TOPIC: Let's talk... queries! What are your best tips for writing it great query? What do you avoid or, if you receive queries, reallllly dislike seeing? And... who and what are you querying these days? #kidlitchat
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So I was just revising a query letter this morning, getting rid of adjectives and other superfluous words. Weeding out any redundancy, etc. I think it’s important to keep it as short and impactful as possible. Honor the fact that the person reading it doesn’t have time for shenanigans. #kidlitchat
The funny thing is... I did shenanigans. But only at one place, and only once I knew that it was going to be okay. Elsewhere, I was shenanigan free.... #kidlitchat
Back when we sent art samples by mail (gasp!), the oft-repeated advice was NOT to fill the envelope with confetti or glitter in an effort to "get noticed." LOL
#kidlitchat
My HS admin used to do this with their back to school letters (which none of us were ready for 3/4 of the way through summer). Glitter unexpectedly dumped into one’s keyboard… 😱 #kidlitchat
I had a brief stint reading letters from people looking to be beta/test readers and there was so much glitter and perfume in those envelopes. #kidlitchat
Aww gee thanks. Although I must say I think there is a fine line between adding personality to your query that makes you memorable and/or charming vs. shenanigans that make the reader impatient. #kidlitchat
Personality in a query is totally appropriate, but your revision tips of taking out redundancies and superfluous words to make it more impactful was spot on!
I love the word SHENANIGANS and when I was a little girl we had a board game by that name.
#kidlitchat
#KidLitChat I tend to spreadsheet and rabbit hole. I think k went through all the agents listed at Manuscript wishlist who took middle grade. And made myself notes about what they liked and how it might connect with my work. And then I worked with CPs to hone the query.
I spent several hours this morning working on a spreadsheet of agencies that accept picture book authors pulled from the scbwi "the book" resource. I'm about halfway through, and then get to start doing the deeper dive on each agency... The research is exhausting.
I just subscribe to the querytracker newsletter and research agents when they open to queries. I use ctrl+F to search for pict and go straight to the PB agents. I usually only get 1-5 agents to look into each week.
That's how I started out. The research can be a lot! But it's okay to add to your list gradually as you wait to hear back on other queries. It was nice to have something to do during the wait! #kidlitchat
#KidLitChat …I went through the Manuscript Academy list again, this time searching for all those who took Verse Novels, while also searching comp titles I thought might fit my story.
I also did a huge spreadsheet with notes on every agent, even if I didn't feel they were one I wanted to query. They were highlighted red. I probably had a hundred agents on that spreadsheet. #kidlitchat
I have a spreadsheet like that. Color coded like the top 3/4 of a spotlight, from 'Very Happy Optimistic Spring Green' to 'Not Sure About This Fit But Potentially Intrigued Orange'. It's reassuring to see so much good potential on a scroll. With a few Nope Red at the bottom to spur me on #kidlitchat
Querying PBs right now. My technique currently is trying to find something on the agent’s list that has something in common with my ms, even if it’s not a direct comp. Some resonance to jibe with the agent’s interest. Basically, a personalization that goes beyond their wishlist if I can. #kidlitchat
#Kidlitchat My original query letter was a packed, full page. (Shockingly still got requests.) Current letter = tight 350 words. I scrapped the rhetorical question opener & swapped an intro statement of themes ("...36K words about grief & healing") w/ a hooky plot point. Waiting to see how it hits.
Using Query Tracker you can get estimates of response times for agents. I sent out queries in the first round for some agents that I knew took the longest. That way I had a better chance of shortening the project's full query timeline, before I had to move on to another project. #KidLitChat
I queried a bunch of picture books the past few years. It's just tough out there. I'm not querying anything at the moment. Working to finish my MG fantasy novel and hope to query that before year end. #KidLitChat
I think having fun is great advice for writing a query. My fun usually tends to occur in whatever hook I use as an intro. That's usually where I show some voice and personality.
I started with ~10/batch. In early batches, I tried to include enough agents with high response rates & quick response times (based on QueryTracker data).
After my first few full requests, I increased batch size. As of now, I’ve sent 61 total queries for this MG book.
Hi #kidlitchat! My best tip for writing a query is to make sure those story beats make it to the page— show the inciting incident and how tension escalates! And include the internal arc as well so we know why we should care.
