It took me longer than I expected to send out the first batch of query letters. I wanted to be thorough in my preliminary research. I would like to share the steps I have thus far taken in the query process. However, before I go any further, I have some important wisdom that published writers have so graciously passed on to me:

A legitimate agent never charges you a fee or money up front, they make money off the sales of your books only. If any agent wants to charge you upfront fees for anything, run the other way.

Now, on to the other important stuff.

I started by researching numerous agents at Query Tracker under the thriller genre. I studied their websites, which generally contained client lists and submission guidelines. I read what others at Query Tracker had to say about them. I conducted a general internet search, checked their reputation at Preditors and Editors, and searched the Bewares section of Absolute Write. Knowledge is power and leads to great success.

For me, success is about how I choose to live this entire query process. I have seen blogs and message boards dedicated to novel rejections, wherein there is a whole lot of complaining and putting down of agents who reject their work. I cannot help but wonder what the expectation is when sending out query letters. I want to find the right match for me and my novel, just as much as the agent wants to find the right book to sell. Rejection is inevitable.

My goal is to have between five and ten query letters in circulation until I find an agent. I realize I need to account for agents who might ask for a limited exclusive to review my manuscript, or who make an offer that I might want to accept. I have no doubt that I will find an agent.

For now, I need to work on my synopsis and other works in progress. I have a first chapter of novel two in the works (it’s an older work I did not complete).

1. You must write.
2. You must finish what you write.
3. You must refrain for rewriting, except to editorial order.
4. You must put your work on the market.
5. You must keep you work on the market until it is sold.

This is it for now. Happy writing to all!

I never thought writing a one page query letter could be more difficult than writing a 350 page novel. In a query, I have one paragraph and three to five sentences to reel the agent into my fictional world. My pitch must be succinct, colorful, and end with a hook that gets the agent’s attention. My dream: once they read my brilliant query, they will want to read the rest of my manuscript. The reality: it is tough out there in the publishing world, and I will probably receive rejections no matter how great my query letter is. After all, rejection is part of a writer’s life.

After researching numerous resources on the internet, it took me about two weeks to complete my query letter. I stared at the blank page, and then wrote stupid sentences and long rambling paragraphs. Finally, I found a template at the Writers Beware blog, and the premise behind this skeleton of a letter began to take shape.

I have heard that pitching your novel is like speed dating—you have three to five minutes to tell a potential significant other about your greatest qualities. You must deliver a vivid picture of your novel in as few words as possible. It is essential to acquire both verbal and written skills in providing an unforgettable snapshot of your novel. You never know when you might run into an agent.

Last night before turning in, I posted my query letter at Absolute Write in Query Letter Hell in the Share Your Work forum. I was surprised this morning to find five or six replies, all of which were thoughtful and honest. The biggest compliment I received was that my query was solid. Someone else could not help me with the query but wanted to read more. Some writers suggested changes, which I incorporated into my final draft.

I have acquired a list of eight agents using Query Tracker. I have checked them all out at Preditors and Editors. I have researched their websites viewed their client lists, and read their blogs. What is the next step?

Tomorrow, I will buy nice off-white stationary with matching envelopes. I will personalize my query for each agent. This next week, I will send out queries to the eight agents. My plan? To keep sending those queries out until I find a reputable agent to represent my work.

If you are in the query process, keep your chin up no matter what. Start working on your next novel.

Happy writing!

I have completed one hard copy edit of my novel, including major revisions and a few cuts. I am now twenty pages shy of completing a second edit, which had proven to be much easier with less mistakes and more smooth sentences. Now, I am ready to progress to the next step, which could be any of the following:

1. Send a query letter to agents or publishers that do not require an agent;
2. Send a query letter with three sample chapters to an agent or publishers that do not require an agent;
3. Run to the self publishing house to publish their work right away;
4. Send it to a freelance editor who, for around $300, will critique the writer’s work;
5. Edit, edit, and edit some more until the story has morphed into something else;
6. Send it to beta readers;
7. Stuff the story in a trunk and forget about it, because it will never be good enough anyway.

(Whenever a semi-colon is used, an angel loses its wings. Believe me, I feel very guilty right now).

I have thought long and hard about what my next move is. I do not care to self publish, and I am not interested in a freelance editor, because I believe money flows to the writer, not away. I have completely revised my story, as well as completed at least two rounds of editing, with the help of my critique group. I think it would be foolish to stuff my manuscript into a trunk and forget about it, because I truly believe it is a good story. Finally, I do not want to go straight to publishers, even if they do accept work without an agent.

Well, that leaves numbers one and six. My first order of business is to send my story to beta readers. Two of the people who have accepted to be readers are bookworms who read just about every genre out there. I want their opinions as readers. In other words, if they read the first few pages while in the bookstore, would they buy it? Once they stared reading, were they be inclined to read further?

While my manuscript is with readers, I will research agents in the thriller genre. I will also learn how to construct a proper query letter. I can’t wait to read Noah Lukeman’s EBook, How to Write a Great Query Letter. Finally, after my readers have given me their feedback, I will decide if anything needs to be revised.

That’s it for now. Happy writing!

I have not kept up with my blog as much as I would like to, but only because I have been spending an inordinate amount of time editing my novel. As of today, I have about 55,300 words edited. What this means is that I have taken away and added paragraphs and pages, (it was heartbreaking discarding those brilliant sections that had little to do with the story), found incorrect punctuation, and sentences where I used one word when I meant to use another. However, my biggest chore during this edit is to tighten those sentences up.

What does sentence-tightening entail? It means using a whole lot less words to convey my meaning. This is not from my novel, but it is a great example:

Wordy: She went to the car, opened the door, and got into the driver’s seat.

Better: She slid into the driver’s seat.

Such a short simple sentence to convey the same meaning.

Words are important in writing, because every genre of short story of novel has a word count range. In order to increase our chances of selling our work, we must follow the publisher guidelines. We must make every single word count.

I find editing like eating healthy and exercising. If I eat the right foods and run four times a week, I get the physical results I want. Well, if I write tight and make every single word count, then I know I have turned out the best product I can. Perhaps the next step will be to catch an agent’s eye, with the grand finale being publication.

Now, it’s time to go for my run and then edit my novel. Happy writing all!

I completed editing my first draft Sunday- May 23, 2010 to be exact. I now have a 305 page manuscript adorned with green sticky notes. Entire portions of my novel contain handwritten notes and lines through words, notations to add words, and small reminders to watch for repetitive phrasing. I gained insight into my novel’s strengths and weaknesses in both character and plot. It is up to me to take this manuscript and make it the best work product possible.

Yesterday, after pondering what my next phase of creativity would look like, I decided to sketch an outline. My story spans five days and contains viewpoints of one main character and two others. When editing, I noted some of my timelines were a little skewed, to say the least. My goal is to ensure that my timeline is spot on. I need to eliminate any reader confusion.

Last night, I started the chapter/scene outline. Today, I completed my outline/synopsis up to the newly revised chapter 8 (if I had not combined chapters, I would have been to chapter 13). I have been at it about an hour and a half. I can stop for the evening and do something else.

I am proud of myself.

My goal is to complete my outline by sometime next week, though I suspect it could be sooner. After this comes the restructuring of my novel, along with the revisions and additions, as well as deletions.

Many people have been giving me support during this process, for which I am grateful and blessed. A writer must write alone, but it is important not to isolate and shut out other people.

Happy writing all!