the demise of WTF Wednesday, reporting problems, and more

by Alison Green on May 24, 2016

A few housekeeping items —

1. I signed with a literary agent to do an Ask a Manager book, y’all. I’ve spent the last few days saying “you’ll need to talk to my agent” in response to everything my husband asked me, which was very fun (for one of us).

2. There’s now a link right above the commenting box that you can use to report technical problems, ad problems, or typos. It’ll take you to a form that will gather all the info I need. (It’ll also hopefully get these reports out of the comment section, where I don’t always spot them.)

3. I’m officially and formally declaring that there is no WTF Wednesday. I know it’s been a long-running joke among commenters, but it can come across as an unkind thing to say to letter-writers, so the time has come for it to have a dignified and peaceful burial. (For people who don’t read the comments and don’t know what this is about, there’s been a long-standing suspicion that particularly outrageous letters are more likely to be run on Wednesdays.)

Any other site-related questions — have at it in the comments.

You may also like:
{ 251 comments }

{ 251 comments… read them below }

    1. GreenTeaPot*

      Good for you! Such a book is much needed! Wish you’d been around when I was 22…

      1. Anonymous Educator*

        Well, I know you have a lot of stuff you’re juggling, so I don’t want to make it sound as if it’s nothing to commit to, but it’s also not as complicated as you might think. Yes, you can make it complicated if you want a fully-produced story-format podcast in the style of Radiolab, but I’m sure you could get away with a fairly conversational-style podcast (like Savage Lovecast or Unqualified with Anna Faris). All you would need to not be too fancy is a laptop with a good built-in mic (most recent Macs do), Audacity (free program), and a SoundCloud account (to host and generate the RSS feed, which can then go into iTunes and Google Play).

        With a book, you probably have your hands full right now, but know your readers would really love a podcast!

        1. JB (not in Houston)*

          Also, I’ve seen blogs where the blogger makes podcasts periodically when they’ve saved up enough to say, but it’s not on a definite schedule and it seems like it’s not more than four a year. That could be easier than a regular podcast, if you ever feel like you want to give it a try.

        1. Cass*

          Dear Prudence on Slate is launching a podcast. Seems like they have their readers call in and leave a voice message of their issue, and then she answers it. (Using voice modifiers if necessary.) Seems like that would work great for this format!

      1. Some Sort of Management Consultant*

        TED TALK!!!!!
        YEEEEES!
        Can one nominate someone to do one?

      2. Greg*

        You’re thinking too small. How do you expect AAM to become an EGOT if she doesn’t also produce “Ask a Manager: The Musical” on Broadway? I for one can’t wait to hear such toe-tapping numbers as “Mentally Moving On” and “Is This Legal?”

        1. Adonday Veeah*

          The Hanukah Ball Blues
          Doin’ The Teapot Rag
          Wakeen’s Refrain
          The Duck Club Ditty

    1. LooseyGoosey*

      This is the mother of all WTF Wednesday posts!

      I know it was never A Thing, but it was totally a thing.

  7. The Alias Gloria Has Been Living Under A.A., B.S.*

    Is it going to be a fiction book? I imagine a plucky young Alison setting out to reshape management set against the back drop of Washington DC. Will she find love? A job? A cat?

    1. Ask a Manager* Post author

      I laughed out loud! I want to read that book, possibly in the form of a graphic novel, but I do not want to write it.

      It will be more in the vein of what I do here.

      1. Stranger than fiction*

        I’m so excited for the book! I hope there’s a whole chapter dedicated to Worse Bosses Ever.

      3. Wellbeing*

        I’d love to see a chapter on “Just say____________” for your terrific advice on what to say when. I suppose it almost could be a whole book.

    2. Pwyll*

      You’re in luck: there is an amazing book called Company by Max Barry that is effectively a teach-by-example-of-everything-that-is-wrong fiction book. While sadly not written by Alison, it’s a true gem.

