Hi John

[argenianpoet]

Hi John,

I have been thinking a lot lately about Ukranian Literary Agents and Publishers (ever since I joined this site yesterday), and I was wondering if your agency was listed in the 2006 Guide to Literary Agents? I live in the United States, and I am curious about the agency you work for. Are you based in the Ukraine, and if your agency is not listed in the 2006 Guide I referred to, then what Guide do I need to order to find out about Ukranain Agents, given that you are Ukranian?

I am very grateful that someone of your caliber would be willing to answer our questions; you know that is rare. Thank you John for contributing to this site, I think it's truly awesome!

One more question before I wrap this up: What kind of fiction are you looking for, and are you a member of the AAR? I write dark fantasy; my current novel is an action/adventure fantasy, but it is not what people consider average fantasy: knights, castles, trolls, fairies, and whatever else is considered clichical. It's more like realistic fantasy, if you can dig that? I call it fantasy for lack of a better term. Of course my view of fantasy is far different than the books in the bookstores, so in that sense dark fantasy seems to fit it well.

Thanks a million...

argenianpoet

[Mark Robson]

Hello and welcome to Chronicles. If you are referring to John Jarrold with the title of this thread, then I think you might be under some sort of misconception. The last time I spoke to him, he seemed very English to me! I stand ready to be corrected, but he is certainly based in the United Kingdom - his location is listed as Hastings ... you may have heard of a little battle that was fought there in ... oh, about 1066AD. Something to do with those pesky French people coming across and stealing our throne! Anyway, I digress, I was welcoming you to the site. Welcome. Have fun, and post away. I see you're off to a good start.

[argenianpoet]

Originally Posted by Mark Robson

Hello and welcome to Chronicles. If you are referring to John Jarrold with the title of this thread, then I think you might be under some sort of misconception. The last time I spoke to him, he seemed very English to me! I stand ready to be corrected, but he is certainly based in the United Kingdom - his location is listed as Hastings ... you may have heard of a little battle that was fought there in ... oh, about 1066AD. Something to do with those pesky French people coming across and stealing our throne! Anyway, I digress, I was welcoming you to the site. Welcome. Have fun, and post away. I see you're off to a good start.

I have become deeply fascinated with the conception of such a website. I did not even know they existed until about three weeks ago. I posted on AbsoluteWrite until they went under construction, and then I did a google search until I found this wonderful place. I'm sorry if I offended John with this post, but I am dumb when it comes to geography and history. Some parts of geography I have learned well, but Hastings did not ring a bell to me. Forgive me for my misconcpetions; I am from the USA. I appreciate the welcome Mark and hope that I can learn a lot here also. The world of writing, agents and publishers is a complex one, but I love it. Moreover, I am constantly learning new things, and I have this chaotic drive to learn about this process they call publishing. I think for a writer the ultimate goal is not money, but rather the satisfaction of seeing his work in print. I'm glad to be apart of this community, and hope that I can share as much as I learn. Learning is a never-ending cycle that repeats itself day in and day out, and in our sleeping hour we arrange this knowledge unknowingly. Thanks.

[John Jarrold]

No problem! As Mark says, I'm in the United Kingdom. I've tended to steer away from listings, since they want to publish your address, which can lead to huge amounts of unsolicited typescripts flooding in daily. I figure that if people contact me personally and e-mail me their work (which is how I receive 99% of my agency reading), I can control it and it keeps paper to a minmum, since I am happy to read on-screen.

[Joanne Mitchinson]

Hi John, and what a wonderful and cost efficient way of working that is, think of all the trees you preserve by not printing out!!! However, does anyone else think that reading online removes a certain amount of ease and pleasure from reading?

[John Jarrold]

It certainly isn't something I'd do for pleasure, Joanne. But if something grabs you when you read it on-screen you can be pretty sure that it's special.

[Wayne Blackhurst]

Originally Posted by Joanne Mitchinson

does anyone else think that reading online removes a certain amount of ease and pleasure from reading?

It's a means to an end, done primarily to ascertain material and more should do the same. I imagine most professionals reading submitted material grab spare minutes on the tube to work, over a coffee break, or a quiet moment at home in bed, where the ease of pulling out several sheets of A4 is easier than dragging themselves to a desktop PC, fumbling for a PDA or balancing a laptop. During rare moments of indulgence, though, I'm certain these guys enjoy kicking back with a traditional book like most of us.

I do find reading text on a screen slightly clinical, the atmosphere changing when reading printed text, I agree. I often use this to my advantage when 'self editing', (heh, that's a good one), as the work often feels different when down in a physical form. That is until I go blue in the face and crossed eyed, tire from it and ditch the piece.

[mosaix]

Originally Posted by Joanne Mitchinson

However, does anyone else think that reading online removes a certain amount of ease and pleasure from reading?

This is an interesting point.

I do two kinds of reading. The first, for my work and for that the screen is perfect, I can dodge backwards and forwards, searching for what I need.

The second, for pleasure. For that I need the feel of the paper, the weight of the book and the ability to pick it up and put it down no matter where I am. Also ownership is important to me, giving a book a home so to speak.

Because of this sometimes, when reading a piece under 'critiques' section, I have to print it and take it away from my terminal to do it justice. Otherwise it feels too much like work and my mind wanders.

[mosaix]

Originally Posted by Joanne Mitchinson

However, does anyone else think that reading online removes a certain amount of ease and pleasure from reading?

This is an interesting point.

I do two kinds of reading. The first, for my work and for that the screen is perfect, I can dodge backwards and forwards, searching for what I need.

The second, for pleasure. For that I need the feel of the paper, the weight of the book and the ability to pick it up and put it down no matter where I am. Also ownership is important to me, giving a book a home so to speak.

Because of this sometimes, when reading a piece under 'critiques' section, I have to print it and take it away from my terminal to do it justice. Otherwise it feels too much like work and my mind wanders.

Edit: Not sure how this post of mine got repeated, six minutes apart as well!. Shame there isn't a delete button.

[John Jarrold]

I still like books as artefacts. As you say, the weight, and the cover and feel of the thing itself.