Those dratted literary queries: one agent's take

 For anyone who didn't hear literary agent Sandy Lu from Book Wyrm Literary Agency's presentation to the Dallas Mystery Writers recently, here's a catch up. Meeting with the group via Zoom from New York, Lu gave her take on the publishing business's current, "very competitive" state and how to deal with it.

"It's a supply and demand issue," she said. "A lot of people think if they can type, they can write a book." 

Which leads to an overwhelming number of queries to agents. Aside from automatically rejecting that look generic, with "dear agent" type headings, Lu uses QueryManager (the agent/editor version of QueryTracker) to weed out spam.

But she sympathizes with those who've agonized over writing queries.

"I know writing a query letter is difficult. A lot of good writers can't write a (good) query." 

To deal with this, she also requests writing samples -- the first five pages of fiction manuscripts. Starting with the first paragraph, if she's OK with that, she goes on to the next and so on.

What to do, a writer asked, if the first five pages end in mid-sentence?

"Don't worry," Lu answered. "(Agents) are scanning. We're not reading every word!" And invariably, she will have made her decision by the first paragraph anyway.

Lu typically starts reading queries based on the work's genre as listed in their query rather than the date it hit her QueryManager inbox.

Writers unsure of their work's genre need to consider what they're reading. What shelf in a bookstore does their favorite reading come from? Where do they see their own story sitting?

Is it from the general fiction shelf? Romance? Fantasy? Science fiction? Even for writers who aren't buying from brick-and-mortar stores should note that online sellers will describe the genre of their wares.

What about genre-bending/blending books, or books spanning multiples genres, writers asked, a question repeated more than once.

"There's still a main genre," Lu replied. Again, where would our own book be shelved?

(By the way the free site QueryTracker provides lists of literary genres for works of fiction such as fantasy, historical, mystery, etc., including subgenres within some of those headings.)

Image: Pixabay

Although there are numerous sites about how to structure the query itself, Lu stated that it should be less than one page long. (Note: single-spaced.) And although some agents like a personal connection at the start, the main opening paragraph should include the book's title, word count, genre, and comparative titles.

Those comparative titles -- comps -- help the agent decide how to pitch the book to an editor. Lu prefers them to be for books published not more than three years previously. But even comparisons to older or classic works can be helpful. If the comparison is for something older, just be sure to include a more recent one or two as well.

The second paragraph should be a description of the book, "but only enough to pique interest. No more than six to seven sentences. A query should not be dry. it should read more like flash fiction."

Although she doesn't typically request a synopsis, "it's good to have a four-page synopsis. You can take it down to two pages, then to one (before) finally down to that single paragraph to use in a query."

Finally, the query letter should include a little about the writer, but only information relevant to the work at hand. And if we don't have prior publishing credits, there's no need to apologize. It's the book itself that counts.

What makes a query really stand out?

"A good title is helpful," Lu said. "Look at bookshelves for good titles from the same genre. Word count is important too. If (a book) is too short -- less than 60,000 words, or too long -- more than about 140,000, I can't do anything with it."

However, she admitted that a 140,000-word book would only be appropriate for fantasy, which usually requires more world-building. 

Her sweet-spot word count is about 80,000 to 90,000 words, with anything over 90,000 getting harder to sell.

How much does a writer's social media presence count, group members asked.

Although it doesn't have to be obsessive, Lu admitted having a publishing house editor turn down a book for lack of a social media platform. "It's never too early to start building a platform. Do a little every day. Pick one or two (platforms) you're comfortable and keep it up."

And, with the performance of such self-published books as The Martian, Andy Weir's blockbuster science fiction novel turned movie, and its offshoots, how much does a writer's self-publishing performance influence agents and editors? Are 20,000 self-publishing sales enough?

Probably not, Lu said, advising writers not to base too much hope on Weir's success. 

(As a sidelight, Wikipedia states The Martian sold 35,000 copies in its first three months as a self-published book on Amazon, in addition to the myriad free copies originally downloaded from Weir's blog.)

