tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436812892124383603.post8208838739550402153..comments2024-03-03T22:02:43.757-04:00Comments on Quiet Laughter: A to Z: QueryingGuilie Castillohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006999087139126972noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436812892124383603.post-734787574953231472012-04-20T23:37:16.241-04:002012-04-20T23:37:16.241-04:00Maass's book is on my "to be read" p...Maass's book is on my "to be read" pile...I'm thinking I should shuffle it closer to the top. I'm on the second draft of what I consider to be my first workable novel manuscript. (Up until now, I've focused my efforts more on short stories.) Lots to think about.<br /><br /><a href="http://elizabethtwist.blogspot.ca/" rel="nofollow">A-Z @ Elizabeth Twist</a>Elizabeth Twisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03133959633383307056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436812892124383603.post-83236345965299632902012-04-20T23:22:17.190-04:002012-04-20T23:22:17.190-04:00I think "to query" is a writerly thing r...I think "to query" is a writerly thing rather than American. I know British and Australian blogger writers who talk about querying, and non-writers everywhere have no clue what it means.<br /><br />Don has some good advice. I also see this line of thinking coming out strong and clear in Query Shark (which I'm sure you must have heard of).Botanisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12098709722475364465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436812892124383603.post-41810182569899866272012-04-20T08:50:44.739-04:002012-04-20T08:50:44.739-04:00Thanks for the visit, Debra! I'm honored you l...Thanks for the visit, Debra! I'm honored you liked the blog and the pics, and look forward to seeing you often, either here or at your "place" :)Guilie Castillohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09006999087139126972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436812892124383603.post-18552498947981507282012-04-20T08:49:10.445-04:002012-04-20T08:49:10.445-04:00Ah, Cindy... I hear you. Conveying our voice in qu...Ah, Cindy... I hear you. Conveying our voice in queries is probably one of the hardest parts--all these "rules" and guidelines make us sound a little like everyone else. I'm sure, like with writing, it gets better with repetition :)Guilie Castillohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09006999087139126972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436812892124383603.post-69055768707369082152012-04-20T08:45:07.029-04:002012-04-20T08:45:07.029-04:00Thanks for the return visit--I really enjoyed your...Thanks for the return visit--I really enjoyed your blog and your attitude :) It's great to meet you, too!Guilie Castillohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09006999087139126972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436812892124383603.post-37484851740416348462012-04-20T08:44:31.770-04:002012-04-20T08:44:31.770-04:00Thanks for the input, Beth--glad you weighed in. I...Thanks for the input, Beth--glad you weighed in. I agree--we definitely need to query more than one agent at a time, not just because of the "numbers game" but also because, we're much more likely then to get acceptances close together, and it will make it easier to negotiate the kind of contract we want. And indeed--perseverance is what distinguishes the chaff from golden wheat :)Guilie Castillohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09006999087139126972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436812892124383603.post-92105687704109103722012-04-20T02:42:04.816-04:002012-04-20T02:42:04.816-04:00Thanks for writing about Donald Maas. I like Donal...Thanks for writing about Donald Maas. I like Donald Maas as well and find his suggestions useful.But the whole process of querying is fraught with frustration and uncertainty. It's no wonder writers are intimidated, for there are more writers than agents. Any personal response should be celebrated. Another tip to consider is to submit to more than one potential agent at a time. And persevere.Beth Camphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12682622561621269515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436812892124383603.post-20485712647032202682012-04-19T22:29:48.226-04:002012-04-19T22:29:48.226-04:00Guilie,
An interesting post. I enjoy writing about...Guilie,<br />An interesting post. I enjoy writing about the perils and joys of writers.Thank you for stopping at my blog and it is nice to meet you.Manzanitahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06467261212623663365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436812892124383603.post-80878099960339795962012-04-19T20:20:27.916-04:002012-04-19T20:20:27.916-04:00I sent out all of one query letter since starting ...I sent out all of one query letter since starting A2Z. I couldn't keep up with everything so used that as an excuse to stop. Come May 1st, my hiatus is over. Thanks for the tips!<br /><br />I still wish I could find a good resource for humor queries. I haven't had a problem finding my voice in my drafts, but I struggle with the content since I don't have a traditional story to summarize.Cindy Dwyerhttp://cynthiadwyer.