I have the whole week off from my day job! Haven't taken a full week since December, so I'm really stoked - not going anywhere, just staying home. Today I did some shopping and bought Paranormalcy. It was really good, and I finished all 335 pages. Contented sigh. I love a day lost in a book.
Yesterday I sent off some more queries... I'm at a total of 25 sent so far. I've gotten 15 rejections and am awaiting response on the other 10. According to Janet Reid, the Query Shark, if you don't get any bites with 25 submittals, you're doing something wrong. This is fairly disconcerting to me, of course. On the one hand, I respect the hell out of JR, but on the other hand I hear so many stories of people querying far more agents than that. What do you guys think? At what number do you concede it's time to regroup and try a new strategy?
Oh, and here's the nibble for the week:
As the man came closer, each footstep was like a clap of thunder. She could hear his breathing now, slow and steady, the opposite of hers. He was practically upon her now. Five feet. Two. One.
With a whoosh of air she felt the man glide past her and saw out of the corner of her eye a flash of moon pale skin not hidden by the dark cloak. She wondered if her face held a look of horror or of determination as she battled for self control. Something flew between them, like two lightning storms converging together in the same sky.
I would feel the same as you but I really don't think you should quit after 25 just because of a generalization(I do looove the QS too so I understand the confliction) But one persons experience wont mirror another so just keep trying! If it's a great story with great writing and a great writer behind it, someone will always recognize all that. :)
ReplyDeleteKeep trying Alexia. If you don't succeed in getting a few partials or a complete submission than just go through your Query and Synopsis.
ReplyDeleteLoved the nibble of the week.
I think what JR is saying is that if you don't get a nibble or something within the first 25, your query letter needs tweaking. At least, that's how I'm taking it. I took it one step farther on the paranoia meter. This time around, I rewrote mine after the first rejection (a form rejection from an agent I was sure would bite) and then again after getting a few more. Just when I was going to rewrite it again, I got a partial request. :shrug: I'll just keep trying until something works.
ReplyDeleteGo, Alexia!
ReplyDeleteI sent out my queries in batches of 30-35 and I tweaked the query a couple of times along the way. My first attempt was pretty bland, but the second two did generate some requests.
Query writing is hard!
I reckon you keep trying. Like Jennifer said, you can tweek along the way. But keep trying.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I think it means just to tweak your query. So maybe after 25, redo your query a little and send more out. I always hear, if your query is good enough, you'll get requests. And then, at that point, if the agent has read some of your work and you keep getting rejections, then I'd say you do some revising of your work or whatever.
ReplyDeleteHi Alexia - Hope you had a great Stay-cation holiday. Hubby and I just finished ours and it was fantastic.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the queries. Don't give up. You'll get it yet.