Wednesday links: Productivity and annoying an agent

I love regularly reading tips and advice articles in certain subjects — particularly writing and publishing. I don’t always need the information right then, but I know that it’ll eventually come in handy. Or at least, I hope it will.

I know there are a lot of other people out there who feel the same way I do, but sometimes it can be difficult to find every useful advice article that’s out there. So I thought I’d bring you a few.

Here are the tips and advice articles that jumped out at me the most over the past week.

1. Productivity tool: Coffee shop sounds, creative productivity and Coffitivity – and a poll, from inkygirl: I don’t know about you, but I work best when there is music or some other sort of noise playing around me. Silence doesn’t work, and neither does people actually talking. Debbie Ohi over at inkygirl has a pretty good tool for anybody else who works the same way. Excerpt: “For early creative stages and for writing, I used to prefer silence. These days, however,  I like to have something going on in the background, especially if my work day has been especially long.”

2. How to disappear forever, from Janet Reid: This rule shouldn’t have to be repeated as many times as it has been, but apparently there are still people out there who need to learn it. It’s important to ALWAYS do your research and find out what an agent is looking for before you query them. Excerpt: “Five minutes later, a third. For a new book. Also mis-addressed. At this point I’m a tad impatient with Felix.”