This feels like a silly question to ask, but I'm going to ask anyway! If you get an agent interested and wanting to see your manuscript or part of your manuscript, what (if anything) do you put in the manuscript's footer on each page along with the page number? For instance, your name, the title of the book, etc? And do you put a copyright notice anywhere (first page only, in the footer, not anywhere)? Formatting seem rife with possibility for showing my querying rookieness to agents, so I'd like to avoid making these mistakes if possible! 😆 Thank you!
Not silly! A copyright is not necessary (and can signify the rookieness you mentioned) and the bottom of each page should only have the page number. Thanks for asking!
I've signed up for your upcoming class and I'm looking forward to it!
My question is this:
I really loved your advice to make the agent see the movie version of your book in their head when they read the synopsis. My book is non fiction: part radical history of trauma from the 19th C to the present; part response to the social traumas of the present moment; part new treatment framework. I can tell many cinematic stories with the history, but the book also has some important arguments. I'm wondering about how to strike the correct balance between scene and argument in the query letter, given the word count limitations.
You don't want to have too many agendas or ambitions in the query letter-- after all, it isn't the book jacket that you are writing, you are trying to get an agent. Everything you are saying above sounds a bit cerebral. Questions you need to address in your letter are 1) Why do people need this book right now? 2) Why would people pick this book up and pay $29 dollars for it even if they don't know you? 3) What have you done in your life or other publications to help you get the book out there in the world?
Of course, you're not going to state these answers directly, you hint at them. The book needs to sound selling, it needs to sound like it has momentum and/or plot. You don't need to defend your arguments in a query letter-- you need to make your arguments sound marketable and exciting! Make sense? Glad to see you in class!
Thank you for this -- very helpful. More about the reader's need and what it gives the reader and why I'm the person to give it to them, and less about defending why the book is "worthy" to exist -- is that right?
I have two sets of readers: clinicians and trauma survivors. What they "need" and how this book responds to them isn't the same. How do I speak to needs and wants of two sets of readers? They overlap, of course, because they're in the room together. Do I privilege one set and background the other? Do I write two separate stories?
You posit the crossover as a selling point, i.e., "Positioned to appeal to both survivors of trauma, their loved ones and clinicians, I use personal experience paired with reported research to..."
Hi Courtney! I have a 69,000 word memoir about my divorce and finding myself again after ending my marriage to a military officer. It was just edited by a developmental editor who suggested I would have a better chance of getting an agent if I include in both my query letter and proposal that I plan to add some reporting to it. To help with platform and proof that I'm capable of producing a reported memoir, last month I had a reported essay published at The TODAY Show that directly relates to my book. I've also had related essays published at many publications, including NYT, WashPo, HuffPost, Newsweek, and YourTango (in addition to many unrelated essays elsewhere at places like Business Insider, Grown and Flown, AARP and Healthline), and HuffPost asked me to do a reel talking about the divorce essay I wrote for them. I also work for a military-related online publication and have 11 years worth of articles and essays about my life as a military spouse. So I'd like to think my platform is pretty decent. I have 2 main questions:
1. Before I was ready to query, an agent reached out to me on Twitter and told me to reach out to her. I quickly threw together a query letter and she immediately requested my proposal, which I immediately sent her. Even though she repeatedly liked my tweets for months after that, I never heard from her again, despite nudging her once. Should I nudge her again now that my manuscript and proposal are tighter? Or should I consider it a no. (It's been a good 8 months.)
2. After that ghosting agent, I queried 15 more agents with no bites. That's when I paused and hired the editor. But since then and since my TODAY Show essay, my queries have either gone unanswered or garnered form rejections. Does this mean my query letter stinks? Does it mean my memoir topic isn't interesting (despite my regularly published essays that give me hope)? Does it mean memoirs are too hard to sell?
Thanks so much for the time you take to help writers. I'm so stoked for your query class next week, and I included my query letter in your other post for consideration to workshop.
Congrats on getting ready to go back out there and the platform you are building.
