How I Got My Agent, Part I: A Timeline & Query Stats

So. Earlier this week, I threw an agent announcement party with y'all. Today I'm sharing the story of how I got my agent. Mind you, I didn't spend a ton of time querying, and I'll explain why below. But first, let's begin with some stats:

From first draft to query-ready draft: 3 years

First query sent: April 2015

Total queries sent: 12

Full requests: 4

Full rejections: 4

Full rejections w/feedback: 2

Stopped querying to revise: July 2015

Out of the two agents who sent me super helpful feedback, Linda was one of them. I (shyly) asked if she'd be interested in reading the revised manuscript once it was ready. To my surprise and excitement, she said yes.

The only problem? I didn't revise at all. I got sucked into a vortex of self-doubt and panic. I felt like my manuscript's premise wasn't innovative or original enough. Yes, the writing was good, but not great. There was too much backstory. I had characters with motivations left to clarify. There was just nothing that screamed SNATCH ME UP too loudly.

So I put off revisions and went on with my life. I did brainstorm from time to time, but never sat down to actually work on those new ideas.

October 2015: Linda emails me out of the blue to ask how revisions are coming along.

COMMENCE FREAKOUT. 

So. On my next post, I'll write about what happened after that super awesome email. It will contain lots of exclamation points and Caps Lock. Because obviously.

Have a lovely day!!

10 Killer Queries That Worked Part 2

Some of you have read my 10 Killer Queries That Worked post. It features 10 of my absolute fave query letters for manuscripts that ended up being published. Well, since I'm always on the hunt for a new query to drool over, I figured I'd turn the post into a series. 

Welcome to Part 2! :)

Okay. Let's get to it. *cracks knuckles*

Here is another batch of amazeballs queries:

1. Miranda Kenneally's query for CATCHING JORDAN, originally titled SCORE (bonus points: this post features an interview with Miranda's agent, Sara Megibow).
2. MarcyKate Connolly's query for MONSTROUS, which comes out in 2014 from HarperCollins.
3. Megan Sheperd's query for THE MADMAN'S DAUGHTER. 
4. Carrie Ryan's query for THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH.
5. Beth Revis's query for ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, originally titled LONG WAY HOME.
6. Francesca Zappia's query for ASK AGAIN LATER, originally titled ALEXITHYMIA. The book comes out in 2014 from HarperCollins. 
7. Stephanie Diaz's query for EXTRACTION, which comes out in 2014 from St. Martin's Press.
8. Claire Legrand's query for THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS (bonus points: this post features commentary from Claire's agent, Diana Fox).
9. Kate Karyus Quinn's (my blog chain buddy!!!) query for ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE, which comes out June 11th from HarperTeen.
10. April Tucholke's query for BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA, originally titled THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA (bonus points: this post features commentary by April's agent, Joanna Volpe). The book comes out August 15th from Dial. 

So there you have them! I hope they prove as helpful as the first batch :)

Have you read these query letters before? Which one(s) do you love most? Are there any other query letters you love that aren't on the list?

Why THE HUNGER GAMES Trailer Is The Perfect Query

For those of you who still haven't seen it, here's the full-length trailer for The Hunger Games:

So.

Not only is the trailer OMFGawesomeonastick, I think it's a little instructional for writers. After I saw it, I kept remembering the dreaded Q-word: queries. The more I dissected the trailer, the stronger the impression I got that it resembled a perfect query letter. 

Here's why:

 The World-Building

For the most part, the HG trailer focuses on how this dystopian world works. How the Tributes get picked at the Reaping, how they train for battle, how they're groomed for the reality TV-obsessed audience, and what the Hunger Games actually are. And it does so in very little time. The trailer focuses on the key info that's necessary for a general understanding of what the movie's about: cruel government + children competing in a fight to the death = world-building.

