Craigslist and What Makes Me Batty

I, like many freelance writers, go to craigslist looking for writing jobs and writing gigs pretty regularly. I've written about this before, but there are some people that post on it that just drive me up a wall. It's not as though I'm some big shot writer (I'm not), but there are some posts that just make me nutty. Take, for instance, this writer from Florida. You can read the post in its entirety but there's a few things I'd like to point out...

"I am a published author and novelist, who is also one of the premier political bloggers for one of the major politial parties." Good for you! Though you don't note what blog you write for nor the major political party you're affiliated with.

"I am seeking an Agent to take over the representation of my novel, that had its initial launch late last year to wonderful success, but fell victim to both a New York Based Agent, and a New York Based Publicist - falling by the wayside for their own personal reasons, leaving me hanging with a novel that had just begun to take off and has since become stagnated as a result of their ineptitude." And you've come to think that all the major agencies and publicists are scouring Craigslist for up-and-coming writers than working with already established writers and/or writers who got an agent through normal means?

"The novel has been called in the press 'The single most important military novel of our times'." Seriously? What press? It's not even published yet! And this book is more important that Slaughterhouse-Five? More important that Johnny Got His Gun? The Things They Carried? Amazing!

"I have had so-called Agents want to work with me as the author, but they have no idea as what to do and how to go about representing the novel itself." Oh, you mean sort of like how authors have no idea as to how to go about getting a reputable agent.

And, here, my friends, is the kicker...

"I am searching for someone wonderful, someone professional, and someone who can take this amazing project and work with me, as I also have 13 other novels under development as well."

Good luck with those.