**This post is part of the Writing 101: From Concept to Query (and Beyond!) series. For an overview of planned posts, take a look at the series introduction. Previous posts have explored the drafting process, novel revisions, why you may or may not want to query literary agents, how to write a query letter, and how to spot a shmagent**
We’ve come a long way from first
drafts. You’ve diligently revised, done your research on agents,
and you’re ready to query.
Stop. Take a breath. You wrote a book,
and you’re amazing.
Alright. Let’s talk querying.
There are two keys to keeping your
querying experience as simple as stress-free as possible. They are
Organization
and
Support
Organization
In order to keep track of your queries,
you’ll need work out an organizational system, otherwise you’ll
end up getting muddled and querying the same agents over again (which
is a definite querying no-no). Your system can be as simple or as
complex as you like. Some people love spreadsheets, I personally
don’t, and just used a Word doc with color-coded text to keep
myself organized. Here are some of the things you may want to note
down when querying.
Agent and agency’s names
The date your query was sent
Expected response time (or when you can
assume you won’t be hearing back)
Many agents have a “no response means
no” policy, to reduce their workload. Noting the expected time
frame before you can assume a rejection from them will streamline
your querying process, particularly if they belong to an agency where
you can query multiple agents consecutively (NOTE: agencies tend not
to allow overlapping queries—meaning you can’t query more than
one agent at a time. Some do, however, let you query another agent
within the agency after receiving a rejection. Others only allow one
query for the entire agency, though, so choose your agents wisely and
keep track of this sort of information).
Once you start receiving rejections
(which I’m sorry to say you’re very likely to) keep track of
those as well, particularly if they include feedback. If several
agents give you the same piece of feedback, it’s a good idea to
revise your manuscript or query accordingly before sending new
queries.
When you receive a request for
additional pages, first REJOICE! Secondly, make note of any pertinent
information. Was it a partial or a full request? Did the agent
indicate how long it might be before you can expect a response?
If an agent reads your full manuscript
and wants to see changes made which they provide notes on, but they
haven’t yet offered representation, congratulations! You’ve
received a revise & resubmit, or an R&R. An R&R means an
agent sees great potential in your work and is seriously considering
making you an offer, but also needs to see a few major changes made
to your book before they’re comfortable offering. Whether you carry
out an R&R is up to you—if you’re excited about the direction
it would take your book in, then go for it! If you hate the
suggestions, you’re under no obligation to carry out the R&R,
but do think carefully about it before rejecting it out of hand.
Either way, let the agent know how you plan to proceed.
Support
All this organizing and querying will
come along with a steaming pile of rejection. It’s never fun, and
it’s a difficult part of the writing journey. Comfort yourself with
the fact that all readers respond differently to a book, and that the
rejections you’re receiving are based on very subjective tastes.
And surround yourself with sympathetic friends, who’ve either been
there before, or who are in the trenches right along with you. If
you’ve already found CPs, as recommended when we talked about
revision, they may provide literary shoulders to cry on. Non-writer
friends may also be willing to provide a listening ear. Whoever you
add to your querying trenches support network, make sure you keep
your querying woes between you and your trench buddies. It’s
considered unprofessional to spend too much time bemoaning the fate
of the querying author on public social media profiles, and may serve
as a red flag to agents who might consider making you an offer of
representation.
Next week, we’ll talk about the light
at the end of the querying tunnel: receiving an offer of
representation!
Laura lives on the edge of the woods in western New York, along with her husband, two wild-hearted daughters, a spoiled cat, and an indeterminate number of chickens. Her YA fantasy debut, THE WEIGHT OF WORLDS, is forthcoming from HarperTeen in the fall of 2018.
You can follow Laura on Twitter and add her book on Goodreads.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Tell us what you think. We'd love to hear from you! :)