What people really mean when they ask, "Did your MFA help you to sell your book?"

Recently several people have asked me whether my MFA helped me get my book deal. Actually, the question is usually both more and less blatant than that. It's "Would you still have your book deal if you hadn't gone to your MFA program?"

I understand why people ask the question. My book went to auction on what was literally my last-ever day of classes, and…