The Happy Query Letter

A couple days ago, I wrote a query letter for my novel—my baby. With the help of a couple Tweeps, I’ve tried to make it more polished. Of course, it will probably evolve over the next couple weeks. Perhaps it never will BE perfect. I can sure hope it will be seamless enough to get some requests and, ultimately, an agent and publisher. There IS a lot of weight bearing on this one short letter. The book I’ve worked on for a year and a half now could be shot down or embraced by a few paragraphs. I’m freaking out. But. I’m really, very excited to venture into the agent querying stage of my desperately wanted writing career.

To be honest, I look forward to the rejection letters because I’ll know an agent HAS responded to me. But, in my squealing and giddy ways, with a sheepish grin clothing my face, I’d rather get a nice fat YES from an agent or two, three, maybe four. I won’t be greedy, though. It is what authors dream of at night. Um, I never had that dream, but I’m sure it will come soon.

For all who have written a query letter, I feel your pain, now. After at least one more manuscript edit and another round of beta readers, I hope to be turning that letter in to agents who may or may not take me on as their protégé.

I look forward to this stage and hope I can overcome the obstacles that surely will blow into my life. Uh, like more rejection letters than I’d like to receive. But as the quote at the top of my blog says: “There’s a word for a writer who never gives up . . . published.” – Joe Konrath. So let’s not give up, champs.