The Query Letter & What To Do After Sending It

How critical is the query letter? After we send it out, then what? How long should we wait before following up? How many agents/editors should we query before we stop? What does it really mean if an agent asks for a partial or full?

I'm definitely not the expert on querying. There are plenty of other writers and agents who offer excellent advice on everything from who to query, what to send, and how to write a killer query letter. But for what it's worth, here are my opinions:

How critical is the query letter?

While I believe it's important to craft a professional, appealing query letter, I also think sometimes we put too much faith in our queries.

In fact, yesterday, my agent, Rachelle Gardner, blogged about this very thing. She summarized my thoughts exactly: The query boils down to making a clear and concise presentation of your book. Just tell us enough that we get a feel for it and want to read it. Be polite and professional and try to avoid coming across like a crackpot. It’s worth putting some effort into, but 99.9% of your effort should be in your book.

My query wasn't anything special. Of course I was careful to summarize my plot, similar to a back cover blurb. I looked at my query as a tool to hook an agent into reading my sample chapters. Because, ulitmately the story and writing are critical to garnering the interest of an agent, not the query letter itself.

Once our book is "out there" what should we do next?

We've all heard this piece of advice before, but it bears repeating: Start the next book. The next book serves SO many purposes. It takes our mind off the waiting (at least a little!). It proves we're serious about writing (that we're not a one book wonder). And it helps us improve our skills (if we're intentional about it).

During the months my manuscript sat in Rachelle's slush pile, I worked hard on writing another book. By the time she got to my first book, I had another, even better book, ready to show her.

How long should we wait before following up to the agent/editor who has a query?

Most agents have their own set of guidelines for follow up procedures and we need to be diligent about searching out their specific policies. Let me say this, however, I never followed up with queries that went unanswered. I figured no answer meant "No, I'm not interested."

However, when an agent/editor asks for a partial or full, I do think it's appropriate to follow-up after giving them plenty of time (as in months). Not only does a brief email show we still care, but it puts our name before their eyes again.

How many agents/editors should we query before we stop?

Here's my philosophy, and it might not be the most popular. But, I think we should pick the agents who are best suited to our genre and style and stick to them.

When I queried, I narrowed my list to about a dozen of the best, most professional agents who represent Christian fiction. I decided if one of the top agents didn't want to offer me representation, then my story and writing were still not good enough and I would simply need to write a better book before querying again.

The longer I'm involved in the writing business, the more I realize that if a writer (particularly of fiction) has reached a publishable level of writing skill and has crafted a saleable story, a good agent will notice. . . eventually.

What does it really mean if an agent/editor asks for a partial or a full?

Again, my opinion might not be the most popular, but here it is anyway. When an agent or editor asks for a partial or full, it means they liked our sample writing and/or are intrigued by our story. In other words, they see potential. Yes, this is a good thing. But. . .

Anyone can doctor up the first few chapters of their book. I've seen plenty of writers final in contests with the beginning pages of their book but then weren't able to find representation afterward. I've come to realize most of us can slave away until our opening chapters are stunning, but if we don't write stunning middles and endings, the beginning won't do us any good.

And that brings us back to my previous post . . . we need brutal, honest, insightful feedback on our entire book--before we query.

So, what do you think? Do you agree or disagree with my answers? Please jump in with your thoughts and advice! Or if you have any further questions, ask away!