Is it me? Querying into the void

I’ve been querying for over ten years now, and contrary to what the Social Media Algorithm wants you to believe, that’s not uncommon. I am not a unicorn, more like a narwal.

So, for those of you querying at the moment, you’re likely hearing all sorts of querying factoids or statistics and assume you’re a failure. I’m here to bust that wide open with my sledge hammer

Misconception: If the agents aren’t responding right away, they’re not interested.

Wrong. The Pandemic brought a whole slew of new writers to the query trenches. Not to mention that the most popular query method (Query Tracker) now saves query info making it easier than ever to send queries. A decade ago, it was mostly email. That meant looking up the agent on the agency website and following their guidelines and… I’d get maybe five queries out before my eyeballs threatened to rupture.

Querying now is easier and faster than ever. Meanwhile agents are getting buried in submissions. Even the fastest agents are going to prioritize their existing clients. Not to mention the fact that most agents are on commission and thus work a daytime job like the rest of us.

So, it’s taking longer to respond to queries. I totally understand that need to “feel something” while languishing at the email page. Stalking the QueryTracker timelines on query tracker. But if you’re doing all this, chances are, you could be doing something more constructive, like reading, or… Writing.

Misconception: If I don’t get 15-20% requests, I’m not getting an agent.

Okay, so this used to be a thing Pre-Pandemic.

The idea was that if we got a request rate of 20% or more (circa 2020) it meant our odds were good for getting an agent. Since then, people have been clinging to the notion that there’s a way to quantify success in the query trenches.

I’m here to break that bubble with my trusty sledgehammer.

Last year, I raked in a whopping thirteen requests, but guess who’s still unagented? Yup. Meanwhile, there are people out there who received only one request and one offer, and they have an agent. The story I queried that no one wanted just got a full request from thee Writer’s House three months after sending the query.

I can’t emphasize it enough. There Are No Rules.

Misconception: They got a lot of offers, that means they’ll for sure get a book deal.

Wrong again!

Writers who receive just one little offer can go on to sell at auction while those with lots of agent offers die on submission. What agents love isn’t always what editors love. It’s a long road, folks. Getting an agent doesn’t mean they roll out the red carpet for you all the way to the shelf. If you think querying is bad, just wait till you’re on submission!

There Are No Rules

There is no way to formulize the outcome, you’re better off reading Tarot cards

The only way you’ll get an agent is by not quitting