Dear O'Abby: Can I query a self-pubbed book?

 Dear O'Abby,

I have a book that I self-pubbed several years ago.  It never sold well and when I re-read it recently, I was kind of mortified by how badly written it was and unpublished it.  I have since re-written the entire thing, and feel like it's a much stronger novel now.

I didn't much enjoy the whole self-publishing journey, so this time around, I'd like to try and get an agent and traditionally publish.  Is it okay to query a novel that was previously self-pubbed? As I said, I have substantially re-written it and it now has a different title than the self-pubbed version.

Best wishes,

Unpubbed

Dear Unpubbed,

Yes, you can query this new version of your book.  But you should disclose in your query that it has been published before.  You don't want some eagle-eyed reader in the future calling you out for plagiarising something they have already read and your agent needs to know that there is another version of this story floating around out there, even if you only sold a handful of copies.

The best way to do this is to be completely honest upfront and say something in your query letter like "an earlier version of this novel was self-published as [title] in [year] and unpublished in [year] before being entirely rewritten."

That gives the agent all the info they need without telling them too much.  If they are interested in the book, they will probably do more research or ask you for more information, particularly around sales numbers.

Just be aware that even re-written,  it's often very difficult to get agent interest with a previously self-pubbed title unless you've sold a significant number of copies.  I would generally suggest that you query a new book, then bring up your previously published work once you've got the agent's interest already.

Hope that's helpful!

X O'Abby

Dear O'Abby: What does this mean?

 Dear O'Abby,

I've been querying a novel and most of the rejections I've received have been pretty generic, even from agents who requested partials or fulls.  Then yesterday, I got a rejection from an agent who had requested a full that said this:

"I love how you’re able to bring such dark, troubling subject matter to life in ways that are humorous or sad, and sometimes both. I’m really impressed by your ability to write fleshed-out, realistic characters. They feel like people rather than caricatures, from the protagonists to minor supporting characters, and your dialogue-writing skills are also spot-on!"

Which obviously had me really excited!  But then she went on to say: 

"I am afraid I will not offer representation. This was a very tough decision as I read this with great excitement, loved the writing and the voice and the story."

What does that mean?  If she loved so much about the book, why did she reject it?

Yours,

Baffled

Dear Baffled,

There are any number of reasons why she may have decided against it, even though she loved it.  Maybe she'd already representing a book with similar themes.  Or someone else in her agency is.  Maybe your book is too like other books already in the market.  Or, it's possible this agent doesn't know any editors who are looking for a book like yours. It's possible that she did like it a lot, but knew there was a lot more work needing to be done to get it ready to submit, and she doesn't have the time to put in to guide you through that.  

But you can't speculate as to why she rejected it if she didn't give you any specific reasons in her email.  You can just spend a few minutes basking in that praise of your writing and move on.  And make sure you keep a note of who this is, because if this book doesn't get you an agent, you will want to query this one with your next book!

My advice would be to keep querying.  You're obviously getting requests, and this agent clearly liked your book a lot, even if she didn't want to represent it.  Not everyone gets feedback like this on their book, so enjoy it and take some confidence from it.  And then send out another batch of queries.

Good luck!  And do let us know how you go in the query trenches.  We'd love to hear your good news when it comes.

X O'Abby

Waiting to Query Your Dream Agent

You’ve just finished your manuscript and you’re ready to start querying! YAY! You have your query letter, synopsis, and comp titles all ready to go; you’ve got your list of agents to query; you threw up four times already. So, it’s time to fire off that query to your dream agent, right?

Well, hold up.

First of all, are you sure that your manuscript is 100% polished, professional, and perfect? What about your query letter and synopsis? Have you gone through a few rounds of revision and sent your manuscript to betas and CPs? If not, get on that right now.

Okay, so you did that. Now can you query your dream agent?

Well…you could, but why not wait a little longer?

Look, I know it sounds annoying and counter-intuitive. Agents can take up six to eight weeks to get back to you, and frequently their response time is even longer. So why wait to submit your work to the person you want to hear back from the most?

The simple answer is, if this is your first time querying, you probably aren’t as prepared as you think you are. I recently celebrated the first anniversary of when I started querying the manuscript I am still querying. In a caffeine-induced haze, I thought it would be fun to look back at the first query letter I ever sent and oh lordy. Not only was it over a page long and read like a synopsis, it also clocked my manuscript as coming in at 167,000 words. Yikes. At the time, though, I felt like my work was completely perfect and it’d be signed by the first agent who saw it. Obviously, it was not.

What I learned from this is to start with my middle-interest agents – people I thought might be a 50-75% fit for my work – just to get some practice. Why submit the version of my work that has the highest chance of rejection to the person I want to love it the most? Even after sending thirty queries, I’m still adjusting my entire query package. Not everyone does this, but as I’m querying a work that feels done, I’m still having other CPs and betas read it. My manuscripts are constantly evolving. So by the time I’ve queried maybe ten middle-interest agents, I am much more confident in my work and am ready to send it to Dream Agents.

