Tailoring a query

rmgil04

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I just read that an agent I could only dream to have is open for submissions. This agent represents the writers of two of my all-time favorite series. Is this something I should mention in the query - a reason I'm querying them?
 

Danthia

If you want to, sure. They'll know you're a fan and did some research before querying them. It won't make or break your query, but it's a nice thing to say. You don't need to mention it if you don't want to, though.
 

rmgil04

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What about mentioning a blog? Mine is pretty new, but I'm including some material deleted to reduce word count as well as some information on what I'm doing as far as the editing process, research, and other things.
 

Corinne Duyvis

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That's not really important, no. If you want to, you could stick a link at the bottom of the query with your name and contact info, but unless your blog is incredibly popular (followers in the thousands), I wouldn't put it anywhere else.
 

rmgil04

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Too new for "thousands" of followers. That was a passing thought. I'm really thinking more strongly about including a comment at the end of the query mentioning the two authors they represent that wrote my favorite series. Especially since I'm targeting a similar market.
 

rmgil04

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PS, how would you folks advise me to tie in the other authors?

Something like, "As the representatives of two of my favorite science fiction authors, I was excited to see you are now accepting submissions..." (latter part is probably too much, but I'm interested in feedback.
 

hillaryjacques

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Regarding the blog, a few agents are asking you to include a link if you have one. When I was querying, I included it with my contact information, but did not include it in the body of the query as a "selling point". Unless you've thousands of followers interested in you for your writing or your expertise in the subject you've written about, it won't help you to mention it at this point.

You can say a few things regarding the authors. If you believe your writing is similar in terms of quality or ingenuity, you can say something like "I saw that you represented name and name, and thought you might be interested in my science fiction novel title". Or, you can phrase it in a more complimentary fashion, like what you tried above.

Agents are just people who see a hundred queries a day. The quality of the query and your ability to explain your story should be your main concern. I do recommend that you send queries out to at least a few other agents before querying your dream agent. That way, if you get some constructive feedback, you might be able to strengthen your query before approaching your dream agent.
 

maestrowork

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It won't hurt. Personalization means at least it's not a "shotgun query."

However, it still comes down to your story, your presentation and, to a lesser extent, your credentials.