The Secret Rules and Most Common Myths Writers Should Know About Querying Literary Agents
Can I ask you to do something wild? Scrap everything you know about query letters, even if you’re a seasoned querier. If you’re entirely new to the process, all the better—I won’t have to undo any outdated advice!
(40 Best Elevator Pitches for Books in 2023.)
Your book could be the accumulation of 20 years’ experience in your field, the bravest thing you’ve ever done, your life’s story, your magnum opus. But here’s the thing: If you love your book, you’re going to have to let it go—for the moment. Leave your writer hat at the door and, as Ariel Lawhon says, put on your “author hat.” The one that gets you a deal. You can be a writer no matter how your book enters the world, but traditional publishing is a business first. And you have to know the rules of that business to succeed.
First, here are some rules that you definitely don’t want to follow. These are just a few myths circulating online.
Agents don’t care who you are, so you shouldn’t include any information about yourself in your letter.
This is entirely untrue! Whether it’s your bylines, your e-mail list, the author friends who will endorse your work, or an immediate grasp of your voice, we want a sense of why readers will trust you as their guide through whatever territory they’re exploring.
A long and detailed synopsis should be the focus of your letter.
While other agencies may wish for this, I much prefer an Amazon description to capture your book’s greatest intrigue, not the traditional, formal synopses you learned in school. A query letter is far more like writing sales copy.
Don’t take a guess at genre or “comps” if you’re at all unsure.
No writer, even the most seasoned, is certain about how your book will be categorized, or what comparative titles an agent or publisher will envision for it. Lower your risk of getting it wrong by tailoring your comps and genre to meet the agency’s interests. This tactic demonstrates that you’ve done your research!
Never contact an agent directly unless their submissions page says so.
In a moment, I’ll reveal that whatever you’re told, finding a direct e-mail to an agent is a more effective route to ensure your query actually gets a look.
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Don’t follow up. An agent will always reach out to you if interested.
One can hope! But hope isn’t a strategy. Agents may only see your query the second time. Experiment with new subject lines, or an update if your proposal or manuscript is under review with other agents, or you have recently published an article in a notable publication, amassed a larger social media following, obtained the endorsement of a fellow author. There are so many ways to be creative. Don’t have any of this to share? For an agent you admire, write a simple love letter. Confirm your query landed in the first place.
Reach out to every agent possible at once.
There are several risks to this, and one is that a slush approach is unlikely to appear as anything but slush. Agents are flattered—and can tell—when they’re part of a small and curated list and are receiving a more personal letter.
You only get one shot.
Is a door really ever closed? Maybe you’re asking the wrong person! Whether submitting a revision of your material or something new all together, plenty of writers—including several I’ve signed—find success the second time around.
Want more advice? Check out Lucinda Halpern’s Get Signed: Find an Agent, Land a Book Deal, and Become a Published Author here:
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