1. Yes. Nudge/follow up and include the ways in which you're getting your message out.
2. It could be a combination of things-- if they aren't asking for pages at all and there aren't pages going out with the query, it could be the query itself, the title of your book which isn't compelling enough, or the subject matter isn't "sticky" (which means easy to pitch, easy for readers to grasp the value in it for them.) I'm teaching a class on hybrid memoir for Jane Friedman on June 26th-- I'm not sure she's publicized it yet, but I'll advertise on my Substack when sign ups are live, as that would be a good class for you.
Wow thanks so much for the speedy response! I'll definitely reach back out to that original agent and keep an eye out for your Jane Friedman class, which sounds perfect for me. And that's so interesting about the book title...my developmental editor said my original one wasn't good, and we changed it to one I actually like so much better. Maybe that was an issue with my first round of queries.
I like my title (Camouflage), but I'm wondering if my subtitle is too boring (A Memoir of Divorce, Hope and Self-Discovery). Thanks for the input! I might have some more brainstorming to do.
I think you need to do some competitive auditing because there is a big trend in divorce memoirs right now that you should tap into. You should audit what the titles and subtitles are and try to align and make sure you have something super catchy that stands out and adds something new to the conversation.
I’m wondering how specific I need to be about POV? I mention in my query that the book follows three women from different generations. But there are also seven chapters scattered through the book that are written from the perspective of women in the Bible. I’m not sure if I need to mention those chapters as points of view, because they’re stand alone stories and not part of the continuing storyline. The first one occurs pretty early, in chapter three.
Related questions in case you have time (and also thank you for offering the workshop):
1. Is a book considered multiple POV if it’s written from multiple perspectives in the third person, or do they have to be first person to be considered multiple POV?
2. Do I need to use the term or can I just say the story follows three women?
3. I mention that the story is based on real movements that affect a lot of people, but don’t mention why that’s important. Meaning, there are thousands and thousands of people like me making their way out of churches that didn’t allow female agency or tolerate questions. It seems like there would be a large market for a story about a girl escaping that world (and of course for girl power stories in general), and also a market among people who are curious why people stay in oppressive situations like that. What it’s like to live in America with beliefs most Americans find shocking? So the question is do I talk about the market for a book like this?
You can just say something like "Sandwiched between lyrical observations from women in the Bible, my three women characters represent different generations and value systems" or something like that!
1. Yes- multiple POV is multiple POV regardless of whether it's in 1st or 3rd
2. You can say the story follows three women, that's a way of saying multiple POV
3. After you summarize the book you should absolutely point to market trends and public interest in your subject. You talk about the market by researching - are there major articles/podcasts/news programs about this topic? Do your comps speak to the trend?
4. Generally one-two sentences before your bio to show your personal tie to the material is good!
When's the right time to move on from a project (and hopefully revive it later, once one has an agent)? 50 rejections? 500? I'm getting on with writing my next novel, but managing queries is time-consuming, so I'm wondering when to call it a day and focus on my new project. I write women's fiction/book club fiction, which agent feedback has indicated is an overcrowded market.
Hi ! This is an essential question we'll go into depth in during class. Generally I counsel people to stop at 25/30 questions. Try to take stock, what isn't working? Consider changing up the query letter and getting a professional to look at the letter and the first 10 pages or so. Make some changes. After another 20 or so more rejections, especially if there is no response at all, you stop and try to seek help to understand what's going on, or (better, and cheaper!) try to place essays that dance with the topics of your book in publications and magazines to up your platform. Improve your literary citizenship and profile, and then try again...or possibly try with another project. I personally would never go more than 50 query rejections without doing some major overhauling of the project.
I self-published a book in 2022 (nonfiction). It won four awards but hasn’t sold impressive numbers (in the low 300s). I don’t have a big platform. I’m working on a second book now. Should I even consider going for an agent/publisher? Or should I assume that there won’t be interest and save myself the time and effort?
Did you enjoy the self publication route? If you did, and you are building up an audience that way, I would just keep going! The amount of time it will take you to query and either find or not find someone could be super disheartening to you. If you're doing just fine on your own (and winning awards! Congrats!) I wouldn't fix what isn't broken, personally. Post a link to your book here so people can see it!
