Rod Raglin's Blog - Posts Tagged "relationships"

“I don’t agree.”

“Critiques are not about right or wrong, Marjorie. They’re just an opinion for you to consider or disregard.”

Marjorie is one of the members of a creative writing circle I facilitate at a seniors’ residence. She’s brought the group her next weekly post for her blog, 'Marjorie Remembers'. Like all her writing, it’s very good. But like all writing, it isn’t perfect.

Marjorie writes about growing up on the prairies; dust storms, blizzards, snaring gophers, one room school houses, and the bonds of rural communities. The stories are filled with high drama, history, and caring.

Marjorie wants to write better and seriously considers all comments, but she is also a staunch defender of her work.

Next up is David. He reads a short story about a mercy killing in which a husband confesses to smothering his terminally ill wife. It’s a poignant story that asks more questions than it answers and all within about five hundred words. David is a retired United Church Minister.

The group has some questions about clarification and structure of his story. David listens, nods, and makes notes.

Kay reads us her Christmas poem. It’s a thoughtful witty piece about retirees celebrating the season around the pool in Florida. It’s four stanzas, of four lines – flawless meter and not a trace of forced rhyme.

Nothing but praise for Kay, who smiles graciously.

Elizabeth reads the last submission. It’s a memoir of her move from Trinidad, where she and she and her husband served as a missionaries, to rural New Brunswick where he had his first parish.

It it’s a remarkable tale of change, adversary and the resilience of the human spirit. It’s also an accounting of the ordeals of a mother and homemaker in rural Canada fifty years ago.

Elizabeth has a gift for writing humour and her entertaining stories always have the group chuckling.

“I’d cut the first six paragraphs,” says David. “All back story that the reader doesn’t need to know.”

Elizabeth frowns. “I see your point, David.”

I’m pleased because this is an issue that we frequently address. It would be easier to help them improve if they all weren’t such accomplished writers. As it is, their stories are very good as they’re presented and the changes will only make subtle improvements. However, we all recognize that a critique that doesn’t contain criticism is an oxymoron.

I had no idea what to expect when I began facilitating the Creative Writing Circle in the library of the residence. I worried that it might be and hour and a half of listening to bad writing, insincere, vague and unproductive comments, and assuaging hurt feelings. Did I really want to do this? Would teaching really be ‘learning twice’?

What I’ve learned about writing has been overshadowed by what I’ve learned about life. My hard core group are four sophisticated, educated and successful individuals who are also accomplished writers.

There stories have stimulated, entertained and educated me and I have added more than a tweak here and a suggestion there in improving them.

They have inspired me with their continuing thirst for knowledge, they way they still embrace a world that is evolving faster everyday, their generosity of spirit and their firm grasp of what is really important in this world. They live every day with passion and intensity tempered with a pragmatic realism.

Two months ago Kay died. Sweet, petite Kay was found in her bed surrounded by her papers and books. She was determined to write something unique and significant about the evils of war. She’d seen enough of them. She was ninety-five when she died.

That brought the average age of the members (facilitator not included) down to ninety years old.

I use to think there was not one good thing about growing old. My group has taught me that physical aging is a fact, but being old is an attitude.

Learning need never end, the beauty of nature can continue to inspire, and with every new person we meet we can experience the miracle of unique relationship that enriches our life and our spirit.

For most of my working life I’ve been a salesman.

I may have had different titles but I was a salesman – and a good one.

I sold advertising for newspapers, then for my own.

Even when I assumed the title publisher and editor I kept an active client list. My most valued employees were my sales staff.

Eventually, like everything else you enjoy but do too often, the thrill of the sale became not exciting as it once was. It was time to move on.

Fortunately, I’d sold enough.

What has this got do with finding an agent for my novels? An agent by any other name is a salesperson.

I know they vaunt themselves as the key to your success as a writer, the gatekeeper to all the fame that will come once you’re published, the oracle that guards all the secrets to the nether world of the publishing industry, but they’re salespeople.

The only reason they have such power and esteem is that we authors give it to them. They are only as good as the product they’re selling. Which means even a good agent can’t sell a bad book.

The opposite is probably true as well, but the emphasis is on the product, not the salesperson. In other words, you, the writer, the creator of the product, hold the key to success. Agents are the conduit.

So what do agents offer as their qualifications to rep my book? What do they include in their resumé, their curriculum vitae?

Some tell you they love books and are prolific readers.
Most people I know have read a lot of ads but that didn’t mean they could sell advertising.

Some have written books.
Why are they agents?

Some have a successful, clever blog.
What has this got to do with anything except self-aggrandizement? I’m thinking the time they spend promoting themselves might be better spent promoting their clients.

Some tell you how to write.
I never, never, ever (to infinity) told a client how to run their business no matter how dumb they were. It just pissed them off and was the kiss of death for closing the deal.

Some have degrees in English Literature, Creative Writing, blah, blah, blah.
So you’re educated? I sold to businesses but I didn’t have, nor did I need, an MBA.

If an agent is a salesperson by any other name than shouldn’t the qualities of a good agent be the same as those of a good salesman?

What qualities did I look for when hiring sales staff? What qualities do I have that made me a successful salesman?

I made more calls.
The success of salespeople is directly related to the number of calls they make. The more you make the greater the success. I made more calls.

I was self-motivated.
I didn’t need to be prodded, pushed, pumped or primed. Hour after hour, day after day, month after year I was up for the job.

I was hungry.
For money, recognition, success, self-esteem. I was/am never satisfied, never complacent.

I sold smart.
I had knowledge of the market, the industry, the needs of my clients.

The one ingredient that put me over the top, the one that is intangible and can’t be taught is the ability to make people like you.

If you’ve got this you can forget the rest. If the client won’t take your call all the motivation, hunger and smarts aren’t worth bugger all. I can make people like me, though these days I’m less and less inclined to.

Wouldn’t you know, it’s all about relationships – again.

So that’s it. The agent I’m looking for is self-motivated, hungry, smart, and has consummate people skills. He or she should also be looking to take on a new author with a dubious track record.

Any takers?

Rod Raglin is the author of three e-published books in the past year. Visit his website at www.rodraglin.com