Hi, I am signed up with one of London's top literary agencies agencies and am running workshops on how I did it, if anyone is interested in coming along to the next one (15 & 17 August) please contact me for details 07503 213 082 v.a.shannon@hotmail.co.uk

Gosh, what a mean reply. I thought it would genuinely be something that people would be interested in. There's a whole load of misleading information out there which, as a long-time struggling writer myself, I followed slavishly with nothing but one rejection letter after another. As you point out, I am a long-term member on this site and benefited greatly from the process of having my work critiqued. Now I am offering to share what I have learned through the submission process with anyone else who is interested - not at some vastly inflated price, but only enough to cover my overheads, I might add - because I thought it would be an interesting thing to do myself and because I thought people might be interested. The workshop's about really identifying problems and solving them and there's loads of one-to-one feedback, and I am very proud of what I am doing, to be honest!

Never mind, my dear, you carry on writing with no hope of ever getting an agent, and I will continue to encourage those who really intend to work at their craft and achieve success.

I'm good at what I do, have taught creative writing workshops for many years and have inside knowledge of the submission process FROM THE WRITER'S PERSPECTIVE which is very different to the received wisdom from the agents. And if you are signed up to a top agent you'll know that I'm right, so I'm afraid that's what makes me certain that you don't have one.

Not going to continue with this discussion as have my new novel to get on with!

Best of luck, Destiny's child, hope you achieve great success with your writing.

(sigh) Ok, stop now. You are just being silly. If you'd bothered to reply and get more information you'd know what you are talking about instead of continuing to rant about it in this forum.

There are a lot of people who don't have the good fortune to be signed up with an agent and would like to know more about how the process works and do something active and creative in order to maximise their chances of success. If you are already signed up with an agent then good for you, but why on earth are you so aggressive and judgmental about other people who aren't?

It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but that's their business, not yours. People come along, have a chat, have a glass of wine and do a couple of hours focussed work on getting to grips with the submission process, in company and with lots of opportunity to chat through their concerns. Writing can be a lonely business and lots of people want to know the answers to questions about the submission process and how to best present their work. Who are you to say they are wrong in that? You are judging me, knowing nothing about what I do, and judging them.
I just don't get what your problem is!

I agree with DC on this one. I'm sick of seeing writers with no more real experience than any other unpublished writer trying to flog services that won't help anyone a jot.

PS: maybe if you tell us who your agent is and what work of yours she/he has sold, that might help people decide whether you actually have something to offer. .