If you’re a part of the online writing community and any of its various outlets or hangouts, you probably see agent and publisher tips as a daily course of interaction. Which is awesome. At least I think so. 12 years ago when I first started wondering how to query a novel, all I had was a battered and outdated print copy of ‘The Writer’s Market’.

Fast-forward to now, and there’s no end to the information that’s available. Including tips on how to get noticed and how to avoid being noticed negatively. And one thing I hear over and over, and I agree with, is be careful with how you present yourself online. As a writer, you don’t want to cast yourself in a bad light. News travels fast and in publishing, like any industry, professionals talk to each other.

Awesome. Great news. I can agree completely. If you find my blog because you’re thinking about working with me, and something here puts you off, that’s my fault. This is a public forum and I know that when I make my posts.

And this is one of the only times I’ll ever do this. I’d like to point out that it works both ways. I told a friend a couple of weeks ago that there was a literary agent I would never query because the way they handled themselves on twitter rubbed me the wrong way.

My friend was shocked. This literary agent represents some big names, including several authors who I personally very much enjoy reading. These people all say good things about their agent, and honestly I assume this literary agent is a good, nice, intelligent person. I don’t think ill of them at all as a person.

But the way they handle themselves in a public forum doesn’t sit right with me, and I believe that would hinder a professional relationship.

I was researching agents today and I came across a website that made me blink and cringe. It was difficult to navigate and to me, being someone who’s worked in web design and marketing before, it made me hesitate. Now, a poor website design won’t deter me as much, but it will still make me ask if this is a person I want helping me promote my work should things go in that direction.

We all have little pet-peeves that set off alarms in our heads when dealing with anyone in personal and business every-day life. It’s going to be different for you than it is for me. You may not flinch at the HTML 1.0 and comic sans font, or the string of…whatever…in a Twitter feed. Maybe instead you’re very bothered by someone who uses incorrect grammar when they speak publicly. Or vocally discloses political beliefs that don’t agree with yours.

The thing is, I personally feel those are legitimate reasons to reconsider querying the person. It’s a business partnership. You have to feel comfortable with someone to make a partnership like that work. I’m not saying be super-picky. Not everyone likes peanut butter and bannana sandwiches. But if the mere thought of it nauseates you, and the literary agent you’re considering not only loves them, but gives them as every-occasion gifts…

I don’t know. Am I being unreasonable? Should an offputting online presence really keep me from considering an agent?