Sticking It Out Through the Query Slog

If you’re at all serious about writing, you probably know that getting an agent can feel impossible. You have to send out dozens—sometimes hundreds—of queries, and even then, you may not get more than a full manuscript request.

I sent my first query back in February, before I had my son. I’ve set a goal to send 100 queries by his first birthday, and I’m proud to announce that I’ve hit the halfway point. That’s the good news.

The bad news is that I haven’t received a single positive response, nothing more than a form rejection. Clearly, something isn’t working—I’ll need to make some changes if I want to get an agent for The Hole in the Sky.

Why I Want an Agent for The Hole in the Sky

I’ve always dreamed of being published by a New York publisher. I want to be on the New York Times Bestsellers list. I want my books to be backed by credible support from an established publishing house. To achieve that dream, I need an agent, because big publishers won’t accept unagented manuscripts.

Besides that, an agent will be a great help in negotiating a contract, thank goodness! I took a couple of semesters of technical writing in college, and that was enough to teach me to clearly understand a contract before I sign it.

Essentially, getting an agent is a huge roadblock between me and my dream career.

Battling Imposter Syndrome

Another roadblock I’ve been facing recently is imposter syndrome. Every query I send, I get a little jolt of nerves in my gut. I tell myself I’m not scared of rejection, and that’s partially true. What I am afraid of, however, is that I won’t ever get an agent. So you can imagine how I felt when I learned that an author should get a handful of positive responses in every batch of twenty queries. Maybe my story is terrible and won’t ever be picked up by an agent.

As I said, I’ve sent 50, and haven’t gotten a single positive response. I can’t help but wonder if I’m just not cut out to be a writer. Maybe I should just cut my losses and give up on trying to have a career.

But I’ve been working towards publication for twelve years. I’m not going to give up now. I owe myself that much.

Refining My Query—Version 2.0

While listening to Writing Excuses, I had the epiphany that my query package…sucked. I sat down to rework it immediately, and it was soooo painful. I would rewrite it, think it was awesome, and then give it to ChatGPT for feedback, and then rewrite it again.

Who knew AI could be so critical?

I became so discouraged and frustrated that I eventually had to just call it done. Here’s the elevator pitch I came up with:

A mute seamstress gets revenge on the man who stole her voice, but doing so makes her the villain in someone else’s story.

The more I sit with that, the more I like it. It’s intriguing. If you agree, click the button to read the first chapter of The Hole in the Sky.

Read Chapter 1!

The New Book Description

A major part of any query is the book description, which gives more detail about the storyline, including the emotional beats for the protagonist. Here’s mine:

Yena would do anything to keep her family safe—without them, her past would consume her. But with the Tarin guards ready to punish the slightest infractions, safety isn’t an option. When Yena was a little girl, the Tarin ripped her voice away for her father’s rebellion. Now she’s afraid to sew one stitch out of line. When Yena learns that her sister is dying of a Tarin-created disease, her obedience falters. To save her sister, Yena joins the rebellion.

When her sister dies despite her efforts, Yena turns the rebellion on the Tarin leader, the man who ordered her voice removed as a child and caused her sister’s death. Fighting a battle against the Tarin—and against herself—Yena must learn to put others’ needs before her own to keep herself from becoming her enemies.

I feel like this version follows Yena’s arc more closely. Hopefully, it’s enough to hook some agents!

How Did I Do?

Let me know what you think of my elevator pitch and book description in the comments below.