Katarina learned several (painful) lessons about querying too early and shares what she’s learned in hopes it will help other writers.
Category: Literary Agents
Hi there, Scribbler! If you’re a querying writer looking for different ways to connect with literary agents, you may be interested in Twitter pitch contests. ….
On January 30, 2021, I took the plunge and pitched live to a literary agent for the first time! It was a huge rush and I’m so glad I did it….The event came and went and I ended up getting a full request! That’s not the only good thing to come out of my pitch event, though. Below, I’ve gathered the top five things I learned from pitching an agent via Zoom.
While brainstorming your pitch, you may be wondering: Which details should be included in the pitch? Do we reveal the ending? Where do I even start? If this is you, keep reading.
It’s time to turn that story crafted from months of blood, sweat, and tears (and love, of course) into a book on the shelves, but where to even start? If you’re pursuing the traditional publishing route, the first step is to find yourself an agent who loves your story as much as you do. In order to land an agent, however, you must craft the perfect query letter.
My first five tips, Embrace Being a Newbie, Be 100% Certain You’re Ready to Query, Celebrate Rejections, Do Not Give Up, and Be Professional all dealt with the process itself. The final five tips, however, really focus on self-reflection. After all, writing can be a very lonely process and it’s important to know yourself and what you want out of your career before taking this next step!
On July 25, 2019, I sent my first-ever query for the first book I’d ever written. I was positive it would sign in a heartbeat. Five months later, I received the 22nd rejection on that book and shelved the project. Less than half a year of querying doesn’t seem long—and in the grand scheme of a writing journey it’s merely a blip—but it was more than enough time to learn valuable lessons I needed to advance my writing career.
Hiring a professional editor before querying is a controversial topic in the publishing world. I’ve heard it called “cheating” or worse. But the truth is, publishing is HARD.