      1. Joan Callamezzo*

        Huge fan of Jennifer Government and yet somehow I haven’t read this. Just bought off iBooks; thanks for the rec!

      2. Augusta Sugarbean*

        Thanks from me, too. I just started listening to this on the way home from work tonight. It’s great!

  11. Minion*

    Congratulations on the book!

    Glad to hear WTF Wednesdays have now kicked the bucket. Hopefully it will RIP and not be dragged back out of the grave. :)

  12. AW*

    #1 – High five!

    #2 – Cool beans. I rarely notice issues but that should be useful.

    #3 – I can see how the OP can see it as folks laughing at them, even if the comments section is generally on their side. It could look like folks are making light of a situation that’s very serious for them.

  14. quiet academic librarian*

    I love that one of the recommended links on this post is “my coworker self-published an X-rated book and won’t stop promoting it at work.”

    “Quack!: Ask a Manager After Dark”

    1. JMegan*

      “Quack!: Ask a Manager After Dark”

      Please, please, let that be the actual title of the book! Congratulations, Alison!

          1. Mockingjay*

            *Screams with laughter in cubicle, hastily muffled.* Thank goodness Intrepid Colleague is wearing headphones.

        3. Some Sort of Management Consultant*

          That does sorta put a damper on my plan to give out your book to all new hires at the firm….
          ;)

      3. Jane Gloriana Villanueva*

        omg, I am not usually one for audiobooks but I have lots of thoughts about who would read this one aloud! (Obviously, Alec Baldwin, Ana Gasteyer, and Molly Shannon would have to do the holiday version suggested below by neverjaunty!)

      1. KB*

        Remember that if Booky McBookface wins, Alison will have the right to override it with a title of her own choosing.

        1. I try to be an innocent bystander*

          Oh god, I just choked on my soup!
          +1000 internet points

  17. AnotherFed*

    Does this mean the truly WTF Wednesday troll level questions will go in the book? I’m thinking of how XKCD handled the extra bizarre “what if” question submissions…

    1. Ask a Manager* Post author

      WTF questions will continue to be published here as always (assuming I continue to receive them, which I hope and pray I do because I love them). It’s only the Wednesday comments that I’m trying to put an end to.

      1. AnotherFed*

        Oh good, the crazy stories are always the most interesting! It’s so much easier to put up with my own coworkers when I can reassure myself that at least they do think black magic curses are good ways to solve problems, do not give out Hanukkah balls, and so far there is no evidence of a duck club.

      2. neverjaunty*

        Start putting the most routine, boring letters you can think on on Wednesdays. ;)

        1. De Minimis*

          I’ve always felt like the WTF Wednesday comments were usually sympathizing with the letter writers, but I see your point.

      3. Ella*

        I admit I’m now wondering what the hell is in the queue to post for tomorrow, that you’re trying to head the comments off now. (I realize that’s not why you’re saying it, and I agree that the WTF Wednesday comments need to go. I’m just making a potentially poor joke).

        Also, I can’t wait to put an AAM book on the display shelf, like, all the time. (I have several books that I put on display basically whenever I see them returned. I’m sure this will be one.)

        1. ThursdaysGeek*

          Besides, fully 20% of the time we have a whopper of a story on Wednesday instead of Thursday or Friday or Monday or Tuesday. How can it not be a thing with such a high percentage?!

          I like getting signed books, imagining that someday they will be incredibly valuable and I’ll be glad to part with them to fund my retirement. Even though I know I never get rid of books.

          1. JennyFair*

            I am taking the view that it increases the chances for whoppers on the remaining four days of the week. Each whopper will be a joyful surprise. I’m okay with this.

  19. MeridaAnn*

    Thank you for re-stating #3! I get pretty tired of seeing all the “Wow, and it’s not even Wednesday!” posts, which I see a lot more than comments about it on actual Wednesdays (since, as you’ve said repeatedly, it really isn’t A Thing!). I love all the posts on here, especially the stranger ones, and I hope people finally listen to you about this and keep their comments on topic instead of discussing what day of the week it is. :)

    1. Kyrielle*

      Ditto. I also live in fear that a WTF question will be at the least delayed, if not avoided, because of a desire not to put some things on Wednesdays lest it start up again.

