Thread by @LZats

Up early going through queries with a huge pot of tea. I'm thinking, as always, of different ways to make querying easier and more successful for all kinds of writers.

I think a lot of writers find hard-and-fast rules about querying useful. But many don't. (thread)

In teaching queries, I've embraced a method of teaching "best practices", which allows for an author to intentionally deviate from the rules, with the understanding that such deviation should be logical and necessary in communicating the reality of your project

For example, it's better to use comps than to not use them, better to use recent (5ish yrs) comps than old ones, better to use moderate successes than blockbusters, better to limit yourself to 2-3 comps, better to use comps to communicate tone or theme than to rehash plot

Now, no agent is going to immediately turn your book down from not picking one "better" option (yes, I know there are some agents who are snippy about the "perfect" query but you probably don't want to work with them anyway)

However, it's important to note that every time you deviate from a "best practice" it means that you may be putting a tiny speedbump btwn you and a request. Sometimes, that speedbump is necessary to best sell your book overall. But too many speedbumps and the enthusiasm goes away

So here's a non-exhaustive list of some more best practices:

99.9% of the time it's better to put the metadata paragraph at the beginning of the query than after the plot paragraphs. 100% of the time it's better to have your bio at the very end.

It's better to have a bio (even if you don't have writing credits or experience!) than no bio.

It's better to format your query in 5-6 short paragraphs than long paragraphs (this document is skimmed)

It is better to have no personalization than vague personalization (i.e. I'm querying you because you represent fantasy). It is only a smidgen better to have good, specific personalization than to have none. Take from that what you will.

It is better to fit within the general wordcount guidelines of your category and genre. Know that every agent has their own tipping point where they won't look at the book no matter what if the wordcount reaches that number (for me it's 30Kish over the top guide number)

It's better to start your plot paragraphs at the inciting incident than to give general background. It is better to shape your plot paras around 1 MC and their motivations than to just simply sumarize the plot...

(an easy way to do this is to answer the following questions in your plot paras: who is the MC? What do they want? How are they going to get it/what is standing in their way?)

Specifics are better in plot paras than being vague, but you don't want to go overboard with Proper Nouns--it's a balancing act that will hit different with every agent, but you can do your best with it by giving the query to someone who knows nothing about your book...

and then asking them to tell you about the plot and the world. If they're wrong, or focus on the wrong thing, you have work to do

It's only the smallest bit better to have an incredible title than a placeholder when you query (your editor will probably change the title, so most agents don't really pay attention to this)

It's better to keep your query between 300-450 words than to make it longer (you've likely dipped into synopsis territory here) or shorter (where I bet it doesn't say anything about the book)

It's better to keep this document professional than to make it intimate (for example, I don't need to know what inspired you to write this book or how much you love writing--that kind of information is for the Call, not the query)

It's better to query a whole bunch of (relevant) agents than to query a tiny list of agents you love (remember, this is a numbers game--no amount of research or passion on your part will make it not so)

It's better to query in waves or batches than to query a hundred agents at once (batches allow you to diagnose where and why you're getting rejections and to fix said wonky bits)

It is better to write something else while querying rather than focusing entirely on the submission process, even if it's hard.

It is better to embrace the tropes and hits of your genre in pitching your book than to try to divest from them entirely or to reinvent the wheel (most agents hate when writers slam the genre they're writing in)

If you are a writer with a marginalized identity and revealing said marginalization is not safe and/or comfortable, it's better to not include it (even if agents are not-so-subtly pressuring querying writers into disclosing)

If you are planning on writing under a pseudonym it's better to use it as soon as you know what is it rather than wait (you can be as obscure with it as you want, ranging from Real Name writing as Pen Name or just doing everything via pen name)

Okay, that's most of what I can think of before 9a.m. on a Friday, Hit me up if you have questions or want me to cover something I missed!

Someone had a question about how to diagnose the reason for a rejection (and how to fix said reason). First step: where does the rejection happen? If it's at the partial stage, your pages need work. If you don't ever get partial requests, it's your query...

Usually, there's just a few too many speedbumps in the way of a request. Go through the list above and see where you're deviating, or where there's room for improvement. If your metadata and bio are shiny, it's likely your plot paras--

oftentimes, in reading plot paras I get lost (too many concepts, plot points, or characters intro'ed) or bored (too vague, not enough pop or voice).

In some heartbreaking circumstances, the pitch is great! It just sounds too much like a book I already have. Conversely, I might be unsure if there's a place in the market for the idea or unsure how to sell it. This happens for EVERY BOOK, which is why querying is a numbers game.

Oh! I forgot the most important one! It's better to follow the industry guidelines for query format than to make up your own (this is a skimming document!) Stand out with your idea, not your presentation.

It's also worth mentioning that with a little critical thinking (or by asking perpetually logged-on agents online) you can separate out which querying guidelines have real reasons behind them (like the comps, which simultaneously describe your book and its place in the market)...

And rules that individual agents/agencies make to establish or reinforce the power imbalance between potential agent and author (when you can send queries, what font to use, having no grace for typos or mistakes).

Don't worry about bending over backwards to follow the latter type of rule. You probably won't be happy with that agent anyway.

Another one: it's better to use widely-accepted genres/subgenres than trying to smoosh your own together (ex historical fiction which your plot paras explain is queer and has a mystery in it rather than a "historical queer romance mystery" which is confusing)

I'll probably keep adding to the thread, but know that there is no such thing as a "perfect" query that immediately gets you signed. The goal of a query is actually pretty manageable: it's just to get someone intrigued enough that they read the book. That's it.

Also I should probably mention that @erikhane and I do query critiques via @printrunpodcast's patreon so if you want to see these best practices applied, give it a listen! (as always, if you cannot afford access, email us and we'll give it to you no questions asked)