Hello friends! I’m back.
So, on Thursday I broke out my list of my top 22 favorite agents. The agents who I, after much research, think would be the closest fit with my book and the best champions for it.
I’ve spent a lot of time accumulating this list, from scouring the most recent edition of the Guide to Literary Agents, to using sites such as Agent Query, Publisher’s Marketplace, and Query Tracker. One other way I found them – I checked my favorite current comp titles and figured out who their agents are!
I actually started accumulating agent possibilities last fall. It was my inspiration while I edited – a good way for me to keep the light at the end of my tunnel bright! I came up with lots who fit my general guidelines (agents who accept YA and contemporary or romance), but I worked to pare down my list to my favorite 22. (They say you should send in waves of 20-25.)
Then this past Thursday, I woke up early, made some coffee, and set to work sending my query letter out to each and every one of those 22 agents. It took some time to tailor each query letter to each agent, and to be sure to include exactly what they requested (some ask for just the query, some want a synopsis or sample pages), but I finished in the early afternoon.
I expected to then settle in for the long haul. When I started sending out queries for my last project a couple of years ago, I didn’t hear anything back from my first batch. Granted, back then I thought six agents was enough for one round of queries (I was wrong! for insider tips like these, check out: The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published I can’t recommend it enough!).
But this time was different! At 4:09pm on the very same day, I received an email from one of my agents REQUESTING THE FULL MANUSCRIPT! Now, I don’t use caps lock very often, I’m so excited!!! By the end of the evening that Thursday, I had two requests for my manuscript. As of this evening (Saturday), I have four agents currently reviewing my work.
I’m pretty blown away, but my excitement is half anxiety. I find pesky thoughts crossing my mind all the time… they could be getting bored with my novel right now. They could be drafting their rejection emails at this very moment! But I brush those thoughts aside as quickly as they come. I’ve spent a lot of time polishing my book to a shine, and even if these agents don’t quite fit with my project, I’ll keep querying ’till I find my perfect match.
It’s a roller-coaster already and I’ll keep you posted, but my fingers are crossed!
All the best,
Danielle
Life is short, choose kindness.
Recent Comments