The Conflict

Katniss doesn't want to be selected for the Hunger Games, but she's prepared for it. Her little sister, however, isn't. So she has a choice: volunteer on Prim's behalf to save her, or stay out of the Hunger Games. When she steps up to take Prim's place, audiences can see her heart breaking. And when she meets her fellow Tributes, her fear and discomfort are palpable as well--she doesn't want to take anyone's life. But she does want to survive. Katniss's inner and outer conflicts are well defined, which is what agents/editors expect from your query. Above all else, they should care about your characters. Paying close attention to the inner and outer conflicts helps do just that for them.    

The Cliffhanger

The trailer could've shown a bit of footage from the Games. But it didn't. It stops right when the Tributes are racing toward the Cornucopia. Right when the good stuff is about to happen. That's how your query should end--it should compel agents/editors to request pages. It should make them go "Whoa, whoa, whoa... You can't just leave me hanging like this! WHAT HAPPENS NEXT??". Some authors/agents suggest only including what goes down in the first 3 chapters, or first 50 pages, of your manuscript in a query. I'd have to agree, but the key thing to remember is to hint at something big, terrible, and inescapable for your MC. Something that whoever gets your query will only find out if they ask for more.

So. Not only is this post an excuse to watch The Hunger Games trailer for the umpteenth time, it's hopefully a helpful tool for your query writing process! 

Now tell me: do you have any query writing tips to share? Do you like writing queries (like me), or loathe it with all your being? 

Read For Relief Auction!

When I was asked by the lovely Caroline Tung Richmond to join a relief effort for victims of Hurricane Irene, I jumped at the chance. Caroline and a few other awesome writers put together Read For Relief, an auction that kicks off today. You can win all sorts of great stuff, including signed ARCs, query critiques by agents, partial critiques by editors, and group critiques by YA Highway!

Me and the ladies of Operation Awesome are also offering a group critique--we'll be giving feedback to the first 30 pages of the winning manuscript! 

So yeah. You SO want to go to Read For Relief right now, and start bidding! 

See you there! :)

10 Killer Queries That Worked

Confession: I love query letters. Reading them. Writing them. Whatever. I can't get enough of them.

Yes, I am weird. But you knew that already, didn't you?

Anyway, I thought I'd share a few of the most awesomesauce queries I've ever read. This is mostly because I wanted to compile them all in one place, but also because I feel like they help writers struggling over their queries. Seeing how others boil down their stories into 3-4 paragraphs is both encouraging and educational :)

In no particular order, here are some of the best queries in the universe:

1) Lisa and Laura Roecker's query for THE LIAR SOCIETY

2) Karsten Knight's query for WILDEFIRE

3) Kirsten Hubbard's query for LIKE MANDARIN

4) Elana Johnson's query for POSSESSION 
(then titled Control Issues)

5) Kody Keplinger's query for THE DUFF

6) Susan Dennard's query for SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY 
(then titled The Spirit Hunters )

7) Gennifer Albin's query for CREWEL 
(I actually stole the idea for this post from her Friday Five about queries. Yes, I am evil...)


8) Miriam Forster's query for THE HOUSE OF A THOUSAND DOLLS


9) Heather Brewer's query for EIGHTH GRADE BITES


10) Lisa McMann's query for WAKE

If you haven't read any of them, or just a few, I suggest taking a closer look at every single one. They're that awesome, I promise you.

For those of you in the querying trenches, best of luck! *hugs*

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go write a query letter... 

*cracks knuckles*

How about you? Any queries you love that aren't on this list? Any queries you'd love to see, like one from your favorite book? Share them with me in the comments!

Mystery Agent Contest Starts NOW!

Hop on over to Operation Awesome and share your Tweet-style pitch!! Our Mystery Agent wants to see the first 75 entries, so hurry up before the slots are filled! 

Best of luck to everyone!! :)

Query Critique WINNERS!!

*throws confetti*

Okay. My 200 Followers Contest has come to a close. At first, I was supposed to have only five winners, but folks, I'm in a great mood this week. Therefore, I've picked SEVEN winners! 

