Queries and Video

[cathschaffstump]

Hey everyone. Let's talk a little about shopping the book around.

First of all, submitting the troll story. If you're no stranger to Writer Tamago, you know I am an advocate for Query Tracker. So far, I've sent out twenty queries to agents, and one query to a publisher. The responses have begun to come in. Query tracker makes it very easy to keep track of where things are and how they're going. A new feature I'm loving is that you can now keep track of publishing submissions as well as agent ones.

You may remember the last time I did this, I kept track of names and responses here. I thought long and hard about how this time around, my search could be of use to other writers, and I thought that this time around, I would talk a little bit about how knowing the lay of the land has made a huge difference.

The first time I did this, I really knew very little about agents and agencies. This time, I began my search with agents and publishers that have illustrated interest in my work. People who asked for partials last time make sense as the people I begin with this time. Another priority for me are agents who are prompt and professional (and by prompt, I mean by publishing standards prompt, because I have learned about how long things can take.) I appreciated agents who let me know when I can expect feedback and who have acted professional and interested in public. Agents whose demeanor was uncomfortable toward me are not agents I would submit to. The bottom line question has been would I accept this agent, were they to offer? If the answer is no, why query? I think that beginning writers come to the table looking for ANY agent. I am no longer that kind of beginning writer.

Another perk for this time around: I've read widely enough to know the kinds of materials agents are looking for and whether what I write is a good fit with that. Last time, part of my error was that I often submitted to agents who repped people I liked to read, and that's not always the same as people who rep the kind of thing I write, or at least the kind of thing I'm querying this time around. I have a handle on the parameters of my project. This is a YA adventure fantasy. It's not likely to morph into an MG or an adult epic. My search is much more targeted.

While I am not against transparency and showing you my successes and failures, this time I am not likely to tell you about every rejection and every nibble. I have had some of both at this point, which is expected in early days. I expect that the rejections will outnumber the nibbles, because they do for all writers, all the time. So, you probably won't hear anything beyond that I'm sending out five queries a week, unless I make it into a smaller funnel than last time (and last time I had at least one full request, so it would have to be an acceptance, I guess.) I can tell you at this point that the query has attracted interest in a partial, but that has already come to naught. Of course, the solicited on the strength of the last project submissions are still out there.

I also feel that regardless of what happens with this manuscript, it feels good to be sending something out. Rejection intimidates much less when you become more accustomed to it.

Um...Kidlitcon! Met many wonderful people, learned some great things. Need to write a post, but not right now. I leave you with the link to the Endowed Faculty Chair video about writing Hulk Hercules.

Endowed Chair Antics

Workity work!

Catherine

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.