From the Trenches

Lately, I’ve had a lot of my non-writer friends ask about querying: What does querying mean? Why do you do it? What does it mean when you say you are “in the query trenches”? 

So, for my non-writer friends with these questions, this month’s blog post is for you. I should probably add a disclaimer here, the answers below are from my perspective and my personal experience. Haters, read this disclaimer as “don’t waste your time finding a more intellectual response from cited sources.” Of course, I’m always open to everyone’s thoughts because I’m curious like that. (Or maybe I’m just a glutton for punishment.) 

Okay, moving on. To help answer these questions, I think we must start with the end goal. For me, the end goal is getting traditionally published, meaning I’ve authored a book that can be found on bookshelves in major retailer’s physical stores (Barnes and Noble, Target, Walmart, etc.) - a real non-digital book with paper pages, a cover, a back, a spine, etc., and is also available online (think amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, etc.).  

Most of the books you see available on a shelf in a store are printed and distributed by one of the major publishing houses. Publishers like Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, etc. Generally, these publishers won’t accept unsolicited submissions from folks like little ole me. Instead, they work with literary agents to source the books they publish. That leaves unpublished writers like me needing to find a literary agent if they want to publish via the traditional route with one of the big publishing houses. This is where the whole “query” thing comes in.
 
​Finding an agent is kind of like online dating. You are trying to find someone who is a good match for you. You like them. They like you. Someone who will champion your book, fight for you, get your book submitted to the big guys on your behalf, someone who will hold your hand all the way until your book is on the shelf. Ideally this person will continue to work with you on future books as well; they’ll be your ride or die on your publishing journey. 

A query is basically a pitch you throw out to literary agents interested in your genre to see if they would be willing to represent you. Your “pitch” is like the description you read on the back of a book to see if it’s something you want to read. In addition to the pitch itself, your query letter mentions a little bit about you, the book’s genre, word count, and so on. You’re trying to explain why your book is the best thing since sliced bread, and why they’d be the perfect person to help make your dream come true.  

I’ve spent countless hours researching, writing, and re-writing query letters for the three books I’ve written so far. Every agent wants something different, but typically they want your query to include a synopsis of the book you’re pitching and a writing sample (i.e., the first ten pages, the first chapter, etc.). So, for each agent you’re interested in, you put your query together, submit it, and then light candles, rub your lucky rabbit’s foot, plead to the writing Gods above, and just generally hope and pray they reply to your query and ask for your full manuscript. Most of the time they don’t. For instance, as of this moment, I’ve sent 101 queries over the past eight years for the three different books I’ve written. Of those 101, I’ve received only three full requests, none of which ended in snagging an agent. The others have either returned a rejection, or never responded at all. If you’re thinking, “Wow, she must really suck”, don’t feel bad, I’ve thought that too. It is just really hard. Many bestselling authors received hundreds of rejections before finally getting published. I must remind myself of this fact daily.  

Even though I know the statistics, each rejection stings. Being turned down is hard. But so far, I’ve managed to keep marching on. And yes, I know I could self-publish, or just go digital, or go with a real small publishing house, get my books out there on Amazon, but for now, I’m holding onto my dream of going the traditional route. Maybe I’m a sadist. 
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Finally, to address the last question about “being in the query trenches”, it means you’ve rolled up your sleeves and you are querying your little heart out. You’re remaining sane amongst rejections and fighting the good fight to hopefully achieve your dream. And as painful as it is, I have learned so much from the entire process. I can subjectively look at the books I’ve written and see each one was better than the last. That is a pretty powerful lesson since I thought the first one was pretty darn good. I’m guessing when I write the next one, I’ll think it’s better than the one I’m currently querying for. I mean, practice makes perfect, right? Let’s hope so. For now, I’ll keep marching toward my dream. Keep on keeping on. Luckily for me, I’m not a quitter, and I’m not afraid of doing hard things. Or maybe, the reality is I’m just too damned stubborn to give up. Either way, throughout my life, books have often been my salvation - they’ve let me dream, they’ve transported me to places I’d never have visited otherwise, they’ve helped me learn, they’ve warmed and entertained me, and hopefully my books can do the same for countless others someday.