Recently I received a manuscript from a client and I noticed, as I opened the box, that it stank of cigarette smoke. I was reminded immediately of a copy-editor I knew back in New York who chain-smoked while working. The manuscripts always came back stinking of cigarette smoke. When I met the guy, his fingertips were stained brown and he smelled like an ashtray. Great copy-editor, though. But the price of working with him was that you had to deal with the stink and sometimes some ash on the pages.
Now, beyond the fact that smoking is not healthy, no editor or agent wants to be stuck reading a manuscript that stinks of cigarette smoke. So if you are a smoker, figure out a way to get that manuscript printed, say by Staples's or Kinko's online services, and mailed without surrounding it with a cloud of cigarette smoke so that it won't end up with your agent or editor feeling like you just mailed him or her a full ashtray of butts.
Your agent, editor, and I thank you.
Z
Monday, March 10, 2008
2 comments:
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What a visual and... um... smell-able image!
ReplyDelete*chuckle*
--Chiron O'Keefe
Ashland, OR
It always amazes me when I hear/read this kind of thing. I get the shakes if there's even a speck on something I'm sending for someone to consider. How are you so in the Ozone, you can just ignore a stained or messy or smelly manuscript? Strange.
ReplyDeleteSmell-able image LOL!
Stephe Thornton
Smyrna, GA