Book Review: FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK by Barbara Poelle

Written in the style of an “Agony Aunt” or “Dear Abby” column, FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK tackles common questions writers have about writing and publishing. Topics include whether to post teasers of your first draft online, whether “quiet” novels sell, what to do if you mess up a submission, and whether an agent will take on a multi-genre author.

Barbara Poelle is a seasoned literary agent. She also did a brief stint as a stand-up comic in her pre-agenting days. Combine these and the result is a book filled with great advice and insight along with healthy doses of wit and humor. Barbara also writes a column for Writer’s Digest called “Funny You Should Ask,” which provided the inspiration and some of the material for this book.

FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK is divided into three sections: Craft, Finding and Working with an Agent, and Working with an Editor and Publisher. The section on craft is not so much about the how-tos of writing, and more about the kinds of things literary agents look for in submissions. For example, word counts for different categories, the kinds of conflicts and plots that are selling, how much research is necessary for fiction, and whether to use U.S. or U.K. English. While there is some overlap with books such as Jeff Somers’ WRITING WITHOUT RULES, or Stephen King’s ON WRITING, the material Barbara offers here is valuable in its own right since this is an agent’s perspective, not a writer’s perspective. This is very helpful for anyone hoping to secure representation from a literary agent.

The other two sections dig into areas that are very much within Barbara’s wheelhouse. She has been an industry insider for years, so she understand how publishing works. She offers her perspective on how writers should go about advancing their careers, acknowledging areas where her practice is not necessarily the norm, or an industry standard. These sections are gold dust for writers. And while her main perspective is traditional publishing, she doesn’t pretend self-publishing isn’t a thing. In fact, the very first question she deals with in part two is around whether or not you need an agent. To give you a taste of Barbara’s style, I’ll quote some of her answer:

Do you need an agent? Look, I don’t need Spanx. But I know that when I have them, they are taking care of my business. I get the support and overall confidence to perform at my best and focus on what I need to accomplish without worry… But in the end, if you do not feel an agent is necessary for your desired career path, that gets to be okay too! You have to establish what your journey is going to look like on your terms, and if it is one without a partner, I certainly wouldn’t begrudge you that. And I will say this: A bad agent is way worse than no agent. Off-brand Spanx don’t do anyone any favors.

To sum up, this book is a must for writers looking to be traditionally published. It’s also a fun and easy read for anyone who wants to know more about how publishing works, and what it takes to get a book from writer to bookshelf. Beyond that, it’s a fun read for anyone who enjoys fun reads. What am I trying to say? Buy this book! If you own Jeff Somers’ WRITING WITHOUT RULES, I would consider this the companion volume. In fact, Writer’s Digest should package them together as a writer’s toolkit.

An easy five Goodreads stars.