A query tip based on what I've heard from various agents: do your research! It's also worth taking the time to find out more about the agent you're querying: what they're specifically looking for, what they do/don't like. Don't just throw query-spaghetti at a wall.
#KidLitChat
Be brave and keep going! I sent a little over 100 queries before finding my agent, and I had queried her 5 times (with 5 different picture book manuscripts) before she signed me. #kidlitchat
There was another agent I queried 5 times who also requested more on the 5th query. But when she passed, I had to cross her off my list because it was too big a portion of my work that she had seen and rejected.
When she requested more work, I asked if it was okay to send a revision of one of the stories I had queried her with previously. It had significant changes in that time and she was happy to look at it. It ended up being the first story we sent out on sub! #kidlitchat
This particular story, she had liked in a pitch event, so I knew she liked the idea, but my early execution of it was actually quite awful. A couple of years and a lot of revision later, and it was presentable!
Don't forget to change the agent's name if you're copy-pasting. I used to have an underscore placeholder (and highlighted) in the doc I was copying from so I wouldn't accidentally send the wrong name. And I always used Firstname Lastname format for names to avoid Mr./Ms. #kidlitchat
I didn't want to risk using the wrong title or assuming the wrong pronouns. When I was querying, Firstname Lastname was pretty widely used and accepted. Some people opted for Firstname only. If the agent responded, I would copy the formality they used in later communication. #kidlitchat
Also sometimes there are names in the middle of the first and last that you don’t know if they are part of the first name, part of the last name, or a straight up middle name. 🤷♀️ #kidlitchat
I remember agents talking about missing information in query manager. Make sure to submit a full query letter even if there are question boxes elsewhere in the form that seem redundant. Use those question boxes to expand if you wish, but don't delete from the letter. #kidlitchat
Apart from the actual query creation, one of my query strategies was to send out a new query when I received a rejection. The new query added a glimmer of hope that helped ease the blow of a rejection. #kidlitchat
That's a great tip! You gotta keep going! Did you have one at the ready, or would you then sit down to write a new one, tweaking the rejected query?#kidlitchat
I would joke that I would send out "Rage Queries" after I received a rejection. Kind of like "You didn't like that story? Well I will send it to someone else who WILL like it. Take that!" But really it was more of a tear-soaked task. #kidlitchat
For picture book queries, what helped me the most (after having studied the basic form from Query Shark) was seeing successful queries on the PB Party showcase. It helped with the little details that made my query successful like voice. https://mindyalyseweiss.com/what-is-pbparty/ #kidlitchat
When I was working on novels, the Query Shark blog by the late Janet Reid was a treasure trove of information and examples. If you haven't visited, you must add this to your query prep! https://queryshark.blogspot.com #kidlitchat
I’m about twelve hours late, but my tip is to read a million queries and help critique other people’s. My crit group tells me I’m good at queries but it’s so hard to write your own!
Currently querying an MG Halloween contemporary humor, sent 12 so far!
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I'm about to start querying a revised #PB text!
#kidlitchat
#KidLitChat
Even though I love shenanigans when I have time. 😂
I love the word SHENANIGANS and when I was a little girl we had a board game by that name.
#kidlitchat
Then when that one flopped…
DETAILS (more specific = more likely to stand out)
STAKES (why does it matter?)
REVISIONS (my first batch of queries got 0 requests, so I revised before my next batch)
#kidlitchat
How many queries do you send per batch? I used to batch send but with little/no feedback and very long response times, I don't often wait anymore.
I started with ~10/batch. In early batches, I tried to include enough agents with high response rates & quick response times (based on QueryTracker data).
After my first few full requests, I increased batch size. As of now, I’ve sent 61 total queries for this MG book.
While I wait, I try to focus on writing a different project. Someone once told me that the best way to increase odds is to keep writing more books :)
I found this data inspiring: https://hannahholt.com/blog/2017/10/4/writing-middle-grade-a-look-at-the-numbers
This is my 3rd MG book, and learning through doing/failing is legit. Hoping those requests turn into offers.
I was so bad about that early on.
#kidlitchat
#KidLitChat
#kidlitchat
Currently querying an MG Halloween contemporary humor, sent 12 so far!
#kidlitchat