Query Tracker Help

[starrystorm]

So I just got a query tracker account, but am struggling to use it. There's just so much. Where do I even start? What am I supposed to do?

 

[owlion]

It depends what you want to do. I've just been using the free version and, from a search engine, typing in '[agent name] querytracker' then viewing comments and genres etc. If you want to search, you can click on 'Literary Agents' from that page (top, towards the left) and there's a search bar.

 

[starrystorm]

It depends what you want to do. I've just been using the free version and, from a search engine, typing in '[agent name] querytracker' then viewing comments and genres etc. If you want to search, you can click on 'Literary Agents' from that page (top, towards the left) and there's a search bar.

Yeah, I have the free version, and am not looking to upgrade. Thanks!

Edit: grammar

 

[EVanMoore]

So I just got a query tracker account, but am struggling to use it. There's just so much. Where do I even start? What am I supposed to do?

I don't think you need to use the paid version. I use the free one just fine

What I'd recommend is that you start by figuring out what your genre is, then search for agents accepting queries in your genre. That might narrow it down to a few hundred then, you get to painstakingly go through all of them and read their info to see if they're a good fit.

Research them on query tracker, their websites, Twitter, mswl etc. And then personalize (or dont) your query.

I tend to make up a "master list" of agents I want to query on query tracker (by adding them to my "query list"). Then I go through them again and pick out my favorites. Then through those I chose 6 - 10 to query at a time.


But everyone does it differently! Break a leg out there !

 

[starrystorm]

I don't think you need to use the paid version. I use the free one just fine

What I'd recommend is that you start by figuring out what your genre is, then search for agents accepting queries in your genre. That might narrow it down to a few hundred then, you get to painstakingly go through all of them and read their info to see if they're a good fit.

Research them on query tracker, their websites, Twitter, mswl etc. And then personalize (or dont) your query.

I tend to make up a "master list" of agents I want to query on query tracker (by adding them to my "query list"). Then I go through them again and pick out my favorites. Then through those I chose 6 - 10 to query at a time.


But everyone does it differently! Break a leg out there !

How many agents do I need? I mean, so far I've only found five.

 

[lizmonster]

How many agents do I need? I mean, so far I've only found five.

What's your genre?

 

[Brigid Barry]

It's only $25 for the whole year on QT, so I have the paid version but they have a helpful chart that shows what you can do with basic vs premium.

You are going to want a LOT more than five agents in your list. You can sort by genre on QT, and whether or not they're accepting submissions. If you have access to a computer, then the method of query shouldn't matter too much. You can also sort by location (country, usually).

Once you have an agent in the search results, you can click their name and it takes you to their QT page, which at least has their Manuscript Wishlist, Publishers Marketplace, and other sources to determine if the agent will be a fit for your Unique Manuscript. There is also a Bewares and Recommendations board here that you can check out.

There's a checkbox next to the agent's name. If you check it, that agent is added to your "query" list. If you click the icon in the next column over, you can change the status to submitted with details on how you submitted, and then once you get a response you can input that information as well.

ETA: Basic search is just for genre and whether or not the agent is closed to queries, sorry.

 

[starrystorm]

What's your genre?

Ya scifi

 

[lizmonster]

Ya scifi

If search is only giving you 6, something's up. I get 289 for SF, and 671 for YA.

 

[EVanMoore]

How many agents do I need? I mean, so far I've only found five.

There's different advice out there, so use whatever you feel is best But I think finding quite a few is good, then narrowing it down.

My initial list on QT was over 100 agents who represent the genre I wrote in (LGBTQIA+) AND they would accept adult novels, not simply YA or childrens. Then I went through those and found the ones who ALSO represent the other genre my novel could be categorized as (modern fantasy). Then I went through THOSE and I sorted the agents by agency, to make sure I wasn't going to try query'ing more than one agent at an agency at a time. Then I went through those, specifically looking for agents who I thought would be a good fit for me, and who I personally felt drawn to.
Brought my list from 100+ down to about 70. Then down to about 50 (ish). I was drawn to around 15 of them specifically...

I think 15 is too high of a number to initially query, because what if your query letter isn't good and you have to revise it? If you sent out 15 queries to your favorite agents and they all reject you then... well... that's it. No more chances.

