Thank you so much for posting this. This is so helpful for aspiring authors who get so much contradictory information on what to include. It’s also nice to see that it’s not some magical spell that needs to be spoken precisely to succeed. Clear, concise, complete concept.
Thank you so much for this. I haven’t succeeded with two manuscripts and I’m on my third now. Looking to query it as well as I can when it’s finished (it’s a thriller at 72k words).
Thanks Will. I (and many others obviously) really appreciate this. I just may give the slush piles one more go around. Take care out there in the woods. They're beautiful, but can be lonely if you let them. Dan
Thanks for the advice, great video! I'm currently editing my query letter, structured mainly off your videos. Would love to send it over if possible? Keep up the good work.
Hmmm.... Great video, very helpful. I just can't seem to write the first line of it! You made it sound so simple. Ok.....I'm going to give it a try! Thank you so much!
I'm about to start writing my query letter so I found the video very helpful. Thank you. Do you have one on writing a synopsis? You did mention it but I can't seem to find it.
Thanks for showing your letter, it helped a lot. I'm a new writer who isn't active on social media, don't know where to start even, last time I touched social media was years ago. Since I've no previous experience I wonder if there's something you would suggest I can do to get at least something that is worth mentioning when contacting an agent? All I've written so far is a childrens story(less than 2000 words).
Hello. Great video. Question, is that "hook" portion, necessary? I'm quite pleased with my synopsis, and even though it stretches a bit on the longer side, I feel it has some "hook" elements to it (as in, I believe my synopsis is strong enough to retain attention). What do you think? Thanks, cheers.
My way is just one way (it worked for me, almost a decade ago) but if your package is strong (title, comp titles, synopsis, conflict, opening line, sample chapters etc) it’ll get noticed. I like to emphasise the hook because it immediately helps agents/editors understand the essence of the story. It’s a shortcut. But you do whatever you think is best. The more important thing might be to edit down your synopsis a little if you feel it’s on the longer side. Wishing you all the best with it! W.
You've mentioned did a quite a bit of querying before you hit success, but when you sent out this letter, how long did it take before you received a reply?
Did you mean Needful Things? You said Needless Things. It kinda hurts you used these comps which goes against the rules: choose books that aren't bestellers and from the last four years. And you got the Title of a comp wrong. The agent may not have even noticed, as hadn't read it. Which in line with what i suspected ...that chances are themey haven't read your comps, so using more famous authors/ works can actually HELP give them an instant idea of your book. Otherwise they have to google the book, and probably don't. Time would be better spent going to the actual pages Encouraging tbh. I think query advice is too strict because authors manage to get agents even breaking rules. I thought your query synopsis paragraphs were really good. I think that matters more than the comps. And like you said, the actual book matters over everthying else Thanks for this vid...it was good. I am a little bitter about spending years learning how to write queries only to realise that book I queried had major flaws. But I'm writing anither one now. A more markettable idea. Living iff grud would probably help one be prolific
Thanks for your comment. I completely understand your bitterness - the whole querying/slushpile process is absolutely brutal. Just FYI my agent did read the comp titles and found them useful. But, naturally, it’s the sample chapters that are most important. Wishing you all the best.
Thanks Will. Can I ask how you know when the opening pages are really ready. My current Middle Grade Novel had a rewrite on a Summer mentor programme last and it feels disconnected now from the rest of the book. I'm completely confident with it from chapter 4. Do you ever get this feeling of a complete disconnect? Thanks Michelle
I often have that same feeling. For me the best thing is to take a break from it and work on something else (even a short break with be useful). Then you’ll have some distance from your work and you’ll be able to work on it again and have perspective. As to: when is it ready? It’s not an exact science but you’ll reach the point where you feel you can’t improve it anymore (at least not on your own). Be comforted by the fact that no manuscript is even close to perfect when it’s taken on by an agent or indeed bought by a publisher. They don’t expect perfection but they do need to see that the fundamentals are there, and they need to be excited by it.
Why would you try to find the rarest book titles to liken your book? Popular titles are successful for a reason. There is nothing wrong with likening your book to them.
Not the rarest. But remember that agents see hundreds of queries each week and many use the same huge bestseller/blockbuster titles. I’m just relaying what I’ve heard from agents. It’s important to stand out AND demonstrate that you read. A solid compromise is: [big bestseller] meets [less obvious book] - hope that helps.
@erencanaslan Needful things and Sharp Objects *are* by bestselling authors. I knew what they were instantly. So I wouldn't call them rare. If that's what you meant? The query advice is to use mid list/ debut books from last four years. To show you know the market. And to show you don't expect to make millions of dollars. ( I think this last reason is a silly reason because the more famous a book or author is the easier it is for agents to get an idea of your book, but that point permeates all querying advice.
Wow you must have been quite lucky because that is a very average first line as well. I see this alot. Average writers getting the attention of agents because at the end of the day it needs to be broadly digestable. 54% of readers in the US have the competency of a 6th grader.
