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Key Book Publishing Paths
One of the biggest questions I receive from authors today: Should I traditionally publish or self-publish? In response, I've been sharing this chart on key publishing paths since 2013. Here is the latest iteration.
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Reopening to Queries July 29th
As you may have already seen on Twitter, I will be opening up my query inbox again on Monday, July 29th! In the next few days Iāll also be posted an updated MSWL and overview of what I am and am not interested in seeing at the moment. (You can also always keep on eye on my Twitter for updates like this!) Iām looking forward to seeing your submissions, so polish up those first pages and get those letters ready!Ā
And if youād like to get a head-start, be sure to participate in #SFFPit on Twitter on Wednesday, July 24th! Like #PitMad, #SFFPit is a pitch fest where authors can tweet their book pitches and agents can request the manuscripts by liking the tweets. #SFFPit is, as the name suggests, exclusively for science fiction/fantasy and associated subgenres--you can read the full rules here. I will be requesting queries at #SFFPit and will respond to all of them before I officially reopen on the 29th!Ā
5 MYTHS ABOUT HAVING AN AGENT
There are a lot of myths about what happens to writers once they get literary agents, and these are the 5 I hear most frequently. My point for dispelling them isnāt to depress authors aspiring to have literary agents but to prepare them.
One of the things I see go wrong most frequently between a writer and agentās relationships is when a writer is expecting too much, too quickly and becomes hopelessly disappointed when it doesnāt happen. I donāt want that to happen to you. And Iām sure you donāt want that to happen to you either.
MYTH #1: MY BOOK WILL SELL RIGHT AWAY!
Truth: Nope. I mean, it could sell right away. This does happen. Iāve had friends who get an agent and within three months (yes, three months is fast in the pub industry) they are signing a book contract. But this isnāt the norm. I would say 50% of first novels donāt sell (the first novel your agent tries to sell, at least) and 50% of them do. This is not a hard and fast statistic, I havenāt polled every writer ever of course. But this is based on what Iāve seen as an intern, my friendās experiences, and from my own.
Be prepared for the long haul. Just like you were when you were in the query trenches, be prepared for it to take a while. Iāve known people who have been on submission for a whole year still sell their books. Others had to wait until book 2 or 3 before they got their deal.
MYTH #2: I HAVE AN AGENTāMY BOOK MUST SELL.
I can't seem to find a definitive answer on this: Should the comps/metadata paragraph go at the beginning or end of the query? Thanks for your time!
Oh, that's easy: You can't find a definitive answer because there isn't one. :-) It truly doesn't matter. I see it both ways, and I do it both ways myself when I am writing pitch letters to editors.
SOME agents might care. (I doubt it, but they might!) Personally, I just want the information somewhere, and I'd suggest that you put it wherever feels right to YOU for that particular project / letter.
You could even split the difference a bit, like:
Dear [Agent],
[greeting, personalization, etc], I'm delighted to share my Middle Grade speculative comedy, SECRETARIWHAT??! that I think of as Groundhog's Day meets The Black Stallion, in which a horse gets stuck in a time loop and, with a little help from the friends he meets along the way, must win the Kentucky Derby to get back to the paddock where he belongs. [here you've put the age category, genre, tonal comparison and logline]
[Longer pitch]
SECRETARIWHAT??! is an engaging mix of humor, mystery, and adventure with a speculative equine twist, complete at 50,000 words. It will appeal to fans of fun commercial middle grade authors like Stuart Gibbs and Carl Hiaasen, as well as kids who love horse stories like those of Terri Farley. [here you've expanded on the tone, and put the wordcount and book/author comps].
[Bio]
[Closing/Sig]
In todayās Quite the Query, Iām sharing a successful query from MG writer @cliffburkeauthor. Many thanks to Cliff for letting me share! I saw on your MSWL that youāre looking for a funny, heartfelt middle grade novel and Iād like to offer my completed 45,000-word upper MG novel, AN OCCASIONALLY HAPPY FAMILY, for your consideration. Thirteen-year-old Theo Ripley isnāt looking forward to his familyās summer vacation. Ever since his mom died two years ago, family trips have become a painful reminder of her absence. Not that he can tell his dad, who has kept all his feelings to himself since the funeral. Too bad his dad canāt keep his love of camping bottled up, too. Instead, he forces Theo and his bookish fifteen-year-old sister Laura to spend a week at Big Bend National Park, the least popular and most boring park in the country. As if the wild bears, fanatical bird-watchers, and zealous vloggers of the Texas wilderness arenāt bad enough, Theoās dad hits him with a whopper of a surprise once they arrive: turns out the whole trip was just a trick to introduce his secret new girlfriend. Ā With Dad and Laura pretending like moving on is no big deal, Theo tries to squash down the prickly pain in his chest. But when it becomes clear that this isnāt just any girlfriend, but a pretty serious, auditioning-to-be-his-stepmom girlfriend, Theo must find a way to face his grief and talk to his dad before his family is forever changed. At once a comic odyssey and sensitive portrayal of grieving, AN OCCASIONALLY HAPPY FAMILY will appeal to fans of John Green, Ryan GebhartāsĀ There Will Be Bears, and Ali BenjamināsĀ The Thing About Jellyfish. This book will be in stores in May 18, 2021! #middlegradequery #querytip #mglit #writingcraft #middlegradebooks #quitethequery https://www.instagram.com/p/CLe75Fzgfn5/?igshid=11u6c0zgaze5a
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. . Quite The Query is coming back! . A lot of people have reached out to me & requested I bring back this series on my blog. . This post is a call out to all newly-minted agented writers. If youāre open to sharing your successful PB, MG, YA, or Adult query with the writing community, please reach out via the website link in my bio or via DM! Iāll send along more details then as to how to participate!š . . . #writergram #query #queryletter #querytip #querytrenches #successfulquery #pathtopublication #writingabook #writinganovel #writingaquery #writingcommunity #writershelpingwriters #picturebooks #mglit #yalit #writersoninstagram #yawritersoninstagram #mgwritersofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CKeycYWAFc9/?igshid=1tykp02lg8l78
Querying is such a hard thing. It has its highs and lows. Iāve been in the trenches many times and know how difficult it can be. My one big thing I always tell people when they ask how I got through it is this - play the long game. Donāt think about getting an agent as a stepping stone but as merely a piece in one larger puzzle. You have to think long term in the publishing business. Not about who will lead you to the next step, but who will be a partner for your entire career. . It can be very exciting to get that ācallā, but you must temper your joy with reality. Think long and hard about who will stick with you through the good and bad. Will stand by your side if you donāt sell a book in those first years. The right agent for you should be someone who recognizes the ups and down of the business. Who is willing to stand by you in good times and bad, because if you have a long career there will definitely be both. . . . #litagent #querytip #querying #publishing #publishingworld #pathtopublication #querytrenches #writinglife #writingcommunity #writingcommunityofinstagram #writingcommunityofig #writerlife #igauthor #igauthorlife https://www.instagram.com/p/CFAQ1yZgGBB/?igshid=l6pkl12xm832
First Five Frenzy is back tomorrow on my blog. Literary Agent, Ann Rose of the @prospectagency answers five questions about what makes her request more materials during the query process. š ā¢ ā¢ ā¢ #query #querytip #amquerying #amwriting #literaryagent #publishing #pubtip #writer #storyteller #storytelling #blog #blogger #bloggerlife #bloggersofinstagram #booknerd #bookgeek #bibliophile #writingcommunity https://www.instagram.com/p/BtTa8dQHKCU/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=n0otme643ey5