      I kind of hope for those questions, whatever day of the week they land on. And I kind of hope she won’t get them because ugh, someone is having to live through whatever-it-is.

    2. TootsNYC*

      I’d kind of like to see those comments get deleted. Because they’re going to happen, and when they do, they just encourage other people to post them.

      (I suppose the other way to control for WTF Wed. would be to embrace it, and insist that it always be “WTF is wrong w/ your boss?” But it’s still risky, and it’s not cool to make people feel bad about writing in and exposing their real lives. I’ve been a member of another forum, and every single time I mention something from my real life, someone there attacks, and it has really turned me off from starting a topic or sharing anything remotely discussable.)

      1. sunny-dee*

        I am with someone up-thread though … these were (very very seldom) attacks on the letter writer — they generally express horror at whatever the letter writer is going through, which is very different.

        1. Kyrielle*

          They were almost never attacks on the letter writer, but they easily could be – and Alison has asked more than once that they not become a thing (although usually, I think, in comments).

          Also, they add almost nothing to the discussion unless one expands on them, in which case just posting the expansion is going to add just as much. Occasionally there would be this thread in a bizarre post on a not-Wednesday and a whole thread of “Whoah! Is it Wednesday!” comment and follow-ups. If the letter-writer isn’t a regular in the comments on this site, they wouldn’t even have a clue what that meant and I could see it being really off-putting.

          (It was actually pretty off-putting to me, and I wasn’t the letter writer and did know the meaning – it just seemed to be occupying comment space and serving as an abbreviation for the shock and horror at the situation, an abbreviation that is only decipherable to those ‘in the know’.)

  20. Allison Mary*

    Yay, congrats on the book! Excited to buy it and read it when it eventually becomes available! :)

  21. Florida*

    If we have questions, do we still write to you? Or do we have to talk to your agent?! ;)
    Congrats on the book contract. Looking forward to reading it.

    1. Ask a Manager* Post author

      Ha, no, she would not enjoy that.

      Thank you all for all the congratulations! Keep in mind that we still have to sell it, and then I have to write it. So it will be a very interesting 2016.

      2. Mallory Janis Ian*

        Oh, yeah, the agent has to sell it to a publisher. I was skipping a step and thinking, “Well, you’ve sold at least one copy — to me!”

        2. ThursdaysGeek*

          And I was thinking it needed to be written before it could be sold. To me, anyway.

      3. KB*

        Given the background of support here, selling it should be much easier than if you started from nothing. And yes, the writing is always a challenge!

      4. Not So NewReader*

        I don’t think you have to worry about selling it. All you have to do is tell us it’s available for purchase and how to get it.

        Does the book have an ETA? Not trying to rush you or anything…

      5. MsChanandlerBong*

        You’ll sell it. You have such a strong platform that any publisher would be foolish not to pick it up!

  23. kac*

    Congratulations!! I can’t wait to buy a copy for every job-hunting friend and new grad in my life. Well deserved.

  27. KR*

    I like your new mobile ads. Very friendly and out of the way.
    And many congratulations on your book. Let us know when we can pre-order.

      1. Annie*

        I’ll second this; the new mobile ads work great on my phone. And I really do like seeing ads because I know that’s how I support your site & the work you do here.

        1. GOG11*

          Do you mean seeing that they are there since you know they support the site, or does Alison only get revenue if people literally see them, i.e., aren’t using an adblocker? Because I’m using an Adblocker (ads would go so far as to interfere with typing) but I would be willing to disable it if it means it doesn’t interfere with the revenue.

          1. Ask a Manager* Post author

            Yeah, they only pay if people see them, so if you’re using an Ad Blocker, they don’t produce any revenue. (They’re literally blocking the ad from being served, so it doesn’t “count.”)