I believe it's advisable to pick a handful for each round, making sure there's a mix of older/newer agents/agencies and a mix of y0ur absolute favorites and some who you don't have your heart set on but still want to query. That way, if you realize that it's perhaps your QUERY or the synopsis, or perhaps even those first 5 chapters of your novel that are why you're getting rejected, then you haven't wasted your chances with your top choices and you haven't put all your eggs in one basket.

I made that mistake with my first 3 queries because I'd had reddit critique it and then made a bunch of changes and thought it was great. I sent out the 3 queries to my top agents (which I knew wasn't advisable, but i did it anyways because I'm not very smart sometimes) and I got all rejections. Since posting on AW I can now see why I was rejected

Don't make the same mistake I did ;_; you can't undo a bad query.

 

[Fiender]

Going through query tracker, I add any agent to my list that:
-Represents the genre(s) of the book
-Has recent sales in that genre or considerable sales in other genres (though not having directly relevant sales does make me rank them lower)
-Doesn't say something off-putting in their social media (not even problematic/bigotted stuff, sometimes just things that baffle me, like an agent telling people they REALLY shouldn't query in 2020... but also not closing himself to queries).

I rank them accordingly, giving special preference to successful agents whose wishlist seems identical to my project. I send out queries in waves of 5-10, usually only 5, and then await responses. After too many rejections, I'll re-evaluate my query package (letter, synopsis, sample pages) and then proceed from there.

I've only received a single full request in all the 200 or so queries I've sent out, and a handful of "read with interest, but~". From what I understand, a great query package used to garner a 10-25% full request rate, but that's no longer the case. Everyone in publishing is swamped right now, and agents don't seem to have the time to read manuscripts that they aren't 99% sure about. Even great queries are lucky to get a few requests.

 

[elichalli]

It's only $25 for the whole year on QT, so I have the paid version but they have a helpful chart that shows what you can do with basic vs premium.

You are going to want a LOT more than five agents in your list. You can sort by genre on QT, and whether or not they're accepting submissions. If you have access to a computer, then the method of query shouldn't matter too much. You can also sort by location (country, usually).

Once you have an agent in the search results, you can click their name and it takes you to their QT page, which at least has their Manuscript Wishlist, Publishers Marketplace, and other sources to determine if the agent will be a fit for your Unique Manuscript. There is also a Bewares and Recommendations board here that you can check out.

There's a checkbox next to the agent's name. If you check it, that agent is added to your "query" list. If you click the icon in the next column over, you can change the status to submitted with details on how you submitted, and then once you get a response you can input that information as well.

ETA: Basic search is just for genre and whether or not the agent is closed to queries, sorry.

Hi Brigid
I also decided to pay. Not much for a whole year. Where is the Bewares and Recommendations board? I cant find it! Thanks!

 

[Brigid Barry]

Forums > Discussions > Bewares and Recommendations

Also here: https://absolutewrite.com/forums/index.php?forums/bewares-recommendations-background-check.22/

ETA: They have autorenewal but you can shut it off, FYI

 

[elichalli]

Forums > Discussions > Bewares and Recommendations

Also here: https://absolutewrite.com/forums/index.php?forums/bewares-recommendations-background-check.22/

ETA: They have autorenewal but you can shut it off, FYI

Thank you!

 

[starrystorm]

A lot of people want sci-fi but not with aliens. Don't understand that. I love alien stories and seriously think we need more sci-fi there, especially YA sci-fi.

But I've got around 11 right now. Two I found off query-tracker.

I plan to gather a lot more now that I'm done with school for the next 2 months.

 

[starrystorm]

This may be stupid, but what does it mean when an agent says they can't take unsolicited manuscripts. I thought unsolicited meant it didn't have an agent?

 

[mrsmig]

This may be stupid, but what does it mean when an agent says they can't take unsolicited manuscripts. I thought unsolicited meant it didn't have an agent?

Unsolicited means they didn't ask for it. In other words, slush.

 

[starrystorm]

Unsolicited means they didn't ask for it. In other words, slush.

Thank you!

 

[Brigid Barry]

I would think that unless one of the agent's sites say specifically that they don't want aliens that they would, by default, at least consider manuscripts with aliens?

