Query Before Completed MS?

[blgarver]

I was wondering...

Do some writers query before they finish their manuscript, or even before they begin writing their manuscript?  I think I read that on another board somewhere. 

Just wondering, because I'd be freakin terrified to send anything out before I at least had a first draft.  And I probably won't end up querying until I have a final MS (final as far as I'm concerned, anyway).

BLG

[meg_evonne]

From what I hear, your instincts are correct.  Wait until you have the MS complete AND make sure your first 90 pages are as perfect as possible.  Sounds like its query-->then they hopefully will ask for 90 pages if interested -- followed by manuscript.  Further suggestion was send out to five agents, if you get negs then redo your query and try another five etc. Good luck!

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

Do some writers query before they finish their manuscript, or even before they begin writing their manuscript?  I think I read that on another board somewhere.

You can do it if you're an established writer whom publishers have some solid evidence are capable of finishing and turning in a publishable novel; there's no point in trying otherwise.

[blgarver]

Okay, that clears it up.  I guess I wouldn't be too worried if I was an agent and Stephen King sent me a query before he had a manuscript.

That brings up something else...

Do writers as established as King even have to query?  Or is it pretty much a given that whatever they write will be bought?

It's sort of wierd to think that Stephen King or someone as successful would have to pitch and sell their idea every time.

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

Do writers as established as King even have to query?  Or is it pretty much a given that whatever they write will be bought?
It's sort of wierd to think that Stephen King or someone as successful would have to pitch and sell their idea every time.

I don't honestly know; but if you read On Writing, it's clear that King wrote a lot of stuff when having serious drink/drugs problems that he now seems to regard as not very good, and there's no mention of him having any problem selling it.  And there's no lack of examples of writers getting to a point where they appear to make enough that they can refuse to be edited and indulge themselves at the expense of whatever qualities made their books good to begin with - Anne Rice springs to mind.

I don't know that the world has room for more than a handful of such writers, though.  It's certainly not the case for the average mid-list SF/F writer with half a dozen or so novels out and a couple of reasonably-major-but-not-Hugo awards, of whom I know a fair few.

[pj]

I came here because I've just got into the Dresden books, after the show, and having them on my reading list for too long a time.  And here I find all this great 'writing' talk too.

I'm about to embark on the great agent search myself.  And I think the advice given above is sound.  I've been polishing the completed manuscripts I have so that those first 50 pages shine.  Hopefully the rest of the pages shine also, but it's worth taking extra care with the first 50.

And I also heard the five agents at a time is the best method.  I came across a site that has a good agent listing, so I've been scouring that for the last week or so doing my research.

Crossing my fingers for some good responses.

PJ

[blgarver]

Good luck PJ, and welcome to our little club!

It's a good time here, and along with all the Dresden and Butcher talk, you can find some awesome writing info.

I'm still a long way off myself from starting the agent search.  I haven't even tested that water.  I'm just trying to drag my ass through my first novel so I can get it polished, plus I'm doing Nano...so yeah, it's going to be a little bit.  But, all I have to do is keep pounding the keys, right?

[Dom]

People already said what I was thinking, so I'll reinforce it...don't bother submitting a query without a finished manuscript until you're a well established author with a career that lets publishers know you're for real.  Anyone can write a few-paragraphs query.  Few can finish a good manuscript.  And yes, just by reading the works of some massively popular authors (Anne Rice, Laurell K. Hamilton) you can become popular enough that whatever you write will be bought and published, even if the quality isn't as good as their previous stuff.  But it's about as common as becoming massively popular is...ie, only a small percent get to that point.