My disclaimer, though, is that the writing, revising, and querying process is very different for everyone. Some people send five queries, get full requests on all of them, and find their agent within a couple of months. Some people query for years and never get anywhere. You don’t have to make your process the same as anyone else’s, or take anyone else’s advice. If this is your first time querying, it can be daunting. So maybe send some practice queries first. You never know what might happen.

Query-Writing 102: Query DOs and DON'Ts

On yesterday's blog "Writing a Basic Query," I laid out the basic structure for writing novel query letter. Today, I'm providing you with a checklist of dos and don'ts, complied from multiple blog posts, interviews, and tweets, to make sure your query is effective and doesn't get immediately rejected without so much as a second glance.

DO:

Before querying --

• DO check the agency's guidelines before querying... and follow them!
• DO have someone who has not read your manuscript read over your query to make sure it makes sense
• DO proofread for typos
• DO make sure that your manuscript is 100% ready to go before you begin querying
• DO use the word "QUERY" and your novel's title in the email subject line (unless otherwise noted in the agent's guidelines)
• DO keep your query short and sweet (250-300 words on average); agents are going to be looking for tight, concise writing
• DO query one project at a time

In the salutation/personalization --

• DO address the agent personally
• DO mention in your query if you met the agent, if you have a referral from one of their clients, or if they have requested materials from you for previous manuscripts

In the pitch section --

• DO use specific details in your query -- think about what in particular sets your story apart from others in the same genre
• DO choose specific words that will give the agent a feel for the tone/voice of your novel
• DO try to bring out what makes your manuscript unique
• DO stick with the story's major plotline (particularly what happens in Act I)

In the "housekeeping" section --

• DO include comp titles that have been published within the last five years
• DO include relevant biographical information
• DO pick one category (MG, YA, NA, or Adult) to pitch your novel
• DO include the genre where your book would appear in a bookstore
• DO include the word count of your novel, rounded to the nearest thousand
• DO make sure that your book is an appropriate length for your genre (no 200,000 word middle grade novels! no 35,000 word sci-fi novels!)

In general --

• DO act professionally and politely AT ALL TIMES
• DO query widely; it might take dozens of rejections before you find the agent who's looking for a writer like you.
• DO be patient in waiting for responses. Many agents will note in their guidelines how long it takes to respond to queries, but during certain times of the year may take longer.
• DO stay positive!
• DO write something else while querying. It's a great way to take your mind off the process, and if you do get an agent, s/he will want to know what you're currently working on.

DON'T:

Before querying --

• DON'T self-publish your work to "test the market"
• DON'T query agent who do not represent your category or genre
• DON'T query agents who state they are closed to submissions
• DON'T pitch to agents on social media
• DON'T cc: or bcc: multiple agents in the same email
• DON'T pay a third party to query for you (it's a scam!)
• DON'T use fancy formatting, fonts, colors, borders, or backgrounds.
• DON'T query multiple agents at the same agency simultaneously
• DON'T send "exclusive" queries
• DON'T send queries from an unprofessional-sounding email address or one that you share with anyone else
• DON'T send submissions to small presses while you're also querying agents

In the salutation/personalization --

• DON'T address the query "Dear Agent"
• DON'T try to fake a referral (or, really, any aspect of your query)
• DON'T comment on an agent's appearance

In the pitch section --

• DON'T use gimmicks; agents have seen them all before, and they only make your query stand out in a bad way.
• DON'T write your query from the 1st person perspective of your character
• DON'T use more than three proper names (any more than this can be incredibly confusing)
• DON'T use too many world-related/"invented" words in your query
• DON'T spell out the novel's themes
• DON'T use rhetorical questions
• DON'T use cliche phrases like:
• "her life was normal until"
• "that will change her life forever"
• "must choose between love and [something important]"
• "turns his life upside down"
• "change his world forever"
• "[character] never expected that"
• "To make matters worse"
• "Time is running out"
• "She finds herself drawn to"
• "an incredible journey"
• "before [something] falls into the wrong hands"
• "face her past"
• "a group of unlikely heroes"
• "a chain reaction"

In the "housekeeping" section --

• DON'T mention "This is my first novel" or "I've been writing since I was..." or "I'm an avid reader"
• DON'T mention how long it took you to write your book (this is irrelevant)
• DON'T call your story a "fiction novel" -- this is redundant and looks amateur
• DON'T toot your own horn by speculating about how you'll be "the next Stephen King" or "a surefire bestseller," or editorialize with comments like, "you'll laugh! you'll cry!"
• DON'T try to pass your story off as a genre which is it is not (usually done to try to fit a trend or to avoid "dead" genres) -- this will only make it look as if you don't know what genre your book really is.
• DON'T include reviews, blurbs, or comments from beta readers, family, friends, pets, or agents who have rejected you
• DON'T include irrelevant biographical information (age, number of cats owned, etc)
• DON'T include a photo
• DON'T use classics or MAJOR bestsellers (Harry Potter, Twilight, LOTR, etc) as comp titles
• DON'T claim that there "are no books like mine on the market"

