Does the personal touch in querying really make a noteworthy difference?

Paul

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I mean really. Really noteworthy.

In other words

Any 'getting an agent to read your full' stories out there which came as a result of a more personalised query letter than a standard polite (ie correct agent name and genre etc) query which follows the given guidelines?

ETA by personalized I mean, mentioning their current clients, a book they rep that your book is like, a blog advice they mentioned, etc etc

Why am I asking. Well, time. Time is monay. or something. and personaliszed queries eat up time. and yes i know the 'if you really wanted it enough' of something thingy. But for me, if the majority say YES, IT DID MAKE A DIFFERENCE, then I'll take that on board. Otherwise...
 
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Corinne Duyvis

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No, but that's because you don't land an agent based on a query letter. You land an agent based on your novel. The query letter needs to do one thing only--get the agent to read said novel. I'm sure that in some cases, personalization will make agents more likely to request pages. After that, it's all about the book.
 

Paul

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:) Fair nuff. so ,same question, but 'read your book' instead of 'land an agent'?

eg, in your personal exp, did a personalized letter result in a book reading? (you dont have to answer on a personal basis if you dont want, of course)
 

Nonuw

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Does novel have to be complete before being sent out to an agent? I know, it's a daft question - but recently read a book which advises to send query letter to agent before completion.
 

Ginger Writer

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In my experience, I've never had to personalize. Years ago, I would mention books in the agents' lists that my own work compared to, but got no requests to read or personal comments in response. Recently I've gotten those requests to read and personal critique on several of my projects without having to mention specific works that the agent represents. Unless they specifically ask you to spell out where you fit into the market (and one that I came across did), then I wouldn't worry too much about it. The big thing that you want to do is be polite, be professional, and really sell your book.

And to Nonuw: I would never send without a complete manuscript. It's something that I'm sure would irk agents. Most out and out say as much. And it's a risk if they ask for the full MS and you can't present one. Just my thoughts on the matter.
 
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Drachen Jager

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Agents like it when you personalize and say nice things about them, but 9 times in 10 (or more) it makes no difference at all. Spend the extra time on the body of your query and you will get reads.
 

Paul

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Thanks Ginger.

To DJ, yup, that's my thinking.

to Nonuw NEVER EVER do that. just dont. DONT DO IT! for all sorts of reasons.
 

Corinne Duyvis

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:) Fair nuff. so ,same question, but 'read your book' instead of 'land an agent'?

eg, in your personal exp, did a personalized letter result in a book reading? (you dont have to answer on a personal basis if you dont want, of course)

It's honestly hard to say, because you usually don't hear why an agent does or doesn't request a partial.

All the personalization in the world isn't going to make an agent request a shabbily written query, and vice versa, a stellar query will have an agent begging for the first chapters no matter what.

I don't think not personalizing it (aside from listing their name, of course) will hurt you. Since lots of agents express a preference for it, though, I'm sure it does make a difference in how they read queries or how they perceive you, so I think it's worth the effort. :)
 

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It's honestly hard to say, because you usually don't hear why an agent does or doesn't request a partial.
:)
well what I'm asking really is did *you* (everyone) send out personalized and non-personalized and notice a difference?

Ginger gave the answer i suspected was the case, but more data would be useful
 

Corinne Duyvis

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well what i asking really is did *you* (everyone) send out personalized and non-personalized and notice a difference?

No, but I didn't keep track, and I think there are too many other factors that play into an agent's decision to request or reject to make that sort of experiment in any way reliable.

I'd be interested in the answer to this question, too, because a lot of time can go into researching agents, but I think getting the agents' side on whether it makes a difference would be more useful than the writers' side.
 

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No, but I didn't keep track, and I think there are too many other factors that play into an agent's decision to request or reject to make that sort of experiment in any way reliable.

I'd be interested in the answer to this question, too, because a lot of time can go into researching agents, but I think getting the agents' side on whether it makes a difference would be more useful than the writers' side.
yes, agreed.

(this is more of a rule-of-thumb heuristic than a proper experiment! :))
like the cat btw)
 

Giant Baby

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The most useful, personalization you can include, IMO, is to follow the agent's submission guidelines to the letter. That shows you've researched what they want and are a conscientious querier, without ringing false.

I can't give you stats, I'm not sure you're going to get stats, but my requests aren't too shabby and I've actually been thanked by one agent for sending a "thoughtful" query that hit all her notes. So, that worked out okay.
 

Drachen Jager

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Does novel have to be complete before being sent out to an agent? I know, it's a daft question - but recently read a book which advises to send query letter to agent before completion.

Yes, yes, yes, and yes.

Whoever wrote that book is an idiot. If you query and the agent asks for a full and you say, "Yeah, haven't written it yet." You are sunk with that agent. They will write you off as unprofessional.

To reiterate: yes, it must be complete.
 

suki

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Of the requests I received from agents, all but 1 resulted from personalized queries - 1 resulted from a non-personalized query.

I believe, based on anecdotal evidence, that personalization does equal more requests from some agents. Not all. But some.

But here's what I think is the real difference - people who personalize most of their queries, have to research the agents more thoroughly than those who do not. And that research is the key. In order to allow them to personalize, they have to get to know the agent better, and likely end up not querying some agents based on that research, and better targeting others.

So, is it necessary? For all agents? No. For most? Likely no. For some? Sure. Some agents are more inclined to request from those who seem to really know their preferences, and I'd bet those who take the time to research, can better target their queries to those preferences.

