Sending Out Query Letters

Before I start yapping about Faerietales Book 2, “To Err Is Faerie,” which is written, edited and scheduled to be published on March 24…

I’m going to take the next two blogposts to talk about two different topics. Today, it’s the fact that I did something I haven’t done in at least two years.

I sent out a query letter!

For anyone who doesn’t know, query letters are the bane of any novelist’s life. They’re the creative writing equivalent of a cover letter for that job you really, really, really want that about three thousand other people are applying to at the same exact time.

You’re basically supposed to summarize your entire 300-page story into three short paragraphs that manage to wow the socks off of whatever literary agent or publisher you’re soliciting. But much more often than not, you do nothing but waste your time and theirs.

I can’t say I’ve ever cried over the rejection responses my query letters have elicited. I haven’t even wanted to cry. Though I did consider sending a harsh response back to this inexcusably clueless agent who warned applicants that she might put something spiritual into her reply.

When I got it, all it said was “Not interested God bless.”

To me, that was the most insulting answer possible, mainly because she couldn’t be bothered to write a complete sentence and then had the gall to justify her lack of professionalism with some meaningless bit of fluff.

I have to say that most agents are nice enough with their mass “We’re not interested, but best of luck” rejections. (At least the ones that get back to you; a lot of them don’t.) But they get tiring nonetheless. So after sending out I-don’t-know-how-many query letters and receiving I-don’t-know-how-many dismissals over the last 10 years, I decided to go the self-publishing route.

That was until I spoke with one of my coworkers, Lia Mack, who recently signed a publishing contract for her upcoming book, “Waiting for Paint to Dry,” which I’m looking forward to reading! Our conversation on the topic inspired me to go ahead and submit a query letter of my own.

Who knows what’ll come of it. I’m not placing any bets. Though even if it gets me nowhere, I have to say that I’m really happy I went for it.

I can’t say it was a fun experience, per se, but something tells me that it was what I needed to do regardless.