readings I would say, the rule for agents is much like our motto for Trillium. The QUALITY of an agent goes before their QUANTITY (quantity in the sense of how many years they've been an agent, or perhaps the quantity of "moo-lah" they require from you for them to be your agent). And yet, in opposition to our motto, perhaps for agents the rule of quantity and quality go hand in hand (this quantity being of how many books they've had published in their repertoire and how many people they work for). And thus, we are encouraged to look towards the quality and reliability of an agent before simply "starting somewhere".

Reject Time

Trillium Rejection Letter Idea:

Trillium Submiters,
As we, the Trillium staff, greatly appreciate your willingness to participate in the Piedmont College Arts Journal, we have found that we will not be able to publish your piece in this particular issue. We strongly encourage that you submit your work to Trillium in the years to come. Thank you again for your interest,
The Staff

The Final Vision

One last look, a final vision of the Trillium, and what have I to say of it?

---Basically the same thing I said in the beginning.

I believe that as it will be small, I think it will be better to be limited and good than large and poor. I believe our "fewer, better" motto has been put to good, despite our struggle.

One thing I would say of the journal for next time: RECRUIT.
I think the focus should be on getting people to submit. Getting EVERYONE to submit. The more submissions, the more good and bad submissions. And the bad will most definitely be worth deciphering through for the good, as we have learned.

I also think it would be great to start work as early on in the year as possible. Get people to know about it first thing next fall. And maybe because we put more pressure early on to submit, we could back the deadline up and use our class time more efficiently. Just an idea...

I think it's been great, and I anticipate an even better one next year.

3 or 4, for vacation.

Top 3 stories I'd Read on Vacation:

My top three stories would definitely vary on the location of this vaca.
Let's just say--- We're on the Coast of Ireland, looking over the glistening sea, staying in a thatched roof cottage for the week. In this case, as I sip a black tea, perhaps an Earl Grey (despite the English reference), I would probably find myself reading James Joyce, the Dubliners, specifically "The Dead."
I would also read WBY's "The Lake Isle of Innisfree." I know. It's poetry. But still my second choice.
I would then follow that remedy with Tolkien's The Hobbit, and imagine the Shire with my own little "hobbiton" as I sit on rocks and befriend The Secret of Roan Inish. :)

Of course, as that is a dream, my typical vaca reading this year would be:
1) Finish Dave Egger's "What is the What"
2) Read Pleysier's "Surviving the Blockade of Leningrad" and study for that exam
3) All three LOTR, in a row because Christian has been getting on to me about it.
and finally...
4) C.S. Lewis' "An Experiment in Criticism." A fourth, just because I can.