But for some, it makes absolutely no difference. Hell, some agents don't even read the query until after they look at the included pages...and by then, the query is likely irrelevant unless it revels a plot detail that is a deal breaker that was not evident in the included pages.

Yes, yes, yes, and yes.

Whoever wrote that book is an idiot. If you query and the agent asks for a full and you say, "Yeah, haven't written it yet." You are sunk with that agent. They will write you off as unprofessional.

To reiterate: yes, it must be complete.

QFT.

~suki
 

heyjude

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I mean really. Really noteworthy.

In other words

Any 'getting an agent to read your full' stories out there which came as a result of a more personalised query letter than a standard polite (ie correct agent name and genre etc) query which follows the given guidelines?

ETA by personalized I mean, mentioning their current clients, a book they rep that your book is like, a blog advice they mentioned, etc etc

Why am I asking. Well, time. Time is monay. or something. and personaliszed queries eat up time. and yes i know the 'if you really wanted it enough' of something thingy. But for me, if the majority say YES, IT DID MAKE A DIFFERENCE, then I'll take that on board. Otherwise...

Yes. I caught my agent's eye by mentioning an interview he'd recently done and why I thought my book fit what he was looking for based on that interview. It definitely made the difference.

I only sent three Qs, but I personalized all three and got three requests. Anecdotal, but it worked for me. :)
 

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Hmm. interesting.

I shall tabulate the data in time... :D

As for the research variable effecting results, I'm factoring that out under the 'targeted agent submissions - ie knowing their genre preference, the name the guidelines.)

Just wondering though Jude, had you 'form' (previous interaction) with the three?
 

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Does novel have to be complete before being sent out to an agent? I know, it's a daft question - but recently read a book which advises to send query letter to agent before completion.

The book is crazy. Only query for a complete work. You are otherwise wasting their time and yours.

Yes, there are some rare exceptions of authors getting an agent with an unfinished manuscript. But "rare" is the operative word there, and when it does happen, the circumstances are generally unusual.

Caveat: This only applies to fiction. Querying non-fiction is a whole different thing.
 

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The first time I personalized a query, I got a request for a full 10 minutes later.

BUT, I also got 6 other full requests from non-personalized queries, so who knows?

I think following the agent's submission guidelines (and targeting the right agents) is most important. After that, I only personalize if it makes sense and doesn't sound forced.
 

Siri Kirpal

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I've had better luck with personalized queries (both with agents and with publishers) than with standardized queries. One of mine was a referral. The others were simple references to what the agent/publisher likes and what I had to offer.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal
 

Chumplet

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I've had a few instances where a personalized query garnered an immediate request for the full. I told one agent my heart sped up a little when I read in her profile that she loved international settings and was born in the same city as me.

But if you choose to use that tactic, it's very important to be honest and not to try to blow fake sunshine up the agent's nether regions. Trying to fool them with false platitudes will only leave a sour taste in their mouths if you have to query in the future.
 

wheelwriter

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I've gotten at least one full request because of personalization. I can say it with certainty because the agent mentioned it in her blog (which I obsessively followed before and after querying).

I think it has to be sincere personalization.

If you've honestly read some books the agent represents and you feel your book may be a good fit, then it probably doesn't hurt to mention it. If you find a common interest or some other connection, it's worth a mention, as long as it's true. If an agent says something that clicks in an interview, in general I think agents don't mind, and generally appreciate, the mention. I'd just avoid sucking up for sucking ups sake.
 

suki

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Hmm. interesting.

I shall tabulate the data in time... :D

As for the research variable effecting results, I'm factoring that out under the 'targeted agent submissions - ie knowing their genre preference, the name the guidelines.)

And I'm talking about research beyond that ;)

I'm talking about reading up on an agent enough to be able to personalize your query, if you wanted to. That level of research would allow you to have a better sense of the agent - and to tweak your query to target them - beyond "ie knowing their genre preference, the name the guidelines."

;) For example, in one case, it caused me to add a different conclusion to my last pitch paragraph. For another agent, I started a bit differently. For another, it meant adding a paragraph that she had mentioned wanting in an interview - that never showed up in her official guidelines...Those tweaks worked for me - ie, turned into requests. ;)

BUT, the research needed to personalize is informative, even if you don't personalize. It can help you weed out agents, or even shift some up the list, as they seem like better fits.

Now, for the sake of comparison, many people get requests with no personalization, and as I said above, so did I. Some queries didn't get personalized - usually because the agent was newer, and there was less to personalize with. ;) You need to decide how best to use your time. But for me, I wanted to know the agents I was considering querying better than just "ie knowing their genre preference, the name the guidelines." I wanted to know all I could. ;)

~suki
 

Chumplet

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Of course, there are also agents who have become acquainted with me through social media, and mentioning my user name usually garners a personal response (yes, it can be a no). Putting yourself out there and offering honest interaction might help them remember you when it comes time to query.

Of course, the writing has to be up to snuff, and don't query an agent with an adult mystery when they only rep YA, even if they think you're a nice person.
 

Susan Coffin

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Does novel have to be complete before being sent out to an agent? I know, it's a daft question - but recently read a book which advises to send query letter to agent before completion.

Yes. Never send out a query letter for an unfinished novel. In fact, make sure your novel is self-edited and polished to the best of your ability.
 

WordCount

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Does novel have to be complete before being sent out to an agent? I know, it's a daft question - but recently read a book which advises to send query letter to agent before completion.


Unless you're writing a non-fiction book, yes. If it's fiction, it absolutely has to be finished.

It could be that you were reading a book regarding nonfiction. If not, throw that book in the trash! It's not doing you any good.