Batching your queries – how do you group yours?

Gibby

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My first new thread outside of the Introductions group – This seemed to be where most of the query questions lived, so I assumed this would be appropriate. If not, please forgive me and move it as needed. (Thanks!)

I'm only just getting into the query process. I've been researching my list of agents and making the excel-file-to-end-all-excel-files. Then I got a bit stumped.

Since this will be my first outing into query-world. I definitely didn't want to send more than 10 out in any batch, in case I make an incredibly stupid mistake (I'm sure there will be at least one monstrous banana peel awaiting me)

How do you guys divvy up your lists for batches?

Do you send to a mix of the upper-echelon, world changing agents and the just-making a name for themselves? Alphabetical order? Tempt heartache by sending to all of you biggest dreams first?

I hadn't seen anything about batching strategies here – but I may not have gone back far enough into the archives. (apologies if I missed anything recent – I will blame the banana peel) I'd appreciate any thoughts any of you have. I'm definitely looking for suggestions, but am also just kind of interested in how everyone approaches this part of the madness.

Thanks so much
Gibby
 

Maggie Maxwell

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I'm not querying yet, but someone on here once recommended a mix of your lists (Some A-list, some B-List) and that's what my eventual plan is. That way, if it's the query that's the problem, you can fix it without using up all your top tier agents. But stick around AW and post a little more (get yourself to 50 posts) and we can help you out with that query so it's less risk of a rejection because of a bad one :)
 

MythMonger

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Will you be happy if a B list agent requests your manuscript, even if you have your heart set on an A lister? Then feel free to mix.

But if you don't think you'll be happy with a B lister, then don't submit to them yet. Let the A-listers have their crack at it, then move on if you don't have any luck.

I'm in the latter camp, and I'm giving the A-listers first crack to reject me before moving down the list. But then again, I'm still new to the querying process and haven't been beaten down yet. :)
 

Harlequin

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I queried everyone in one go (all 50 on my list.)

However, it's not generally a good idea to do that and I do kind of regret it >.> For one thing, I ended up with an offer coming in very quickly and now technically I should be chasing up every single one who haven't yet answered to ask if they want a full and... I cba with all that emailing >.> so I just chased up about 10 instead who seemed the best fit. Meaning I'm no better off than if I'd queried in a batch of 10 to start with.

I think 5-10 in one go is probably a good number.

Also it's usually better to query and tweak your query letter as you go--although in this case, I didn't have any intention of changing my query letter. I'd been tweaking it on and off for 8 months with the help of AW and figured it wasn't going to change at this point. :) But def don't send anything till venturing into Query Letter Hell forums.
 
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Shoeless

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When I was still querying, I mixed it up, but then I had well over 100 possible agents to go with because I was indiscriminate and desperate. This was for adult science fiction/fantasy. If you're going with another market like women's fiction, or YA, the list is much, MUCH bigger.

One tip a lot query advice gives that I didn't actually follow was to tweak and readjust your query based on your responses or lack of. I didn't actually do that, I would just dutifully send out five queries a week to pace myself until I ran out of people to query, then sighed, wrote another book, wrote a query for that, and started up the process with the same list, barring people who had dropped out of being agents, and new people who had just become agents, or agents that had defected to other agencies or started their own in the meantime.
 

mpack

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Do you send to a mix of the upper-echelon, world changing agents and the just-making a name for themselves?

I have a list of agents in a spreadsheet. Agents who have responded to my work in the past (full requests, feedback, requests for future subs.) Rockstar agents who rep my genre (secondary world fantasy.) Agents with specific MSWL requests I think might match my manuscript. Newer agents building their lists. I mix and match from there based on who's open and who's closed. Send out five or so queries. Add a couple every week or two, add a couple more if I get a rejection.

Right now, I have a pretty good idea which agents I'll sub to first with my current WiP (assuming the manuscript I'm currently querying doesn't result in a deal, of course!)
 

Sparverius

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My strategy was similar to mpack's, I sent out about 5 (had a few referrals to begin with) and sent a few more each week, sent one or two when I got a rejection. My query letters were working so I didn't need to tweak. I mostly queried bigger and middle level agents who seemed like a good fit for the MS. A top tier agent and a newer agent ended up offering and I went with the newer agent and am SO glad.
 

Gibby

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Excellent advice – thanks!
Having my query critiqued in QLH is definitely in my future. (Getting to 50 posts and revising a few more dozen times should coincide nicely).
I am a huge fan of the batch / respond / tweak / repeat method I've been reading about. Not being terribly confident at this point, any chance to make corrections sounds like a winner.

@Harlequin – I can definitely see the temptation of sending everything all at once. There's little chance of missing out on one of the big fish since everyone gets everything at once. And it must've shortened the process by bounds. I'm just not courageous enough for that kind of leap quite yet. :) Did you personalize each of those too?

@Shoeless – 100 agents? Wow. My current list is only at 30 or so, but I'm still working on it. I'm in the Adult Epic Fantasy pile (sounds like we're neighbors). Ideally I've been looking at agents that also know a bit about graphic novels / weirdly formatted works too – to cover the other areas dear to my heart. Sounds like I'm being overly picky. Since I'm still early in the game, I've got time to research. I'm definitely going to beef up this list a good bit more. Thanks!

@mpack – I very much like your strategy. I've also been adding a column to my excel for whether AW members report getting feedback (consistently) from certain agents or whether agents are no reply. I was thinking of prioritizing the friendly feedback-ers on my list to go out first. If I don't hear anything from those that are willing to say something, I know I'm not even close – and I should seriously work on stuff. If I do get feedback, then I have a brilliant path for the next batch – which will be less inclined toward personalization. – Is that unrealistic?

