Welcome to this week’s Master Your Craft post! Last year, we walked you through every step from getting the big idea through polishing your finished novel.
Our bonus post last week dipped back into craft and how to give your story cliffhangers. We also offered anxiety-free tips on playing the waiting game.
This week, we’re talking with agent and Winged Pen pal Hilary Harwell from KT Literary about tips for querying success.
JA: Well, let’s jump right into it. What are some of the common issues you see with queries that land in your inbox?
HH: I think there are two problems I see quite often. And I always find it hard to choose just one thing (you should see me at restaurants), so here goes. Ambiguity is the number one query killer for me, personally. I want the query to be specific, to use details that illuminate your themes and tone, and to show me what sets your project apart from all the others in my inbox.
Another common issue I see deals with a lack of clarity around goal/motivation/stakes – what does your protagonist want? what stands in his/her way? what does he/she stand to lose if he/she doesn’t succeed? It’s sort of like a recipe, I suppose, in that you need these key ingredients to hook your reader and pique their curiosity. That’s what will keep us reading. Without knowing what could go wrong, I’m left wondering why I should care.
JA: If you could give querying writers one piece of advice, what would it be?
HH: Be prepared for a lot of rejection and look at every single one as an opportunity to improve. There are messages in the types of passes you’re receiving. If you start seeing snippets of personalization in there or invitations to submit future work, that could be a clue that your query skills are improving. Not always, of course, because agents get busy and form letters enable us to more effectively focus our time on our clients. But, there’s an opportunity to learn from every no. Now, getting back to the rejection component, that’s just a part of the process. Develop a thick skin (cliche, I know), because the rejections won’t stop once you land an agent. That’s just the tip of the ‘thanks but no thanks’ iceberg.
JA: You are so right about rejection being a part of every stage of the game. So what about comp titles – Required or nice to have? Why?
HH: For me, comp titles are a must have for two reasons. It helps illuminate themes and tone and often sparks interest if I happen to know and love one or both of the books. And two, it shows me you understand where your book should sit on a shelf, and that you understand the current market (keyword: current! Please don’t use comps from 20 years ago!).
JA: When should querying authors follow-up with an agent they’ve queried?
HH: I’d strongly recommend reviewing the submissions guidelines before following up, and even then it’s fair to give an agency a week or two more. We understand that waiting is hard, but patience is an important quality that we expect our clients to have in order to succeed in this industry. At KT Literary, we try our best to stick to a two week response time on queries and we respond to all queries. You can also check on Query Tracker to see if an agent has a standard turnaround time.
JA: Which carries more weight, the query or the pages?
HH: Both, honestly (here’s that whole choosing just one thing problem again…). In all seriousness though, they are both super important and there are so many times when I read a great query and then the pages just fizzle. Every word must be carefully chosen, woven together, and your prose needs to dance on the page. The opening scene should entice. It should create curiosity or genuine emotion in the reader, and lure the reader in with the promise of more to come.
JA: What do you LOVE seeing in your inbox?
JA: Thanks so much, Hilary!
Ready for more craft advice on writing middle grade or young adult fiction? Head back to our Master Your Craft page where you’ll find dozens of more topics to choose from!
Hilary joined the KT Literary team to support office operations and assist with queries and manuscripts, and now acts as Associate Agent with clients of her own. She graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, with a degree in Anthropology and went on to work in the back office of a major Swiss Investment Bank for eight years before deciding to trade numbers for letters. When not reading or editing or writing stories of her own, Hilary likes to hike the Rockies with her family and dreams of one day owning her own horses. Connect with her on Twitter and check out her blog.
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I totally understand the “don’t use comps from 20 years ago” but then the blurbs on published books are always “Hitchcock meets Emily Bronte….”or the millionth book to say it’s the next “Gone Girl” or Donna Tartt. Writers are expected to know the current market, one the publishing world itself gets to ignore.