Into the Query Trenches…

I’ve always heard that the two worst parts of the publishing journey are querying agents and going on submission. I understand why — the wait, the stream of rejections, and protecting the embers of your publishing dreams. All the while, the community urges you to keep writing. Keep writing in case they want another book. Keep writing in case this isn’t the book to get you there. Keep writing because it’s the only thing that will keep you sane and distracted during this time.

My Plan:

• Create a query package
  • Query letter
    • Book info (word count, genre, comps)
    • Short summary of 1-2 paragraphs
    • Bio paragraph
  • 500-800 word synopsis
  • One sentence pitch
  • One paragraph pitch
  • Prep manuscript format according to guidelines (12pt font, Times New Roman, 1.5 spacing typically)
• Query in batches of 5-8 agents at a time
• Track feedback
• Adjust as needed

What is a query letter?

The query letter, for those not in this life, is basically selling an agent on your novel and yourself as a writer. Agents, ideally, support you across your career, not just for one book. It’s not as easy as “send the book to an agent and you’re guaranteed publishing in a year.” God, no, it’s not that easy at all.

There’s a point of pride for writers in being able to showcase a long list of rejections from agents. Usually, this is because it proves you didn’t give up.

Agents look for what will sell in the current day! If your book’s themes, genre, and plotlines aren’t in vogue at the moment, they may pass it up because they don’t see a market for that. That in and of itself is reason not to give up. Trends come back.

There is so much advice on queries out there. Do not take advice from me, as I am currently in the process and have yet to receive any kind of constructive feedback on my rejections. I’ve gotten about 4 form rejections that pretty much say the same thing, “this project is not right for me at the moment.”

The Query Letter:

• Introduction to your novel, including genre, wordcount, inspirations and influences, and comparable (recent) titles.
• Short summary of your novel, like the back of book blurb that needs to suck the reader in and make them want to read your full manuscript.
• Bio paragraph talking about you as a writer, previous publishing credits, and maybe some life stuff to make you human (e.g., interests, hobbies, pets, etc.).

The query letter is short. Some advice says the shorter, the better. Some advice tells you that agents barely read the query letter, skimming for details or quick no’s like many readers do when they first pick up a book off a bookstore shelf. This makes sense. If you hate Fae in books, then reading that one is a main character would be an instant no. If you love witches, magick being a main factor in the book would be a huge yes.

Whether or not agents truly dig their teeth into the query letter is a bit irrelevant. It’s the first introduction they have to you as a writer and to your story. So, it should be thoughtfully prepared and follow their guidelines. Show that you’re willing to listen and follow the rules before you stun them with your genre-shifting prose, right?

Why do you need an agent?

You don’t necessarily NEED an agent to publish a book. Indie publishing and self-publishing are honestly more work than trad publishing and deserve just as much respect. However, you do need an agent to submit your novels to most traditional/larger publishing houses. If your dream is traditional publishing, it’s kind of necessary. Publishers very, very rarely take unsolicited manuscripts (i.e., not submitted through an agent).

I have a dream of being traditionally published. So, I’m following the rules and the route that is usually taken. There are some other ways to break into the publishing scene. You could submit and publish short stories, gain some readership via self-publishing, leading to formal book deals, and sometimes you just get lucky and go viral for your book idea and land a contract without having even finished the book.

Where am I in the process?

So far, I have completed my query package, gotten critiques on it through various writers’ groups, and begun submission.

Out of 7 queries so far, I have received 4 rejections…all form rejections. Form rejections are automatic responses when an agent immediately knows the project isn’t for them. What does that mean? Well, a few possibilities:

• My novel wasn’t the right fit for them at the time (story-wise, genre-wise, multiple reasons here)
• I didn’t do enough research into what they’re looking for
• The agent hasn’t flipped their “open for queries” sign to closed and isn’t accepting at the moment

There’s also the possibility that there is something wrong with my query package or the novel itself. Maybe it’s too short for the genre, which is my current fear with my tiny 61k-word fantasy book. I haven’t received any specific feedback about my query to know if something isn’t grabbing their interest there.

What next?

I’m going to wait to see what the last 3 respond like, if they do, because no response is also a thing that happens a lot. Then, I’ll adjust my pitch as necessary and start again.

It’s a lot like job hunting, which I am unfortunately also doing at the moment. You do your best to find a company and role that match up well, you format and reformat your resume and cover letter, and a lot of the time, you hope it all works out if you just do your best.

At the end of the day, rejection of a query or a job application is not (usually) personal. It does sting a bit more if there is initial interest followed by radio silence or a form rejection. Am I a bit crazy for pursuing both a new job and querying agents at the same time? Maybe. But, they are both things I’m highly practical about. I don’t have many illusions of grandeur regarding these formalities. Are my dreams big? Heck yes. But I’m not going to put all my passion and hope into the formalities. I’d rather save that for the real work.

Wish me luck! I know this won’t be the book that changes my life, but it feels good to get to this stage of the process at the very least. Until that happens, I keep writing.