            1. GOG11*

              Oh, man! You had recommending using one, so I had no idea it made them not count. I think I’ll try another browser so I can still use the site without blocking them.

              1. Ask a Manager* Post author

                Ah! I just meant use one if the ads were making the site technically frustrating for you. You still have my blessing to do that if the ads pose issues for you.

                1. KB*

                  You may be amused to learn that one of the ads I am seeing now is for a publishing firm here in Australia. :-)

                2. SusanIvanova*

                  I tried turning it off and the first ad had an auto-playing video. Something about CEOs being in favor of the ACA :(

                3. Ask a Manager* Post author

                  The ad just above the comments section will play sound if your cursor is over it, but will stop when your cursor moves away. Sounds like that might be what you saw.

            2. Anon2*

              Can I ask, do you get paid because the ad is there and we see it, or do I actually have to click on it and go to that website and/or purchase something? Just wondering if you’re actually getting money because I look at it – I never click on ads.

              1. Ask a Manager* Post author

                Nope, you don’t need to click on it for me to get paid. It’s based on impressions (number of times the ad itself is seen by someone on the page).

                1. Anon2*

                  Oh that’s good news. Typically I don’t feel bad about bypassing ads on general websites, but, as many of us here have indicated, we WANT to help you and provide you with revenue to keep providing this service which we all love! However most of the time the ads aren’t relevant to me/my life, so I was wondering if you get paid regardless…

      2. Mimmy*

        Ohh – is that what the new ads on the bottom of the screen is? I wrote to you about that wondering what it was. I usually zoom my screen to increase the font size, so the ads then take up a third of the page until I close the ad. I changed my zoom settings and it helps.

        2. JessaB*

          You can close them? I don’t see any x or down arrow or anything to close the adverts. Heck I had to scroll up after typing the very first line of this response in order to actually see what I am typing as the advert covered it over.

          1. Sunshine*

            I usually see an X in the corner. Maybe make sure you’re not zoomed in so it’s off the screen?

      3. Merry and Bright*

        Once the ads about PPI and loans were replaced with shops and stuff I use I liked them too. But my ads have completely disappeared from my phone and laptop the last few weeks. I haven’t got any ad blockers and I’m in the UK if it makes a difference. Don’t want you to lose out, Alison.

        Another customer for the book here.

      4. JessaB*

        I am not loving the ads on a regular browser, I end up with a two inch bar across the bottom of the screen which obscures things and makes it annoying. I preferred the one or two inline adverts that you could just scroll past. This new thing just sits there in my way for the entire time I read and given the larger print I read at it barely lets me read a paragraph at a time. It’s incredibly intrusive.

        1. Pop In, Pop Out*

          I also hate the new ads, though I didn’t mind the in-line ads. I read zoomed in, so not only is the new ad a thick floating bar obscuring the bottom of my page, covering a lot of content, I can’t close it without zooming out and then trying to hit the tiny x. I often fail to hit the x and hit the ad itself, so it opens the ad and the I have to go back and argh. It’s frustrating.

        2. Mimmy*

          If I may, I have a suggestion: As I mentioned to Alison upthread, I read zoomed in as well, and I was having the same issue with the ad blocking a lot of my view. But then I decided to change my zoom setting to “Zoom Text Only” (under View) and that made a big difference. I use Safari in iMac, but other browsers may have something similar (I think Firefox does, IIRC).

        1. NN*

          Ditto, so much easier to close compared to the inline ads, I even don’t mind them on my phone (with a tiny tiny screen)

    1. Ask a Manager* Post author

      No book deal yet — hope I didn’t mislead anyone! Just an agent, and we’re working on a proposal to publishers. She thinks she can sell it though.

      1. Kristine*

        If there’s ever any doubt about it selling, just have the publishers talk to us! I bet many of us would be willing to pre-order.

        1. Mallory Janis Ian*

          Oh, yes! I bet many of us can testify as to our firm intentions of buying and back that up with a pre-order!

