I wonder how much of it is related to respect? There are people who are so-called experts in their field whose answers I’d tend to doubt because I don’t respect their work.

Or, conversely:

There are people at work whose respect of me I shouldn’t shrug off just because they don’t understand what I do, right?

As a result, I’m often more interested in *how* the expertise is presented, rather than it’s depth or quality.

If someone can help me go to a deeper level of understanding, passion, or help connect it to something else I understand, then that’s the person I tend to go to on those topics, even if they aren’t as ‘deep’ an expert on them as someone else.

Perhaps a good term would be ‘velcro experts’ – people who can make what they know stick to my brain, as opposed to people who turn it off…

Tim

References. Does somebody you respect give it the thumbs up? (Not to be taken as a solo reason.)

I meant, “I’ll take cooking advice from someone who can’t boil water but who loves food.”

Sheesh.

I would add:

The “love” or “passion” factor. I would rather take writing advice from someone who reads like I do than a professional writing teacher who can’t tell me a SF/F writer since Asimov. Or cooking advice from cooking advice from someone who can’t boil water but loves to eat.

Also – general “credibility” factor. If a writer, does this person read books? All the time? (I’ve met ones who don’t. Really.) Does this person like everything they read? Or nothing? Are they unable to articulate why they do or do not like something? Are the only things they “love” stuff they ran into when they were teens, and have never come back to since?

Finally – and this may be personal preference rather than something most people do – The “OOOooOOOOooo” or “explorer” factor. Is everything always old, blah news to this person? Do they already know what they think about everything? Do they every talk about something they don’t understand, but would like to? Do they work with the people around them to form opinions? Do they go, “OOO, shiny. Must try that!” and jump off that cliff? Do they report on “failures” as well as “successes”?

I have one finished manuscript under my belt and agents aren’t very taken with my story so far. So, who am I to spout advice on query letters and agents?

I have spent a lot of time reading blogs, writing agents, and making friends in the publishing industry, but honestly… I don’t feel qualified to give advice to my dog about publishing. (My cat on the other hand is a completely different story. I tell him what to do all the time. Ghastly little minx.)

On paper I have the credentials: lit degree, school teacher, etc. But I wouldn’t call myself an expert. In fact, I wouldn’t call anyone I take advice from an actual expert. Because the experts are too busy representing books and writing their third novels in their already published, successful series, etc. So, instead I have to depend on my peers, the well read amateurs.

lesigh…