I want to start a query newsletter

luked · Nov 13, 2014

Dear Agents,

I would like to start a query newsletter. Basically, it will feature promising queries for agents to consider.

I have worked with publishers and a few agents in the past, and I think that such a query newsletter might be useful to both authors and agents.

Agents, because it will save a lot of time. The newsletter will just have a few pages of queries, and agents can quickly read through them. If an agent is interested in one, he/she can just email the author. This is much quicker and safer than opening emails. Also, the agent does not feel compelled to reply, and queries will have the same formatting. Thus, the agent wastes no time adjusting to different formats, reading unnecessary introductions and opening and closing emails.

Authors, because they can easily target a large number of agents. They don't have to search for email addresses and individually send emails. That takes up a lot of time and can be demoralizing.

Instead, authors just send one query, which is published in the newsletter. And the query is seen by many different agents, increasing the likelihood of a positive reply.

I would like to ask you agents, would any of you be interested in receiving and reading such a newsletter?

Thank you so much for your time and kind consideration.

About me: I was recently laid-off from my job in the publishing industry due to downsizing. I would like to get back in the industry and I hope that, if successful, this newsletter will help me with that. Thank you so much.

Osulagh · Nov 13, 2014

I don't see a use in this.

First off, what's your role in all of this? Are you going to organize all the queries by genre, and filter through them for actual query letters that are worth being read? Because there's bound to be hundreds if not thousands. Then, how will this help you with getting back into the publishing industry? I can't see how this'll benefit you.

Second, how is this any different than an agent getting queries in their inboxes? In fact, it sounds worse if it's not completely formatted properly. I've seen good work done with Twitter blitz--or whatever the tweeting pitching is called. But that's quick and easy to sort through. You're pretty much massing query letters to throw at agents in a single email. They still have to sort through them as they always do.

Third, is this suppose to be--paid--subscription based? As authors and agents have to pay? And where does the money go towards?

Fourth, I'm unsure about publishing query letters, but that doesn't sound kosher at all.

Marian Perera · Nov 13, 2014

luked said:
Authors, because they can easily target a large number of agents.

As a writer, what's important to me is querying the right agents. A large number is meaningless to me if the agents are closed to submissions, or they don't accept my genre or they don't have good/recent sales in my genre, etc.

They don't have to search for email addresses and individually send emails. That takes up a lot of time and can be demoralizing.

A lot of things in this business take up a lot of time and can be demoralizing. If I were discouraged by having to read an agency's guidelines and then send them an email, it would be better to overcome this problem rather than rely on someone else to look up agency emails, format my query letter, etc.

Also, a lot of agents read sample pages. Will sample pages be included in this newsletter?

Finally, I don't see how personalization of the query letter would work under these circumstances.

Instead, authors just send one query, which is published in the newsletter. And the query is seen by many different agents, increasing the likelihood of a positive reply.

This is assuming that reputable agents, on top of reading the queries they get through their mail, will read a newsletter.

I'd rather send out my queries myself than rely on any third-party go-between.

luked · Nov 13, 2014

But query letters in a single, easy to read format would be much easier to read than emails, would they not? It takes a lot of time to open emails compared to just scrolling. I would like to choose the queries most likely to be of interest. I am not thinking of charging at this point.

Marian Perera · Nov 13, 2014

luked said:
I would like to choose the queries most likely to be of interest. I am not thinking of charging at this point.

The question for me is, how do you know what queries will be of interest? What qualifies you to do this?

ETA : I know you said you've "worked with publishers and a few agents in the past". But this can have a lot of meanings, depending on the definition of "worked with", the publishers, the agents and how long ago the past was.

Maggie Maxwell · Nov 13, 2014

As a writer, I'd be wary about sending my query out in this format for two reasons:
1) I can't vet who gets my query. Could be the best in the business, could end up with a bunch of vanity presses knocking down my door. By sending my own, I know the quality of agent I'm sending to, and I know it's going to people who buy what I'm selling, so to speak.
2) I'd have no idea who saw my query, making me nearly incapable of sending out that query again. I could send it to Reputable Agent, but if Reputable Agent's already seen and rejected my query without contact after reading it in the newsletter, I've wasted their time and mine.