      2. Lore*

        With the readership data you can bring to the table, your agent will sell this book. I feel very confident of that.

        1. Carpe Librarium*

          Oh, dear. Now that has evolved in my mind to
          Ask A Manager the Musical
          ON ICE

  30. Liza*

    Yay for the book!

    And yay for the demise of WTF Wednesday. Are you prepared for the “extinction burst” of WTF Wednesday comments before it finally dies down?

    1. Ask a Manager* Post author

      Ha, yes. But now it has the force of policy behind it, because you should always solve problems by writing new policies rather than talking to people directly. (Just kidding.)

  32. Emmie*

    Congrats on the book! I cannot wait to download it – after you sell and write it! :) Sending you good vibes for multiple aggressive offers.

  33. LBK*

    I would totally do the same thing to my boyfriend if I had an agent (and he’d be equally as enthused about it as your husband). What’s the book going to be like? I’m thinking some kind of all-encompassing reference guide to workplace issues, both from the manager and employee perspective?

    2. TootsNYC*

      I want you to start each chapter with a letter from a reader, and use it as a springboard to talk about a management issue.

      Like, the letter from the person whose company wants her to reimburse them for a cruise, as an intro to “how to reward your staff.”

      But you really need to keep in the sorts of responses like, “What?! No!” etc.

      2. Elizabeth West*

        The AAM lexicon!

        “What!? No!”
        “That’s wildly inappropriate.”
        “Your manager is an ass.”
        And my personal favorite, “Aack! Don’t do that!”

  34. Liz in a Library*

    Really glad to see WTF Wednesday officially die…it’s always struck me as weirdly mean-spirited for a community that’s usually so helpful and positive.

    1. Apollo Warbucks*

      Re WTF Wednesday, I always saw it as a joke, or comment on how absurd a situation was, not as anyone trying to be mean to letter writers. I’m sad the joke is no more.

      But Alison please don’t post anything crazy tomorrow or I’ll think you’re messing with us.

      1. TootsNYC*

        The thing w/ the crazy posts is, it’s kind of like celebrities dying in threes. We just start counting at one, and then stop when we get to three. People assume it’s WTF Wed., just because it’s Wednesday. There are crazy posts pretty much every day of the week.

      2. Not So NewReader*

        Alison may have to go with “any post containing WTF references will be deleted”. I think that would work.

      3. Grey*

        I always thought is was a way of playing along with the old post titles like, Mini Answer Monday, Terse Answer Tuesday, Wee Answer Wednesday…

        I wonder if this is why that stopped.

  35. Jane Gloriana Villanueva*

    Exciting news, Alison! Thanks for keeping us updated and good luck with the proposal. We know you’ll land the deal. I can’t wait for the AAM book club. :)

  36. RubyJackson*

    Congratulations on the agent and good luck with the book! It will be a huge hit once it’s published, no doubt.

  38. SophieChotek*

    Congrats! I am already looking forward to the book.
    Print or ebook or both?

  39. Joan Callamezzo*

    Congrats Alison! Glad to hear the gospel of AAM will soon be spread hither and yon.

  42. Grey*

    Do you ever wonder if newcomers to this site think that the teapot industry must be a horrible place to work?

    1. Ask a Manager* Post author

      I get a fair amount of letters that use teapots as their example, and I sometimes actually edit it out if I can do it and still have the letter make sense without it — because I figure new readers will be very confused otherwise!

      1. Bibliovore*

        I hope you keep some of the teapot stuff in book.
        The use of teapots, teapot production etc helps reassure the questioner their anonymity while being very clear (that must be your editing) on the issues. It also brings together the community without being “too” in crowd. In the text of the book you can explain the terms and their origins. The blog readers will buy the book and share. The book buyers will come to the blog. win/win.

          1. bearing*

            I love how it spawned recurring outgrowths. Like once in a while when you have to talk about different departments or a competitor, the “caramel coffee carafes” will come out.

            Also, being a coffee drinker who isn’t big on chocolate, I *want* a caramel coffee carafe.

