QUERYING FRUSTRATIONS

Query Letter Problems? You are not alone. I’m banging my head against a wall as much as banging the keys on my laptop. Sound familiar? It’s frustrating. But, hang in there. Yes, it may be like back in high school where every girl or boy in whom you were interested slammed the door in your face. Rejection sucks. BUT, don't go home and binge on ice cream in front of the television. If you believe in your story, then keep going. Pound on those doors incessantly. The next one may open.

Having recently completed my second thriller novel, I am actively querying agents and publishers. The problem being that each one wants something different. Some want a query letter, synopsis, author bio, and either a sample or full manuscript. Some want 10 pages, 25 pages, 50 pages. Some want the first chapter, or the first 3 chapters, or the first 5 chapters. Some want the full manuscript. Some want a “full” synopsis, some just a small blurb like would be on the back of the book. Some want attachments to emails. Some want all information in the body of an email. Luckily, almost nobody wants queries by post anymore. The internet is instant. That’s all okay. Read the submission requirements on the agency site and ensure they are followed. It would be terrible for the next J. R. R. Tolkien to be rejected because he sent his manuscript as an attachment when the agency specifically requests no attachments. You can copy and paste into the body of an email. It's okay.

Do some research. Look at the profiles on each agent in the agency. See what genres the individuals work with and enjoy, then query directly, by name, to the one that seems the best fit for your manuscript. If the agency/agent doesn’t publish your genre, don’t query it. Move to the next on the list. If you send a query for an epic fantasy novel to an agent or publisher who only works on true crime stories, the result will be an automatic negative. Use the research to personalize your query. Address your queries by name to the individual agent or publisher and put some mention of something that shows you did the research. You can mention an interview you read that resonated with your or a book or author you enjoyed that the individual was involved in publishing.

Query letters are supposed to be short. One page to include a greeting and pitch that catches their attention, a synopsis of the plot, and an author bio. That’s a lot for one page. The synopsis in a query letter is only maybe two paragraphs. Look at the back of some books. Read the synopses on them for an idea of what to do. The synopsis is a SHORT blurb that gives just a general outline of the plot. Don’t make it longer unless the individual being queried states they want a “full” synopsis. The author bio is likewise short. They don’t want your life history.

Do you make it personal with anecdotes about yourself? Do you keep it totally focused on the manuscript? Hopefully, the research will tell you which the addressee prefers. Is it a good idea to mention other books that are similar to yours? Some say yes, others no. Personally, I think it can’t hurt. Some agents like it, others may not, but, in general, it won’t hurt to put a short blurb that compares your plot lines to that of a well known author. Those that don’t care about such comparisons will usually just continue with the rest of the query and information. As for personal anecdotes, I recommend you mention one or two personal facts about yourself separate from your education and publishing history: Just something to let them get a feel for you as an individual. I'm a nerd with a huge action figure collection that enjoys racquetball and loves superhero movies. Either way, keep your query short and on point.

It can take a couple of hours just to send out a single query since each is different in the requirements. One can spend days or weeks just submitting them. Then the real problem… Listening to the never ending Jeopardy theme music in your head while you wait. And wait. And wait. Most agencies take from three to eight weeks just to respond – and the vast majority accept on average 1% to 10% of the huge numbers of queries they receive. There is no feasible way in which an author can send out a single query at a time and send no others until they get a response that actually states whether or not the agency is interested. Most authors, unless they are already established in the field, get vastly more negative than positive responses unless they get lucky. So, does one spend several years sending out one query every couple of months, or does one flood the market? Despite those agents or publishers who do not like “simultaneous submissions” an author searching for an agent and/or publisher has to send out multiple simultaneous queries continually. That being said; should you get a positive response from an agent or publisher (YAY!) and, after careful thought and review, decide to accept an offer, then send out a short message to the other agencies and/or persons whom you have queried. Let them know. It pays to keep good relations. You don’t know if or when you may need to work with those other agencies in the future.

Before you even begin querying, make sure your manuscript is complete and edited to the best of your ability. Use beta readers, even if it’s just a couple of friends. If you have problems with grammar and such, use an editor to polish the manuscript prior to submissions. Agents want a book that is, at least in the author’s opinion, ready for publishing. Yes, once you find one that is interested, they will more than likely want some further editing done. Few manuscripts are truly ready the day the author puts “The End” on the file. Don’t let that bother you. An agent that doesn’t ask for some changes probably isn’t doing his job.

If you’re looking for an agent here’s a site you may want to check out: https://literaryagencies.com

For publishers take a look at this: https://www.authorspublish.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/The-2019-Guide-to-Manuscript-Publishers.pdf

Good luck. Don’t give up.

Best of luck. I hope to see your work on shelf at my local bookstore.