Watch A Literary Agent Reject Unsolicited MS Live.

I watched the video.  He's looking for a chance to say 'no'. He takes it. We all do that. Is it fair? Depends what you mean by fair? What he said sounded reasonable. He's trying to sell a product. I wouldn't want to try and sell any of the products he rejected. 

Is there any objectivity? Yes. the objectivity comes from a commercial consideration. The questilon he is asking is will it sell and can I sell it? His judgement is of course subjective. How could it be otherwise? 

Does it bring confidence to the process? 

I'm not sure. We're brough up to believe the glitz stories of the unknown author being represented by some snazzy agency and getting a six figure sum. The reality is much more mundane. Some would-be authors are offered representation but the representative can't sell what the author has written. Maybe they've not got the contacts and resources bigger and better financed agencies have. I don't know. I'm guessing. I'm learning. I'd say don't shoot the messanger. He's not my type of guy, but that doesn't matter. What matters is getting your manuscript looked at, considered and into print. Can agents help? I don't know. 

Agreed, celt.  I tapped those three questions out without much thought - like everything I write.  Whilst I'd like to have a look at the MS that he dealt with, from what he said there was only one example that I thought he could have given more consideration to.

And the point you make about gaining representation being almost nothing in terms of translating into gaining publication is spot on too.  

One suspects the reason he didn't show any letters that made the grade is that they'd all have been of the format 'Oh gosh, it's from Chumley Chumley, an old chum from Chum Chum Chum, better do my best for that one.' A better system would involved trained ducks leaping on manuscripts at random. Or, if you want to watch the costs, untrained ducks leaping on manuscipts at random.