Comments on: Ask Daphne! Speed Round!

By: Preparation is key « Day By Day Writer

Preparation is key « Day By Day Writer — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:03:33 +0000

[...] my regular blogs and found a Q&A post from agent Kate Schafer-Testerman in which she says this. Click here then scroll down to the question from @jjochwat. Note that when she says if there’s a no, [...]

By: Linda

Linda — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 20:20:29 +0000

Regarding why bookstores get the money they get from book sales.

Most indies get a discount of about 42-48% off the cover price of a trade book. Out of that, they pay the electric, the heating, the cleaning people, for bags and bookmarks and telephone lines, and they pay those employees we expect to be smart, courteous, and well-read enough to make recommendations for every kind of reader that might walk in the shop. (Reading which is done on their own time, I might add. Do I sound like a former indie bookclerk? You betcha’.)

Consider this: Books are one of the very few consumer products for which the price is printed right on the packaging. No matter whether they are in a low-rent district or a high-rent one, whether times are tough or the economy is flying, booksellers are stuck charging the cover price or less for their products — unlike most gift and clothing stores, where the mark-up can be anywhere between 100-300%.

By: Kate

Kate — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 22:46:19 +0000

Nope, Adri, that’s a different thing. In that case, I *specifically* said to requery, because I had gone through all my queries and answered them all. What I suggested in terms of following up refers to when I’m behind on my reading, and haven’t responded within the two week timeframe I give in my submission guidelines.

In any case, you did the right thing!

By: Adri

Adri — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:09:18 +0000

Heeeeey. There are some areas of Louisiana besides New Orleans that are habitable; take it from a born-and-bred N’awlins boy.

…

…okay, I’m lying, New Orleans is about it. Although the Acadian villages near Avery Island are absolutely charming as a tourist spot, and the bird sanctuary on the island itself is lovely. Just watch out for the alligators.

On a more serious note on the question of queries and follow-ups, though: a few days back you’d posted to Twitter and said that you’d cleared your query pile and if we didn’t receive a response to a query, to resend with a note that we were resending per your instructions. Based on your answer here, though, I should’ve sent a polite follow-up note instead. Er. Oops?

By: Lorelie

Lorelie — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:51:34 +0000

Hahaha! I was actually referring to your bragging on faboo Colorado weather. I didn’t even think about you using it for this post.

Oh, and we had about 2 inches.

By: Kiersten White

Kiersten White — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:50:40 +0000

Ha! to your exchange with @anniekawaii. My husband is a native San Diegan, but we met at school in Utah. He used to glare at the snow and grumble, “Why does anyone live here?!?”