Why querying agents is so painfully difficult
Here are a few things you should know when querying agents.
It is painful.
The stories we write are close to our hearts. They bring us laughter and tears. They talk to us. Literally. Ask any writer. We hear their voices. We know what they want to say. Sometimes we get out of bed at weird hours just to write it down.
We send these heartfelt words to agent after agent and many of them send form letters back (if we are lucky). Others just ignore us all together. Every now and then we get an invitation. A bite. A request for a partial.
Please send five pages.
Five pages? But...
Nope. Just five.
Sometimes we get an even bigger bite. Please send 25 pages. Maybe even 50. Please send them in times new roman font 12 with no more than 1/2 inch margins.
For me those bites have ended there. After four months I have had only three partial requests and all of them have been rejected. My hope was that I would have more interest by my 40th birthday.
At first I was a little sad that I didn't accomplish that goal but then I realized that I'll be 40 until next July. I still have plenty of time.
Besides, it's never in ones best interest to give up on a dream.
What are you dreaming about?
About Me
- kisatrtle
- I'm a 41 year old (gasp) freelance writer, school cafeteria manager, wife and mother. I have three children and one anxious and overweight beagle. I use my blog to make others laugh, to share some cool crafts, to document my lunchlady adventures and to lament about the challenges faced by us all on the journey called life. Thanks for visiting. Please leave some crack...um...I meant some comments.
7 random thoughts:
I know exactly how you feel. I sent mine out to just a few, and got back a couple form letters. I felt so rejected.
YOU CAN DO IT! I believe in your talent :)
My dream as of late, to open a vegan bakery...we shall see ;)
I'm dreaming that you will let go of this very random milestone of FORTY.
You write because you love to write. Keep doing it for that reason and don't stop querying agents (that's further than I've ever gotten). It will pay off. And in the meantime you will have continued to express your own creativity.
i would love to have my poetry published but have no clue where to start maybe it just isn't meant to be
Never give up that dream, no matter how tough it is to keep sending out.
My dream is that I will actually start to make a bit of money teaching at the scrapping studio. Just gotta get more classes going.
Don't give up!!!!
once a upon a time a great phrase which we used in our childhood stories ,a great remaindering