I’ve queried 21 agents so far for my latest completed novel, “When Libby Met the Fairies and Her Whole Life Went Fey.”
I mentioned previously that I got a request for a partial. Now I’ve also had a request for a full.
My query has now gone through one major and one minor revision. The major revision came after I queried Kristin Nelson and she noted that although the title sounded light, the query came across as dark. It was a spot-on critique, so I rewrote the query to bring its tone more in line with the tone of the book.
Now, this week, Anne Hawkins is the guest on Dorothy Thompson’s Yahoo forum, TWLAuthorTalks. I wasn’t going to query her/her agency — their list is so literary — but in her introduction she said she looks for fiction that’s on the border between literary and commercial.
Hmmmmmm.
I can’t presume that I’m able to hit that spot, but I will say it’s my ideal, as a writer. A book that’s plotted to keep things moving but doesn’t shy away from a pretty turn of phrase once in awhile . . . after all, that’s what literature once was.
In any case, the last rev I did to my query, I added in a couple of sentences about the — I wouldn’t say darker, but maybe “more human” elements of the plot — human in the sense that all of our lives are leavened, to some degree, by fear of aging and death, by the scars of betrayals we’ve either committed and betrayals we’ve suffered, by the disappointments of realizing our best-laid plans were actually elaborate illusions — my book doesn’t wallow in those themes but they are there.
Yet there’s also a romance . . . and little folk.
So you see, I need my query to show both. It’s not easy . . .
My title may not be quite right, for that matter. It may be skewed too much toward “lite & frothy.”
Lots of nuances to juggle, to pull this stuff off . . .
Loved your honesty on Diana’s Diversions and decided to read more. So glad I did because here’s my opportunity to say, “Congratulations on the full request!” My fingers are already crossed for you.
Thanks, larramie. I’m keeping my excitement under control — I got this far with my last, now-temporarily-tabled novel, so I know first-hand that it’s only a baby step . . . still, it does give my adrenaline a bit of a kick! :-)
My fingers and toes! It IS a rush, isn’t it?
As for the nuances in the query… Well, the query is simply a device to get your real writing in front of the agent. That’s what will make or break a deal. So while you don’t want the query to give an impression that might cause disappointment, still… If the agent is expecting a dark tale and gets a light and lively one, but loves it; who cares?
(Congrats! Go, K., go!)
Hi, John . . . yes, that’s true ! But our chances have to be better if the query accurately conveys what the novel is. E.g., if the agent only likes dark, and thinks only dark will sell, it’s rather a waste of everyone’s time to bait & switch with an off-the-mark query letter . . .
There is so much to master in this business!!!!