All in all, I'm not sure if this is a service I would turn to as a writer, just because I'd have much less control. Even if individual queries take more time, I think it's time that's worth it for the personalization and control.

Osulagh · Nov 13, 2014

luked said:
But query letters in a single, easy to read format would be much easier to read than emails, would they not?

That's why there's a format to query letters, and that's why one of the more popular sub-forums of AW is Query Letter Hell where people get their queries critiqued and beaten to a bloody pulp so that they are streamlined.

It takes a lot of time to open emails compared to just scrolling.

Back when we were using dial-up, yes, it did. But nowadays, no it doesn't. It would be more work for an agent because they would have to copy the contact info of the writer and compose a new email than to just reply.

I would like to choose the queries most likely to be of interest. I am not thinking of charging at this point.

So what's the catch? Like I said, hundred or thousands--if not exponentially more--of query letters will be sent your way. If they are not sorted by genre and demographic, then the newsletter is worthless to the writer and the agent. If you're willing to take in queries, I have to question how this is profitable to you. How does it benefit you? Because the saying is, "If something is free, you're the product." Unless you're going to be a good samaritan with no ideas of ripping people off whatsoever, taking hours upon hours out of their day to sort through query letters and advertise their free newsletter to agents and editors.

Then comes the question of:

What agent will read this newsletter? Many successful ones can barely make it through their emails at it is, let alone work with new writers. I could see new agents using this, but then they are untested. Or very unfavorable agents using this or even scamming agents (because anyone can call themselves an agent, and there's many writers out there who don't know better). In all cases, if the writer is contacted by an agent whom they don't know of, they would be royal idiots not to research that person--and in that, they would find their email. Which all of that could have been avoided if they just searched for agents on their own.

So, again, I don't see the use in this.

cornflake · Nov 13, 2014

luked said:
Dear Agents,

I would like to start a query newsletter. Basically, it will feature promising queries for agents to consider.

I have worked with publishers and a few agents in the past, and I think that such a query newsletter might be useful to both authors and agents.

Agents, because it will save a lot of time. The newsletter will just have a few pages of queries, and agents can quickly read through them. If an agent is interested in one, he/she can just email the author. This is much quicker and safer than opening emails. How would going to a site with a newsletter or opening one, reading queries that may not have anything to do with them, then, if they happen to see one they like, going to their email to contact the person easier than reading their own inbox? be quicker than Also, the agent does not feel compelled to reply, They don't now. and queries will have the same formatting. Thus, the agent wastes no time adjusting to different formats, reading unnecessary introductions and opening and closing emails.

Authors, because they can easily target a large number of agents. Who may or may not be agents they're interested in or who rep their stuff?They don't have to search for email addresses and individually send emails. That takes up a lot of time and can be demoralizing.

Instead, authors just send one query, which is published in the newsletter. And the query is seen by many different agents, increasing the likelihood of a positive reply. How, without targeting or screening?

I would like to ask you agents, would any of you be interested in receiving and reading such a newsletter?

Thank you so much for your time and kind consideration.

About me: I was recently laid-off from my job in the publishing industry due to downsizing. I would like to get back in the industry and I hope that, if successful, this newsletter will help me with that. Thank you so much.

luked said:
But query letters in a single, easy to read format would be much easier to read than emails, would they not? It takes a lot of time to open emails compared to just scrolling. Huh? I would like to choose the queries most likely to be of interest. I am not thinking of charging at this point.

Why would anyone on either side of the equation trust you to do that?

Unimportant · Nov 13, 2014

I always like to consider 'worst case scenario' -- based on the precept that if I expect everything to go wrong, then I'm not disappointed