In general --

• DON'T bad-mouth other agents, writers, or others in the industry or their works
• DON'T respond to rejections
• DON'T complain about querying on social media
• DON'T cherry-pick your sample pages from the middle of your novel (always use the opening pages)
• DON'T include attachments (unless the agency specifies to do so)

Optional hints, tips, and advice

• Send queries in small batches (5-10 at a time) in case you decide to change things up or revise your query later on.
• Check agent blogs, Twitter feeds, and the #MSWL hashtag to find agents who are looking for something similar to what you write
• Keep track of the queries you have sent and those that have been responded to using a spreadsheet or QueryTracker.com
• Be careful using metaphors in your query, particularly if your book contains speculative elements--you'll have the agent wondering if your character really turned into a bear or if they just got a bit grouchy

Special thanks to @TECarter7, @micscotti, @RachelDRainey, @LabyrinthRat, @Aggy_C, @SH_Marr_Writes, @AnnaKaling and @sharischwarz for your contributions via Twitter!

Writing Series: Querying, Four Great Query Resources

Writing a successful query letter is an art form. It's a skill that requires instruction as well as practice to hone those skills.

I could fill this post with advice on query letter writing, but I won't. Better, more experienced people than me have already written volumes on this subject, so my job today is to point you in the right direction.

I've been querying for years and have come across a few resources that have been helpful to me. When I first started, I couldn't get an agent's attention to save my life, but by honing my query writing craft, I've been successful in garnering requests for full manuscripts. So, here are some of my favourite resources.

1.  Nathan Bransford's blog. An author and former literary agent, Bransford shares a treasure trove of
query writing advice. The thing I liked most about this site is his upbeat attitude. He doesn't try to discourage writers with the dismal odds that are against them, but conveys information with a you-can-do-it attitude.

2. Query Shark. Literary agent, Janet Reid, runs this no-nonsense blog that walks writers through examples of lackluster queries and how to fix them. There are hundreds of examples available, and I encourage you to read through as many as possible.

3. Agent Query. Again, tons of information and advice about query letters and literary agents. This website has a database of agents, what they represent and if they're open for submissions. There is also a sister site called Agent Query Connect, a forum where writers can network and post queries for critique. My warning with receiving critique at AQ Connect is that it's often the blind leading the blind. Many have yet to write a successful query themselves.

4.  Writer's Digest New Agent Alerts. This site shares information about new agents or agents who have transitioned to new firms and are actively building their client lists.

Once you have a stellar query letter and a list of agents who represent your type of work and who you would like to work alongside, you're ready to start querying.

If you have any questions, please post them below.

********

Melinda Friesen writes novels for teens and short stories for all ages. Her first novel, Enslavement, was released in November of 2014 by Rebelight Publishing Inc. She lives in Winnipeg,Manitoba Canada with her husband and four children.

Building a Better Query

I'm sending out the first batch of queries for my second book, Crow's Rest, and wanted to pass on some of my go-to resources for writing queries.

The best place to start with query craft advice is straight from the horse's mouth on agents' and editors' blogs and websites. You can find those through their Twitter accounts, and Krista Van Dolzer has done much of the work for you with her agent interviews on Mother.Write.Repeat. And our own Mystery Agents contests (tab above) are a great way to see many pitches at once, and which one caught an agent's eye.

Searching for the term "query" will get you a ton of good resources, plus here are some that I've found particularly helpful:

*A great starting point is Agent Query's page on How to Write a Query

*Lisa Gardner has a lecture series on Conquering the Dreaded Synopsis that includes a query section (and you will eventually need a synopsis as well, so take a look at those lectures while you're there).

*Sydney Laine Allan has posted a workshop she did on Writing a Dynamite Query Letter

*The Nelson Literary Agency website, and Kristin Nelson's blog, are a mine of information on queries and pitches, and the agency site has links to webinars that Kristin Nelson did on pitches.

*Backspace has a brief query letter workshop with Jeff Kleinman of Folio Literary Management

*WriteOnCon had a wealth of interesting workshops in 2011 and 2012, now archived to view at your leisure.

*Pitch University is where I truly honed my teeth on pitches and queries, and their Pitching 101 lessons are a must read (scroll down and they're in the righthand sidebar)

*Roni Loren has earmarked all her posts on queries from her Fiction Groupie blog

*YA author Elana Johnson has a free ebook called From the Query to the Call that is essential reading

*Noah Lukeman also has a free ebook on Amazon, How to Write a Great Query Letter: Insider Tips and Techniques for Success

With so many resources out there, there's really no excuse for a lame query. Remember, your goal is to get the agent or editor to read your pages, and whether for good or ill your query is a reflection of your writing proficiency. If the query is amateurish, they will assume your pages are in the same state.

The good news is that writing killer queries is a learnable skill, if you're willing to put the time and work into it. All the best in your query ventures! In my next post (March 4), I'll share some places where you can get feedback on your queries before sending them out to agents and editors.

Did I miss any great query resources that you'd like to add in the comments?