Interesting fact, on MS Wishlist "ghosts" have their own category but aliens don't. I can still feel the pain, as I go down the agent research rabbit hole to discover that they don't rep Adult.

 

[starrystorm]

I would think that unless one of the agent's sites say specifically that they don't want aliens that they would, by default, at least consider manuscripts with aliens?

Interesting fact, on MS Wishlist "ghosts" have their own category but aliens don't. I can still feel the pain, as I go down the agent research rabbit hole to discover that they don't rep Adult.

Yes. Age categories are such a killer.

 

[Cephus]

This may be stupid, but what does it mean when an agent says they can't take unsolicited manuscripts. I thought unsolicited meant it didn't have an agent?

Mostly, it means they didn't ask for it. If you haven't talked to them directly and they didn't ask you for your manuscript, they don't want to see it at all.

 

[Cephus]

I would think that unless one of the agent's sites say specifically that they don't want aliens that they would, by default, at least consider manuscripts with aliens?

Interesting fact, on MS Wishlist "ghosts" have their own category but aliens don't. I can still feel the pain, as I go down the agent research rabbit hole to discover that they don't rep Adult.

Aliens would fall under science fiction, I'd presume.

 

[Mutive]

I think 15 is too high of a number to initially query, because what if your query letter isn't good and you have to revise it? If you sent out 15 queries to your favorite agents and they all reject you then... well... that's it. No more chances.

I believe it's advisable to pick a handful for each round, making sure there's a mix of older/newer agents/agencies and a mix of y0ur absolute favorites and some who you don't have your heart set on but still want to query. That way, if you realize that it's perhaps your QUERY or the synopsis, or perhaps even those first 5 chapters of your novel that are why you're getting rejected, then you haven't wasted your chances with your top choices and you haven't put all your eggs in one basket.

I'm never personally sure what the right number to start querying with is. I hear all kinds of advice about it, but there are risks no matter what. Start with a low number and get an offer from an agent you're so-so about. Do you then tell them "no" and pursue your dream agent (risking that they don't accept), or bide for time (how much?), or go with it even though you *might* have gotten your dream agent had you just said "no"?

And then, if you get *no* bites, does it mean that your materials sucked or just that you only queried 5 agents? (Which, assuming a 10% request rate even on good materials, still means you'd most likely hear "no" from all 5...)

Of course, send out queries to everyone and you blow your chances if none show any interest...

The one thing (to me) that consistently makes sense is to make sure that your query materials (query, synopsis, first few pages of your novel, hell, your whole novel...) are as good as you can get them prior to sending them off. After that, I'm not sure how much query strategy matters.

 

[Brigid Barry]

Glad to see it wasn't the OP asking about querying 15 agents at once. My heart stopped there for a second, so I am still going to comment:

Yeah, definitely build a list, but only query in small batches. If you get 100% form rejects you might want to stop by Query Letter Hell (actually, stop by QLH FIRST, BEFORE you start querying) to have your letter reviewed. Every time you query an agent you've burned a bridge because you can't resubmit unless a substantial amount of time has passed, or you've done significant rewrites. Worse, some agents have a "no from one is a no from all" policy and you've burned a bridge with an entire agency. Best foot forward because there's only one chance at a first impression, or whatever cliches you prefer.

 

[starrystorm]

I'm never personally sure what the right number to start querying with is. I hear all kinds of advice about it, but there are risks no matter what. Start with a low number and get an offer from an agent you're so-so about. Do you then tell them "no" and pursue your dream agent (risking that they don't accept), or bide for time (how much?), or go with it even though you *might* have gotten your dream agent had you just said "no"?

And then, if you get *no* bites, does it mean that your materials sucked or just that you only queried 5 agents? (Which, assuming a 10% request rate even on good materials, still means you'd most likely hear "no" from all 5...)

Of course, send out queries to everyone and you blow your chances if none show any interest...

The one thing (to me) that consistently makes sense is to make sure that your query materials (query, synopsis, first few pages of your novel, hell, your whole novel...) are as good as you can get them prior to sending them off. After that, I'm not sure how much query strategy matters.

Thanks. I have the query and first pages checked over by AW and betas, but I'm still working on that stupid synopsis.