For those interested, it’s in the spirituality genre. Here’s an excerpt from a reader review:
“The book is gorgeous. It's accessible and engaging for both those drawn to the language of spirituality and those seeking meaning and purpose (but skeptical of terms like "spirituality").”
Lots more reviews accessible if you click the link.
For querying a novel, how do you feel about including a non-fiction book as a comp (along with another novel)?
(The non-fiction book is one I used extensively for research and the real-life scenario in that book is similar in many ways to the scenario in my novel.)
Generally I don't think agents love it when you include books you used for research. That's just not something an agent cares about. Readers? Yes. Agents want to see comps in your own genre so they can see if the subject/topic/plot performs well. So generally, you should use comps in your genre.
Thanks, Courtney! Does it make any difference to your answer that the non-fiction book was a bestseller, won awards etc., and I suspect there's a good chance many of the same readers would be interested in related fiction?
I was thinking of using it less because I used it for research (I used MANY books for research, haha!) but more because it (apparently) sold well and I think there'd be an overlap of readership.
But it's still a nonfiction comp for a novel, right? That's not going to fly for most agents. The point still stands-- you are trying to sell apples, so you want to show apples that have sold before. Oranges are a totally different market, if you will. But you're certainly welcome to do it anyway and cross-genre with your comps!
Hi Courtney and fellow Courtney fans! I'm hoping I'm not repeating a question here, but how do we submit query letters so they might be picked to be workshopped on the 17th? TIA :)
I got a manuscript request from a reputable agency with a very experienced submissions editor. The result was essentially, 'It's fine, I just didn't love it.' I very politely pressed for more substantive feedback, saying it would help me decide whether to revise or close the project. Her reply seemed sincere with lots of genuine encouragement, but boiled down to 'personal taste,’ nothing concrete. What should I make of this? I’m wondering if she actually read it or just skipped straight on to something with a better pitch.
If I were to decode this, my feeling is that she doesn't think the writing is there yet. There probably wasn't enough voice or momentum for her, or characters she felt gripped by-- that is generally what agents mean when they say "it wasn't for me." Sometimes it could be a question of topic, what the book's about. That's unfortunate that she didn't give you clearer feedback. I know that's frustrating.
First off, as a vet—has your cat had a skin biopsy? What med for anxiety did you use? If that one didn’t work, there might be others he tolerates better. Or sometimes your vet can adjust the dose and titrate up. Is he on any other meds for other medical conditions? Parasite prevention? I’d probably know if he has fleas, but not mites. I’m not opposed to the acupuncture, it has been shown to have benefits in many areas but I have so many questions.
Second—I have a very bad habit of overthinking my comps and finding all the reasons it’s but a perfect comp. How do you decide what’s close enough and what’s not? Can I comp a duel POV if mine is single POV for example?
HI Lauren! Thanks for weighing in on my poor cat. He's on Gabapentin right now- 1/2 pill in the morning, 1/2 at night with food. The full pill at once made him a Zombie and only half a day didn't make a difference. We have not done a skin biopsy. We have tested him for both fleas and mites. He's not on meds for anything else but we will use a tick prevention liquid on him soon. We put fish oil in his wet food at night.
On the comp front: have you read this post of mine on that subject? https://courtneymaum.substack.com/p/comp-titles If you comp a book with a different POV set up than your MS, just make it clear *what* you are comparing your book to in the other book. Plot? Voice? Humor?
Thanks, I'll check it out. If the gabapentin isn't working for him, I would talk to your vet about trying a different anti-anxiety med. Ultimately, it sounds like what he really needs though is the skin biopsy. These can generally be done awake with just some light sedation and lidocaine if your cat isn't too freaked out at the vet. And definitely talk to your vet about making sure they send it to someone who specializes in dermatopathology and not just a regular veterinary pathologist.
Hi Courtney, Looking forward to your masterclass. I write graphic nonfiction, and I sent some queries in the form of a scrolling comic (a pdf that I plopped right into an email). I thought the idea was clever, somewhat meta, and it gave agents an idea of my aesthetic. No response from any agents, so I'm wondering if they saw the whole thing as a gimmick, or if it's possible that my comic was too distracting from the nitty gritty info that agents are ultimately seeking. What are your thoughts for querying a manuscript that is visual in nature? How might I incorporate the visuals? Or do I need the written query to do the work, and trust that agents/publishers will seek out examples of visuals? Thanks so much!