The things I could see going wrong with this (for me, the hypothetical aspiring novelist):
1. My query is sent to all the wrong agents, and not the right agents.
2. My glorious, perfect, droolworthy query is buried in amidst a bunch of godawful, horrible, cringeworthy queries, and my dream agent shudders and closes the document before she ever gets to mine.
3. My dream agent is perfectly happy to read an email query and hit reply (with, naturally, a 'please send full ms!' request if it were my query, because I am so gloriously perfect) as her system is automated to put my query in her 'save' folder and her response in her super-special follow-up-this-query folder, but she is too busy to pick the queries she likes out of a newsletter and type in the authors' email addresses into separate emails and then hand-categorise them into various folders in her email server.
4. I slave over my (naturally, world's most awesome) query and some other author in the newsletter plagiarises it.
5. The middle-man who is creating and sending this newsletter has a system crash and the newsletter with my query never gets sent.
6. The middle-man who is creating and sending this newsletter has a computer virus and the newsletter with my query dumps malware on the agent's computer, and she puts me on her shit list for all time.
7. My dream agent expects queries to her to be customised and to note which of her existing clients write in a style/genre similar to me. That can't be done for a query that's mass-mailed.

Okay, now putting on my Pollyanna hat. What could go right with this?
1. I don't have to research agents (which means I have no idea which agents would be best for me, and I'm not keeping up with what the industry is looking for, and I'm probably missing hot tips).
2. I don't have to see rejection letters (which means I have no idea if any agent even read my query, and I also miss out on any personalised feedback they may have sent).
3. Um, that's pretty much all I can think of.

Old Hack · Nov 13, 2014

I'm afraid your newsletter idea sounds very similar to a display site, Luke. Display sites have been around for years, and have very rarely worked well. in fact, they're generally so unsuccessful that we have an acronym for them: YADS, which stands for "yet another display site".

I can't see many agents signing up to receive your newsletter, and I can't see it being very helpful to most writers. Sorry.

Treehouseman · Nov 13, 2014

There's already a few of these going around. They tend to be utilised by scam artists mostly.

You may have the best intention to make the list, but human nature being what it is, the scent of writer desperation will bring the sharks who will offer writers agenting deals for the sweet, low low fee of $750.99.

Added to that, I guess, is that it's much MORE work to send writer's rejections if they aren't conveniently packaged in their own seperate email.

One of the most annoying thing is the non-responding agent. No agent will email everyone on your newsletter to say "no", leaving the author wondering if their query was even read.

Bufty · Nov 14, 2014

I see you are going to be selective in what Query letters you actually put into your newsletter.

That puts any writer into back-off mode for a start. You'll just be an extra link in the chain.

What qualifies you to be selective?

Dmbeucler · Nov 14, 2014

I wouldn't be interested as a writer. I want my rejection letters to pour over in exhaustive detail, gleaning nuances of meaning in their form phrasing. :e2writer:

Seriously though, I want to be selective on my agent hunt. I want to know exactly who has seen my query. I want to see the rejection letter, because occasionally agents take the time to personalize it, and that is gold. I want to send them sample pages. I want them to know I selected them. I want to be able to personalize my letters and change it if it isn't garnering attention after a certain number of queries. And last, I want to be cheap and not pay for a service I can do myself, and do it better myself, for all the reasons listed above.

Marian Perera · Nov 14, 2014

Dmbeucler said:
I want them to know I selected them.

That's another good point. The body of the query letter might not change, but addressing it "Dear Ms. Reid" or whoever gives it a personal touch. It makes the query letter a communication from one person to another, rather than just one more notice in a crowded bulletin board. Some agents say they don't want to get anything addressed "Dear Agent" or "To Whom It May Concern", so they may not want the impersonality of a newsletter either.

Cathy C · Nov 14, 2014

If an agent is interested in one, he/she can just email the author. This is much quicker and safer than opening emails.

How would cutting and pasting the email address from a newsletter into a new email (which might have been entered into the newsletter wrong in the first place) quicker than just hitting "Reply"? And how would a newsletter manage to make it through the very formidable spam protection that agencies employ? Heck, my own emails (and I'm already a CLIENT) sometimes wind up getting stopped if there's an attachment. I fairly frequently send an initial email to my agent if I'm going to be sending something that's not a .doc or .pdf attachment so if it goes missing, they'll know to go find it.

I don't think this would work, not only for the variety of reasons stated above, but because the query system isn't broken that it needs fixing. :Shrug:

Jamesaritchie · Nov 14, 2014

Sounds not only useless, but one more stop writers don't need to make.

Old Hack · Nov 14, 2014

Cathy C said:
I don't think this would work, not only for the variety of reasons stated above, but because the query system isn't broken that it needs fixing.

