Comments on: Something isn’t right: Is it my query or my manuscript? http://writerunboxed.com/2009/09/22/something-isnt-right-is-it-my-query-or-my-manuscript/ about the craft and business of fiction Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:54:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: June Goodwin http://writerunboxed.com/2009/09/22/something-isnt-right-is-it-my-query-or-my-manuscript/#comment-127364 June Goodwin Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:06:20 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/09/22/something-isnt-right-is-it-my-query-or-my-manuscript/#comment-127364 I'm in the midst of revisions of my first novel and I agree with Vic. Constructing the query, made me tighten the story. The query and the story have to match up. I realized, I have to deliver on what I promise or an agent reading the query may have a WTF moment. I’m in the midst of revisions of my first novel and I agree with Vic. Constructing the query, made me tighten the story. The query and the story have to match up. I realized, I have to deliver on what I promise or an agent reading the query may have a WTF moment.

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]]> By: Therese Walsh http://writerunboxed.com/2009/09/22/something-isnt-right-is-it-my-query-or-my-manuscript/#comment-127183 Therese Walsh Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/09/22/something-isnt-right-is-it-my-query-or-my-manuscript/#comment-127183 Thanks for all of the great comments and suggestions, everyone! Vic, so glad you found the post. It's interesting that writing your query helped you ID a problem in the actual manuscript--and, better, fix it! Let us know how things progress for you. We'll keep our fingers crossed. Thanks for all of the great comments and suggestions, everyone!

Vic, so glad you found the post. It’s interesting that writing your query helped you ID a problem in the actual manuscript–and, better, fix it! Let us know how things progress for you. We’ll keep our fingers crossed.

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]]> By: Vic K http://writerunboxed.com/2009/09/22/something-isnt-right-is-it-my-query-or-my-manuscript/#comment-127181 Vic K Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:42:17 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/09/22/something-isnt-right-is-it-my-query-or-my-manuscript/#comment-127181 Hey I'm famous! Now that's been a long time coming.... : )Thanks Therese, I feel special. This is a fantastic article and I really loved the way you constructed it scenario by scenario. To explain... I actually have had an agent and I acquired my agent without having to use a query. Would it be a terrible thing to admit I felt a little smug watching a lot of my writing friends go through the painful process of constructing their queries? Then my agent retired. And I here I am, back on the ground floor. In the process of constructing a query, I uncovered a major issue with the story of my novel. Somehow, in the writing of the novel, I'd managed to lose sight of a central thread. So writing the query helped me tighten and improve the big picture of the story... but I guess I'll only know if I got all the bugs out when I start submitting again - and then I'll use your scenario as a great reference. Thanks again Therese, much appreciated! Vic. Hey I’m famous! Now that’s been a long time coming…. : )Thanks Therese, I feel special.

This is a fantastic article and I really loved the way you constructed it scenario by scenario.

To explain… I actually have had an agent and I acquired my agent without having to use a query. Would it be a terrible thing to admit I felt a little smug watching a lot of my writing friends go through the painful process of constructing their queries?

Then my agent retired. And I here I am, back on the ground floor. In the process of constructing a query, I uncovered a major issue with the story of my novel. Somehow, in the writing of the novel, I’d managed to lose sight of a central thread.

So writing the query helped me tighten and improve the big picture of the story… but I guess I’ll only know if I got all the bugs out when I start submitting again – and then I’ll use your scenario as a great reference.

Thanks again Therese, much appreciated!

Vic.

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]]> By: jeanne kinkade http://writerunboxed.com/2009/09/22/something-isnt-right-is-it-my-query-or-my-manuscript/#comment-127137 jeanne kinkade Wed, 23 Sep 2009 23:58:29 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/09/22/something-isnt-right-is-it-my-query-or-my-manuscript/#comment-127137 Very helpful. Thanks! Very helpful. Thanks!

