Writers often assume agents are these unflappable, all-knowing gatekeepers who glide through submissions like a Disney villain with perfect eyeliner and a lifetime supply of thin patience.
Query advice that made me laugh out loud? Brilliant. This post gives me so much hope about agents. There are so many horror stories about agents using AI to sort through their inboxes that you wonder if there’s a point in sending at all. Every aspect of publishing is terrifying. Whether it’s having the gall to think your work is worth reading or the audacity that someone should pay for it. It’s nice to hear an empathetic human is on the other end wanting writers to be successful while learning the tricks of the trade. Thanks!
Such a useful post thank you! As an autistic, dyslexic writer, query’s and submission guidelines are my nemesis, I find them too abstract, I don’t know what they mean, I can’t get into their heads and although I can write stories I can’t conceptualise the professional protocol side of it all so I end up so confused and overwhelmed and then in paralysis unable to send anything. This post was very helpful especially number 2!
It's refreshing to know that agents are human like the rest of us. We make mistakes, and they do too. I've reset my agent panic level back down to 2. Just be real and most agents will understand if you goof up. Every thing is fixable.
Ah! So helpful. The more agent workshops I take and the more agents I follow on Substack and Instagram, the more it gives me an entirely new perspective on how to approach querying. Posts like these really matter.
I was in a workshop where an agent shared examples of submissions they receive, and some were three pages long or clearly for genres they don’t even represent and I can see how difficult that would be, just from it alone. It really shows how often people query without understanding why a particular agent would be a good fit, even though there are so many resources available. Like so many!! I have such a high respect for agents.
I also think it helps to view this as a business relationship. You’re asking someone not only to choose your work, but to advocate for it, negotiate on your behalf, and invest real time and energy into your career. I’m so hopeful that one day I’ll find the agent who’s truly meant for me. Thanks for sharing! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
This is such a lovely, gracious article—these tips are so helpful for knowing what stuff to sweat and what not to (I definitely overthought some of these when I was querying 😂) Saving this to send out to all my querying friends!
This is super interesting! One thing that caught my attention is the “professional” voice because I would think that a query letter is about getting down to business, not necessarily showing your creative writing skills. It might be a hard thing to shake especially for us who spent so long in corporate! 😅
Ach, genre is hard! It sounds really basic, but most of my querying friends (myself included!) have been told we haven’t positioned things quite right when we’ve got professional feedback on our letters. Think it’s quite hard to do when you’re just entering the landscape and don’t know all the conventions and the boundary lines. Also the temptation to make it sound more like something that is selling well at the moment is strong- for example, if you write a fantasy with a strong romance plotline, it’s tempting to call it ‘romantasy’
While it is tempting, you’ll stand out more by classifying it as what it is. For example, Romantasy had a boom…but that meant that the competition was STEEP. Agents had less room for them on their lists, editors overbought them. Because readers see trends on a massive delay—about 2-3 years. So by the time you see a trend, you’re already behind it on the “what publishers are buying” side of this. So resist and write what you want! Get good at writing and positioning what it is. I promise you’ll stand out more that way.
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond so thoughtfully Vicky! Yes I’ve definitely come round to that point of view myself but it took a little while! And think it’s very common when you’re starting out, hence why you see this a lot…
Fantastic article, one of the clearest and most actionable query-letter overviews I've seen yet.
Oh, I'm so happy to hear that!
Great advice thank you 😊
Thanks for reading!
Great post!
Thank you so much!
Query advice that made me laugh out loud? Brilliant. This post gives me so much hope about agents. There are so many horror stories about agents using AI to sort through their inboxes that you wonder if there’s a point in sending at all. Every aspect of publishing is terrifying. Whether it’s having the gall to think your work is worth reading or the audacity that someone should pay for it. It’s nice to hear an empathetic human is on the other end wanting writers to be successful while learning the tricks of the trade. Thanks!
Such a useful post thank you! As an autistic, dyslexic writer, query’s and submission guidelines are my nemesis, I find them too abstract, I don’t know what they mean, I can’t get into their heads and although I can write stories I can’t conceptualise the professional protocol side of it all so I end up so confused and overwhelmed and then in paralysis unable to send anything. This post was very helpful especially number 2!
Appreciate your time and the expertise in crafting these tips. Thanks so much.
Helpful and reassuring- thank you for sharing!
It's refreshing to know that agents are human like the rest of us. We make mistakes, and they do too. I've reset my agent panic level back down to 2. Just be real and most agents will understand if you goof up. Every thing is fixable.
Ah! So helpful. The more agent workshops I take and the more agents I follow on Substack and Instagram, the more it gives me an entirely new perspective on how to approach querying. Posts like these really matter.
I was in a workshop where an agent shared examples of submissions they receive, and some were three pages long or clearly for genres they don’t even represent and I can see how difficult that would be, just from it alone. It really shows how often people query without understanding why a particular agent would be a good fit, even though there are so many resources available. Like so many!! I have such a high respect for agents.
I also think it helps to view this as a business relationship. You’re asking someone not only to choose your work, but to advocate for it, negotiate on your behalf, and invest real time and energy into your career. I’m so hopeful that one day I’ll find the agent who’s truly meant for me. Thanks for sharing! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Great insight, thx! Will take it and use it.
Great insight! I like how you totally embrace the anxiety this is causing!
Not ready to send out the query but took notes on your post. Thank you for sharing your insight.
This is such a lovely, gracious article—these tips are so helpful for knowing what stuff to sweat and what not to (I definitely overthought some of these when I was querying 😂) Saving this to send out to all my querying friends!
This is super interesting! One thing that caught my attention is the “professional” voice because I would think that a query letter is about getting down to business, not necessarily showing your creative writing skills. It might be a hard thing to shake especially for us who spent so long in corporate! 😅
Now I wish I’d sent that correction letter instead of assuming I’d burnt my bridges.
Ach, genre is hard! It sounds really basic, but most of my querying friends (myself included!) have been told we haven’t positioned things quite right when we’ve got professional feedback on our letters. Think it’s quite hard to do when you’re just entering the landscape and don’t know all the conventions and the boundary lines. Also the temptation to make it sound more like something that is selling well at the moment is strong- for example, if you write a fantasy with a strong romance plotline, it’s tempting to call it ‘romantasy’
While it is tempting, you’ll stand out more by classifying it as what it is. For example, Romantasy had a boom…but that meant that the competition was STEEP. Agents had less room for them on their lists, editors overbought them. Because readers see trends on a massive delay—about 2-3 years. So by the time you see a trend, you’re already behind it on the “what publishers are buying” side of this. So resist and write what you want! Get good at writing and positioning what it is. I promise you’ll stand out more that way.
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond so thoughtfully Vicky! Yes I’ve definitely come round to that point of view myself but it took a little while! And think it’s very common when you’re starting out, hence why you see this a lot…