Maybe the title is a tad hyperbolic. Nevertheless, there is a useable nugget of truth here. I promise.
Sometimes, a writer has to take a chance on a query letter. I have tried a few things–nothing outlandish–but perhaps a little out of the tried-and-true norm. I know, I know. Gimmicks are almost always an instant turn off. I haven’t used dancing baby videos or written a query as though one of my characters was doing the pitching. Confession: after a conversation regarding what makes Freeborn unique, I did use this subject line for a few queries:
Query – FREEBORN – YA Sci-Fi (With pregnant dudes? What!?)
Yeah, well, I recovered from that moment of lunacy.
Sometimes, writers don’t feel like they’re taking a chance; it just happens. An example of this is querying agents who may/may not rep the genre the writer is submitting. I thoroughly research each agent before querying: agency sites, interviews, twitter, random internet searches, client lists. No matter how in-depth this fact-finding mission, it is often hard to discern exactly what an agent is looking for. Some have a very quiet e-presence, while others throw themselves out there loud and proud.
When in doubt, I send the query out.
Much love to the agents who spell out their wants/likes/dislikes in crystal clear terms. Unfortunately for the slew of querying writers, there are plenty of agent profiles which merely provide the wide-open, vague “YA/MG” market with no specific genres noted. With these agents, I will take a chance and send a query anyway.
***Note to agents with vague ‘What I’m Interested In’ declarations: Want to cut the number of ‘Not Right For Me Queries’? Give us details of what IS right for you.***
Both you and your interns will thank me for it.
One of my best rejection letters came from an agent who simply listed the “YA/MG” market. This rejection is inserted below. With the Dear John opening address, it starts off sounding like my girl back home is breaking up with me while I’m crawling around in muddy, wartime trenches. After that, there are amazing statements every writer likes to hear. But then it hits–the dreaded asshole-of-a-word–however.
Dear John,Thank you for your query. I thought this was a really creepy, interesting concept and that you executed it very well. The writing was super compelling and the pace was great. However, I’m afraid that I don’t do all that much with Sci-Fi, as I’m not a big sci-fi reader and don’t feel I know the market well enough. I wish you all the best and encourage you to submit your query to other agencies. Thank you for thinking of me!Best,Agent with Vague Profile
Let’s recap the key terms and play-by-play reactions:
– “really creepy, interesting concept” – [Yay! It’s not a form letter! Perfect compliment. That’s my brand.]
– “you executed it very well” – [:: Heart flutter :: We’re off to a great start here.]
– “writing was super compelling” – [Wow! This is going really well! This agent ‘gets it’. :: heart rate increases ::]
– “the pace was great” – [I agree. And thank you. I worked hard to make sure of it. Where is this email leading…? :: heart skips a beat ::]
– “really creepy, interesting concept” – [Yay! It’s not a form letter! Perfect compliment. That’s my brand.]
– “you executed it very well” – [:: Heart flutter :: We’re off to a great start here.]
– “writing was super compelling” – [Wow! This is going really well! This agent ‘gets it’. :: heart rate increases ::]
– “the pace was great” – [I agree. And thank you. I worked hard to make sure of it. Where is this email leading…? :: heart skips a beat ::]
– “However” – [F#^k!!! :: heart shrivels and dies ::]
After the however, my eyes glazed over. My blood pressure rose. My finger instinctually slid over the mousepad and selected the “Move To: Rejections” icon. Fantastic. Agent read at least part of my sample chapter, liked it, but rejected it.
I double-checked the agency website and online info for the agent. Yep. Just as I suspected. Vague market with no genres listed. Don’t get me wrong. I am very appreciative of the customized letter and feedback. I understand that the effort was a gift and took time for the agent to compose. The agent could have simply form-rejected Freeborn since my submission was not in a genre s/he represents. However…
LUCAS HARGIS 
Really enjoying your blog… from one writer to another!
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Why thank you. You just gained another follower for your own. 😉
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Thanks 🙂
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Very well said 🙂 I love this post Lucas!
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Going for respectful but honest. Perhaps humorous-ish.
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Dear John,
Thanks for swimming through the shark infested waters and living to tell the tale. And Then sharing them to my amusement and benefit.
Sincerely,
Tamara
p.s. =D
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Dear Tamara,
Thank you for your comment. It was extremely well-written and full of lovely prose. It kept me up all night reading to get to the end. Seldom do I come across such extraordinary commenting. Unfortunately, it’s not a good fit for me at this time. Please remember, commenting is subjective. I encourage you to comment elsewhere.
Best,
Lucas
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