6 Reasons Your Query Letter was Rejected
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ส.ค. 2024
- Jessica, Kim and James offer the flip side to last weeks' video-- 6 Things that BREAK your query's blurb and what not to do to be considered by a literary agent.
Jessica Faust’s love for books is what first brought her to open BookEnds Literary Agency. It is her desire to be an advocate for all authors that pushed her to create her blog, the BookEnds TH-cam channel and to maintain a vibrant presence on Twitter.
Jessica is proud to have grown BookEnds to an agency that represents authors of all genres for children and adults, allowing her to reach more readers and help more authors and illustrators achieve their dreams.
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Since interning at BookEnds as an undergrad in the summer of 2015, James has (basically) never left. He's just continuously level-up-ed inside of BookEnds. Now he is the Literary Assistant and Social Media Manager for the team. He’s been a reader since his mom gave him the first A Series of Unfortunate Events book and ordered the sequels regularly through Scholastic book orders.
James is currently growing his own list and is actively seeking submissions in adult literary and upmarket fiction, mystery, thrillers, and suspense. He is also accepting submissions in all sub-genres of Young Adult fiction, and is actively looking for Picture Books that make him laugh.
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With a client list including women's fiction, mystery, young adult and romance, Kim enjoys working on a wide range of books. She's currently eager to grow her list in the areas of women's fiction, suspense, and young adult. Most especially, as an Autism mom, she is dedicated to representing the stories and voices of individuals with special needs and their families.
Originally from Pennsylvania, Kim currently resides in New Jersey with her son (knock-knock jokester extraordinaire), daughter (budding Francophile and resident drama queen), husband (80s aficionado and sports trivia master) and Winston the twenty-pound cat.
Connect with BookEnds!
Twitter: bookendslit
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Website: www.bookendsliterary.com
Connect with Jessica: bookendsjessica
Connect with James: jmcgowanbks
Connect with Kim: BookEndsKim
You guys come across as very human. It's refreshing. We all know that agents aren't really human, but this breaks the mold. Thanks. Loving your series.
Thank you Michael!
This is an invaluable series! You give great, sometimes tough advice along with lighthearted banter. It helps me see the agent’s side of things.
Hello from England! This is another terrific video. I'm a traditionally published author of a dozen books, but I still find your videos inspiring! Keep them coming. 😊
This is such a nice thing to hear. Thank you!
I understand why the ending should be revealed in the synopsis, but another agent in another video said that he also wanted to know the ending in the *query blurb*. What do the agents at Bookends expect -- or is this a very personal preference?
Thanks again for the helpful video. I reworked my query letter over the weekend and really like the newest version a lot. Stating that often agents actually use the blurb to go on the back of the actual book was like tossing ice water on my back. I had no idea. That bit of info was an eye opener for sure.
Too bad only two agents at your agency take on books in the fantasy genre. And one of them says to leave off doing so for a bit. *sigh*
Ah well. When I finish my horror novel I can hit up a few additional folks your way. That's good.
Have a great week!
Jeff
Glad you've found them helpful and we love that you reworked your query!
Thank you! I’m so close to querying!
Glad to hear this is what I think I would do instinctively! Thank you! 😏👍🏼
Plot hole is a guy with a driver's license in his wallet, inside his pocket, I side a plane on a skyscraper they explodes and the drivers license just so happens to be found on the city sidewalk along with another ne.
Thank you!
I'm now up to 6 full requests and 4 of those have turned into rejections.
What sucks is, I've received no feedback other than a stock answer along the lines of "loved the work...can't offer representation" or "enjoyed the read...can't see an editorial vision" 😪
How do I interpret this?
Sorry to hear that, but every rejection is hopefully a step closer to a yes! If you're not receiving actionable feedback, it usually means the agent doesn't see the book as having any objective issues that need to be resolved but they just may just not think that it fits into the list they're building or they may not be personally interested in working on it as a project. Agents are readers first, and there are lots of books out there that readers might really enjoy but don't become their favorites. Since agents have limited time to work on books, they have to take on books that would be their favorites. So even if they really like a book, they can't always take it on.
More good insight and advice. Thanks.
Thank you!
I disagree that a bad blurb definitely means a bad book. Here is a bad blurb of Les Miserables: a prisoner does some bad stuff and things but sort of helps a girl.
Les Miserables is still a great book despite that blurb.
Here's one. You guess the title. A book about whaling. Takes a long time to catch the whale.😅
No chocolate cookies this time? I see that sugary treats have been replaced by a mug of flowers and pens and ribbons!
We were just as sad as you
Is there a way to get the microphone closer to you both? I have my volume turned all the way up and it's often times hard to hear you.
Sorry, the microphone is really right in front of us.
@@BookEndsLiterary ok, thank you. Maybe it's my phone then.
@@bardstables8909 We hope you find a good way to watch!
@@BookEndsLiterary never miss one. Great information. Hopefully it'll help me one day.
@Greg Danner They are using one microphone in the middle. If each person had his/her own microphone, I think the audio would improve for you.
How long is too long (for the query)? 300 words? 400?
20 videos later... I’m gonna go write that query letter
Love this channel. BTW.
Summary: If your blurb isn’t interesting and concise your book probably isn’t either!
bingo.
Maybe the letter "left behind as evidence" might have been left after the fire had burned out.
Comparisons… do you hate them?
Only if they're inaccurate ;)
I’m writing a historical fiction about a piece of history that the general public doesn’t know about. I’m wondering if it’s okay to explain this history in my query. That’s what I have now, but I’m wondering if I should change this.
The letter was in the freezer, which actually wouldn't burn.
Maybe, if the query letter is such a pain in the ass to most Writers, there's something wrong with the requirements of a query letter. It's too bad if a query is so regrettable the agent
"can't be bothered" to read it. This puts the Writer at a disadvantage while the agent's snobby attitude is allowed to inhibit the Writer's chances of being accepted.
Why should I submit if the agent may be in a hum-drim mood and can't be "bothered" to read my query?
Don't give it another thought. I've watched a few videos with these two now. Trust me: you and I are definitely not who they want queries from.
The table is way too busy and blocks the guests. It drives me nuts to keep seeing this "theme."
👍
Ew. We didn't even hear whatever it was that poor slob did that irritated you so much. "Oh, he's grumbling at me now!"
You mean, after you embarrassed him and talked to him like dirt? God, the way the other dude jumps in was so obnoxious. "Look at his face!" I would love to know the relationship he has to you all. Who talks to people like that?? And something tells me you're all the kind of people forever talking about "bullying" and "punching down." The disdain on that woman's face: "You're annoying." Ugh.