How fussy are agents about comma use?

cornflake

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Depends on the agent and what you're doing with commas.

I don't think there's anyone who'd ditch a query based on a comma splice. I think there are probably a number of agents who'd pass on a query rife with obvious errors in punctuation, as it'd just signal an ms. that'd need deep cleaning before it could be submitted anyplace.
 

rainsmom

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If you're asking how fussy agents are about a writer's ability to use punctuation correctly and intentionally, they're VERY fussy. Agents work with professionals. Professional writers know how to write, and that includes not only a well-crafted story, but also a correctly presented one.
 

quicklime

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I'm just curious?

Thanks.


er....meaning?

Proper comma use is a part of being able to write. So a misplaced comma is going to show up. Imagine you were auditioning for a chef spot in a place serving Italian, where the specialty was pre-new-world dishes, and you slapped them something with tomato and pepper. That would be a red flag.

Not knowing how to use commas, while pitching your ability to write, WILL BE NOTED. Will it kill you? Depends. But it won't help you.
 

Sage

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The more mistakes you make, the more brilliant your novel has to be for the agent to overlook them.
 

quicklime

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maybe, but peppers and tomatoes both came over from the Americas, and in the example the details matter--gnocci, pasta with tomatoes, or with peppers, all came post-Columbus. It would be a huge error to serve puttanesca, or potato gnocci in pesto, at a place like that. And perhaps your cooking would be great enough to overcome the inaccuracy....but you'd be wearing your ignorance on your sleeve.

Same with the comma issue.
 

Writer_

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maybe, but peppers and tomatoes both came over from the Americas, and in the example the details matter--gnocci, pasta with tomatoes, or with peppers, all came post-Columbus. It would be a huge error to serve puttanesca, or potato gnocci in pesto, at a place like that. And perhaps your cooking would be great enough to overcome the inaccuracy....but you'd be wearing your ignorance on your sleeve.

Same with the comma issue.

I don't know what you're talking about, I just want pizza.
 

Ken

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If, you use them, left, and right, often for no apparent reason, then the agent, may, say later for this.
 

quicklime

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I don't know what you're talking about, I just want pizza.


I am saying nightshades, including tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes, all came from the Americas. So Bolognese, Puttanesca, etc. simply did not exist prior to discovery of the new world. Neither did potatoes, so no tater-gnocci.

Ignorance of this would flag you as.....ignorant.

Maybe, MAYBE you will make a marinara so great they will say "fuck it, let's give him a try anyway," but you are making your own job of getting harder by showing, right off, that you don't understand "the rules." The timelines, in this case.

Misuse commas, and you're doing the same thing: you shine a spotlight on what you don't know. Maybe you can compensate for this elsewhere, maybe not.....but it will be noticed, and it will increase the work you need to do elsewhere to compensate for your errors here....
 

mayqueen

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If we're talking about the oxford comma, then I can't imagine an agent would reject you over using or not using it. If we're talking comma splices and other obvious comma errors, then I wouldn't be surprised.

Have someone look over your query and your first ten pages. Better yet, get yourself involved in the SYW arena of AW. By critiquing and reading others' critiques, you'll build your mechanical skills.
 

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An agent is not going to reject anyone because of her feelings about the Oxford comma.

An agent is going to reject someone who doesn't seem to understand basic punctuation.
 

InkStainedWench

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I'm surprised Cornflake missed an opportunity to discuss the cereal comma.
 

Jamesaritchie

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Comma use is not subjective, and you really need to know and follow the rules. The good news is that agents are not editors, and many of the agents I've know are not very good with commas. Some are lousy.

The bad news is that you can't sell anything without an editor loving your work, and while editors do not expect perfection, poor use of commas can make for tedious reading. This is never good.
 

Jamesaritchie

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Since there are different styles of comma usage depending on which school of thought you're from, consistency and sensibility are probably most important.

No, not really. Other than the Oxford comma, which you really need to know how to use, comma use has pretty darned strict rules. The agent may not catch your mistaks, but an editor darned sure will. Being consistently wrong just makes you consistently wrong, and the only sensible approach is to know and follow rules of usage.
 

Nymtoc

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An agent is not going to reject anyone because of her feelings about the Oxford comma.

An agent is going to reject someone who doesn't seem to understand basic punctuation.

That pretty much sums it up. The Oxford comma shouldn't bother anyone, but actual punctuation mistakes will. One mistake that irks me (and many agents, no doubt) is the misplaced apostrophe: "Susan wanted everything in it's place, because the Johnson's were coming to dinner."
 
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Quickbread

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No, not really. Other than the Oxford comma, which you really need to know how to use, comma use has pretty darned strict rules. The agent may not catch your mistaks, but an editor darned sure will. Being consistently wrong just makes you consistently wrong, and the only sensible approach is to know and follow rules of usage.

I was actually not intending to imply that mistakes are acceptable. They certainly are not.

I was speaking of the fact that there are different style guides (such as AP versus Chicago) and their inclusion or non-inclusion of the Oxford comma. Consistency to one style's rules matters more than which style you use.