Write with [M]arie [E]vans

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As someone both working and learning in the publishing world, I’ve had a few meetings with Agents and Editors in which they’ve revealed exactly what it is that changes their excitement about a Work-in-Progress (WIP). Before sending out that query letter or filling out the form on the Agent’s website, ensure you’ve considered the following to have the strongest pitch and stand out from the crowd.

Do Your Research

This step is two fold.

First, Agents who are picking up your book want to have the confidence in your work to be able to sell it. The more the Agent sells it for the more they get in compensation (15% by law, never more and never paid ahead of time). To give them the most confidence, Agent’s ask you, the Author, to tell them where your book stands on the bookshelf. This means that you need to do your market research. What you’re looking for are books that are similar to yours in plot, genre and/or age range. Often, Agents will ask for you to name these books in the form of the question: “If your book is sitting on a shelf in a book store, what are the books on either side of it?” Some things to consider:

1: Avoid the language, “My book is like ‘Sherlock Holmes meets The House of Usher’.” Instead be straight forward with your language, “Some other works similar to mine include…”

2: Don’t be afraid to be honest in naming books that are similar in plot. Often, Agents are looking for works similar to those that have been successful. It gives them confidence that yours will sell and doesn’t mean yours isn’t original.

3: Really take the time to look around. As Agents have said before, your work isn’t so original that there are absolutely none out there like it. There are. You just have to go find them.

Second, be sure to research who you’re querying. To increase the chances of a “love match,” you want to ensure that what you’re pitching is what the Agent is willing or wanting to pick up. One great source for this is the Writer’s Market book. This book lists agents from all over as well as what they want and don’t want. It’s a good idea to take from this list and look up the Agent on their business website as, often, they’ll have a more in-depth list such as, “Don’t want anything about slavery. Would love something with a gothic twist.” In querying the Agent, they will often ask why you feel they are the best fit for you book. In anticipation of this question:

1: Be sure you know some of the authors/works the agent has supported prior. It’s good to discuss these if they match with the work you’re pitching to them.

2: Take from their language on the website in your pitch, explaining how you feel your goals align with theirs.

3: Don’t schmooze. Stick to the facts and be forthcoming.

Copyedit Everything!

As silly as it sounds, sometimes Agent’s decide on whether or not to pick up your work based on a few copy errors. Receiving over 200 submissions in an open cycle, sometimes Agent’s will pass you by if they see a spelling error in your sample or even your query letter. I’ve had a response directly from an Agent before to comment on a spelling error in my query letter saying, “You misspelled _____. Not good.”

In this task, you need to be as thorough as possible. Don’t trust your own eyes. You’ve read it too many times. Pass it once through Grammarly, have a trusted friend read through it, or (my favorite) have Microsoft read it to you aloud. Often, hearing it will make an error more pronounced.

Third Draft’s the Charm

Unfortunately, your work gets one shot with Agents. If you send it too soon, you’ll kill it before it gets going. I’ve heard Agents say before that frequently many of the queries they received needed just one more round of revisions. The rule of thumb? Third round is the charm. The first draft of a WIP is to get it done. The second draft is to fix everything you know is wrong with it (all the big issues). After you finish the second draft, send that draft to your Beta readers (trusted readers who will give you honest feedback, not just a pat on the back BUT not people who will tear it apart either). Once you have their feedback, go into the third draft to polish. That draft, the final third draft, is what is typically acceptable to send to Agents.

Important! Don’t go in trying to sell your book as a series. Agents aren’t likely to bet on more than one book until they see how the first one sells. Always pitch your book as a stand alone novel and then, if it does well, you can expand the series from there.

Writing the Dreaded Query Letter

There is no “right” way to write a query letter but there is definitely a wrong way. Again, the Writer’s Market book is a great resource with templates on how to write a query letter and how not to write a query letter.

Basically, a query letter comes in three parts:
1: An Introduction with how long your WIP is (Word Count) and the books similar to it. (Don’t overhype yourself here with weasel words like “one-of-a-kind” “soon-to-be bestseller” etc. Stick to professionality.)

2: A synopsis of your book similar to what you would find on the back cover (What is happening, who is it happening to, what is stopping them from achieving their goals, and why should the reader care).

3: An Outro in which you explain why your book is a good fit for that particular agent and who you are as a writer (prior works, social media, etc.).

Be sure that you personalize each letter! I know querying Agents is a lot like applying for jobs—you just want to write the thing once and send it to everyone. If you make a template for yourself, with fill-in the blanks for the personalized parts, you will save time and ensure that each Agent feels seen.

Making Contacts (Networking)

Sometimes, especially in this industry, it is about who you know. I’ve heard Editors say that they’ll move a work from the slush pile their intern is reading to personally read it if they have a connection with the Author in some form (student of a writing professor they know, talked at a convention, etc.). It’s never a bad idea to attend writing events and network with the Agents/Editors in attendance. Don’t bring your work with you to peddle around, but politely talk with them. Ask their interests and what they’re working on now.

If you do make a connection, be sure to state that in the Outro of your query letter in the form of, “It was great talking with you at ____ and I look forward to hearing from you again soon.” Nothing too grabby.

Other connections come in the form of other published authors. Creative Writing as an MFA program improves writing success by assuming the authors they hire as professors will help the new writers break into the publishing world by introducing them to their current or prior Agents/Editors or other contacts. But you don’t need to go to school to make these same connections. A popular place to connect with other writers is social media, writing workshops, and literary events.

Disclaimer

Even as businesses and colleges work to build more inclusive communities, publishing remains tricky for marginalized peoples. Those part of the LQBTQIA+ community, people of color, and women (and all the intersectionality in between) are still likely to face trials in the publishing industry, especially as nation-wide book bans increase. To help fight pay discrimination in the publishing industry, many authors have helped create clarity with the hashtag #publishingpaidme. Be sure to do your research before accepting a contract to ensure you are being paid competitively for your work.