- Joined
- Sep 6, 2016
- Messages
- 129
- Reaction score
- 7
..... and if there are success stories:
How many queries did have to send before you finally landed a lit agent?
How many queries did have to send before you finally landed a lit agent?
My rule of thumb: Send out five queries to your top desired agents and wait about a month or so to see if you get a response (several don't respond if they're not interested). Revisit your query. Send out five more.
Several years ago, I landed an agent with a top lit agency. I had three reading fulls, and this was after about twenty queries. BUT that is just my experience. Some only have to send out five and land an agent, others have to revise and revise and send out 100 before landing an agent.
After a year, though, I decided to leave that agent. Great agency, but not a great agent for me. We had differing visions. That happens.wow, lucky you!
....
You are seriously my hero of the day. That is incredible determination and belief in yourself and your story.I sent out 180+ queries before I got an offer of rep. Sometimes it takes a while to find the right agent, but persistence is key.
Don't give up.
When you send me your book, make sure that the cover letter focuses on the book. Tell me a bit about it, the genre, the word count, give me a blurb, and then a couple of lines about yourself. A lot of cover letters or queries leave me none the wiser as to what the book is actually about, which isn't very helpful. Often they focus on the marketing plan, or its potential as a blockbuster film, or the author's blog ... Whereas the best letters pique my interest and make me eager to turn the page to read the sample chapters. Similarly, if you have written several books, then make sure that you focus on the one you are submitting in your letter. Some writers tell me about their whole body of work - four thrillers, two YA novels, a picture book, a cookery project – and I end up wondering which one is their true passion and focus.
I'm sending out more queries for my novel, but this time to agents.
Being in England, can you guide us as to what the cover letter should include. I've scoured the net, and though I've located some info (also from the UK query thread in SYW) but there isn't really a lot. For example I recently wrote to a UK Agency to ask about the cover letter. I thought I wouldn't get a reply, but this is what I got: (btw, this is a major agency. And I was blown away by the courtesy.)
Your cover letter should include a very brief - one line - summary of the themes of your book, a bit of background about you as an author, and whether the book is part of a planned series, as well as anything else you think is relevant. The synopsis will include more detail about the plot, so don't worry so much about including that in the cover letter, which is mainly for us to get more of a sense of you as a writer.
So Basically the cover letter should not cover the story. Is that correct?
Also can you expound on the synopsis.
I've just spotted something I missed first time round.
If you've already queried the book to publishers there's probably little point querying to agents now, because they won't be able to submit it to places it's already been. Sorry.
I think the cover letter should include information about the story of your book. It's true the synopsis should have the plot covered; the cover letter has to make the agent eager to read more, and tell them a bit about you.