Finally, if we feel that Lu is the agent we've been dreaming of, check her website to see what she's looking form. But not today. Her Query

Manager says she's closed to queries until April 15, trying to catch up on her reading!

Wordcraft – What happens after you send the query

If there’s anything fantasy writer Seth Skorkowsky knows, it’s how to write a query letter to a literary agent. Skorkowsky, after all, was the first writer to get through the DFW Writers Conference’s infamous query gong show without being gonged out (an event chronicled in “Beating the gong” at this site May 6, 2013).

Sure, the three to five sentences of story description that comprise the heart of a query letter are the hardest things any writer has to compose. “But that’s not what I’m going to talk to you about,” Skorkowsky told his audience at last weekend’s Fencon science fiction/fantasy convention in Irving, Texas. “What I’m going to talk to you about is all the other stuff” that happens after the query letter is written,” the things no one tells you about querying a novel.

The things that happen after querying are also something he knows about, with the publication this month of his third book of sword and sorcery tales. And he’s got some rules about what happens (and what to do) in that time that elapses after crafting that killer query letter. (For more hints about query letters, see “Spawn of the QueryShark, part I” and “Spawn of the QueryShark, part II,” also at this site.)

The first rule deals with research – knowing the genre (and as important, the subgenre) of our work; finding agents who deal with that genre/subgenre (starting with the agency website, but then checking Google for interviews a potential agent has given within the last two years.

As we’re hitting “Send” on that now-magical query, consider Rule #2: organization. Skorkowsky prepares a spreadsheet listing the agent, genre and subgenre of submission, the date the submission was sent, what was submitted (sample pages, etc.), expected turnaround time (usually available at the agency website), miscellaneous information (date open to submissions, other agency at the agency, notable clients), and rejection date. Yes, rejection. Because it will happen.

He suggests pacing ourselves by sending not more than 5-6 queries at a time. This will allow time to revise the query if needed and prepare for Rule #3 – "the experience of crushing self-doubt.”

Rule #3’s list of things not to do includes not responding to rejections unless invited to do so by the rejecting agent, not taking rejection personally, and never, ever venting about those rejection online. “Mark your spreadsheet to list the rejection, move on and send the next query.”

Rule #4 : how to deal with the paranoia that waiting inevitably leads to. Again remembering not to vent, instead stalk the agent nicely, via Twitter or QueryTracker and consider starting a different project to get your mind off the waiting thing.

And finally, Rule #5: closure is better than rejection. “If their website says they respond within eight weeks and you haven’t heard (within that time), mark your spreadsheet ‘rejected’ and move on.”

Skorkowsky said his spreadsheet shows that he sent 83 queries for what would become his first published novel, Dämoren. From those he received 44 rejections (the quickest within one day, the longest after 11 months), 38 non-replies (two of them received – make that, not received – after agents had requested full manuscripts. And one acceptance. And that, dear readers, is all it took.

(Next Tuesday, words from the FenCon writers’ workshop).

Wordcraft -- Spot the scams, no fooling!

Two weeks ago I wrote about one of my favorite free websites for writers, QueryTracker (“Tracking the right agent for your work,” March 18, 2013). It offers a wealth of information about potential agents. But before you actually hit “send” on that query letter, there’s at least one more site you should check -- Preditors & Editors. Conveniently, QueryTracker provides a link. Or look at it directly, http://pre-ed.com/.

The first think you’ll notice about the site, aside from its quirky spelling, is a notice that it’s being sued and asking for donations for legal fees. As best I can determine, this is part of an ongoing battle with PublishAmerica, a company notably peeved by the site’s “strongly not recommended” assessment. Agents, attorneys, and publishers don’t always like it, but we as writers need to know upfront before wasting our time -- and sometimes our money -- on scam artists.

P&E lists its criteria for dis-recommending agents and companies. The first sin on its list is charging fees up front. Has an agent used an author’s material without permission? Been found guilty of fraud or other crimes relevant to writers and publishing? P&E tells all. (It also notes that threats of physical violence automatically result in a “not recommended” listing. I don’t want to know where that came from.)

