Querying a duology advice

ThiefofHope

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Hello! I'm sorry if this isn't the right place for this. I seemed like the best fit.

I'm writing a dark/high fantasy duology at the moment. Book one/part one is one revision cycle away from completion and book two/part two is outlined and ready to begin when I'm done with part one.

I realised as I'm finishing up part one that I don't know how to query this. Should I query part one on its own and mention that it's part of a duology or query both books at once? Is there a different way to go about it?

It does not have series potential. It's only meant to be two books long.

Thank you for your help! I appreciate it.
 

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Query one book at a time. Mention in the query that it has the potential for a sequel.

If Book One isn't complete on its own, though, you have a problem. What you have there is two books which should just be one book. Which means you're going to have a lot of writing and revision to do before you're in a position to start querying.
 

ThiefofHope

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Ok. Thank you ^^

It can't be one book. I've tried multiple times to write it like that. And, I won't be able to sell a ~250k manuscript as an unknown author (or probably even as a known author). The way I have it plotted out, the first book ends at the middle of the whole story. The second book picks up after that to finish the main story. Both books still have their own beginning, middle, and end, but the "big picture" story can't be completed in just one book.
 

lizmonster

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It can't be one book.

So your choice is to pitch the first as one book (how obvious is it that the larger story arc isn't finished?) with some dangling plot points, or to combine the two and pitch a really long book. Both choices are longshots, but if that's how your story goes, that's what you're looking at. Long books do sometimes get picked up - I have to think you'd have a better shot with a 250K MS (especially a fantasy) than you would with a book that lacks a proper ending. But either way, you've got an uphill battle ahead of you.
 

Old Hack

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Ok. Thank you ^^

It can't be one book. I've tried multiple times to write it like that.

When you query you only query one book. Not a duology or a trilogy or a series. Just one book. And that one book has to be complete as it is. It might have series potential, or trilogy or duology potential, but it has to be complete as it is. Because readers don't buy books which leave them hanging. They buy books which are finished and complete.

And, I won't be able to sell a ~250k manuscript as an unknown author (or probably even as a known author).

If it were good enough it wouldn't matter if you were an unknown writer or a multi-best-selling writer: you would be able to sell it.

But in my experience, most books which are 250k would be better if they were cut back to under 150k. Possibly shorter.

The way I have it plotted out, the first book ends at the middle of the whole story. The second book picks up after that to finish the main story. Both books still have their own beginning, middle, and end, but the "big picture" story can't be completed in just one book.

Yes, the big picture can be completed in just one book. You've just chosen not to do that.

If you want to sell it, you might have to choose to do things differently.
 

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It can't be one book.
:D I bet I could write it as a short story!

It's always the author's choice whether to remove side plots and minor character arcs and backstory etc. Doing so creates a different book, sure. Possibly even a less compelling book. But possibly a more sell-able book.

It's also an option to put this one onto the back burner and to write another, different, shorter book that you can shop around as your debut novel, and then once you're established the duology (or doorstop single book) would be a zillion times easier to sell.
 

EMaree

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You need to finish part two. You say yourself that the book isn't done. If it can't be one book, you've only written half a story.

Finish it. Worry about how you're going to split and query it after you have a completed (and edited and polished) story.