The other evening I sent out a query letter for a new YA project.
I had run across this hot new publisher after reading one of their tweets. The cool part is, they were totally working in my genre of choice, actively soliciting submissions.
Now, that’s rare enough in itself; but these guys were practically begging for subs all over Twitter and Facebook, on account of hiring some new editors, taking advantage of some great new interns and urging writers to beat the summer doldrums by submitting now; right now, today!
I took them at their word and submitted immediately. Only problem was, I totally botched the job.
Only AFTER I’d copied and pasted and sent out my query letter did I realize I’d written it for an entirely different publisher; and personalized it with some really insightful commentary about… them.
Which is good; I’d really researched both publishers, but in my haste to approach the second I left in the personalized parts about… the first.
Seriously, so when Publisher B gets it, they’re going to read the first three paragraphs and (hopefully) figure this writer’s really got his act together, then get to Paragraph # 4 and read some really great stuff… about Publisher A!
It’s like writing a love letter to Sally and midway through you start pledging your love to… Paula! So now I look completely stupid, and the sad thing is, my submission was right up their alley!
But it just goes to show, even after sending out thousands of query letters over the last 10 years, it never pays to rush. In other words, patience is power.
So here are three great reasons to sleep on your next submission:
1. Personalize: We all use templates for our queries, i.e. we write up a really strong one and then change the agent or editor’s name at the top. This isn’t to say we’re lazy, just realistic. So if Agent A doesn’t accept it, we can move on to Agent B without writing a completely new query letter. But do you mention the agent’s name a second time later on, or talk about a book the agent handled, or use the publisher by name in the fourth paragraph? If so, you want to always make sure that paragraph is personalized for the right agent or editor, every time.
2. Proofread: There’s always something to catch, no matter how many times you read it. The other day I was re-reading a comment I left on Facebook and I ran across this little gem: “Thanks, Gemma, for friend-ing me; I enjoyed your blog to…” To? With one “o,” not two? Really, Rusty? Query letters are no different; always, always, always read it one more time, preferably the next morning so your eyes – and senses – are fresh.
3. Perfect: The thing about queries that makes them different from almost everything else you write is that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. I had a really great opportunity with a great new publisher and I totally botched it! Why? Because I rushed things without taking the time to make my query perfect. Or, as close to perfect as I could. Don’t be me! Sleep on your query to make sure it’s as good as it can be – then send it!
So take my word for it: the publisher, the agent, the editor, the opportunity will still be there tomorrow. But if you rush things and ship out a query before you’ve made it as good as it can be, you might wind up being rejected tonight!
Yours in Publishing,
Rusty
I had run across this hot new publisher after reading one of their tweets. The cool part is, they were totally working in my genre of choice, actively soliciting submissions.
Now, that’s rare enough in itself; but these guys were practically begging for subs all over Twitter and Facebook, on account of hiring some new editors, taking advantage of some great new interns and urging writers to beat the summer doldrums by submitting now; right now, today!
I took them at their word and submitted immediately. Only problem was, I totally botched the job.
Only AFTER I’d copied and pasted and sent out my query letter did I realize I’d written it for an entirely different publisher; and personalized it with some really insightful commentary about… them.
Which is good; I’d really researched both publishers, but in my haste to approach the second I left in the personalized parts about… the first.
Seriously, so when Publisher B gets it, they’re going to read the first three paragraphs and (hopefully) figure this writer’s really got his act together, then get to Paragraph # 4 and read some really great stuff… about Publisher A!
It’s like writing a love letter to Sally and midway through you start pledging your love to… Paula! So now I look completely stupid, and the sad thing is, my submission was right up their alley!
But it just goes to show, even after sending out thousands of query letters over the last 10 years, it never pays to rush. In other words, patience is power.
So here are three great reasons to sleep on your next submission:
1. Personalize: We all use templates for our queries, i.e. we write up a really strong one and then change the agent or editor’s name at the top. This isn’t to say we’re lazy, just realistic. So if Agent A doesn’t accept it, we can move on to Agent B without writing a completely new query letter. But do you mention the agent’s name a second time later on, or talk about a book the agent handled, or use the publisher by name in the fourth paragraph? If so, you want to always make sure that paragraph is personalized for the right agent or editor, every time.
2. Proofread: There’s always something to catch, no matter how many times you read it. The other day I was re-reading a comment I left on Facebook and I ran across this little gem: “Thanks, Gemma, for friend-ing me; I enjoyed your blog to…” To? With one “o,” not two? Really, Rusty? Query letters are no different; always, always, always read it one more time, preferably the next morning so your eyes – and senses – are fresh.
3. Perfect: The thing about queries that makes them different from almost everything else you write is that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. I had a really great opportunity with a great new publisher and I totally botched it! Why? Because I rushed things without taking the time to make my query perfect. Or, as close to perfect as I could. Don’t be me! Sleep on your query to make sure it’s as good as it can be – then send it!
So take my word for it: the publisher, the agent, the editor, the opportunity will still be there tomorrow. But if you rush things and ship out a query before you’ve made it as good as it can be, you might wind up being rejected tonight!
Yours in Publishing,
Rusty
1 comments:
Oh, I feel your pain! I, too (to!) have committed such self-destructive faux pas. An agent requested my full manuscript, and I poured over it all night, polishing furiously. Only after I hit send and re-read later did I discover a typo. In the very first paragraph.
Yikes. On the other hand . . . thank God for editors.
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