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McAnally's (The Community Pub) => Author Craft => Topic started by: RMatthewWare on July 05, 2007, 03:24:34 PM
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For published authors:
How many query letters did you send before you got an agent?
How many query letters did you send before you got a reply that even seemed interest (request for sample chapters, full manuscript, etc)?
For unpublished authors:
How many query letters have you sent out at this point?
Have you gotten any requests for additional stuff (sample chapters, full manuscript)?
I'm just curious as I'm in the waiting game now. To answer my own question, I've sent out 30 queries. So far, I've gotten 15 replies, all straight rejections.
Matt
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Try visiting a site called www.mediabistro.com. It's a professional site for writers, including magazine & newspaper. They offer classes and social/networking AND they have some quick type classes or some "marketing facts" on writing effective query letters. It's an art unto itself as far as I can tell. Most seem to have broken into the field through connections or by writing non-fiction which is easier to get published. Give 'em a shot and google 'em for references etc.
I've taken two of their classes where fellow students were professional editors and writers from one field working to get into another field. They have all talked about "how" they found an agent (usually luck) or more often they gripe about having to change agents. Wouldn't that be a nice problem... On the other hand, someone wrote a first time young adult (easier field apparently) that had three agents wanting it in the previous class.
Jim Butcher has commented that you don't have to be better than the guy next to you, just LAST LONGER. So hang in there Matt.
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I maintain a spreadsheet of my submissions, acceptations and rejections. Call me anal, but it helps me keep track of when I sent something, how I sent it (email/postal?) who I sent it to (so I don't accidentally resubmit old material), and whether I've heard back from them or not (and whether it was a yay or nay).
I do this for both my short stories and novels. My cumulative submissions are well over 100...probably close to 150, including 20 agent and editor submissions for one particular novel that I've sidelined at the moment. I'm up to 15 agent submissions with the one I'm working on now, and so far, half of those are rejections. In fact, I've only sold about 5 short stories so far, and the other odd bits are contest winnings as well as requests for partials or whole manuscripts. The majority are rejections so far. It took almost four years before I sold my first short story. Then I got an agent for a novel, but that agent (who was wonderful during the time I worked with them) recently left the publishing industry for personal reasons, so I'm back to square one. No bitterness here, honestly. It just happens. I've taken baby steps and am getting a little closer every time, and I believe I will break in one of these days.
For now, I keep slotting entries into the spreadsheet. When I get accepted, I highlight the entry so I can immediately pick it out among the rest of them and remind myself that I'm technically a published author. I'm adding to my writing resume, bullet point by bullet point. Rejections always suck, but they're part of the process. Persevere.
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After sending 59 query letters, and receiving 24 rejections, I have finally gotten a request for the full manuscript. I'm sure 90% or so of those get rejected as well, but it's something. It's hope.
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Great BIG CONGRATS !!!! You never know, they may love it!
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Awesome to hear. I wish you all the luck with the full. Can't wait to hear good news.
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For published authors:
How many query letters did you send before you got an agent?
How many query letters did you send before you got a reply that even seemed interest (request for sample chapters, full manuscript, etc)?
Um, how to say this without sounding like bragging? Zero. My crit partner passed my full manuscript to two agents without my sending a query letter. The second agent offered representation two days after she received it. The first agent passed on it 9 months after she received it. Of course, by then, I already had representation and my agent had just sold it.
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I sent...10 letters maybe? In two phases. They were all different agents, but 5 were before I did some major revisions to the first chapter. I think I got...three requests for pages, one of whom eventually became my agent. Everything else was a rejection--except one who never responded. The ironic thing? I've met this agent twice now, and she LOVES my book. She's made it very clear she'd love to take me as a client now...and blinked in surprise when I mentioned the rejection. It's unclear if she got the letter since there was no yay or nay. Or, it may just not have spoken to her at the time...it happens, and that's how it goes.
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Um, how to say this without sounding like bragging? Zero. My crit partner passed my full manuscript to two agents without my sending a query letter. The second agent offered representation two days after she received it. The first agent passed on it 9 months after she received it. Of course, by then, I already had representation and my agent had just sold it.
Lucky! Wish I knew some people with connections.
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Lucky! Wish I knew some people with connections.
Hey, Richelle... Wanna hook a sistah up? ;)