I am currently in Query Hell. It's good to be back. I feel I'm not getting nearly enough responses (rejection or otherwise) compared to how many queries I've sent out, but maybe the process is different with agents who focus on literary fiction and not genre fiction, as was the case with my last visit to Q.H. Plus I went after the upper crust of agencies only, so perhaps their backlogs of emails are larger. Probably.
Doing my written test for 911 dispatching today. First step in a long process. But it will be a good backup if my book never sells and I wither up in shame and die unpublished, surrounded by angry cats, with a bunch of brilliant manuscripts rotting in my sock drawer which my niece and nephew will discover long after I'm gone, posthumously publish, and make the millions I should have earned off my own genius. You're welcome, Henry and Agatha. Auntie loves you.
Also looking at taking a second job, working on my three days off a week. Doesn't that sound fun.
Good luck with the queries. I sent my first out yesterday. I'm not sure what's worse: crafting the query in the first place, or properly personalizing the letter so it doesn't sound like a)sucking up, or b)every bland query letter ever written.
ReplyDeleteGood luck to you!
Ooh! Good luck on your own querying. yay!
ReplyDeletePersonalizing is definitely the worst. I actually told one agent (truthfully) that I was querying her not only because her bio indicated she might actually really like my book, but also because I loved her necklace in her picture. I figured, "At worst it'll lead to another rejection. At best, she'll remember me."
It's been ten days and I haven't heard a peep, so I'm assuming it led to another rejection. Oh well! If you don't play you can't win.
Good one! I came across an interview with one agent from two years back who mentioned she had been playing street hockey. I grew up playing street hockey. I lived for street hockey. I seriously considered mentioning it, and then decided it might be better not to. I hope I made the right choice!
ReplyDelete