      2. Bowserkitty*

        Before I was really following the blog I legit thought someone was making chocolate teapots. And I wanted details on their job.

        I can be incredibly gullible…

  44. Rayner*

    AAM – I commented on Saturday, I think, about the mystery ad banner that keeps popping up. I think it has something to do with Adblock on firefox, as when I accessed your website on my phone, it did come up with an ad for holidays and another one for a phone company. However, I could not get rid of it, as it kept putting the x just out of frame for the phone and when you zoomed in, it would disappear only to reappear when you zoomed out again.

    I’m in the UK, though, so the ads are definitely not US specific.

    1. Ask a Manager* Post author

      Will you actually use the ad report form to report it? That’ll walk you through all the questions I need answered in order to try to get it addressed. Thank you!

      1. Rayner*

        Oh, I didn’t meant to say it was a problem. I hardly ever use the website on the phone so I thought it was just interesting that the adblock just removed the ad itself, not the ‘framework’ for it. But sure, I’ll report it now.

        (Also, I can’t read. >.> Observation skills, not my thing.)

  45. Erin*

    I’m thrilled to hear about your book!

    Sad that I missed WTF Wednesday was happening, but I respect the killing of it.

  46. Mononymous*

    Congratulations on the book! I have a cousin who just graduated high school and is headed off to college this fall. I can’t wait to give her your book for her college graduation, if not before!

  48. Poohbear McGriddles*

    Was the death of WTF Wednesday GoT-style, or more of a “Puddles had to go to the cat farm out in the county”?

    Asking for a friend…

  49. Liana*

    Ahh congratulations on the book! I laughed out loud at the “fun for one of us” part, and my cranky office mate shot me a look. I am so, so excited to read it. Maybe you can dig up some of the archives from your old dating advice blog and add it as a footnote? :)

  50. Argh!*

    Why is the low-performing employee always named “Wakeem?” It sounds ethnic, like the Spanish Joaquin or perhaps an African-American name.

    Why not name that person “Bob” or “Pat” (which is also androgynous)

      1. Not So NewReader*

        And then there is poor Bob, who many times ends up on the losing side of the story.

    2. Maggie_Elisabeth*

      I had the same thought originally, but it’s actually a joke from a previous posting about embarrassing stories – one woman didn’t realize “Joaquin” (how it’s written) and “Wakeen” (how it’s pronounced) were the same person, so she referred to them constantly as two different people in office memos and emails, etc.

      If anyone has the link, that would be great. Alison runs a very accepting and intelligent site, but I can see how this would give someone pause if they didn’t know the back story.

      1. Liza*

        And of course there’s also regular commenter Wakeen, who presumably took their name from that story.

        1. Red*

          I was wondering about that, because I’ve been hitting Surprise Me for Luke two weeks and still managed not to come across that post. :) thanks for the link!

        2. TootsNYC*

          The funny thing is, when I first saw it, I thought it was an actual name from some culture I don’t personally know well. I thought, “Oh, it’s Arabic, or Indian, or something like that, and I’m just not hip and plugged-in enough to recognize it.”

        3. Argh!*

          Wow that reference is kind of old. I think I started reading this blog about a year ago.

      3. Punkin*

        My mother, having lived in small town Tennessee most of her life (40+ years), was very confused when she moved to Las Vegas and went to work in a casino restaurant.

        She came home from work once – “Punkin, this is the strangest place I have ever worked. One of our cooks is named Jesus!” She thinks, like a good Baptist, “Gee-zuss” and it is actually the common Hispanic pronunciation “Hay-zeus” .

        1. Jennifer*

          My shrink and I were discussing today how names like Jesus, Angel, Destiny, etc. are too much pressure on kids. And apparently someone told her that in classrooms, it’s usually the kids with the most angelic names that are the worst troublemakers.

          Come to think of it, my friend Angelica is quite devilish in behavior at times…she looks adorably sweet and innocent, has a sweet and innocent voice, and a black heart. Explains why I like her, really.

