First Query

There’s a point in every author’s life when they need to stop fixing things and just let go.

I just submitted my first query letter.

Perhaps my novel doesn’t need a 4th round of revisions.

My query letter felt a lot like a dating profile. If it strikes the right note, I might get a message back. They might ask for a synopsis, or my first chapter.

Submitting those pages is the first date of the literary agency world.

3 short paragraphs, condensing my 95,500 word story into fewer than 250 words, including the hook, the synopsis, and my writing credits/thanks. I agonized over those few sentences, trying to be accurate, yet enticing. Hoping to appeal to the right sort of agent who will love and promote my novel as their own. I pestered all my online friends for feedback, honing and tweaking for hours. Days. I’d written a draft query 9 months ago, it worked as a base, but I wanted to make it shine. Today had to be the day.

I’m terrified and exhilarated. I know the best I should hope for on my first attempt is a form rejection email, but a dragon can dream.

What happens now?

a ) Worst case: No response.

b ) Form rejection.

c ) Personalized rejection, with advice.

d ) Request for pages/synopsis

For now, all I can do I wait.