Want to know whether an agent you’re looking at belongs to a professional organization that can impose standards of conduct? Or whether the agent used to belong to such an organization but was booted out? Preditors & Editors will tell.

Of course, there’s stuff besides dirty business we want to know. Such as the all-important one -- has this agent actually sold her authors’ works to legitimate, paying publishers?

Among other good to know stuff -- suggested etiquette for contacting agents, and sample query letters. Just don’t copy the samples verbatim. Your intended agent no doubt has seen them often enough. You don’t want to tempt her to do any of that physical violence stuff.

Preditors & Editors itself lists other potentially helpful sites. I’d love to hear some of your best -- or worst -- examples of sites for writers!

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For Dallas-area readers -- the city’s Big Read program aims to start a month-long conversation about Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. Starting today, April 1, from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. for commuters at DART’s Union Station. So I’m getting up extra early to publish this and catch the train. See you there! For more Big Read events, see
http://bigreaddallas.org/.

Update -- I halfway expected Dallas Big Read's promised surprise for commuters to be an April Fool hoax.  It wasn't!  Friends of the Dallas Public Library handed out 1,000 free copies of Fahrenheit 451 this morning.  Last one was gone by about 5 minutes till 8.  This Thursday, the Perot Museum hosts a discussion of technology's influence.  Next Tuesday, April 9, Half Price Books, 5803 E. Northwest Highway in Dallas, hosts a discussion of the role of science fiction.

Wordcraft -- Tracking the right agent for your work

My daughter and I were rummaging through a second-hand store, cherishing a couple of free hours, when I found one of the rabbit fur jackets she had longed for back in the days when she was a teenager.

“Remember this?” I asked. “All your friends had them but I wouldn’t get you one? Want me to buy it for you now?”

Giving me her best “you’ve got to be kidding” look, she said, “No, and I’m glad I didn’t have one then.”

Last month I defended Duotrope Digest’s new policy requiring subscribers to pay for searching its database of writing markets. (See “Much ado about Duotrope,” February 25, 2013.) This may have left the impression that I enjoy throwing away my hard-earned dollars and pounds on services other sites offer without fees.

As my daughter can attest, I am, in fact, a tightwad. To further prove my thriftiness, I’ll share one of my favorite free sites for writers -- QueryTracker.

Writing friend Jill Wilson pointed me toward QueryTracker when we were both in the novel writing program at Southern Methodist University, trying to find literary agents for our work. I had subscribed to Publisher’s Marketplace. PM does some great work, really, but charges I’m embarrassed to say how much for it.

Duotrope and its free alternatives are great at helping find publishers for short works. But although they list some publishers who accept book manuscripts without agents, many traditional houses refuse to look at unagented material. QueryTracker also lists  publishers. But its main function is to search for literary agents.

Yes, you can buy books listing agents. Or hope your library has one that it’s been updated recently. The most helpful are written by agents about their fellow agents. They can offer a lot of good information. But they’re not free.

QueryTracker will search for agents by the genres they represent and provides their contact information and preferred methods of contact, professional affiliations, websites and clients. It also lets you keep a spreadsheet of your queries, much as Duotrope’s submissions tracker does for short works. You can leave comments about an agent and save a copy of your query letter, all without paying a dime.

Want to target agents who represent your favorite authors? QueryTracker will tell you who agents whom. Sure, sometimes writers get nice and list their agents in their books or websites. Sometimes not. Now you can concentrate on who really represents the kind of work you like to read. 

If you have a book length manuscript, take at look, www.querytracker.net/.

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I don’t always promote contests, but this one’s special -- East Dallas retirement home C.C. Young’s 2013 art and writing contest. The theme is “Spirit is Ageless.” If you’re at least age 55, enter this one for the love. Entries must be received between April 8 - 11. For specifics, call 214-841-2831 or email ccy@ccyoung.org.

Also, SMU has a few places left for this Saturday's (March 23) writing workshop with BK Loren.  See www.smu.edu/Simmons/CommunityEnrichment/CreativeWriting/.