They are:

Laura Pauling

Stina Lindenblatt

Shallee

Saumya

Erica and Christy 

Emy Shin

Jennifer Williams

*brain explodes*

Winners, please send me your queries to aortizzle (at) gmail (dot) com. :D

Oh, and if you're all still in a contest mood (I totally am), head over to Operation Awesome and enter our ACROSS THE UNIVERSE by Beth Revis giveaway!!! You can win one of TWO COPIES!! 

*brain explodes again*

Thanks to everyone who participated in my contest! And I can't wait to help polish your awesome queries :D

Query, Pitch, And Agent Referral CONTESTS!!

So. Behold this list of epic awesomeness, folks. It is all about contests:

1) Operation Awesome (my other hangout) is having a Mystery Agent Contest next week!! Head over there to see what Mystery Agent is looking for in his/her slush pile, and polish that 25-word pitch until it shines. See you there on February 1st!

2) The uber-awesome Shelli Johannes of Market My Words is offering an AGENT REFERRAL to one lucky winner. Trust me--you want that referral. Oh yes, you do. Go here to check the details. 

3) My 200 Followers Contest is still on!! Deadline's tomorrow, so sign up here for a chance to win a query critique by yours truly :D

Hope you're all having a great week!

Now tell me: any other contests I haven't heard about??? Let me know!

200 Followers Contest: FIVE QUERY CRITIQUES!!

Folks, I am lame. I reached 200 followers a while ago, but I TOTALLY forgot to celebrate. *slaps wrist*

In honor of said blogging milestone, I've decided to have a nice lil' contest. And since my latest obsession has been queries, I figured I'd keep fueling the fire. Also, Elana Johnson's amazeballs ebook, FROM THE QUERY TO THE CALL, is available for free. Yes, f-r-e-e. You can download this brilliant piece of awesomeness here.

So. Back to the contest. Folks, I love queries. Writing them. Reading them. Critiquing them. That's why I'm going to offer FIVE lucky winners a query critique! *throws confetti* 

Le rules:

1) Follow my blog :)

2) Comment on this post to enter the contest

And...

That's it. 

You can Tweet and/or blog about the contest, but I won't rule you out if you don't. 

The five lucky winners will be announced this Wednesday, January 26th. And don't fret--the winning entries will NOT be posted on the blog. My feedback is meant for your eyes only, so no pressure. In case you do want me to share the query, you may say so, and I'll leave it up with my comments.  

Best of luck to all who enter, and I can't wait to read your babies!!

Oh, and quick reminder: I'm over @ Operation Awesome today. Talking about sex. Fun times.

Beth Revis's Epic Contest Of Epic!!!!

Yes, I'm aware that I'm posting twice in one day. You should be aware that I have a good reason why.

The post title speaks for itself, folks. The ever-awesome-and-talented Beth Revis is throwing a contest that puts all others to shame. 

How many prizes are there? 100.

Yes. One. Hundred. Prizes.

You could win one of them.

Just go to her blog and sign up. Simple as that. 

What can you win?

ARCS and a Hardcover Copy of her debut novel, Across the Universe

Bookmarks (from her book and other authors)

Bookplates

Buttons

In other words, VERY AWESOME STUFF.

Why are you still here??? Go, go, go!!

And please remember to read Karsten Knight's EPIC QUERY here. 

Best of luck to all who enter!!

A Query That Worked

Confession: I love queries. Writing them. Reading them. Talking about them.

That's why I gave a really loud "squee!" when I found YA author Karsten Knight's UH-MAY-ZING query for his upcoming debut novel, Wildefire. Folks, not only did this query land him his (super awesome) agent, Ms. Mary Kole, but it captures the essence and voice of his novel so. Freakin'. Well.

Don't feel like taking my word for it? Check it out for yourself here. 

Read it. Study it. Then go make sure yours is just as wonderful.

