Queries

How many queries for your novel do you guys typically send? Obviously this question goes out to those who have completed novels. Also, how many rejections before you give up and shelf the novel?

I'm currently on 17 rejections, but several are from the same publishing house, just different agents. Most were form rejections, while others were helpful and provided some positive feedback. A couple even called the work "cool" but not not what they were looking for at the moment, which I guess means it's not upmarket fiction or YA.

Any info or hellstories about the querying stage will be appreciated.

Make that 18. I just received an email saying the agent wasn't "connecting" with the synopses I provided. Bah humbug.

around 50 is when I quit

I read 80 is the norm. I figure I'll make it an even hundred before I call it quits. I should be done with my second novel by that time and would be ripe for another round of disappointment. btw, I failed to mention this is the first novel I've sent queries for, if anyone's reading.

i guess not many aspiring writers here today. or at least very few actively working at getting published the traditional route.

Tell me a bit about it. I just have given up. How are you sending so many queries?

I've basically lost count. There are dozens, and I don't formally keep track.

Among them all, I've had one request for a partial, and one that even requested a full before rejecting me, so I have some hope that the novel is sellable.

>How are you sending so many queries?
what do you mean by this? how? well, i researched several dozen literary agencies, choose an agent from whatever agency i like, and send them an email with a synopsis, bio info, and a chapter or two, if prompted. i have one novel completed that i am seeking literary representation for. novel queries are not queries for magazines where you ask a publication if they are interested in you writing an article on a hot topic.

as for giving up, I gave up writing or a few years. I was doing it professionally at an ad agency and it just wore me out. however, i took it back up when these stories I have in my head just wouldn't go away and beckoned to be written. i have four outlines and a couple of others I am thinking of pitching as tv series.

hope that helped some.

>and a chapter or two
What determines the length and your selected chapter?

good luck, man. keep on trucking, I say. and writing, too. that's kind of the more important part.

i've heard this stage can be demoralizing and I didn't really believe it until I got here. getting rejected from the basis of a synopsis is aggravating. it's like from kindergarten we've been told never to judge a book by its cover, all the while agencies and publishers judge a book by its cover blurb. jeez, man. it does take a toll.

>What determines the length and your selected chapter?
most agents tell you straight off what they want, and it is typically the first 5-25 pages. it is up to the writer whether to follow that or not. i usually do. i send the first and second chapter. if the agent's info states he/she (and there are a hell of a lot more she's) would like to read several sample chapters, i usually send the first one and the fourth, as it introduces my other protagonist, who is a female and a contrast to the more masculine primary protagonist.

>beckoned to be written
I'm not surprised you've been rejected so many times

I have two "completed" novels, but they're awful and editing them is barely helping.

Should I just reeeaally polish the first two chapters and ship it around?

meant to tag

Last time I gave up after around 20-30 rejections. With this next book I'm going to sit down and force myself to send it to at least 100 of those fuckers.

if you've never been compelled beyond all reason or measure to compose a lengthy piece of literature, then a writer you aren't.

whatever works, mate. sure, do that and see how it goes. however, acknowledging your novels aren't that good isn't a headstart to being published. if you don't think they're of any quality, why publish them? write another one and maybe the third times the charm?

advice: study what made your first two novels less than stellar and try to omit those mistakes in the following one. good luck, though.

good luck, mate!

I think for me it was around 4 agents until I got accepted. No interesting stories though. Three form rejections then they asked for the usual first few pages, then full, then it got picked up.

>Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was originally rejected by 121 publishers
>The book sold 5 million copies worldwide

Keep going.

lol
good for you lad

On the chapter thing: This book I'm writing now is split into a handful of what I consider long chapters, but each one is further subdivided into several sections. Would you consider the smaller subsections to be "chapters" in this case? I think two of the full chapters would push it past the word/page count most agents ask for.

Also what are your thoughts on epigraphs? Should I include the one I'm using for the beginning in the query sample or not?

unless one of your chapters is 25+ pages, i'd include the entire chapter when asked to do so. mind you, it really depends on what is being sought. i'm currently writing a novel with only three chapters, 100 or so pages each, but subdivided, as yours, into multiple segments within the chapter. for that one, i will inform the agent or publisher how the book is divided and continue on from there.

i don't bother with epigraphs. i'd suggest maybe not including one if it's not your writing.

Each one is approx. 31 pages double spaced on average.

>defining length by pages instead of words
Wew lad...

That's an estimate based on the number of words.

why do you even want your books to be published? do you want to make money or do you think they truly are good literature? even though there are many books published that are not to be considered good literature, I think the latter is what should be aspired. For if you want to make money, there are sooooo many easier ways.

If you write solely for the purpose of writing a good book, then you don't need to be published. QED.

On a more serious note, if the book is good, it will get published. If it's garbage, throw it where it belongs.

You can do both you know. Not to mention that you could write but the best novel in the world but if no one actually reads it it will have no effect.

That's what my last sentence was about. but you don't read very carefully, do you?

If I wrote the best novel in the world, and burnt it in my fireplace, no one would know it was the best, but I decided to destroy it, as is my fair right.
If I just leave it somewhere, it probably will be found and probably also read.

There is just a difference in desperately trying to get published with a semi-good book to actually writing a good one and trust in its quality.

it's quite evident you have zero experience querying novels. instead of being snide, how about some due diligence? how about you take a few minutes of your time and research agents, literary agencies, and publishers open to non-solicited material. read their submissions guidelines. how many cite word count and not page number or chapters for submission? i can wait.

How much querying have you done? Have you been published? I'm not him but it's a very common strategy for authors to publish things they're not necessarily proud of just to get a foot in the door. A published author is considered more seriously for future publication than an unpublished one.

>why do you even want your books to be published?
OP here. while the question is obviously facetious, i'll answer earnestly. i have made a living as a copywriter at an ad agency and freelancing for more than a decade. i aim to transition from that kind of writing to fiction. i wrote for a regional paper for half a year and found beat writing wanting. so, i now endeavor to make a living via my creative writing. yes, i have another job in a somewhat related field that pays the bills but writing and publishing fiction has always been the dream.

>On a more serious note, if the book is good, it will get published. If it's garbage, throw it where it belongs.
indeed. i think the novel is good enough to merit publication. those who have read it - a literary agent, an ad writer, and an old friend at the paper - also agree. it's simply playing the numbers game. i sincerely regret never making contacts in the publishing industry while working at the ad agency.

well, i think that answers that. any more questions?

i'd suggest following the guidelines and what each agent asks for. there are some that stipulate the first chapter or the first 5-25 pages. in your case, i'd send the entire 31 pages if asked for a complete chapter. if not, try to do as each agent or an agency requires. no need for them to delete or throw away your query for not following directions.

do you send out one query at a time and wait for a response before sending out another, or send out multiple queries at once?

i send out multiple, around 5-8 or so at a time. some agents and agencies don't respond so when i get several rejections, i do another round. mind you, i may have failed to mention, i'm typically sending to the larger and more reputable agencies. next month or so, i'll start sending to smaller agencies if the rejections continue.

thanks. good luck.