![[Logo]](/images/101ReasonsLogo.png "101 Reasons to Stop Writing")
You may have read the news: Miss Snark is retiring from blogging.
In the two years that Miss Snark has been pseudonymously writing about the life of a literary agent, the public perception of agents and the publishing industry has been irrevocably changed. Sure, there were blogs by publishing professionals before, and will be after, but her contribution is difficult to overestimate.
Gone is the illusion of agents as stuffy guardians of literary elitism, and the contradictory illusion of talent-blind failed writers conspiring to undermine creativity. We now know that agents are human, have educated and informed but necessarily subjective tastes, genuinely love reading, have a job to do that goes well beyond reading unsolicited submissions and only so many hours in the day, and have a virtually bottomless well of patience and respect for writers and their sensitivities. (The good ones, at least.)
Miss Snark’s blog set a high standard for what could be achieved with a (free and ad-free) blog about publishing. From amusing rants on publishing in general, and nitwit slushdwellers in particular, the blog grew to become a major destination for writers looking for advice on seeking representation, and demystifying the publishing process. Many stayed, forming an impromptu community in the comments section of each post, where her advice was argued, clarified, expanded upon and sometimes refuted. Successful writers, industry professionals and passionate readers mingled with hacks, ne’er-do-wells, nitwits and wannabes, mostly with the shared goal of making publishing seem less daunting, confusing and capricious.
But it was her combination of humour (from the sublime to the cynical), deep understanding of how publishing really works, unpolished tell-it-like-it-is bluntness, sheer frequency of updates, and astonishing dedication to providing opportunities for unpublished writers to learn from their and other’s mistakes that kept us readers coming back.
In her pithy posts, a dose of publishing reality became our drug of addiction, and the writing blogosphere is waking up today to some heavy withdrawals.
Thankfully Miss Snark’s blog will remain, so if you still have a question for her, search the Snarkives.
And please remember to always FOLLOW THE DAMN DIRECTIONS.
I love Miss Snark. You probably love Miss Snark, unless you’re a nitwit. Time to show her a little of that love.
Here are some web badges I’ve whipped up so you can let Miss Snark know that you miss her, without seeming like an email stalker. Feel free to use them on your blog. You can copy and paste the code below each image into a post, or your blog template.
Please Note:
Images are hosted by ImageShack.us.
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I didn’t want the post above to be about me, so I left out details of my debt to Miss S.
Her high volume of informative posts led to the creation of a special Miss Snark category for the Stop Writing if You Need This Advice award nominees.
And her recent link to one of my Demotivators brought at least 800 new visitors to this site, some of whom probably needed just that little push to stop writing.
So here’s to gin by the pail, a smarter slushpile, and better books to read. Cheers!
I have a friend who should NOT stop writing. But any time I ever said anything along these lines, I’m sure I got brushed off as a Friend Who Says Nice Things. To me, it was one of those Why Must People Feel Confident About Horrible Work When There Are Good Writers With No Self Esteem scenarios.
Anyway, I talked said friend into submitting to that last ungodly enormous Crapometer, and her work made it through all of the cuts…every single one. She wrote to Miss Snark to say thanks. Snark’s reply was inspiring enough that a few months later, my friend is still working on her book — and unlike before, I’m sure it will get sent to agents. She believes in herself now, and that’s thanks to Miss Snark.
./raises stiletto in salute
I’m using it.
She will be missed.
And dammit, your brilliant wit wasn’t supposed to work on Miss Snark! It was supposed to be everyone ELSE stop writing…
I’m using it. Such a sad day…
Thanks for the badge. My cat, Fiddy (short for Fifty Cent, and that is NO accident) has a crush on KY, so guess which badge we put on our blog…
Met you through bloglog. I’ll enjoy visiting.
Your post is one of the best ones I’ve read about Miss Snark. Also, thank you for the buttons, I’ll be adding one to my site. I’ve been enjoying your blog via my RSS reader for a while now.
Oooh, love buttons!
I had posted yesterday, but I “edited to add” one of your button linkies. THANKS.
It’s in this post:
http://mirathon.blogspot.com/2007/05/say-it-aint-so-miss-snark.html
Mir
Totally using it (the first you showed). Thanks for providing this service to us.
Nice post on Miss S.
Thanks for creating the buttons-I’m using them.
Thanks. It really sucked walking around a writer’s conference yesterday and dropping the bomb. But it was fun to see that everyone was as shocked as I was. Sort of.
