I have officially started querying agents.
Just yesterday, I sent out my 8th query letter that asks agents to work with me to get my book/s into the hands of traditional / big publishers. Now, I wait. I’m super hopeful that if I get rejections this time, at least they will be personal.
Last time I did this was 6 years and 3 drafts ago. What is different now from then? Query Manager. Back then, it was mostly sending emails with or without attachments. Now, it seems to be 98% Query Manager submissions.
My main gripe: Copy/paste from Google Docs to Query Manager form doesn’t maintain formatting, which can be frustrating when working with multiple pages at a time that you have to go through and fix. Though I discovered if I copy a PDF or email and paste that, it works fine. *Shrug*
My delight: Querying can become a mundane task, but some agents have little bonus questions in their QM form, like “if you were an animal, what would you be?” which make it more fun. Sure, this can be done through email queries, but I do like the organization of the QM form. I can only imagine how much it helps agents!
I’m sending these out in small batches at a time to get a gauge on how well my query letter is working so I can revise if necessary for the next batch. First batch is 8 queries. Is it bad or healthy that I’m already planning for rejections? XD
Now that I’m done with the first batch, I…wait. I dislike. I need to be working on something. I told myself I could go back and do the needed revision to my second book and I might start doing that soon, though I also have two short stories that I need to publish.
On that note, I’m potentially changing my series title!
The Lost Elementalist is now combining two previous title ideas and forming Selenia Ki: Rising Storm. Using the word “elementalist” finally felt too generic and repellant. I wouldn’t even pick up a book with that title, assuming it would be full of painfully obvious cliches and unoriginality. Of course, my future agent or editor or publisher may have better ideas, which I will be interested in hearing.
Speaking of which! I’m also starting to get new ideas for cover art, now that I figured out my books are more Upper Middle Grade than purely YA. I want my teenagers to be teenagers, young and curious despite the dark and danger around them. I think I may also have better luck here since MG is not so heavily focused on romance.
School is almost out for me and then I will be picking up hours at my other job. Maybe I will also reopen my beta reading services then, though I also might be moving again so we’ll see.
Hey! You are more than the battles that you fight. You are sunshine and spring flowers that push through cracks in the cement. Beauty is in your soul. Find it, and let it shine. ❤
N. K. Valek: Author 