Happy Friday Queriers!
I am back after a hiatus, and excited about another query breakdown. This month I'm tackling partials and fulls- the request and the rejection, a bit of a cheat since it comes after a query and isn't part of one, but I'm gonna go with it.
First of all, Congrats! You got a request to read more pages.Your query worked!
Queries are hard and this is a huge accomplishment, and if that query was accompanied by sample pages
You got something there. A well written query, a premise that has captured an agents attention, and the knowledge that your first 250 words- 50 pages (what ever you submitted) shows promise.
Now comes the request either for a partial or a full. Some agents do still ask for a partial and while that may seem disappointing to some, I like to think of it as another way to feel out the strength of my story. Were my first pages strong, but I fall apart before 50? I know where to look when I'm revising. Even better is when a partial turns into a full, and I know that this agent has hung in with me for 50-75-100 pages, and they want more!
Not gonna lie, it feels amazing.
Now you have fulls out and this can end basically one of three ways (well really four if you never get a response but I prefer to pretend that doesn't happen):
1. You get a rejection.
But with luck that rejection is accompanied with some solid feedback on why the project was passed on, and what you might be able to do to improve it.
2. A Revise and Resubmit
In which the agent is not prepared to take you on as a client with the manuscript as is, but is invested enough to give feedback and notes, AND (it's a big And) they actually want to read your story again. Remember agents don't get paid unless you do, so an investment of time and energy like this is a good sign.
3. You get an Offer of Representation
Full stop. You did it. You're agented.
So celebrate.
You earned it!
Happy Querying!
~B
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