Your first manuscript is finally complete, in all of its amended, polished, full finished glory. You are over the moon, on cloud nine, defying gravity and filled with an abundance of euphoria at the thought of the hard work being firmly behind you.
This is when the process of querying slaps you back down to Earth faster than a lead balloon.
Don’t get me wrong, I am in no way attempting to diminish the blood, sweat, and tears you have undoubtedly ploughed into your manuscript. However for most, actually I would hope all writers, that’s the enjoyable part.
The next step can prove to be quite the pain in the….I mean, can provide quite the learning curve.
Your book is done. Edits, proofreads, the whole nine yards. Maybe you even dispersed a few copies to beta readers or wrangled in family and friends for feedback. Now it’s time to basically sell it. And a good sales pitch is precisely what you need.
Sounds easy enough, except, what if you don’t come from a sales background? What if you have no idea how or where to start? Plus this isn’t a generic sales pitch, this is an industry specific one with guidelines and often unstated expectations.
Enter me! And not because I can even remotely claim to know everything….hell to the no. What I knew at the beginning of this journey amounted to the square root of f**k all. I’m not going to lie, facing such an unfathomable task drove me pretty damn close to quitting.
Deciphering who needed what, in what format and order, took me longer than drafting the entire book.
Twas about as much fun as getting a root canal done by a blind dentist!
But I got there……. Eventually, and managed to learn a little on the way.
Unfortunately, when it comes to querying for a first-time writer the pool is relatively small. As you probably already know from my previous blogs, or your own research, the major publishing houses do not accept unsolicited queries, or in layman’s terms they will not accept a submission from an author, it has to come from an agent.
Here you have a choice. You can attempt to secure an agent, or you can steam on ahead with querying publishers who are willing to accept submissions directly from writers.
Whichever path you chose it is imperative than you know who you are reaching out to. There are a million and one scam artists who will try to elicit money from you. Unless you are self-publishing, you should not be forking over any cash, a lesson I learned the hard way (but we’ll save that sorry tale for another time).
Stick to reputable, well-known sites. The top three most popular being Query Tracker, Publishers Marketplace, and Duotrope. Just be aware that the occasional con artist may slip through the cracks so don’t assume because an agent or publishing house is on one of these sites they are absolutely legit.
· Querytracker.net - This was my go-to, it’s free, which is a huge bonus and very simple to navigate. It lists current publishers and agents, details the genres they are seeking and whether they are open to submissions or not. You create an account and can track your querying progress. They also provide regular updates to show you when publishers and agents open their books or add to the genres they are seeking etc.
· Publishersmarketplace.com - This is the best source to use when looking for agents. Many agents have member pages and update them regularly. You can filter your searches by genres, category, keywords etc. The downside is that a subscription is required.
· Duotrope.com - This is the best source when looking specifically for publishers. Again, it is quite user friendly but like Publishers Market Place it requires a subscription.
When you have decided on the route you wish to take, and you have compiled a list of which agents or publishers are open to submissions and actively seeking manuscripts that fit your genre, it’s time to prepare your query letter.
As I mentioned, the requirements vary from agent to agent, publisher to publisher. They all require an introductory email/letter and will also require all or some of the following:
· The query letter itself (obviously).
· Title, word count, and genre.
· One sentence pitch.
· Synopsis – This is the part I struggled with the most. Condensing a synopsis that introduces the main character/characters, outlines the major incidents of the story and summarizes the ending within a 150-300 word count is hard, but there are a lot of sites that offer free advice and guidance online to help with the process.
· A short Bio.
· Comparative titles – Usually around 3-5 are sufficient. This shows you are knowledgeable within the genre, helps publishers and agents assess how big the target audience may be, and helps them to gauge the book’s prospective sales.
· Who your potential target audience is.
· A specific number of chapters or pages, for example the first 20 pages or the first two chapters.
Your query letter is the one and only opportunity you have to make an impression upon an agent or publisher, no pressure right! Think of it as a sales pitch for your book. You want them to request the full manuscript and so the aim is to make it as professional and enticing as possible. Steer clear of simply copying and pasting the same generic information. You want them to feel like you are reaching out to them for a particular reason. Research the books they represent, make connections between your work and what they gravitate towards, and make sure your opening line addresses them by name.
I would strongly recommend using sites such as qtCritique and critiquecircle.com to get feedback on your first query letter attempts. At the end of the day you want this to be the best version possible. Without breaking into an Eminem style rap, you may only get one shot at it.
Now, this is the final and most important part. Prepare yourself for rejection. It will happen, probably many times over. You cannot go into this without a staunch determination that borders on arrogance. Have faith in what you have achieved and believe them when they say their decision is highly subjective.
The best rejection letters offer some degree of feedback and guidance. Sadly, these are few and far between therefore if you do get a response offering suggestions take them onboard.
Literally the best and most successful authors were initially rejected, some only managing to get their third, fourth, or fifth book across the publishing line. When you’re feeling disheartened, jump on Google and read on up on some of their journeys and the challenges they faced.
You got as far as you got for a reason. If you completed a manuscript you have an amazing ability, don’t ever forget that.
If you don’t have success this time you will next time. Learn, reflect, grow, and when you’ve gotten all that you can from a rejection letter, chuck it in the fuck it bucket, straighten your crown and move on.