I know I'll be working on mine ;)

Now tell me: do queries make you panic? Smile? Both???

Awesome Query Chat With Elana Johnson TONIGHT!

Just a reminder today, folks. Not only is it The Vampire Diaries night *sigh* but the one and only Elana Johnson is stopping by!!

What? Everything you need to know about queries. Killer ones. Sucky ones. You name it. Elana will be dishing out tips and answering your questions. How insane is that???

When? 9 p.m.

Where? Operation Awesome blog. *fist pump*

See you there!!!

An Awesome Chat With Elana Johnson!!!

I have been jumping up and down since I got the news, folks. And now that I can FINALLY share it with all of you, my ankles are killing me :)

What news am I talking about?

Well, Operation Awesome is having a chat on The Dreaded Query Letter. 

And joining us in our chat is none other than the author of this:

And this:

Yes, peeps. Elana Johnson will be chatting with us!!!

For more awesome details, including what prizes you can win (!),  head on over to OA blog right now. 

Trust me--you do NOT want to miss out. 

WriteOnCon, Baby!!

What are you doing here?? Get your cyber butt over to the super awesome WriteOnCon website! Now!

What's WriteOnCon, you ask? Oh, no big deal. Just a FREE online conference for writers. They have stuff like essays from established authors, workshops with literary agents, query critiques, and live chats with industry professionals.

It kicks off today, and the schedule is uh-may-zing. So head on over there and absorb as much as possible. Here's the link: http://writeoncon.com/

Happy writing, everybody!

Are those for little ol' me???

You guys rock. Seriously.

I thought getting one award last week was cool enough. Now I have two more. *sigh*

First up, the super nice Katrina created one for me. That's right, she created an award! For me! FTW????

Here it is:


I read her kick-ass MG manuscript last week and loved it. In case you wanna know what it's about, click here to read her query (and to see why lit agent Mandy Hubbard loved it!). This is a pretty rockin' example of a query, so if any of you are struggling with yours, go take a look.

Next up, here's another goodie from super cool teen blogger Cara:

I pass this bad boy on to:

Lindsay

Carolyn V.

Katrina Lantz

Melissa

Renae Mercado

Old Kitty

Laura Diamond

Love you, ladies!

Now I'm off to work on my stupid synopsis. Hope everyone has a rockin' week! And congrats to the winners!

10-Step Program For The Query Wuss

Step #1: Butt in chair.

Step #2: Chocolate. Or cookies. Or both.

Step #3: Write the names of your main character and antagonist. If you can't figure out who's who, slap yourself across the face. Twice.

Step #4: Write a one-sentence hook that will entice agents/editors to read the rest of your query. For example: "Seventeen-year-old Tom Cruise doesn't believe in aliens--until a mysterious cult jumps him on the red carpet while chanting 'Scientology rocks, biatch!'."

Step #5: Write two-three sentences describing the main character. Physical appearances need not apply, unless it's important to the plot. In that case, slap yourself again. You're ripping off J. K. Rowling.

Step #6: Think about what main character wants vs. what antagonist wants. Write as much as your mind can come up with, then delete all the bull#!^% until the essentials are left.

Step #7: Explain what's at stake if main character loses. This makes agents/editors care about it. They want to hug it, take long walks on the beach with it, maybe even cook it dinner. And that, my dear query wuss, is the goal.

Step #8: Make sure your "voice" is reflected in your writing. If you're thinking about printing the query and talking to it, don't slap yourself. I'll do it for you.

Step #9: Convince yourself that your query rocks. Wait fifteen minutes, then convince yourself it sucks. Wait fifteen more minutes, then go back to thinking it's awesome. Repeat for at least three months.

Step #10: Hit send.

Sounds easy, right?

Query Letter Wars Part Deux

Okay, peeps. I've discussed the importance of specificity in a query letter (thanks to the fantabulous Nathan Bransford, of course!). Now I'll tackle something bigger. Something that will definitely set you apart from every other aspiring author trying to nab that agent.

