So what do you do after you finish all that writing and editing we've been talking about the past several months? If you decide you want to pursue traditional publishing, it's time to start querying.
When I began my query journey, after figuring out what the heck a query letter was and who you sent it to, I began researching agents. And something I quickly realized was that a lot of agents were on Twitter.
So I joined Twitter. I followed a handful of agents, and some other people based off of who was using #query or #querytip in their tweets. From there I found #tenqueries, and from there I found people running query contests and it all just spiraled out of control from there.
My point is, social media can be a helpful tool in the query process because it's a way to see what an agent may be looking for outside of what's on their official bio. For example, if I saw an agent retweeting a Star Trek joke, I'd put them on the list of "people who might like my Star Trek-themed novel." Or during a #tenqueries an agent might say "This is the 5th novel set in WW2 I've gotten this week. I am so tired of this setting." And you would decide not to send them your World War II historical novel because you know it would probably be a rejection.
It's also a good way to learn about people hosting query contests, because those can be excellent feedback opportunities. And Twitter has pitch contests, which is yet another way to get your work out there! My point is, there is an amazing querying community out there, and getting on social media and checking it out can enrich your querying experience. Give it a try!
1 comment:
Another great way to use Twitter to connect with agents' wishes (if, unfortunately, not agents) is #MSWL. That's the Manu(S)cript Wish List hashtag, organized by Jessica Sinsheimer. Every few months--with some in between--agents tweet out their wishes via the hashtag. The best part is that it rages from super-broad to super-specific, so sometimes you can not only find agents to target, but you can pick up plot bunnies.
She's also set up a website where you can browse agent profiles with longer versions of their MSWLs: http://manuscriptwishlist.com/
Post a Comment