A Query Secret

Can I tell you a secret? Yes, once I tell you it isn’t a secret anymore. Still, I want to share. I’m doing my best to be honest here, telling you anything and everything about this quest of mine. I like to share in this semi-anonymous fashion. (I know you all know my name, but how many of you know me outside the virtual world?) Maybe this honesty will help some other writer out there. They won’t have to spend months—years even— learning all these things I’ve been learning.  Take this last week.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from Pitch Wars, it’s the basics of a query. What is the key to success in a query (aside from having a kickass book and some kickass writing)? What do you have to have to get the attention of agents?

Character + Conflict + Stakes = Query

With the help of several great people, I think I’ve nailed this for my WORLD’S EDGE query, which I’m emailing for part of my Pitch Wars submission tomorrow. I’m not saying there isn’t room for improvement in my query. I’m just saying I’ve got those three necessary components. It probably won’t be perfect and the chances of me and WORLD’S EDGE getting a mentor are so slim, but I’m still hoping.

If there’s one thing the above query equation has taught me, it’s what my FOR PARIS, FOR LOVE query lacks. And what does it lack? Well…maybe two thirds of that equation. Oops. One writer has really helped me to see this. Her questions have pushed me to analyze not just the query for FOR PARIS, FOR LOVE, but also the MS itself. Conflict and stakes are there…just a little hidden. That’s why my FOR PARIS, FOR LOVE query hasn’t gotten much attention despite all these weeks of querying.

To be clear, I’m not saying FOR PARIS, FOR LOVE is bad. I still love it—though I granted have a pretty personal attachment to it. But at least the query could use some work. Probably the MS, too. And what does that mean?

Here’s that secret I mentioned: I didn’t send queries for FOR PARIS, FOR LOVE yesterday. I started sending queries that first weekend of September and I’ve done it EVERY WEEKEND SINCE. Every weekend. It felt weird not doing it yesterday, but like I said, I think the query (minimum) needs some work. Plus, it’s the holidays now and many agents are closing to queries anyway. That’s not to say that one of the agents I’ve already queried won’t email me tomorrow asking to see pages. They might. I’ve had a partial and a full request, after all, so I’m doing something right…right?

Still, here it is: that FOR PARIS, FOR LOVE break I saw coming is here. It happened without me realizing it. I’m going to put FOR PARIS, FOR LOVE aside for a little while. I’m going to shift my focus to WORLD’S EDGE. I’m going to keep my quest going, just with a different MS. I’ll go back to FOR PARIS, FOR LOVE when I have spare moments. I’ll perfect that query and make some MS changes. If things don’t work out for WORLD’S EDGE, I’ll have a backup plan.

But tomorrow belongs to WORLD’S EDGE and Pitch Wars.