Query letters & sample chapters -- When to stop revising?
Last week, I got a question from a reader, and I knew a lot of you are probably in the same boat right now, or will be soon, so I thought I'd blog on it.
Your manuscript is finished and you've written and polished your query letter. You start sending out queries, and you get a couple of agents who are interested in seeing more. You send a partial, and get a "No, thank you." This may happen a few times. Agent feedback includes that they liked the action and that you got to it quickly. The premise is interesting and they wanted to keep reading. They had more questions that drove them to keep going, they liked the characters introduced.
But yet, still no offers of representation. The reader wanted to know was she doing anything wrong? Was there something that she could fix? Should she get the opinions of another critique group? Or should she just keep submitting what she has, as is?
I can assure you all that I've been there, done that, and decided not to buy the t-shirt. The short answer is that I went with what my gut told me to do. I submitted Magic Lost, Trouble Found to 24 agents other than Kristin Nelson (whom I'm blessed to have representing me). Of those, only three (including Kristin) were interested in seeing sample chapters, then the entire manuscript.
I've never been a member of a critique group. I've always written alone, and until I was published, I didn't know any other writers, or know of critique groups to join. So I learned to trust my own instincts. Yes, as I racked up those rejection letters, I wondered if my letter was as good as it could be. And after trying to make it even better, I decided that it was as good as I could make it, And if it wasn't good enough to attract an agent's attention, then there wasn't anything I could do to make it any better. But I knew my letter was good, and I was confident in my book.
So, long story short, I just kept trying. And eventually, I hit pay dirt big.
Contrary to what you may have heard, agents are people too. And people have opinions. If you get 25 people in a room, give them a query letter to read, you'll have 25 different reactions/responses. It's true for agents, your writer friends, your critique group.
The only opinion you can control is your own.
If you have truly done everything you can to make your query and book as good as you can possibly make it, then you can't do any more than that. If you know in your gut that it's good, that's it's publishable, that there are people out there who would want to snatch it off the bookstore shelf and run to the checkout -- then you stick to your guns, listen to your gut, and don't stop trying.
Your manuscript is finished and you've written and polished your query letter. You start sending out queries, and you get a couple of agents who are interested in seeing more. You send a partial, and get a "No, thank you." This may happen a few times. Agent feedback includes that they liked the action and that you got to it quickly. The premise is interesting and they wanted to keep reading. They had more questions that drove them to keep going, they liked the characters introduced.
But yet, still no offers of representation. The reader wanted to know was she doing anything wrong? Was there something that she could fix? Should she get the opinions of another critique group? Or should she just keep submitting what she has, as is?
I can assure you all that I've been there, done that, and decided not to buy the t-shirt. The short answer is that I went with what my gut told me to do. I submitted Magic Lost, Trouble Found to 24 agents other than Kristin Nelson (whom I'm blessed to have representing me). Of those, only three (including Kristin) were interested in seeing sample chapters, then the entire manuscript.
I've never been a member of a critique group. I've always written alone, and until I was published, I didn't know any other writers, or know of critique groups to join. So I learned to trust my own instincts. Yes, as I racked up those rejection letters, I wondered if my letter was as good as it could be. And after trying to make it even better, I decided that it was as good as I could make it, And if it wasn't good enough to attract an agent's attention, then there wasn't anything I could do to make it any better. But I knew my letter was good, and I was confident in my book.
So, long story short, I just kept trying. And eventually, I hit pay dirt big.
Contrary to what you may have heard, agents are people too. And people have opinions. If you get 25 people in a room, give them a query letter to read, you'll have 25 different reactions/responses. It's true for agents, your writer friends, your critique group.
The only opinion you can control is your own.
If you have truly done everything you can to make your query and book as good as you can possibly make it, then you can't do any more than that. If you know in your gut that it's good, that's it's publishable, that there are people out there who would want to snatch it off the bookstore shelf and run to the checkout -- then you stick to your guns, listen to your gut, and don't stop trying.
Labels: agents, query letters, writing tips
posted by Lisa Shearin at
6:45 AM
10 Comments:
Not sure if this happens to anyone else, but after I launch a story into Queryland I lose interest in it. We've all been told to start writing the next story as soon as we're done with the first. Well, I do that. Good. But, it doesn't take long before I no longer care about the Queryland novel and simply put off submitting it to anyone else. I've switched channels and I don't want to go back.
It must be hard for published authors to be working on one novel and then have to go back to edit one and/or promote another one.
It's hard for me to switch channels and I'm not under contract yet, so I don't have to. Still...
Haven't entered queryland, but I have enough project that I'll be kept busy when I do.
Good post though. I think it's wise to stick to a few betareaders rather than loads. Go for ones you trust the advice of. And who will put up with lots of questions!
I like to cast a wide net for Critique Partners on the first three chapters, then narrow down to just a couple for the rest. The first three chapters launches the rest of the story and I'm always still solidifying the rest of the story in my head.
Lisa- This was a really great post. I always wondered how many agents an author sent queries to....and how many were interested, ect. Obviously the number is different for everybody, but this post made me feel a bit more confident in my writing. Even if I don't get a response right away...I can't stop trying!
I have never sent out a project to agents, mostly because the only one I ever truly finished was when I was about ten. And it was around 50,000 words. I don't know what happened to it either, but chances are that is a good thing. Right now I'm working on a project, but I have to say...this oter idea is calling my name.
So, I have a question. Is it ok to work on two projects at once? I don't mean work on them both every day, just have one as a back up when things go bad or something. When I have problems with a project I tend to stop writing for a week or two. I want to keep that from happening. Would having two separate projects help or hinder me?
Tori- Some authors do, some don't. I don't know what Lisa does, but I usually have several projects in different stages of readiness going at any given time. If I'm hitting my edit on the edits for Project #1 I can switch to Project #2, and back again.
This way I don't feel like I'm wasting time rewriting the same scene with the same mistakes over and over again. Sometimes I need space from a WIP.
Lisa- Only 24 agents? We should all be so lucky! Either you were very diligent in researching agents or very lucky. Although, the series is awesome and that might have something to do with the luck. :o)
Liana- My biggest worry is that if I start the second project I'll end up not finishing anything. But maybe space from my current WIP is exactly what I need. I haven't been able to write myself out of the corner I put myself in.
I haven't been in the situation yet where I had to work on two projects at once. In the future I'd like to have two series going, and then I'll probably do one and then the other with little overlap. I don't think I'd be able to switch back and forth between the two books. I'm intensely focused, and dividing my attention like that wouldn't work for me, I think. But I admire the heck out of people who can do it. My brain's not that nimble yet. ; )
I suppose I could learn how to work on two projects at once. The thing is I'm so easily distracted, I worry I could complete either in a timely manner.
I think with querying agents and editors, this time I'm going to come up with a master list and query all of them until I'm done, so I can move on without forgetting and losing interest first. Not mass query with 'Dear Agent.' They hate that. Just query one at a time until I'm done. Then, that's it. *Then* I start the next story.
Hey Lisa! How are you?
This is a great post! Thanks for sharing this wonderful piece of info and inspiration. It gives me hope. :)
Have a great day!
You're most welcome, Yolanda!
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