          1. Argh!*

            I was over 40 when I met my first “Christian.” I think it is the strangest name. I’ve never met anyone named “Jewish” or “Muslim” or “Buddhist.”

            And what if the kid converts to one of those other religions?

    3. Jennifer*

      I don’t think I’ve noticed Wakeen as being used specifically for low performers. That name just crops up at random to me, along with GoT references, the occasional other show reference, etc.

      1. Elizabeth West*

        There’s a character in my book Tunerville named Fergie–no relation, ha ha, but every time I see it I think of him and also of Ferguson on Clarissa Explains it All.

  51. Formica Dinette*

    Alison, congratulations on getting an agent! I hope you’ll have a lucrative book deal soon!

  52. Mimmy*

    1. Congrats on the book deal!!!

    2. I hope the new reporting form is helpful.

    3. I thought the WTF Wednesday bit was a harmless running joke, but I respect why it needs to stop.

  57. JJtheDoc*

    Yay!! Can’t wait to see the AAM book!! I’ll be buying a couple for the HR library (“Here NewManager, check pages 4 – 9, and you’ll see why XXX is a good choice.”), as well as one for each member of the HR staff. Can’t have too much AAM ;~)

  58. Felix*

    Congrats!! This is such good news!

    I really hope there’s a section of your book where you describe how you imagine the commenters! Ever since you mentioned in a recent open thread that you have an idea of what regulars are like, I’ve been dying of curiosity! :)

    1. I said something stupid on the internet*

      Where?? I’d love to read it!

      (or did I misread and you meant she actually just mentioned it, and not go into detail about how we all are?)

  59. Confused*

    Congrats!
    Please consider including a chapter called “Unless You’re in California” ;)

    1. the gold digger*

      The modern version of the phrase I heard in my undergraduate business law class (no, I have no idea why I, who was at the time majoring in biomedical engineering with the intentions of going to med school to become a physician who would design artificial body parts, why I, who then changed my major to English, thought it was a good use of my time to take a business law class): “Except in Louisiana.”

      Bonus points to any AAM reader who can explain why that used to be said.

      1. Kay*

        Because the courts in Louisiana are the only ones in the U.S. based on the French system, right? Is my useless fact memory database serving me well here?

          1. Bowserkitty*

            I didn’t know they had parishes instead of counties until my last job, which dealt heavily with Louisiana students.

            For a brief moment I thought the state was just full of churches. (Which I’m sure it is, but that’s where my thinking went.)

    1. nep*

      (The way I put that might be premature? Anyway great news — Many, many eager readers here.)

  63. LiteralGirl*

    Congratulations on getting an agent! My office mate went through that for his book, and I know that it can be a lengthy and frustrating process! I can’t wait for the book to come out!

  65. Libervermis*

    Congratulations on an official agent! I can’t imagine publishers doing anything but salivating over this opportunity, given how popular your website is. Will definitely be buying when it comes out.

  66. CS Rep by Day, Writer by Night*

    Congratulations! I had my first novel accepted for publication last year and it’s finally coming out in July, so I know what an exciting journey this is. Can’t wait to hear updates and eventually buy your first book!

  67. MillersSpring*

    Congratulations on getting started with an agent. I hope any interested publishers see all the enthusiastic commenters you have!

  69. Phyllis B*

    Congrats, Alison!! If all the positive comments are any indication, you should debut on the NY Times Bestseller list. I hardly ever purchase books, (but I do scope my local library on a regular basis.) I will definitely purchase this one. Share this with your agent; (not my personal comment, I mean the collective comments.) If this doesn’t convince someone they have a potential bestseller on their hands, I don’t know what will. :-)

  71. Not So NewReader*

    Congrats, Alison. What a ride this has been for you so far. I am sure your book will be a smashing success.

    If we can do something to support your endeavor please let us know. (I mean other than buy the book and tell others about it, because you know that one is an automatic.)