Thanks for the Miss Snark badges.
mine’s up.
damn. what a gift she’s been.
I’m using the buttons.
As to Miss Snark. She’s…wonderful.
Thanks for the buttons! And what an excellent post on Miss Snark.
thanks for the Snark buttons - I’ve popped one into my myspace page (www.myspace.com/leannetells)
Sad day for us all who have loved MS!
best,
Leanne
Wonderful post! I just added a link to it in my MS tribute: An Enormous Disturbance in the Force. Love the buttons too; just put one in my blog template.
Well of course I heart Miss Snark! Fab post, super-fab buttons - I’m using one on my blog. Thanks for this…
Badges? We need your stinking badges.
On my sidebar:
http://earthobservation.blogspot.com
I’m one of those new readers who came to you via Miss Snark. I miss her already! Thanks for the buttons.
Thanks for the button. Darn shame she’s retiring. *sigh*
Thanks for the badge. I’m flying my blog at half mast for a few days with the badge. Is there anyone that actually knows the woman and can talk some sense into her? THis is when anonymity really does not work.
Okay, disregard the last post about talking sense to Miss Snark. I know she wants to do this. I vascillate between reason and non and being selfish and not. (sigh) (cry) I’m better now. NO, I’m not.
I’m horribly sad that Miss Snark is gone. Not to mention bummed that my question didn’t make it before she retired. Can’t have it all I guess.
I also find it slightly amusing that my RWA group JUST found her on the 14th. I cried for them.
Thanks for the badges. I’ll be putting them up on http://www.kimiko-dreams.com and http://www.talechasing.com as soon as I can fix my damn K2 modual.
I’ve added the badge to my blog.
Corn Dog, if you really want to make sure that she stays away, go ahead and “talk sense” to her. Every time I get some well-meaning twit who tells me that I need to return to writing, all the entreaty does is make me want to play Russian Roulette with an automatic just to make sure it doesn’t happen.
Paul, umm, comments were facetious. Sheesh! See follow up comment in same stream. Thanks for making this all about you and referring to me as a “twit.”
Dude, you have a blog called Rubber Corn Dog.
Lol, true but does that make me an auto twit.
Actually, it wasn’t about you, Corn Dog: you’ve never nagged me about returning to writing, and I apologize for the insinuation. When I call someone a “twit”, it’s with reason, usually when I get the riot act about how “you should get your stuff back in print, and I know this great company called PublishAmerica that’ll do all the work for you…” (I recently had to explain to my youngest brother that the proponents of self-publishing are just as certain that “you’re GUARANTEED to make money” as the twerps who come up to writers and tell them “I’ve got a great idea, so if you write it, I’ll share the money with you.” He wasn’t convinced, until I explained that it was exactly like actors or musicians working “for spec”.)
I will say, though, that the last thing anyone who quits wants to hear is people asking them to return, especially if they aren’t getting any kind of financial recompense for returning. I finally had to quit associating with several people who simply wouldn’t shut the hell up about how “you’ve GOTTA go back to writing”, even though they knew how miserable I was when I was doing so. A couple wouldn’t take the hint if I suggested that Ernest Hemingway, Hunter S. Thompson, and Robert E. Howard had the right idea and followed through with a twelve-gauge mental enema, so I had a choice between living my life for me or ending it for them.
Snatched a badge. Thanks for a lovely salute to a truly all-American hero, spurs on her stillettos and cluegun in her holster. Damn fine woman.
Linked on my blog:
http://mgddasef.blogspot.com/
12-gauge mental enema.
Paul, you are a master of imagery.
Thanks, I’m using the link. So sad she’s closed the blog - she’s the best.
Linked to my blog! http://www.islandeditions.wordpress.com
Thanks, Sean. Great idea as a way for all of us to show our undying gratitude.
And if Miss Snark is reading this, now that you’ve retired from blogging you’re welcome to visit my tropical island. Course, you’ll have to reveal your true identity in order to collect on this invitation…
I linked using one of your badges. Thanks for the opportunity.
And that was a great tribute.
Nicely done–the tribute to Miss Snark and the buttons. I’m using one to show my appreciation.
Miss Snark was a unique force for discouraging those who shouldn’t be writing. Her one-woman war against nitwits has been nothing but a force for good.
I’ve badged my blog to show my loff. http://hkneale.livejournal.com/67830.html
Nicely said, and thanks for the button!
I’m late to the party, for sure. I’ve just learned about her blog & started to explore it, & am a new fan.
I will continue to write, though, even if it’s just for me.