#query writing

[charactervsplot]

If I had a nickle for everytime I got a rejection email 2 YEARS after sending a query letter, I would have two nickles. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.

[reginalusus]

I hate query writing. I hate query writing. I fucking hate query writing.

Pardon the random vent. IDK, I'm just frustrated with this. I know most of my followers are here for my art and discussions, but if you didn't know, I also have original stuff I'm working on. If you're an early follower of mine, you might recall me talking briefly about my original novel.

Errr, you don't need to read this if you're not interested, lmao. I just need to talk about it on something, lol.

I'm pretty confident in the novel. It's ready to be sent to literary agents. But there is a blockade: query writing. I hate query writing.

I want to die. /j

I'm workshopping my query with some folks at the moment. I need constructive feedback on my query, because I know I suck at it. I suck balls at writing queries. This is not an excuse for it at all, but I feel like one of the reasons I suck is because I'm neurodivergent and I absolutely do not have a good grasp on squeezing an 85K adult, grimdark, fantasy novel into less than 300 words. Maybe that's not the reason, actually... maybe I do just suck and I'm grasping for excuses.

Novel writing is so, so, SO different from writing a query, I feel like no one gets this. The problem I'm facing is that I cannot for the life of me choose which plot points should go in the query without making it seem cliché and boring. (I have a better semblance of that now thanks to recent feedback, but still...)

My novel does have a simple three-act structure. However, what those three acts entail are NOT simple and contain a lot of action, character development/interactions etc. that all combine together to make the overall story and plot even more enticing.

I know for a fact my novel is not a run-of-the-mill fantasy novel, but my query makes it seem like it is at certain points and I HATE it.

What's worse, the feedback I'm getting is very conflicting. Some people say to focus on this or that, while others say to do the opposite. Last week, I received a good breakdown of what I should do in the query. One of the comments were to make the tone darker and to focus on the 'grimdark' element. So, I did.

But now, I'm being told I shouldn't do that. That it drags the query down and makes them not want to read any longer. *Screams.*

I am very thankful for the people that are helping me, but it's getting to a point where I simply don't know which feedback to take on because they're all different from one another. It feels like my brain is just fizzling out. Is it embarrassing to admit that I actually cried in frustration today over it?

*Sigh.* IDK, man. I've spent a long time on this novel. It's matured and grown and I want to share it with the world. I've sacrificed so much for it, and it's went through drafts and edits that I never imagined it would go through. But they only made it better.

But the fact that a measly query letter is stopping me from getting it out there makes me feel like I'm going to have a heart attack, lmao.

I can't give up though. I'd love to hear from other writers on this topic (you don't have to though, I know I'm being a little self-indulgent here).

[writersbeware]

Pitching Your Story

            You’ve finished your story. You’ve workshopped it, edited it, shared it with family and friends. You’ve changed the things that needed to be changed. In your mind, it’s complete and ready to be pitched.             You signed up for a writer’s conference in which you’ll have the opportunity to pitch it to several agents.             The next steps are writing the query letter, the…

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[romancing-with-danger-blog]

Just Because it Burns Doesn't Mean You're Gonna Die (Query Writing Sucks, But You Gotta Try.)

Just Because it Burns Doesn’t Mean You’re Gonna Die (Query Writing Sucks, But You Gotta Try.)

Yes, I quoted Pink. It’s an awesome song, and she’s got a point. Query writing sucks. It’s hard, but if you don’t try, then you can never succeed.

Also, you guys should know that my original novel never made it into Pitch Wars, or anywhere else. What I learned as someone trying to enter Pitch Wars gave me the tools to write a novel that landed me an agent. The community helped me with my query…

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[katrinalya]

Matching voice in query and sample pages

Does the voice in your query match your opening pages? #amquerying #querytip #writetip

How to match your query and pages Matching the voice of your hook to your opening pages is critical for a successful query, but too many pitches don’t meet this basic expectation. Pitch feedback events, whether on blogs, contests or even Twitter, are a great source of information for writers in the querying trenches. Despite the drain on their time, several agents participate in these events.…

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[plumdwarf]

How to Research Agents before Querying

How to Research Agents before Querying

So you’ve written a book. Now what? If the answer is you would like to get traditionally published, the next step is querying. But who do you query?

Small publishers and presses accept unsolicited submissions, meaning you can send them a query on your own without an agent, but bigger ones often only work with agents. Plus, agents are experts, on selling your book and on getting the best deal for…

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[howlingreviews]

Author August: Eliza Wass - 5 Query Writing Tips

Author August: Eliza Wass – 5 Query Writing Tips

To view all guest author posts so far visit the Author August Page.

Eliza Wass, author of In The Dark, In The Woods, gives you her top tips for querying.

(more…)

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[feralpaules]

Auditions and Plays and Queries, Oh My!

Life-changing audition, a friend's play, and writing those queries. #actorslife #writerslife

Been gearing up for a big, potentially life-changing, audition.  It just doesn’t seem real yet.  I feel like I’m drifting along in a dream state, and this is some far off thing when it really isn’t.  I mean, I’m prepared.  I just feel like until I’m actually in the room, I’m not going to accept that this could be happening to me.  And maybe I’m just protecting myself from the very real…

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