  72. Josh S*

    Is it too presumptious of me to offer to be a reader for your manuscript? Because I gladly offer my services.
    -Josh

  73. Oryx*

    Congrats on the agent! When I was pitching my non-fiction book, I tried both agents and indie publishers and ended up finding an indie publisher (manuscript due in three weeks!) I hope your agent gets you a good deal :)

  74. Sparkles*

    I’m a longtime fan leaving my first comment to say congratulations! Can’t wait for the book.

  75. Bibliovore*

    I can’t wait until you have your book deal. Good news on the marketing front- there seems to be an over abundance of librarian readers on the site.

  76. Karlee*

    I can’t wait for the book! I plan to make it a standard part of our orientation package for new hires!

  77. StillHealing*

    Congratulations!!!! This is so cool. I hope you post the link where we can preorder when ready. ChumpLady also got a book deal and she posted the link on her blog where we could pre-order it at Amazon.

  78. Jennifer*

    Yay! Will you be categorizing the book into different sections or anything like that?

  79. Kay*

    Excited for the book! I bought your job search book during the recent sale and quickly read through it. Your writing style is very comfortable and readable, and truly helpful.

  80. Nina*

    1. That’s great news, and I hope it turns out well. Those books would be flying off the shelves. :)
    2. Thank you. Although the lower ads on the bottom don’t bother me. They do give me issues on my tablet, but it’s a sucky tablet anyway so…
    3. Glad to hear it. It was funny for a bit, but it needed to stop.

  82. Guest*

    I’m happy to see WTFW officially debunked. Now if we could just get people to stop speculating that every third letter is fake…that’s the last thing an LW needs to hear when they’re going through crap. I get it, everyone wants to be too smart to fall for a fake letter, but it just ends up dismissing the LW and putting the focus on some random commenter who needed to be the center of attention.

    1. OriginalYup*

      Yeah, I don’t get the need to speculate about fakes either. The general idea seems to be “this situation is so unlike anything I’ve experienced that it can’t be real.” Which is… kind of the point in writing to Alison? Like, if we all knew how to handle duck clubs and mandatory organ donation and babytalking coworkers, why would we seek out another opinion?

      Be kind, folks. It’s not a sideshow.

    2. Elizabeth West*

      Yes, I think the responsibility for judging whether a letter is fake or not belongs to Alison. She’s in the best position to do that, has seen a LOT of these, and I think it’s unlikely she would fall for it.

      Even if a fake does make it onto the site, the ensuing discussions often contain actual advice that people in similar situations (and we all know that anything can happen!) can use IRL.

  84. Yay book!*

    Wow!! Congratulations!! I can’t wait to read the book (though I’m sure it won’t come out for a couple of years).

  85. Aurion*

    Adding my belated congratulations to the pile :) So happy for you, Alison!

    Please tell me this book is going to be available internationally (ebook and print versions)? You’ve a very wide readership, and I’d hate to see the book only available in the US!

  86. JoAnna*

    Ooooooh, I can’t wait for the book! Can you get Morgan Freeman to do the audiobook version? I love his voice. :)

  87. BethRA*

    Congratulations! That’s fantastic news – for us, too. I love “Managing to Change the World” and I’m sure the new book will have an honored (and much-accessed) space on our shelves as well.

  88. eplawyer*

    Congrats on the new book.

    I so would be saying “talk to my agent” when asked to do anything too.

  90. Elizabeth West*

    Congratulations on the book, Alison!!! I’m very happy for you–I’ve thought for a long time that there is more than enough stuff here for this to happen, and it’s LONG overdue.

    Slightly jealous, but that’s my problem, LOL.

    I hope there will still be crazy letters because I think people need to know that kind of stuff does actually happen.

  91. aliascelli*

    I’m so thrilled for you. Here’s hoping it sells right quick so we can read it!

  92. Seuuze*

    Sincere congratulations on the book! You certainly deserve this step. I would be saying exactly the same thing to those around me (but now it is just two cats), if I had an agent too! Best of luck.

Comments are closed.