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Like many writers, I had high hopes for my book when I finished it. If Stephanie Meyer could write a book in a couple of months with three young boys, get an agent, publish, and make millions off her debut. I could too, right?
Well… It could happen. But 150 rejections later, I was undoubtedly humbled. Did you know that you have more of a chance of getting into Harvard than you do of finding a Literary Agent? Crazy! Huh? The market is oversaturated with writers trying to find representation, forcing Agents to be very picky. They get anywhere from 20-100 queries daily, hundreds and even thousands of queries every month, and they can only pick a handful of writers to represent yearly.
So, how do you stand out?
It starts with the Query Letter—the letter to convince an agent to give your book a shot. You can find lots of information on query letters. Here are some websites I started with:
But here are some basics to start you off. You’ll need:
Book Genre, word count, title
Comps: What two books published in the last 3-5 years are similar to yours? Agents want to know where they would find your book on a shelf.
Synopsis: You know the few paragraphs you read on the back of a book that hooks you? Write one.
Bio: A very short Bio that includes any writing credentials
All that needs to be between 200-450 words.
What I would do differently:
Get a query package critique if you can afford it -- this includes the Query letter, Synopsis, and first pages. I regret not doing that right away and sending out awful first queries. You live and learn, right?
Don't query your dream agents first. Just don't. Wait until you start getting positive responses. You only get one shot. Please don't waste it!
Wait for responses before sending more out to see if your query letter is working. Sometimes (rarely), they'll give you some feedback. I once had a typo where I wrote “revile” instead of “rival” when discussing a comp. Yup. Totally different meanings with that one. I'm so grateful for the first rejection that came through and pointed that out! I know. It can be hard to wait. However, the traditional publishing path is very slow, so this is a great time to learn patience.
If they get past the Query letter and want to read your sample pages, then this is where you need to WOW them.
During a class I attended, Agents sat on a panel and read writers' first pages. They were to raise their hand at the point they would stop reading. A lot of them stopped after the first couple of paragraphs! That means you only have a few sentences to hook them and keep them reading. And it's incredibly subjective. One Agent would stop immediately, but another would be interested and keep reading.
Four tips for hooking an Agent on the first page:
Don't you dare start a book with a character waking up. It's a huge no-no and will immediately result in rejection.
If you start with an awesome hook, you have to deliver immediately. Many pages started wonderfully but veered off with a different character or setting. Don't do that! Keep up the tension. “Slow down, sit in that moment a little longer.”
No Info-dumping. I'm talking to you Fantasy writers. Don't do it. Put those details in gradually.
Ground them in the setting. Offer a little world-building, and introduce the character in an ACTIVE scenario. Throw them in the middle of the action.
More Querying Tips:
Twitter (I'm sorry—X) is a great resource for finding agents and their MSWL (Manuscript wish lists). New Agents will announce on Twitter as well. You can participate in Pitch events, where if you get an agent like on your post, you can send them your query, sending you straight past their slush pile. https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/
QueryTracker. This website is a must-have. Get a profile set up and start finding agents. https://querytracker.net/
Make a website. I didn't do this for a while, but it does show agents that you are serious about your writing career. There was a debate on Twitter where some agents said they would not bother with the query unless they had a website. I use WIX
Attend a Writing Conference. Live pitching agents is so much better than sending out queries where you don't even know if they're being read. Attend one near you! They even have online ones now.
My Journey:
When I started querying, I received zero full manuscript requests until a small publisher contacted me. She requested to read my manuscript and then offered me representation. I was over the moon! But I stopped myself and did my research. Always do your research.
She had zero publishing credentials and experience.
But because of that request, an agent asked for my manuscript, so I called that a win. She ultimately rejected me, and I rejected the indie publisher and trudged on. I had one more manuscript request before deciding to get a professional edit.
I got a developmental edit from a top editor and former Literary Agent from whom I learned so much. reedsy.com is a great resource for finding editors. If it is your debut novel, I suggest going all in because you're not just paying them to edit your book; you're paying for their knowledge. I didn't go to school for writing or publishing, so it was essential for me to learn from the professionals. Then you have the confidence that you have a great book no matter how you publish it. I worked with the following: Megan Records, Erin Young, and Shannon Cave, and I highly recommend each of them! They know what they're doing.
After a break from querying for my edit, I jumped back into the trenches and got one more request. I still haven't heard back from that Agent, which is normal. Sometimes, they can take up to a year to respond.
At this point, it had been a year since I started querying, and I was done—mentally exhausted. One hundred fifty rejections is a lot, and I gave traditional publishing my all. At this point, many authors shelve their manuscripts and move on to the next book.
No way was I going to do that!
I have so many supportive friends and readers who want my book that I decided to self-publish it for them. I do this all for you guys, you know. One thing that I'm glad I did was start social media accounts dedicated to writing early on in my querying. Twitter, Tiktok, Instagram, Facebook. Get on all the platforms and start gaining an audience! I read that you need at least 1,500-3,000 followers before self-publishing if you want to be successful.
In the meantime, I also wrote book two in the series and a prequel. I am now querying that prequel and am starting strong, having had a live pitch session where I got interest from two agents. We'll see what happens, but I am still moving forward with self-publishing my debut.
Now, what if I get an offer of representation on my new book?
They might not want me to self-publish. In that case, I'm not sure what I would do, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. I'm taking this wild journey one day at a time!
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