Episode 82: Let's talk about querying (preparation)
Today, Fable and the Verbivore are talking about querying agents and what we’ve found to be true through our own experiences and research. From how to data scrape submission information needed to start submitting, to what to consider when prepping the blurb and synopsis, we dig into some of our lessons learned.
We recognize that there is no one right way to approach querying and we are by no means experts, but here are some of our querying tips:
Identify the method you want to use for tracking agent information and submission details/status upfront. We both are using our own excel spreadsheets and color coding the rows to easily separate submissions.
Check all of the agents professional webpages (Agency website, Manuscript Wish List, Social Media, and any other available website they list) to confirm what types of work they’re looking for and if they’re currently accepting queries.
Send items you’re submitting (Query Letter, Logline, Synopsis, Etc.) to beta readers for feedback.
Closely read and follow all agency submission guidelines. Rules vary widely by agency.
We hope you enjoy this episode! Keep reading, writing, and putting your voice out there!
Into the woods,
Fable & The Verbivore
Notes:
As Fable mentioned, there are a lot of articles on query letter writing online. Here are a few:
NY Book Editors - https://nybookeditors.com/2015/12/how-to-write-a-darn-good-query-letter/
Writers Digest - https://www.writersdigest.com/getting-published/tips-on-writing-query-letters-to-publishers-and-literary-agents
Jane Friedman - https://www.janefriedman.com/how-to-take-the-sting-out-of-query-rejections/
Fable and the Verbivore mentioned several websites during this episode. They are as follows:
Query Manager - https://querymanager.com/ - Website many agents use for submission
Query Tracker - https://querytracker.net/ - Website that functions like yelp for authors looking for agents
Manuscript Wish List - https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/ - Website where authors can see the types of things specific agents are currently interested in receiving
The Verbivore referenced New Leaf agent Suzie Townsend. We’d recommend checking out the stories sections of her instagram account @sztownsend81 where she has hosted Q&As over the last year answering both direct questions and providing general advice on querying and working with an agent.
Music from: https://filmmusic.io
’Friendly day’ by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
Licence: CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)