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436812892124383603.post-62184843794528625872012-04-19T19:59:26.291-04:002012-04-19T19:59:26.291-04:00Great post. I have been querying my articles latel...Great post. I have been querying my articles lately with success! Yea. Your blog is great and I love your profile/attitude and those pictures on the blog are amazing. I'll be back! Thanks for visiting me today.Debra Harris-Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08890783290789005185noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436812892124383603.post-62171665462145174712012-04-19T17:24:22.691-04:002012-04-19T17:24:22.691-04:00I haven't started any querying process yet si...I haven't started any querying process yet since I don't have anything to query yet. However, I certainly have read a lot about querying.<br />I have featured your blog in my post for today.<br /><br /><br />Lee <br />An A to Z Co-Host <br /><a href="http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Tossing It Out</a>Arlee Birdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11663942782929929334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436812892124383603.post-61127167246905629042012-04-19T15:48:07.773-04:002012-04-19T15:48:07.773-04:00Thanks for the comment, Sherry--glad you liked it ...Thanks for the comment, Sherry--glad you liked it :) Yeah, those post-its definitely color up the book, haha! I can see why you'd refer back to it often--I think it'll become standard laptop-side literature for me, too :)Guilie Castillohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09006999087139126972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436812892124383603.post-61285708989547747242012-04-19T15:46:54.737-04:002012-04-19T15:46:54.737-04:00Whoa, Kristin--this is an AMAZING set of tips! Tha...Whoa, Kristin--this is an AMAZING set of tips! Thank you so much for taking the time to share here! I hope everyone else finds them as useful as I did, and you did a great job of summarizing the main gist of everything I've read on the internet. You're right--querying is still intimidating, but if we're to get our stories out there, sooner or later we need to do it. Applying the knowledge ain't easy, for sure, but it's impossible if we don't have it :)<br /><br />Thanks again--great GREAT comment!Guilie Castillohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09006999087139126972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436812892124383603.post-44295556654173492152012-04-19T15:44:22.581-04:002012-04-19T15:44:22.581-04:00Thanks for the visit, Francene! Yep, I agree--that...Thanks for the visit, Francene! Yep, I agree--that "what's it about" kills me every time.Guilie Castillohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09006999087139126972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436812892124383603.post-78925200996415704252012-04-19T15:43:33.452-04:002012-04-19T15:43:33.452-04:00Thanks for the visit, Haddock, and glad you liked ...Thanks for the visit, Haddock, and glad you liked the pics. Yes, I found that too--on other blogs, the more pics, the faster I get hooked. Glad it works here, too :)Guilie Castillohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09006999087139126972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436812892124383603.post-27166376096213777552012-04-19T15:41:50.862-04:002012-04-19T15:41:50.862-04:00Thanks, Margo! Glad you liked the post--and yes, d...Thanks, Margo! Glad you liked the post--and yes, definitely finish Don's book :) Haha, I haven't begun querying yet, but I can so see myself poring over every form response like a fortune-teller reading palms. And a non-form one? Whoa... That'll blow me to the floor for sure :) Look forward to your visits, and thanks for following :)Guilie Castillohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09006999087139126972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436812892124383603.post-20375022398859687832012-04-19T15:26:00.429-04:002012-04-19T15:26:00.429-04:00Great post, and love the pic of all your post-it n...Great post, and love the pic of all your post-it notes in it. I have this book too and refer back to it regularly.Sherry Gloaghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03143365764333974956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436812892124383603.post-9420810693359325292012-04-19T14:35:58.037-04:002012-04-19T14:35:58.037-04:00Well, clearly if the agent forgets a comma, it'...Well, clearly if the agent forgets a comma, it's because they're so excited that they simply didn't have time to put one in because they had to snatch you up!<br /><br />I think "querying" is a writerly word on either side of the pond. Most non-writers seem to have no idea what it means at first mention, and don't comprehend that there's this whole world of agents most of us try to tackle before getting our books to the publishers.