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]]> By: Jessica Scott http://writerunboxed.com/2009/09/22/something-isnt-right-is-it-my-query-or-my-manuscript/#comment-127090 Jessica Scott Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:08:22 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/09/22/something-isnt-right-is-it-my-query-or-my-manuscript/#comment-127090 I feel like I was in every single situation you mentioned before I signed with my agent. I had multiple requests for partials and fulls based off my full query, then flat out rejections but really good comments. I had agents that never responded. I had form letters. All in all, I ignored the form letters, checked off the agents who said no and read the comments when I received them. The entire time, I kept digging. Kept rewriting. Kept plugging away at it. Get a fresh set of eyes on your piece. Have someone read it and really lay it on you. It may be that you just haven't found the right agent for your stuff. I look at all the rejections I received and realize that while the work needed to be done, I simply hadn't found the right agent for my stuff yet. Now I've got one who's excited about my project and I couldn't be happier. So keep writing. Look critically at your own work but sometimes, maybe you need to step away. Then, the next time you read it, you'll have fresh eyes. Good luck! I feel like I was in every single situation you mentioned before I signed with my agent. I had multiple requests for partials and fulls based off my full query, then flat out rejections but really good comments. I had agents that never responded. I had form letters.
All in all, I ignored the form letters, checked off the agents who said no and read the comments when I received them. The entire time, I kept digging. Kept rewriting. Kept plugging away at it.
Get a fresh set of eyes on your piece. Have someone read it and really lay it on you. It may be that you just haven’t found the right agent for your stuff. I look at all the rejections I received and realize that while the work needed to be done, I simply hadn’t found the right agent for my stuff yet. Now I’ve got one who’s excited about my project and I couldn’t be happier.
So keep writing. Look critically at your own work but sometimes, maybe you need to step away. Then, the next time you read it, you’ll have fresh eyes.
Good luck!

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]]> By: Karen Amanda Hooper http://writerunboxed.com/2009/09/22/something-isnt-right-is-it-my-query-or-my-manuscript/#comment-127059 Karen Amanda Hooper Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:02:25 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/09/22/something-isnt-right-is-it-my-query-or-my-manuscript/#comment-127059 Great post! With great advice. Thanks for the helpful info. Great post! With great advice. Thanks for the helpful info.

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]]> By: Jeanne http://writerunboxed.com/2009/09/22/something-isnt-right-is-it-my-query-or-my-manuscript/#comment-127045 Jeanne Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:29:45 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/09/22/something-isnt-right-is-it-my-query-or-my-manuscript/#comment-127045 Great post! Common sense is so hard to listen to when it is telling us what we don't want to hear, but yet so valuable to hear. My rule of thumb is to try to read the query or partial like an agent/editor. If I'm reading a passage I've written and I tune out during it (like thinking about what to make for dinner) or if I skip reading several lines in it, it needs fixing. Great post! Common sense is so hard to listen to when it is telling us what we don’t want to hear, but yet so valuable to hear. My rule of thumb is to try to read the query or partial like an agent/editor. If I’m reading a passage I’ve written and I tune out during it (like thinking about what to make for dinner) or if I skip reading several lines in it, it needs fixing.

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]]> By: Kathleen Bolton http://writerunboxed.com/2009/09/22/something-isnt-right-is-it-my-query-or-my-manuscript/#comment-127033 Kathleen Bolton Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:48:25 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/09/22/something-isnt-right-is-it-my-query-or-my-manuscript/#comment-127033 Awesome post, Therese. Queries are sooo hard, almost harder than synopses. Yet so crucial. Awesome post, Therese. Queries are sooo hard, almost harder than synopses. Yet so crucial.

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]]> By: Melanie http://writerunboxed.com/2009/09/22/something-isnt-right-is-it-my-query-or-my-manuscript/#comment-127022 Melanie Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:45:41 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/09/22/something-isnt-right-is-it-my-query-or-my-manuscript/#comment-127022 I needed to hear this today. I received rejections on my first round of queries (only one partial request) so I'm thinking it's my query... I needed to hear this today. I received rejections on my first round of queries (only one partial request) so I’m thinking it’s my query…

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]]> By: Jamie http://writerunboxed.com/2009/09/22/something-isnt-right-is-it-my-query-or-my-manuscript/#comment-127021 Jamie Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:26:47 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/09/22/something-isnt-right-is-it-my-query-or-my-manuscript/#comment-127021 "Query writing is an art unto itself, so be sure you spend a good chunk of time researching how to write one for your genre, studying queries that worked, and perfecting your query." Great tip, however be sure that once you find a query that you like (in the infinite pile online) that you don't keep looking...too much information can become overwhelming and make you second guess yourself. “Query writing is an art unto itself, so be sure you spend a good chunk of time researching how to write one for your genre, studying queries that worked, and perfecting your query.”

Great tip, however be sure that once you find a query that you like (in the infinite pile online) that you don’t keep looking…too much information can become overwhelming and make you second guess yourself.

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