I’ve been querying my debut fantasy novel for four months and here are three things I’ve learnt on this writing journey.
- Writing Query letters take a lot longer to draft, research and even tailor for your manuscript. I’ve rewritten my letter countless times to tighten my blurb and pitch. It’s much harder to condense the whole plot and vibe of the book into a single sentence than I initially thought. Also getting my synopsis onto one page of A4 without missing any key plot points took a long time. Each draft was better than the last. It doesn’t matter how many time you can proofread your work there will probably be a typo – perfection is also imperfection. Also these things happen.
2. In my short experience, agents have responded to me quickly almost days after my initial query or weeks, some months and the majority I haven’t heard back at all. As much as it’s nice to think that full manuscript requests and rep deals are quick and easy, that is not always the case. On social media, I read about authors being very lucky to receive requests quickly or offers in a matter of weeks of their initial query. This hasn’t happened to me and fear is not representative of the general author’s experience. The best I can do is keep track of my queries on a spreadsheet and hope that every day I’m getting closer to that full request and an agent falling in love with my work.
3. Writing something else is a good distraction while querying but also keeps you feeling creative and excited about writing! I’m currently working on a cosy fantasy that is cross between a situation comedy and a romance. I’m really enjoying dabbling in another genre and love writing about these quirky characters in a low stakes environment.
Here’s the pitch for my YA fantasy with adventure novel – A girl makes a dangerous deal to save her father and becomes embroiled in a 100 yr power struggle. This will appeal to fans of DAUGHTER OF THE PIRATE KING, COMPASS AND BLADE, and PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN. High stakes adventure with a dash of romance that confronts personal sacrifice, freedom and defining one’s place in the world.
Querying is long and daunting process with rejection always around the corner, but with perseverance it can be a fruitful endeavour. I hope 2025 brings me closer to publication and sharing these characters and story with the world.
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Amy is a writer and reviewer and is currently querying literary agents with her debut fantasy novel inspired by the magic and adventure of Pirates of the Caribbean. For more content click here to read book reviews, short stories and updates on Amy’s writing journey.
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