Monday, April 12, 2010

Query Update

It’s been a while since I posted one of these, but I’ve been waiting for the last of the responses to come in so I could do sort of a query wrap-up. Well, the last response came in (another request for revisions!), so you can think of this as the last hurrah for this round of querying.

Total queries: 76
Pending queries: 0 (phew!)
Full requests: 4 (2 requests for revisions)
Partial requests: 10 (1 non-response)
Rejections: 45
Non-responses: 17

I’m planning to dump a whole slew of statistics on you later in the week, so I won’t say much about numbers in this post. I will say that these ones satisfy me (for now), as they far exceeded the bar I set for myself after my first foray into Queryland. That first foray involved a query that broke about every rule of query writing, a second query that wasn’t much better, and exactly one full request (which, to my delight, was an upgrade from a fifty-page partial included in the initial query). It seemed like a miracle to me at the time, and, after looking back on those queries and that word-bloated manuscript, still does:)

What this round of querying has taught me, then, is that partial and full requests--and even offers of representation--aren’t just pots of gold at the ends of rainbows. It really is possible to crawl out of the slush pile and onto an agent’s list. Writers do it all the time (in fact, I can’t think of many writers who did it any other way), and they’ll--we’ll--do it again. So let’s stay positive, keep working hard, and for heaven’s sake, keep writing. We’re only going to get better, right? So why quit now?

And with that, I gracefully hop off of the query-go-round. I do plan to revise this manuscript, just as soon as I get Bob into the inboxes of some betas, but for now, I think I’ll enjoy the view from here. That query-go-round is pretty dizzy-fying:)

16 comments:

Kayeleen Hamblin said...

Wow. I can't wait to jump into querying. What a ride!

Amy Jo said...

You have a great attitude! Thanks for posting your stats. It's nice to see what other writers deal with during the querying process.

Shannon said...

Those are some respectable stats! I agree...it's just a matter of time and patience. Keep up the great work.

A.L. Sonnichsen said...

Dizzi-fying is a great way to describe the query-go-round! Those are sensational stats for your novel, btw! My experience (which isn't huge) is that the stats get better with each novel. You're totally right -- we can only get better, so why think about quitting?

JE said...

Those are some pretty decent statistics. Hopefully the request turn out to be something wonderful for you! Good luck!

~JD

Christine Fonseca said...

Those are great stats! Good luck with everything. I am living in Query-land at the moment...so I can totally relate.

Krista Van Dolzer said...

Thanks for your encouragement, all. And for those of you in Queryland, good luck right back at you!

Unknown said...

Excellent. I love query stats. Except my own, of course. I'm still in waiting mode myself, which is, I think, where most writers spend most of their time.

Hope the revisions aren't too awful. Nothing like, "Um, could you change the MC to a guy, perhaps? Maybe give him a wooden leg, something like that? Have him chase some whales maybe?"

Kelly Bryson said...

Wow- that's pretty encouraging. Thanks for sharing your stats. Did you re-query anyone or were your first and second rounds totally different agents?

Krista Van Dolzer said...

Yes, KLM, querying is mostly a waiting game, isn't it?

Kelly, I did query quite a few of the same agents, but query round one and query round two were with two completely different books. Actually, I don't believe in re-querying the same agent with the same book (unless they request revisions, of course). It's sort of a one-shot deal.

Queried book #1: Two pretty bad queries, one full request.

Queried book #2: One query, and the stats you see above.

Queried book #3: Bob. Someday. Stats remain to be seen:)

Myrna Foster said...

Thanks for sharing your stats! I think it's great that you got two requests for revisions. I've never queried agents, but those requests usually turn into contracts when I get them from magazine editors.

And I decided to do one more revision before I give you Star Swans and Sarki. I'm hoping to trim some of those words.

Krista Van Dolzer said...

Okay, Myrna. If I really have to wait, I guess I will... :)

Liesl Shurtliff said...

Good work! I am so nervous to get to that stage because then I have to come to terms with rejection.

It's so warm and cozy in my own little word, I don't wanna go out in the freezing cold! Maybe that's why I'm taking so long with my revisions. Stalling.

Kayeleen Hamblin said...

Hey... stop by my blog today. I have an award for you!

Olleymae said...

Wow, this is very interesting. I can't wait to hear more about it. I hope the full requests go well!

Krista Van Dolzer said...

Liesl, it sounds like you and I are at opposite ends of the spectrum: You prefer to wait, take your time - and I tend to rush things out the door:) But not this time! Bob will be perfect before he comes anywhere near my e-mail account!

Thanks, Kayeleen!

And I hope they go well, too, Olleymae:)