Can I Include this Author Praise In My Query?

mimblemy said:

Hi everyone,

I'm new here and just about to send off my first round of queries on my first novel to a selection of agents. While I was writing the novel, I had the good fortune to meet a well established author who offered to read what I was working on. After reading what I had done, which was about 10 000 words of the now 60 000 word YA novel, he emailed me with some lovely praise and encouragement to keep writing. That's basically been the extent of our correspondence, as he was too busy to read more.

My question now is, can I use the praise from his emails, even though he didn't read the whole novel? Would it be disingenuous to say something like, author XX calls this novel, "blah blah blah," since it was really only the first few chapters? Should I include the praise but somehow put in that it was praise for only part of the work? If so, how could I state it? Or should I just leave it out altogether? I think I have a good query letter, but it sure would kick it up a notch to have the quote in there.

Thanks in advance!

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I don't know about including praise in the query letter, but I wouldn't include anything without asking the author first.

I guess a couple things:

1. agreed, I wouldn't send anything without making sure the author was in full approval

2. would they be helpful? Stephen King saying that you are an incredible talent might be high praise for marketing a vampire novel, less so a coloring book featuring Petey the Penguin and his journey to the sea.

3. what were the exact words, and were the specific, or "generic author encouragement"? There's nothing wrong w/ generic author encouragement (I think you should keep writing, it clearly makes you happy) but if it was just a pat on the back, rather than something truly singular, then your pitching it as high praise when it wasn't can flag you as a newbie. That isn't the kiss of death, but it isn't something you'd probably try to do on purpose....

4. Go to Hell. Well, go to Query Letter Hell. Let the folks there have a look, so you aren't doing some sort of unintended self-triage, sending out letters that are deeply flawed and blowing your chance with a few dozen agents right off the bat on simple rookie mistakes. You'll need 50 posts, but it is well worth it.

It may be one step better than, "My mom loves this book!" but as tempting as it might be to include it, don't. Your book has to make it on its own merits, and no amount of praise from another author will likely matter much to an agent deciding whether or not to offer representation. Where the contact with the author might come in handy is down the road if your book sells and your publisher is looking for author blurbs--you'll have a good reason to ask that author for a blurb.

It doesn't hurt to add it. You can put it in the same words as you did in your post: "I had the good fortune to meet a well established author who offered to read what I was working on. After reading what I had done, which was about 10 000 words of the now 60 000 word YA novel, he emailed me with some lovely praise and encouragement."

Curlz said:

It doesn't hurt to add it. You can put it in the same words as you did in your post: "I had the good fortune to meet a well established author who offered to read what I was working on. After reading what I had done, which was about 10 000 words of the now 60 000 word YA novel, he emailed me with some lovely praise and encouragement."

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the only caveat I'd have for this is the fact even that line in quotes is over 45 words.

I try to aim for a query that's 200-250 words, but even if you went to like 350, that's close to 15% of your query real estate (and 20% of the words I'd be trying to use in a query).....Put it another way--how many words would YOU aim for in a query? Just under 350? Add that line, and your new target is actually 300 words.

so if you can say something really tangible, a specific quote from a relevant author saying something meaty and particular about YOUR STORY or YOUR WRITING (as opposed to the equivalent of an "atta boy, sport") then that quote may be a boost, but if not, then it potentially:

1. doesn't add much value,
2. possibly marks you as newer and greener than you might want to deliberately advertise,
3. robs you of query space that could go to other things....

I wouldn't include it. There's so much that needs to be done in a query and that adds clutter. Plus, whoever is going to read the pages and make their own decision. And even if the author is well-established, if the person reading the query doesn't know of them, it would be basically the same as offering praise from a friend.

The only exception would be if the author said to query their agent. Then that would be a referral, and that's a whole different ballgame entirely.

if the author is well-established, the agent better know them?

s_nov said:

The only exception would be if the author said to query their agent. Then that would be a referral, and that's a whole different ballgame entirely.

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I agree with this – I'd only include it if the author were with the same agency and you were querying on their recommendation.

I also think it's a bit disingenuous to say they liked the book when they only read 17% of it, but also not very valuable to say they read and liked a small amount. I think I'd wait and mention it if you have a phone call with the agent. Heaps more tangible value if the author might be prepared to blurb the book when it's published.

Don't do that.

Especially if it's from S. King, don't do that.

No, just no. I had someone do this to me. Years ago an unpublished writer contacted me on MySpace (that tells you how long ago this was) and we spoke a few times and she went behind my back and used me as an endorsement for her book to my professional contacts so she could get her foot in the door. She claimed that I'd raved about her work and told people I worked with that I recommended her. I was LIVID and I let her know it. She apologized but it wasn't good enough. It took me years to build professional relationships and contacts and I take that seriously. No one has the right to use another author's brand without their permission. If you wanna use this author's praise then you need to ask. Anything less is unprofessional, rude, and tacky.

Don't do it. It's not worth it and using another author to get in a door when they aren't aware is just a straight up crappy thing to do. Take it from someone who has experienced it. That author would NOT be pleased.

Oh, on top of that I had a dude do this to me too. A guy in an online writing group I was in went behind my back and lied to my agent and told her I recommended him. I guess he didn't think my agent would tell me. Let's say, my agent and I were both highly pissed.

I'd say no. In addition to what's already been said about asking the author, unless they've agreed to blurb your book, praise is not a referral and it's hard to include it in a query without looking unprofessional. Most agents aren't interested in who liked your book--they have your pages and they can decide about your writing for themselves--so unless there's something else to the recommendation that's going to help them make a sale, it usually isn't relevant. (Though it's awesome that a well established writer was so excited about your work.)

If the author has offered to blurb your book after it is published then it is worth mentioning. Otherwise, what everyone else has said.

Being encouraging about first 10% and then being *MASSIVE AIR QUOTES* too busy *MASSIVE AIR QUOTES* to read the rest is unfortunately the writer just doing the required PR and being a nice person to newbies.

You honestly don't want "John Green Did Not Finish This Book" roaring across the query page!

If the really has worked out well the query will be enough. Maybe they'll not be "too busy" to blurb it...!