Secrets of the Query Process

Querying.

It’s something that’s near and dear to my heart. I’ve been through it twice. Both of my agents were awesome…but life happens and each of them left their positions. Yes, I was agent-orphaned twice. 

So now, I’m querying for the third time. Back in February I was mortified to admit it. I’d made it to “the next level.” I’d been agented. To use a Chutes & Ladders analogy, I’d climbed up a bit of the ladder, only to slide down the chute at the next turn. I kept my querying secret…but gradually, as time passed, I’ve been wanting to share my story more and more. And of course, through twitter contests when you’re pitching like crazy, it’s hard to keep it a secret (“why is she pitching? Doesn’t she have an agent?”)

So here’s what I’ve learned from the Query Process:

1. It’s truly subjective. The agent may list your genre on her wishlist, but it’s still may not be the right fit. It’s not you.
2. Or it could be you…the book may need more revision…or better pacing…or something hard to pinpoint. You can spend years analyzing a rejection. But don’t. Cry to your CPs, dust yourself off, and keep on keeping on.
3. Agents are people, too. Sometimes they are busy. Or on vacation. Or dealing with their lives. In your communication with them be polite, be professional, and above all follow submission guidelines. And let the process work.
4. It’s okay to send a thank you note for a Full or Partial request rejection.
5. Trust your gut…if it doesn’t feel right, don’t force it. This might be the hardest lesson...because you want it to feel right sooooo badly.
6. I’ve heard of authors arguing or pushing back rudely to agents who gave them a personal, helpful rejection. Don’t. Please don’t. Because you ruin it for all of us if they decide to stop giving personal feedback.
7. I’m a scattershot queryer. That doesn’t mean I don’t do my research. But I don’t overthink it. If it looks like my book might be in someone’s wheelhouse, I query. But I’ve done a lot of querying, I trust my query letter and my ability to be professional. I’m not bragging, but my request rate is at 42% this morning. Okay, I’m bragging, I’m proud of that request rate, but all that really means is my rate of rejections on Full manuscripts is higher than someone with a lower request rate.
8. Those can sting. But again, back to #1. It’s truly subjective.

The thing that surprised me most is the number of people I’ve met with similar stories. People who’d been agented before and were querying again for a variety of reasons. It’s one of the reasons I wanted to share my story…to tell someone out there who might be the same situation that it’s okay. You’re going to be okay. It’s not the end of the world.

I’ve seen the ups and downs of the query process. I’ve had “the call” twice. It’s an amazing feeling that I hope to have again. But you know what else I’ve learned? It’s not the end of the world. This is a business…you have to treat it that way. As long as you conduct yourself in a professional manner, and don’t burn bridges, you’ll be fine. 

On a really positive note…my first picture book is finally out. Published with small press 4RV Publishing, it’s been under contract since before I signed with either of my agents. I’m doing a Goodreads contest here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18055026-worst-case-of-pasketti-itis

So tell me about your querying process?

Golf Tip Tuesday: Subtlety

When the ball is about a foot from the cup...you're close. So close. You line up the club, you pull the putter back. Your heart beats a little. The wind rustles the trees. Someone takes a breath behind you. And you...hit the ball way too hard and it rolls down the hill on the other side.

Crap.

Now you've got a harder shot coming back.

We often have the instinct to hit the ball harder than we should. Sometimes, as writers, it's tempting to over describe something. Take too many words to tell the reader something she already knows. Spend too many pages with backstory.

Don't hit the ball too hard. Slow down. Focus. And tap it lightly into the hole. I just love the satisfying sound it makes as it rattles into the bottom of the cup.

Write with Purpose

I'm one of the leaders of a fifteen-girl Girl Scout troop. We often tell our girls to 'walk with purpose' when we're going somewhere. Head held high, shoulders back, striding forward.

When you walk with purpose, you show the world you mean business. You look people in the eye. You exude confidence. And that's important in today's world.

Do you write with purpose? Do you use words that are strong? Or do you write like a wet noodle using words like was, like, and start.

He started to walk across the street. He was walking across the street.

No. He either walked or he didn't walk.

He walked across the street. Maybe he walked across the street dragging his backpack. Or maybe he dragged his feet as he walked across the street. Or maybe he strolled, or strutted, or marched. Maybe he crawled. Maybe he shouted a curse word as he stumbled into the street. Think about the words you use, and use the ones with purpose. Use the ones that show the emotion of the character.

Every word you use should have purpose. Head held high. Shoulders back. Fingers on keyboard.

Write with Purpose. Using words that are strong. Words that mean something. Words that show your story in living color in black and white on the page.