<br /><br />That said, Maass' book (and advice in general) is great. I haven't started querying yet, but here are a few more tips I've gathered in all my research into the subject (mostly reading scores and scores of agent blogs and query critique sites):<br /><br />-Divorce yourself from the details a little bit. Find the core of the tale. Include enough to pique interest, but don't worry about making sure your agent knows every little plot point. You want to entice them to read the story to find those out for themselves. Remember that agents are reading a number of these one after the other and don't want to get bogged down in the minutiae.<br /><br />-Check with each agent's website beforehand in case they have any specific details they want in queries. Some, for example, might want the title, genre, and word count either up front or at the end. (Most probably don't care too much, as long as it's somewhere.) Then obey those rules! They're simple and there's not really any reason to break them.<br /><br />-Go look at back cover copy. This is the basic format you want, a concise and intriguing description of the book, its main players, and its plot. It's designed to sell the book to readers, and you want to sell your book to editors, so logic follows that the format should be similar.<br /><br />-At the same time, don't worry too much about spoilers. If the crux of your novel is that your protagonist discovers character A is really character B in disguise, and that affects everything that happens in the rest of the novel, go ahead and reveal that.<br /><br />It's still a daunting task! I've been looking at guidelines and researching for years and I'm still intimidated by the idea of it. Understanding the concept and being able to apply that knowledge are two different things!Kristin Laughtinhttp://kristinlaughtin.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436812892124383603.post-50017492448934832582012-04-19T13:49:48.286-04:002012-04-19T13:49:48.286-04:00Thanks for sharing these tips, Guilie. The hardest...Thanks for sharing these tips, Guilie. The hardest thing is to work out what your own story is about. ;-)<br /><br />http://francene-wordstitcher.blogspot.comFrancene Stanleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08298485336064691700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436812892124383603.post-53332972439275863692012-04-19T13:47:01.866-04:002012-04-19T13:47:01.866-04:00Like all the supporting pictures here. It makes on...Like all the supporting pictures here. It makes one read through :-)Haddockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11573906991666088642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436812892124383603.post-54427747316188894772012-04-19T13:18:45.558-04:002012-04-19T13:18:45.558-04:00Thanks for the visit, Maurice, and I'm glad yo...Thanks for the visit, Maurice, and I'm glad you like the post. Hope you find it helpful!Guilie Castillohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09006999087139126972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436812892124383603.post-61579189806475885172012-04-19T13:08:27.694-04:002012-04-19T13:08:27.694-04:00Oh yeah--not fun at all, I agree. And shouldn'...Oh yeah--not fun at all, I agree. And shouldn't the "interview" be for the agent, really? I mean, you--the author--will hire the agent, not the other way around, right? But it doesn't feel that way :(<br /><br />Thanks for stopping by, Barb!Guilie Castillohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09006999087139126972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436812892124383603.post-50256451688190267292012-04-19T12:40:37.162-04:002012-04-19T12:40:37.162-04:00Such an excellent post!!! (I have Maas' book b...Such an excellent post!!! (I have Maas' book but I never finished it, this thanks for the reminder). I love the graphic you used at the top, too. I could see the temptation to read into every word of response from a queried agent - to get any response at all that isn't a form rejection is a thrill! I'm a visiting A-Z blogger and new follower - will definitely be visiting again!Margo Berendsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03476308235642890474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436812892124383603.post-4414842790232302062012-04-19T12:21:40.306-04:002012-04-19T12:21:40.306-04:00Guilie, When it comes to anything Professionalism ...Guilie, When it comes to anything Professionalism is important. great point and good tips! New follower!<br />- Maurice Mitchell<br /><a href="http://www.thegeektwins.com" rel="nofollow">The Geek Twins</a> | <a href="http://FilmSketchr.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Film Sketchr</a><br />@thegeektwins | @mauricem1972Maurice Mitchellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15338165486757095191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436812892124383603.post-72823186866271031512012-04-19T11:33:43.482-04:002012-04-19T11:33:43.482-04:00I am not looking forward to querying. It's lik...I am not looking forward to querying. It's like trying to get a job interview.<br /><br />Which, essentially, IS a job interview when you are a writer. o_O Oof.<br /><br />-Barb the French BeanThe Beanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09294653760778922184noreply@blogger.com