On Being Naive

I happened upon this somewhat recent website, and while it's not an author website, I checked out the "About Me" and found the following:

I have a novel ready, and another right behind it. I am accepting agent queries at this time. Please include your query in the body of the email, and list authors you represent and any awards you have won. Agents not listed in Writers Market [sic] should supply additional references. Publishers are encouraged to work through the agent channel. Email first: XXXXXXXXXXXXX.

Now, as you can guess, this is an unpublished author. I know I've never heard of the person. But maybe they're a great writer. And maybe I don't understand agents and publishers like I think I do. I've always thought that if agents or publishers seek any writer out, it's from maybe reading a story of theirs in a magazine or journal. But who knows, maybe they do troll through author blogs, searching for a hot new talent. Let's just hope if they come to this writer's blog, they are listed in Writer's Market, or at least supply the appropriate number of references. (Or is this writer being facetious? I honestly can't tell.)

Awhile back I talked about what makes a professional writer, even one who hasn't published anything yet, and something like this ... well, I can just imagine that if agents or publishers did happen across this particular page, they might not stop laughing for quite a long time. I know I didn't.

Oh, and what should a writer put instead? Just an e-mail address. If an agent or publisher is interested in your work, they will contact you.