An Experience in Querying | or, what happens when you query too early
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ต.ค. 2024
- A bit of a different kind of vlog today. I recorded a bit of my experience querying my fiction novel, which I'm using the project title Project Caramel Latte. At the end of February, I send out my first queries to literary agents, and began the process of shopping the book around. But I very quickly realised I didn't think the book was ready, and I learned the hard way to trust my gut.
I hope this helps anyone whose struggling with the querying process. Often on TH-cam and other social media channels, we only really see the successes and big surprise happy moments. But this isn't everyone's reality. Maybe the next querying process will be one of those, but I wanted to share a less successful stint as well.
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omg I appreciate you sharing this so much and being so open! And you weren’t being pedantic at all. I had a similar epiphany about my current manuscript before as well. I rewrote an entire YA fantasy because the premise was what I wanted, but I realized I’d written it as like a fantasy-fantasy initially when I wanted it to be more of a ‘thriller in a fantasy setting.’ Once you basically mentioned you wanted it to be a ‘mystery in an urban fantasy setting,’ I was like I get you 1000%. Congrats on being brave by putting your work out there and wishing you the absolute best on your rewrite!
So glad you get it! and also glad other people have experienced it. Makes it feel a lot less harrowing
My heart goes out to you because I know that this stage of the writing career is killer. (I'm prepping to query in the fall.) But I'd also encourage you to reframe the agent's critiques in your brain--he took the time to read your book AND give you detailed feedback! That is such an incredible blessing, and truthfully so kind of him. He could have just said no, or told you it wasn't for him, or anything like that. But he gave you personal feedback and even liked enough of your writing and storytelling to ask you to send it to him again after you've reworked it. So cool!
Yes, I have since. Obviously, in the moment, the hopes being dashed can be hard to get past. But I have since reached out to him again and asked if he would be interested in the rewrite, which he responded positively. I think I was worried that his nice comments about my writing were just a necessary compliment sandwhich when really he wasn't interested at all. But that's a lot of my own insecurities talking. His response made me feel like he actually did like my writing, which is something positive.
I randomly clicked on this video, but it truly resonated with me! Often, 'no' is just a redirection!
Stay strong Vivian! Your taking this all very well, and the best thing you can do for yourself and your project is to persist. You’ll get there. 😊
As a Dad, these are heartbreaking moments. I so empathize with your struggle, and wanted to send you cake.
I saw your cautious optimism as a good thing. Writing is hard, being a published author multiplies that difficulty. It’s hard to expose yourself to the judgement of others, especially in a highly competitive field like writing.
But a couple of positive points:
1. You actually got a personalized response encouraging you and complimenting your abilities. That in itself is rare. Most just return a boiler plate “Thanks, but no thanks” response. The agent recognized your potential.
2. You dug in deep and analyzed your work. It allowed you to have an epiphany that moved you forward to think like an agent and editor, instead if externalizing or projecting fault on the industry. That took honesty and a willingness to grow. You are not stagnating in denial, you are improving.
All good writers experience these moments, but the great ones learn something from it and find a way to move forward.
Stephen King had his nail, you have your cake. Both work and get you to where you want to be.
Thank you for being brave and sharing. I’m still learning both the mechanics and craft of writing, and you just opened my eyes about the subtle requirements of structure. I’ll be picking up a book on that now too.
I wish you perseverance, you obviously already have skills and talent. Keep pushing forward.
You say this isn't a very inspirational video but tbh this video has been more encouraging than a lot of other query process videos. I think what you said about how rejections are necessary is a very helpful mindset to have, and being reminded of that does make me feel better about the rejections that I'm 100% going to be recieving.
Good for you! You are an inspiration for those that listen to you. It was ok to cry. Dont give up...there is nothing like self introspection that clears not only your mind, but helps others on their journey! And..I want to just say that no one I have listened to that queries has ever gotten a full manuscript request with in hours...rejections yes. So obviously this agent saw something special in your query. Ty
Thank you so much! This means so much to hear!
