The first time I queried a fiction book was back in 2012. I had no clue what I was doing. Searched for some templates. Copy-pasted-emailed to a random list of agents I found online [with no research into their wishlist or requirements]. Just spaghetti at the wall.
The only request I received was from a mid-sized traditional publisher that was allowing direct queries at the time. I had to mail in [yes, real mail] a printed out copy of the manuscript and then wait and wait and wait.
About 3 months later, they sent me a rejection notice in the mail.
So I wrote off traditional publishing as total BS and went about my merry way into the realm of self-pub. Only to later un-publish that title when I realized how much needed to be improved.
Fast forward to 2022 and my opinion of traditional started to change. I learned all the stuff I didn’t know during that first go-around. Still, I was reluctant.
But last year, I decided that I wanted to go for traditional publishing with my WIP—a middle grade time-travel fantasy.
First, I practiced with a different manuscript that I didn’t really care whether it got picked up or not. I made some mistakes. Learned a ton. Got some full requests, but no agent or deal.
In May, I developed a targeted list of about 70 agents who represent my genre on a regular basis. That’s a pretty small list but it was intentional.
Then I got feedback from a dear friend who has 2 books published with a Big 5 publisher. We work in very different genres, but she’s one of my few friends who has a traditional deal in fiction. Her feedback was invaluable to tweaking the query letter.
Last week, I started querying. The results:
9 queries sent
1 pass
0 requests
Those are small numbers, and here’s why:
I was catching up from being out of town.
I had to push pause and develop some more supporting materials for the query process [a full synopsis, 50-page sample, 10-page sample, etc.]
I’m purposefully batching in small doses so I can improve my query as I get feedback.
The pass I received was a little tough since it was one of my top dream agents. But also not super surprising because she’s one of the best in the biz and has a really full slate. And I want an agent who says “hell yes” when they read my query, not just “hmmm, maybe…”
Also, 8 of my top agents are currently closed to queries, which means I have to pay close attention to when they reopen. Some agents will only open up to queries for a matter of days. One of my top agents opened for only 3 days last month, but I wasn’t ready to query yet.
My goal for next week is 15 queries, which is totally realistic now that I have all my assets in place and more time in the evenings.
In the meantime, you’ll find me brushing up on the advice from the Sh!t No One Tells You About Writing ladies and the tips in Lucinda Halpern’s book Get Signed.
Until next time, Storytellers, keep changing the world…one story at a time.
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