Cathy nails it, as usual.

http://absolutewrite.com//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/

Patrick.S · Nov 14, 2014

If you spend any time reading WriterBeware, you're going to see a lot of scammy start ups who say they'll do the querying for you. It doesn't work that way. Agents will first block and then delete this newsletter. There is no free lunch.

luked · Nov 14, 2014

I emailed five literary agents whom I worked with and two said that they would be interested, while one said that she would be interested only if it pertains to her specific interests. Two said that they would consider it.

Most of you don't seem to know that only about .5% of queries are of interest to the agent and so a quick way to filter through them will save a lot of time.

It is not a scam because I will never charge the authors. Everyone knows that it is completely unprofessional to charge authors. I plan to charge the agents a small subscription fee.

These agents I contacted at all well regarded who work with the Big Six publishers. It is absurd to think that someone will steal ideas from a query, when millions of books are already published. But if you still think that way I cannot do anything about it.

I am accepting queries, PM me. thank you

veinglory · Nov 14, 2014

Did you tell these agents who showed interest that you planned to charge them?

luked · Nov 14, 2014

veinglory said:
Did you tell these agents who showed interest that you planned to charge them?

I told them that it is currently free. I made it clear that it will always remain free for authors, because of course that is extremely important in the industry.

But I think that it is understood that I would charge the agents if it becomes successful. But of course, that is a very big if! But you know, say, $10 a month is not a lot if it becomes useful.

Also, thank you everyone for your input!

Marian Perera · Nov 14, 2014

luked said:
These agents I contacted at all well regarded who work with the Big Six publishers.

Without knowing their names or yours, all we have to go on is your word. I've found it best not to blindly trust claims when it comes to someone pushing a query service; even "work with" can mean different things to different people.

Since you also have not addressed the points raised about personalization and sample pages, I would not recommend this service.

Old Hack · Nov 14, 2014

luked said:
I emailed five literary agents whom I worked with and two said that they would be interested, while one said that she would be interested only if it pertains to her specific interests. Two said that they would consider it.

"Considering it" and "using it" are two different things. I think you were given the brush-off here.

I would not use your newsletter. It wouldn't work for me. (You don't know me: I have managed lists and acquired books for several good publishers.)

Most of you don't seem to know that only about .5% of queries are of interest to the agent...

You're underestimating your audience at AW.

...and so a quick way to filter through them will save a lot of time.

It might: but your newsletter isn't going to replace their slush pile, it's going to add to it; and without reading every query closely, you're not going to know if it's suitable for them or not--there will be no filtering apart from separating them by genre, I assume, so it really won't help.

It is not a scam because I will never charge the authors. Everyone knows that it is completely unprofessional to charge authors.

It doesn't have to be a scam to be a bad idea. Your intentions might well be admirable: but good intentions aren't enough to make something good for writers.

I plan to charge the agents a small subscription fee.

They won't pay.

These agents I contacted at all well regarded who work with the Big Six publishers. It is absurd to think that someone will steal ideas from a query, when millions of books are already published. But if you still think that way I cannot do anything about it.

I don't think stealing ideas is a problem here: I think the idea that agents would use such a list is flawed. The idea that they would PAY to use such a list? Nope. Not going to happen.

I am accepting queries, PM me. thank you

I won't be contacting you. Thanks for the invitation, though.

luked · Nov 14, 2014

I don't think stealing ideas is a problem here: I think the idea that agents would use such a list is flawed. The idea that they would PAY to use such a list? Nope. Not going to happen.

If I still want to try and risk failure is that all right with you?

Patrick.S · Nov 14, 2014

I'm also having a hard time understanding the financial incentive for putting together such a newsletter. There are probably a couple hundred active literary agents out there, probably fewer of the reputable kind. Given your sample size of five, and the two you think you hooked, lets say about a third sign up. So again being very generous, we're talking about max 50-75 subscribers, my bet would far fewer even if you are offering a valuable service.

What you are suggesting sounds like it will take you a lot of time to put together, even more to solicit agents and authors, all for a $50-75 per month payday? Why?

If you are genuine in your intentions, I would suggest looking into more lucrative sources of income, like a lemonade stand for instance.

I want to start a query newsletter

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