Re-querying agents

Southern_girl29 · Sep 6, 2007

I have about 20 agents on my list that I queried that rejected me before I rewrote my query letter. My first query letter was just awful; the new one is much, much better and more actively reflects what my book is about.

I always thought it was a no-no to requery agents who had already rejected you, but I read another post on here where people have done it. What is your take on this? Would it be Ok to requery those agents with the new query or just forget about them for now?

RLB · Sep 7, 2007

I feel for you. My first query letter sucked (before I found Query Letter Hell). I requeried a few of those agents who had sent me form rejects about six months later with an entirely different letter and a different title, written more in the "voice" of my novel. I scrapped my crappy prologue and included the real first few pages. And got partial requests from a couple of them. With the exception of the MC's name, it was almost unrecognizable from my first queries.

I'd probably not have done it if it hadn't been so drastically different though.

clara bow · Sep 7, 2007

Oh, I've been there, too! I tried requerying one agent with a revamped letter and different title...and got another form rejection (this was a year later). you could certainly try it with a few, but don't do it if it's going to take a lot of time. Personally, I'd wait and see what the feedback is from the newer agents you targeted before requerying the original ones. But the worst things that can happen are you'd be rejected again, and the agents might think it somewhat bothersome (but I doubt any of them would bother to tell you that...so nothing lost, really!).

hope that helps, and good luck!

Julie Worth · Sep 7, 2007

Don't be in a rush. It could take years to get an agent. A lifetime! Put those 20 aside until later, when you need a fresh jolt of rejection. Rejection is bad, but no response at all is worse.

waylander · Sep 7, 2007

Depends on who you sent it to. Nathan Bransford says he keeps a database of everyone who has queried him, but I reckon he's in a small minority. If you queried a small agency/sole agent then maybe the agent reviewed your query, but I'd be surprised if they remembered it. At a larger agency it would have been an assistant/intern and the chances are they've moved on.
My advice leave it 6/9 months and try 'em again.

rwam · Sep 7, 2007

The problem Southern Girl is dealing with is the pool of agents repping Christian fiction is pretty small. If you go to Agentquery.com, you'll maybe get like 20 pop up, and half of those aren't taking unsolicited queries.

Julie Worth · Sep 7, 2007

rwam said:
The problem Southern Girl is dealing with is the pool of agents repping Christian fiction is pretty small. If you go to Agentquery.com, you'll maybe get like 20 pop up, and half of those aren't taking unsolicited queries.

I get 33, but still, that's not many.

(Psychic Straits is the title? That doesn't sound Christian.)

Southern_girl29 · Sep 7, 2007

It's not Christian, although the second in the series, if I decide to write it, will have Christian overtones.

WordGypsy · Sep 7, 2007

So wait, I'm assuming your "new" letter netted those 5 partials and 2 fulls you got right?

Southern_girl29 · Sep 7, 2007

Yes, it did. I received nothing but rejections from the first 20 I queried with the old letter.

Julie Worth · Sep 8, 2007

Looking at your query I'd say that the pool of agents that might be interested is huge. So good luck!

Little Red Barn · Sep 8, 2007

Morn Southern,
I would say go with your gut feeling on this. I have requeried agents as much as three times and each time they have been generous and allowed me to resend my ms, course it was same query-- :shrug:

Just Me 2021 · Sep 8, 2007

I changed my query letter, requeried, and got a BUNCH of read request - from 8 agents who had rejected the first query. I say try again. It's worth it.

Julie Worth · Sep 8, 2007

If the agents didn't respond at all, I'd say they're definitely fair game. The closest I came to getting an agent recently was an agent I queried three times over some twelve months. The first two he didn't respond, and the third he asked for the full. Then he hemmed and hawed, and eventually passed.

WordGypsy · Sep 8, 2007

Southern_girl29 said:
Yes, it did. I received nothing but rejections from the first 20 I queried with the old letter.

If it's so changed that the response is THAT amazingly different I would def. requery them. They might not even notice since they didn't request the material. Or you can just wait to see what pans out from the partials and fulls you have...But me? I would jump back in!

Isadoredog · Sep 16, 2007

I have a number of query letters that were never responded to from the first week in June. I am guessing after reading this that it is perfectly fine to query them again since it is September? I am not intending to send again to the rejects I got.

Re-querying agents

Southern_girl29

RLB

bundled

clara bow

Li'l Rug Bug

Julie Worth

What? I have a title?

waylander

Who's going for a beer?

rwam

Julie Worth

What? I have a title?

Southern_girl29

WordGypsy

Southern_girl29

Julie Worth

What? I have a title?

Little Red Barn

haz own threads

Just Me 2021

practical experience, FTW

Julie Worth

What? I have a title?

WordGypsy

Isadoredog