@Sparverius – The reassurance that newer agents can be awesome is incredibly helpful. Most of the things I've been reading has been about searching for the agents with the best reps and the most accounts and such. There are so many warnings and scary stories out there. (I switched from my normal fiction reading to agent research about a month ago. I realize why I stay away from horror lit – shiver) It's nice to hear a David/Goliath tale that doesn't end in a squashed David. :)

Thanks all! This has been incredibly helpful. I can't say that I'm eager to start the query process, but when I lick that last envelope or send that last email (perfectly formatted and proofed and critiqued and...) I want to be as prepared as humanly possible. I saw the phrase "crayon query" on these forums somewhere. My main goal is to get a fabulous agent – but in the secondary slot: just to know that no one I sent to threw me out for crayon-ness.

Gibby
 

Harlequin

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For MS1 I spent a lot of time on every query, personalising and researching and so on.

For MS2 I didn't personalise at all except for the DV Pit request (no response from her) and the one referral (hated the voice, but at least she responded....)

Probably you want something in the middle of those extremes, though. If you have a good connection via conference or pitchfest or something else then it's worth mentioning. If you meet their MSWL very adroitly, certainly worth a mention. If you're just querying them because they're on your list of sff agents (which isn't very long since there aren't that many of them) then I'm not sure attempting to personalise adds much value.
 

Sparverius

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I agree that personalization works best when it's specific—MSWL match, diversity, etc.—and not generic.

OP, what I found with the big agent(s) is that, while they may have more powerful connections, they don't always have time for new clients. The agent I signed with happens to have lots of time for me, is super enthusiastic, AND has good connections. Asking questions of an agent's other clients before accepting an offer is a helpful way to gauge all this.

I'll keep an eye out for your query when you get to QLH stage!
 

Shoeless

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@Shoeless – 100 agents? Wow. My current list is only at 30 or so, but I'm still working on it. I'm in the Adult Epic Fantasy pile (sounds like we're neighbors). Ideally I've been looking at agents that also know a bit about graphic novels / weirdly formatted works too – to cover the other areas dear to my heart. Sounds like I'm being overly picky. Since I'm still early in the game, I've got time to research. I'm definitely going to beef up this list a good bit more. Thanks!

Querytracker. If you open an account on that website service, and filter your search only to agents listed as representing science fiction/fantasy, you'll get over 100 possible candidates. Once you start drilling down to specifics like fantasy only, fantasy for adults, not YA, that's when you start pruning away candidates. Although if you're looking for someone with graphic novel experience, then yeah, that actually does narrow your field considerably. There definitely ARE a few though. My wife's agent is focused on Kit Lit, but she DOES do comics/graphic novels, for example. And a friend of mine, Sonny Liew, who won a bunch of Eisner awards last year, was represented by Bernadette Baker-Baughman, so she DEFINITELY has the comic representation experience.

But you're probably doing a better job of your researching that I was since I, as I admitted earlier, was both desperate and indiscriminate. I think my final stat when I wrapped it up and finally got an offer was... 140ish... rejections? Something like that.
 

Treehouseman

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QueryTracker.net and a spreadsheet.

I queried enough so I would have 10 out at any time, A and B lists, as well as a few outliers who weren't in my genre but who it would be cool to work with (never know until you try!) I got an outlier after about 3 months of querying, but they responded very quickly, so I had a lot to shut down.
 

Emily Winslow

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I batched mine by what they wanted attached. (This was ten years ago, when snail mail queries with SASEs were still the most common method.)

So, the ones that wanted 50 pages/3 chapters in one group. The ones that wanted 10-20 pages in another group. The ones that wanted 5 pages (or did not ask for pages and I included 5 anyway, per Miss Snark) in another group. These were all from my "first choice" list, so it was a purely practical distinction to aid in the physical printing and mailing process.
 

Gibby

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And this is what I love about AW. :)
Shoeless – your mention of Bernadette Baker-Baughman started a google scavenger hunt for me that lead me to 10 more very appropriate agents to add to my excel. Thanks so much! I will definitely be on QueryTracker as soon as I have Queries out to be Tracked. I'm terribly cheap, so I'm only on the free version until I get into and out of QLH. I am now up to 50 agents on the list, that seems like a good starting point, right?

Great ideas all around – thanks!

Emily Winslow – I love your very logical way of batching. So far 100% of my list is digital – but there are 10-page, 20-page, 3-chapter requests as well as those that want digital portfolios (graphics) and synopses separate from the normal query. Splitting by requested items almost makes too much sense. In my quest for more and more information, I probably would've overlooked that. It also seems like a nice way to double check that you're not sending the wrong list of items to the wrong person. I will definitely be using this strategy – probably in tandem with a couple of the other ideas I've seen here. Thanks!
 

Emily Winslow

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Emily Winslow – I love your very logical way of batching. So far 100% of my list is digital – but there are 10-page, 20-page, 3-chapter requests as well as those that want digital portfolios (graphics) and synopses separate from the normal query. Splitting by requested items almost makes too much sense. In my quest for more and more information, I probably would've overlooked that. It also seems like a nice way to double check that you're not sending the wrong list of items to the wrong person. I will definitely be using this strategy – probably in tandem with a couple of the other ideas I've seen here. Thanks!

Yay! Glad my experience has been useful. Good luck, good luck!
 

ShouldBeWriting

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Start with your dream agents, whomever that might be... top NY firm? Newer agent at a boutique agency? That agent you follow on Twitter? Start with them, because what if you mix in other agents for feedback reasons and then get an offer, never having gotten around to querying all your top choices? The agent I signed with started on my “top five” list, and quickly rose to number one during the process. So make sure the query and pages are as great as you can make them, then aim high, whatever that means for you. Good luck!