5 Questions to Consider Before You Start Querying
In 2024 I plan to use this newsletter not only to talk about my upcoming books, and share exclusive materials (!!!), but to reveal things I’ve learned after being in the publishing world for 10+ years. I’m not ashamed to admit that I made a ton of mistakes at the start of my career (most authors do). By sharing my experiences and knowledge, I hope it will help new writers avoid some of the pitfalls of the business.
We are going to start with basic questions you should consider prior to sending that first query.
Is my book ready to go?
This is the most basic question I don’t think enough new writers ask themselves. What do I mean by ready?
Have you taken enough time to read, review, revise, edit, and generally make your manuscript the best story you can tell?
Has someone (or several people) outside your familial sphere read your book? This should preferably be beta readers or critique partners who write in the same category and genre as you. Why? Because they know the ins and outs of voice, pacing, and the general expectations of the category and genre.
Have you done your research to confirm your book fits in the category and genre you are presenting it as? Are you sure it’s Sci-Fi? Fantasy? Paranormal? Research genre descriptions to ensure you are pitching your book in the right category.
Does your manuscript fall within the right word count for the category and genre? If your book is way over or under word count guidelines, it can signal to an agent that you may not know your category or genre well.
Here are a few good articles on word count:
Have I done a thorough job of researching agents?
If you’ve ever read a blog post by a literary agent, one of the frequent things they say is a query will be rejected if it does not fall within the parameters of what they are currently acquiring or does not follow submission guidelines.
Don’t ruin your chances with an agent by not doing your homework. Take the time to write notes, build a spreadsheet, do whatever you need to make sure your query is going to the right agent. Querying takes a lot of time. Don’t waste those precious minutes with sending your work to someone who does not actively represent your category and/or genre.
Querytracker is a good tool for this process. There is also MS Wishlist and #MSWL.
Is my query formatted correctly?
There are a lot of great articles on the Internet about querying but I like to use a basic formula after the greeting: Hook, Book, Cook.
Hook: The pitch. A quick sentence that you would use to tell a reader what your book is about.
Example: In a future world, a girl is selected to fight to the death against other teens in a government-created game in order to save her family. (My take on the Hunger Games).
Book: Three to four sentences describing the characters and conflict in your story. Your final line should make the reader eager for more but it should not reveal the ending.
Cook: A short bio including relevant education, as well as any writing credits. If you don’t have any published writing experience, it’s okay to talk briefly about who you are and include any comp information (similar books or movies that align with the themes/general ideas of your manuscript). This is not required, but it does give the agent an idea as to where your book may be shelved and let them know you understand the current market.
Overall your query should be a quick business letter that introduces your book and you. General rule of thumb is that the letter should be no more than one page (anywhere between 250-400 words).
Do my submission materials fall within the agent’s guidelines?
The best thing you can do for yourself as a querying writer is to follow an agent’s specific request for materials. If they just ask for a query, only send a query. If they ask for a query and the first ten pages, send those specific materials. If for some reason a sentence cuts off between page 10 and 11, you can follow onto the next page but do not go over. Many agents are now using a Query Manager system. In this case, again, please follow the guidelines.
An agent wants to know that you can follow directions and be respectful of their guidelines. No writer is a special case and the easiest way to get rejected is to not follow the rules.
Has someone outside my sphere read my query?
Share your query with someone who knows nothing about your story. If they are intrigued, want to read more, your query works. If there are questions or confusion about any of the story elements, you may need to go back and revise for clarity.
Full disclosure: I write a query for every new story idea. Once I’m done with it I share with trusted writing friends to get feedback on whether the idea has enough plot and conflict. It’s the first step in knowing if your idea has legs and if a reader is interested enough to want to know more.
Querying is a difficult part of the publishing process. I’ve been in the trenches several times now and I know how disheartening it can be. Please give yourself the best shot by polishing your query and making sure you are following guidelines. Once a query goes to an agent it’s usually your one and only shot with them for that book. Help yourself by ensuring that your query is the best it can be before you rush to send it off.
Next time: The “In-Between” phase. What you should be doing while you’re waiting on query responses and how, and if, you should tackle the tricky process of “nudging” an agent.