As someone who recently reached 80k words (and literally within like... a few thousand words away from finishing) on a draft of a story that I first wrote in 2021 (this was the 3rd version of it and i'd been working on it from January - April) and then figured out what had been bugging me about the entire story and how to fix it then scrapping all 80k words to rewrite another 90k word draft... I feel you on how tough and exhausting it is. Although, I knew in my gut that this would be THE VERSION and what would finally get me across that finish line with something I was happy with (and it was, and is currently with readers), it was still... such a huge gamble and a massive "oh man what am i about to do". I haven't seen your other vids as this one just popped up, but I'm wishing you the utmost luck going forward with your project, whatever point you are at now!
hi there! i know this is a bit belated but i just found this and my heart goes out to you--I was querying a fantasy novel with a strong mystery plot with series potential about the same time you were (jan-may) and was unsuccessful too. i also had the specific experience of being plotting the second book while querying the first and it was even worse to be so excited about it while having the first flounder and get rejections. i've moved on to something else for the time being rather than restructuring the first book/moving to the second (something i thought about too haha), but i'll be cheering you on and appreciate you sharing the hard parts of this journey
I'm currently in the middle of a rewrite for my WIP, too, and even before finishing the rewrite, I know there's more edits that I'll have to go back and make again... Meanwhile, I keep getting so tempted to query before I know it's ready... It's really hard to fight that urge! But part of the whole process, too, requires having that patience...
Love your video. Querying is tough.
So before we query are we supposed to write book, edit book (developmental, copyedit, etc. all the edits), beta readers read it, get feedback, incorporate edits, etc. THEN we query? Rejections are hard but I just figure we should expect them. And getting any feedback at all is incredible!!! What a gift. Expect rejections, imho it seems like a needle in a haystack trying to find the right book for the right agent at the right timing (and all of the other variables). Plus it's not a personal rejection, we are not our creative projects, no matter how much of ourselves or our work we've put into it. Once we've birthed it, it belongs to the world. That helps me keep some distance from it. That said, I'm not sure I even trust the publishing process, leaning toward self-publishing eventually, IF I create a novel I deem worthy of publishing. This first book might just be for the experience of writing a novel. Time will tell. : ) Thank you for sharing your experience! The transparency is so valuable. Kudos to you for writing well and taking the leap into the unknown. 🤩
I wasn't sure if you'd already done developmental edits before you received feedback from the agent that prompted the decision to restructure/rewrite the book. I'm new to your channel. Best wishes with your project!
Its complicated. I know a few best selling authors who I've spoken to, and some of them don't even have an agent! So the process is so individualised and becomes hard to give advice or to see how it should/shouldn't go. I didn't do any beta reading or anything. The only person who read my book was me, and now that agent. My feelings were entirely my own, especially once I started sketching out a plot for the next book. I wish I could have had beta readers, but that takes time, energy, and sometimes money - all of which I don't have. There's no right or wrong way to do anything, whether its traditional publishing or not. It's all about what works for you and what makes you happy, in the end.
@@VivianAsimos Thanks for this, I appreciate your sharing! So true. Well done. 😊💗
I think different writers tackle the querying process differently and that is okay. Kate DiCamillo had to/decided to send over 400 queries to get her first book 'Because of Winn-Dixie' published. Others might decide to send only few and still get their books published. Yes, will come eventually. I began my querying process in May and so far have received only rejections, which is completely normal. Fastest 'no' came just three days after I sent the letter. However, I'm determined to send new query letters to agents 🙂 Good luck with your book!!
Do they tall you the reasons behind the rejections, I hope so because I have been rejected 14 times without any reasons which frustrated me so I turned to self publishing, I know it's hard as a self author but this the fast at least to me. I like to have an agent honestly but this journey is very hard, really hard.
I had a similiar experience realising the book I queried had structural problems that were in the foundation, only it took me two years of querying to figure it out.i never got a ms request 😂
This actually was useful. What a journey, eh?
I would like to know how agents works ?
The audio is missing for the March 22 segment.
So strange, it's there for me
@@VivianAsimos My apologies. I often only put one of my headphone ear cups on so I can hear my spouse. The audio for that section is only coming from the left channel, and I only had my right ear cup on.