GOOGLE a selling point?

[EminemsRevenge]

When i first learnt to "ego-surf" a few months ago, my screen name had about 700 entries on Google, now it is over fifty thousand

Obviously people have been quoting and linking me, because as slow as i type there is no way in hell i could have posted that many comments

So...should i mention this in query letters???!!!!

[Kasey Mackenzie]

Your book/story will stand on its own merits. I don't see how people quoting or linking to you would be relevant information for an agent. Unless of course it proves that you are an expert on whatever subject you are writing about. If that's not the case, I personally would not mention it. The agent will be interested in your writing, and whether he or she feels it is marketable to publishers. Beyond that, or any special expertise qualifying you to write what you write, they honestly probably wouldn't care. At least that is my understanding.


*Note: The only way I could see an exception to this would be if these thousands of comments could somehow assure you of a ready-made readership that would clamor for your book immediately. Not sure how you would be able to ascertain that, though, since you just found this through a generic Google search.

**Note the second: This isn't meant to detract from your ego-surfing. I think that's nifty you have so many hits on your screenname! I just don't think an agent would find it relevant in a query letter. At any rate, good luck!

[EminemsRevenge]

Originally Posted by Kasey Mackenzie

*Note: The only way I could see an exception to this would be if these thousands of comments could somehow assure you of a ready-made readership that would clamor for your book immediately. Not sure how you would be able to ascertain that, though, since you just found this through a generic Google search.

**Note the second: This isn't meant to detract from your ego-surfing. I think that's nifty you have so many hits on your screenname! I just don't think an agent would find it relevant in a query letter. At any rate, good luck!

So if i should somehow manage to get Matt Drudge-type numbers, an agent will not see that as a potential selling point?

While i think my book stands on its own merits, i tend to believe that if i someday have a half-million or so Google entries that maybe it is indicative that if i put a book out there might be a built-in audience out there, but since i'm a virtual newbie to the internet, i suppose i'm wrong.

Oh well

[Cathy C]

I'm not sure where you're getting 50,000. I also did a Google for you and came up with 2,610. Google deleted the repeats (such as you posting five times on the same thread at the same website), and I got 53 unique hits on 6 pages. Remember that your screen name (whether intentionally or unintentionally) shares that of a famous singer, so you have to be careful to only search your name as it exists (no spaces or punctuation).


But I agree that I don't know if an agent would be all that terribly interested. My name shows up 79,400 times, of which about 22,000 are unique hits. A lot of those are booksellers that are carrying our books and reviews of the books.

FWIW, they don't impress my agent AT ALL!

[Richard]

What? No.

What a ridiculous question. I can't imagine many would care if you were getting zillions of visits to your website, unless you were a celebrity for some other reason. Google searches? Sheesh, no. Egosurfing means nothing.