Your voice.

Many people have defined voice over the years. I'm no expert (shocking, I know. You'll get over it...). But I do know that a writer's voice needs to be authentic and true to their narrative.

Meaning?

Let's say your manuscript is an epic fantasy about dimwitted dwarves bent on slaying elves (not that I have anything against the dimwitted... they make me laugh...). A little bloodshed here, a bit of political undertones there, and you finish your manuscript, pumped up to go write that query letter. It should be a no brainer, but sometimes we forget that our queries should be written in the same tone as the novel. If your main character is an elf struggling to keep his chastity belt on while a gold-lovin' dwarf swoops in and steals The Hot Elf Girl by bribing her, go right ahead and make your query humorous.

Elf wants to defend his family and the forest of Urganzul from the bloodthirsty dwarves of cave Krltyk? Make that query sound as suspenseful and emotion driven as your plot.

Voice doesn't equate to describing every little detail with a bunch of adjectives, excessive use of adverbs, or snarky humor where it doesn't belong. Plain and simple, voice is how you write your story. That's what sets you apart from everyone else: sentence structure, pacing, and plot are all key elements in your novel, and should be summed up using the same tone in your query letter.

Easy, right?

Ha.

I'm still working on finding my voice. Something tells me I'm not the only one, but that's what makes the writing process so thrilling. As we change, our writing style changes (hopefully for the better!). But no matter how long it takes to develop, a writer's voice will always shine through the pages, and make us fall in love with the story.

Even if the dwarf gets the girl in the end.

Query Letter Wars

As I've mentioned before, the query letter is something an aspiring author shouldn't take for granted. No matter how much you're tempted to press SEND after you write your first draft of the letter, please don't do it! Just think of your beloved manuscript: did you finish the first draft and go, "it's perrrrrfect!"?

You may have been right, but most likely, you may not.

Editing is crucial. Polishing is a must. No writer should send out anything less than uh-may-zing. But what makes a query uh-may-zing?

Sucks to say it, but there is no one answer. Several elements make a great query letter.

One of them is what Nathan Bransford (agent extraordinaire of Curtis Brown Literary Agency) blogged about earlier today: specificity. You have to explain, in the most concise way possible, who and what your story is about. You have to engage the agent's interest without giving them a laundry list of character names and events. Being brief not only shows the agent that you can sum up your novel's hook successfully, but it also sets you apart from amateurs who waste time on a slew of inconsequential details. And that, my writer friend, is kinda the point.

Want a peek at Mr. Bransford's incredibly useful (and hilarious) post?

Here's the link: http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2010/03/secret-strength-of-killer-queries.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NathanBransford+%28Nathan+Bransford+-+Literary+Agent%29

Remember: this isn't everything there is to a great query. I'll be sure to post some more helpful tips later on, pinky swear!

Have a rockin' day, peeps!

Query Letter 101

Hello, there!

As you may (or may not...) know, I'm an aspiring writer. My current work in progress, which I'll discuss in greater detail later, is a YA paranormal romance. It's a far cry from being finished, but I've already taken the time to do research on something really important. Something so important that every aspiring writer should dedicate time to perfecting.

The infamous query letter.

A query letter is the first writing sample a literary agent will receive from you. It's crucial that you make it stand out (in a good way) and make it reflect not only your excellent writing skills, but your voice as well. A great query letter must sum up what your book is about without sounding like a laundry list.

Piece of cake, right?

Eeeeehhhh...

Anyway, since I'm no expert on the subject, I've chosen to post the link to a fantastic article written by Maggie Stiefvater, who I've dubbed the Lady Awesome Supreme (can you tell I'm a fan or what?). Make sure to check it out:

http://m-stiefvater.livejournal.com/147714.html?view=6019586#t6019586
I'll be posting more useful info regarding queries and other great links later on, so stay tuned! Have a rockin' day!

And good luck with those queries!