Thread by @Rachel_Gutin

The fourth panel I attended at #ConZealand this year was “What to Expect When You’re Ready to Query”, with @Ellethevillain, @CaseyLucasQuaid, and @englishmace, moderated by @MorganHzlwood.

The panelists shared some useful tips and information about querying.

This thread will include many of the things the panelists said. I’m copying this over from my handwritten notes, so assume I’ve paraphrased unless I put something in quotes.

First, @MorganHzlwood began with some definitions:

Querying is when you send your work to an agent.
Sumission is when you send your work to a publisher.

This panel focuses on querying.

The panelists began by sharing some common mistakes people make when querying:

@englishmace: spending every moment thinking about it. It’s a long and patient game

@Ellethevillain: Querying too early, especially with pitch events. Wait until it’s actually done.

More common querying mistakes:

- Forgetting to attach work
- Addressing the wrong person
- Filling the query with why you wrote the book
- Putting too much backstory and not enough character and stakes
- Replying to rejections

On what you need to do before you’re ready to query:

@Ellethevillain: The manuscript needs to be done, and probably go through a few rounds of beta reads. And research who you’re querying.

More on what to do before you query:

@CaseyLucasQuaid: If you can’t distill your story down to a synopsis, there may be an issue with the contents of the book.

@englishmace: Think about the target audience of the book. Who will lose their minds over your book?

Panelists shared their querying stories:

@englishmace found her agent though #PitMad, where people tweet pitches and interested agents like the tweets.

Some other Twitter pitch events: #DVpit, #SFFpit

Note: responses come from agents of all qualities and from small presses.

More panelist querying stories:

@Ellethevillain got rejected 149 times in 18 months before she found an agent, and it was a year before her agent looked at her manuscript.

@CaseyLucasQuaid doesn’t have an agent yet, but found the Futurescapes workshop to be helpful.

On the querying process:

@Ellethevillain: Become very comfortable with rejection. It’s a slog, and it helps to have community. But you have to be confident enough to sustain those rejections.

Also, if the feedback you’re getting is consistent, listen to it.

And @MorganHzlwood mentioned Pitch Wars as another resource. You apply and get assigned a mentor, usually a debut author.

@MorganHzlwood: It can be helpful to find a community that’s at the same stage as you.

Tips for handling rejection:

Panelists talk about how they distract themselves: writing another book, working on they TBR piles, etc.

From @CaseyLucasQuaid: I use a separate address for querying and submissions, and I only check it once a week. I prepare myself for my weekly dose of rejections and access it in a controlled environment so as not to derail my day.

On how to select agents:

@Ellethevillain: I used QueryTracker. It includes social media handles and websites for agents so I can see if the agent is a good match. Social media is helpful to get to know the agent as a person and avoid abuse. I also use #MSWL.

And @Ellethevillain said she sent out about 20 queries at a time, and closed them if she didn’t hear back after six months. She kept track in a spreadsheet so she’d know when to nudge people.

More on selecting agents:

@MorganHzlwood: I use the literary agents guide, MSWL, and agents who represent books similar to mine.

And @englishmace talked about finding an agent who reps all the genres you write in. For example, YA, adult fantasy, and queer stories.

From @englishmace: I looked at books on my shelf and their agents, and queried the more junior agents at those houses. If an agent is at a good house with good mentorship, you can grow together.

Also, look for shared values.

The panelists were asked whether they use the customization sentence.

@Ellethevillain: Not unless I had a prior connection to the agent, like a conversation, or they liked my pitch.

@MorganHzlwood: I check with each agent and avoid it unless it’s asked for.

Other tips from the panelists:

@englishmace: It can be a good idea to have a small website, especially if you have short story sales.

Also, think about what you need and about working styles before you make the call to the agent, and maybe even before querying.

From: @CaseyLucasQuaid: Don’t feel pressured to say yes to the first agent. It’s a long-term relationship. And remember, it can take years to find one.

When putting together a query:

- Include page count
- List one genre
- Include stakes and characters
- Show how your story is unique
- Your bio should be 1-2 sentences
- If you have comp titles, explain how your book is like them

The whole query letter should be one page or less, 250 words max.

@englishmace: Be concise. Use emotive language that’s economical but conveys the sense of it, almost like a poem.

On what not to do:

@Ellethevillain: Never write from the perspective of the characters. And don’t explain why you wrote the book.

@CaseyLucasQuaid: Don’t editorialize your book. It’s not like a movie trailer with “the thrilling adventure of…” Instead, show how it’s thrilling.

More on what not to do:

@Ellethevillain: Don’t include why you wrote it. Keep to the story.

@MorganHzlwood: Don’t list the themes. They should come through on their own.

On how you know when you’re ready to query:

@MorganHzlwood: When you’re editing on the sentence and comma level.

@Ellethevillain: When you think you’ve made it the strongest you can and still love it.

And from @CaseyLucasQuaid: Pay attention to the type of feedback your beta readers are giving you. If it’s about structural issues, the work isn’t ready yet. If it’s about more surface-late issues, or that one scene that doesn’t work, tweak it, and it’s ready.

From @englishmace: If you’re happy with it, send it out and start the next thing. It doesn’t have to be perfect. No agent will remember your mediocre book when you send them the next one.

Further advice from @englishmace: Be attached to your career and your body of work rather than one project. Past a certain point, it may be time to write a new project.

On whether to mention that your work is Own Voices:

@Ellethevillain: Your identity can give authenticity if it’s relevant. And if being your whole self is a disadvantage for querying that agent, don’t query that agent.

“What to Expect when You’re Ready to Query” was so full of useful tips and information. Thank you so much to the panelists for sharing from your own experiences.

I'm writing up threads like this for a number of the panels I attended. This is my fourth panel thread, and I'm collecting them here: twitter.com/i/events/12922…

Happy reading!