E-query etiquette?

If you want to add five pages, go ahead. Some say do it, other says don't. If the work is good, no one will care if you break a rule. If you're unsure, try two pages. Two pages is pretty inoffensive.

I wouldn't mention age until the manuscript stage. It doesn't matter until they want to take you on as a client anyway.

If you have no credentials don't list any. You don't need them if the book is good. That's all that really matters. Write a professional query, with a great hook, and you'll get requests for more.

tilt190 said:

Actually, no. I'm running it through a few betas right now, and they're, um, doing a private ripping-apart of my query for me. I'm not for bloody spectator sports. =)

But, yeah, once I have a good-enough query, I'll put my best version for the people at SYW.

By the way, have you done the Firebrand query holiday?

Click to expand...

Several people in my writing group have sent to Firebrand, but fortunately I don't need to.

I've got to disagree with a few things, here...

1 As a general rule, if an agent forgets to specify what they do or don't want, you just follow the rules of thumb. So in this case, yes, I would include the pages. But I really like to try and learn what an agent does/doesn't want, by reading interviews and stuff, even if they don't say so on their main webpage.

2 If you're under eighteen, you want to mention it by the second stage of the process. So don't mention it in your query, but mention it in whatever she asks for next. The big thing is that you don't want to HIDE your age. I always handled it by writing, "I'm a student with work published at...." during the bio part of my query. That way, the person would know I was young, and wouldn't be so shocked later on when I told them I was fifteen. (I never actually queried when I was fifteen, but you get the point.)

3 You don't want to skip the bio...it makes it look like you have something to hide, or makes you look elusive, or otherwise hard to work with. All it takes is one or two lines.

Again, as a minor, I always started with "I'm a student _____" Then I tried to pick credits that were impressive, obviously, but were impressive of me being a student. So if you write for your school paper, add that. Don't add any writing contest wins unless they were by recognized papers/organizations. If you have some fiction publishing credits, add them if they were by a recognized organization/paper...at the very least, skip ones that didn't pay you.

If you know you have some experience that makes you qualified to write the story, add that. It doesn't have to be much - say one of the main characters is special needs, and you have a special needs sibling. Say "Working with a special needs sibling has helped me shape Character X..." Something like that.


I've got to add that I am not a published author, so the normal caveats apply; this is just my 2 cents, and you may or may not find it helpful.

I do hope it helps, though
-Feathers