Writing Lesson 3.29 – Will an Agent Want You?

In the current publishing climate it’s very hard to find an agent or a publisher who will represent you. In a blog from Books and Such on Feb 28, 2012 Rachel Kent made an interesting statement we should all heed.

I’m focusing on one item from her list. Rachel states, “Today I’m going to cover some red flags that would potentially cause me not to represent a writer either because the person isn’t ready yet for an agent or has shown that he or she isn’t a good fit for me. The writer… 2) Isn’t careful online. Be very careful what you tweet, blog and post on Facebook. Making fun of others, gossiping, or posting links that could be offensive are big turnoffs. I won’t want to represent someone who doesn’t think carefully before posting online.”

We all think we’re careful about what we say online. Is that honestly true?

I’m going to take a close look at my pages to determine how others might view what I post in a blog or on a social media site. Join me as we examine our posts carefully. With Facebook’s new timeline those items will always be around for the world to see. In fact, everything we post online will follow us forever.

Is that picture or video we posted conveying an image or message a future publisher might want to see?

Are we showing proper behavior and attitudes in the posts we make or items we follow? If we are Christian writers, this is a particularly important aspect of our social media interaction.

Do we write words of wisdom or demonstrate poor judgment with word choices?

Think before you post and comment. It could have a huge impact on your future in writing or another job field.  The internet is our mirror. Does it reflect a winning image?