Culturebox: Who Isn't Writing the Next Eat, Pray, Love?

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doublex Who Isn't Writing the Next Eat, Pray, Love? Literary agents are flooded with pitches for the next Eat, Pray, Love. By Libby Copeland Posted Thursday, Aug. 12, 2010, at 10:00 AM ET There are countless ineffective ways to pitch a manuscript, ranging from the slightly boneheaded (addressing a female literary agent as "Mr." in a query letter) to the more extravagantly awkward (pitching an agent in the bathroom). The last few years have brought a new scourge to the industry: authors who describe their unpublished manuscripts as just like Eat, Pray, Love. Since the 2006 publication of Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir of traveling abroad for wisdom after splitting from her husband, agents have taken to warning authors about this during writing conferences and on blogs. Referencing Gilbert's book in a query letter has come to signify a memoir of travel and revelation (travelation!), usually written by a woman, and quite possibly without a speck of originality or talent. To continue reading, click here. Libby Copeland is a former reporter for the Washington Post, now writing in New York. She can be reached at libbycopeland@gmail.com. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Donald Duck Groped a Woman? Don't Forget the Bum Sex-Abuse Rap Against Tigger. The Four Most Common Cliches in Movies About Divorcees Should I Let My Kid Volunteer at an Animal Shelter?	Advertisement
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