A lot of agents won't open queries with attachments, so your best bet is setting up that accompanying visual information on a website or blog that they can look at via a link!
Nudges! When it is a good idea vs bad idea to nudge an agent on a query? Always a bad idea? After 120 days? How about on a full? For example I have a full that has been out for (checks spreadsheet) 241 days. I nudged a few weeks ago and got no response. I am always of the "I don't want to bother people" side of things, but also i don't want them to forget that they have my query/ MS. Thoughts on nudging?
Ah, nudges! They are so uncomfortable. While there aren't any strict rules, generally I think:
Nudge after two months when someone hasn't gotten back to your query
If they've asked for a partial: 6 weeks
If they've asked for a full: 6 weeks to two months
Generally past three months, I would personally assume it is a no but there's no harm in following up to make sure. If it's been a super long time (241 days) you can say something like "Given that it's been a while since I've heard from you, I'm assuming that you are passing but I want to confirm for my records" or something like that! Good luck out there.
Thank you for another great AMA. I'm signed up for the 17th and have been meaning to email you for the platform class--a great reminder! And sorry to hear about Chester. I hope acupuncture helps. I had a dear family cat, Mr Magoo, and it was so hard to see him struggle as he got older.
My questions are as follows:
1. How do I know when my query letter is ready to send to agents? I've been workshopping one after I sent out what I thought was a stunning letter, only to have ZERO agents respond. It of course got torn to shreds, several times. I'm feeling better about where I am with it, but not confident at all. I'm also terrified of burning through agents like I did with my previous letter (I sent to about 25 overall with one positive about the concept, but I don't have a platform, 2 form responses, the rest crickets).
2. Best tips for switching into "marketing brain" that feels requisite for the query process. Admittedly, this is not my strong suit, but I'm willing to learn to make sure my book does well and so does the relationship I have with an agent.
3. How do I stay somewhat positive/sane/grounded and creative? I've noticed that once I fully immersed myself in the world of querying I can't reach the other ideas I have for a next WIP, or even just the feeling that my story is worthy of telling anymore. It feels like all my energy is going toward the process of marketing me and my book and there's not a lot of room for anything else.
1. You can have readers (colleagues or professionals) weigh in on whether your letter is ready or not, and of course, as you have seen, the agents themselves will help you understand if you have missed the mark.
2. Ah, that switch! Well, it's about learning and increasing your knowledge of the industry and making contacts and becoming a true literary citizen. That takes time! Subscribing to Substacks like mine, to magazines like Poets & Writers, taking seminars and online classes-- this all helps so much. If you didn't take our platform class two weeks ago, you should contact me to purchase the video of it- that 3 hour class will really help you understand how to build your marketing brain! You can write me at thequerydoula@gmail.com That video releases this Wednesday for purchase.
Thanks so much for this! One more question (if you're still accepting them): For those agents who make a blanket rule for non-fiction that they want the proposal but ask for the full MS for fiction, if I have a full MS available in memoir, do I still submit a proposal? Or the MS? I've seen some agents differentiate that they want the full MS in memoir, but a proposal for other NF projects. Not sure if I should just follow each individual preference, or if there's a general practice for memoir that I should be aware of before I start querying.
In the query you let them know you have both the full memoir MS and a proposal available. If they want to see material they then know they have a choice.
Thank you for sharing your insights with us, Courtney. My question is about comps to use in my query letter. I've heard/read to never use Wild by Cheryl Strayed. Because it's too successful. That makes sense. My memoir of my two-year sail across the Pacific Ocean, to New Zealand and home to Seattle, shares a lot of parallels with Wild. Except it's the Pacific Ocean instead of the Pacific Trail. Possibly less sex and drugs, too. When I pitched two agents at a writing conference, and didn't use Wild as a comp, both asked why I didn't once they heard about my story. My instinct is to NOT use Wild and let prospective agents draw that connection themselves. This will be more powerful than if I suggest it. What do you think?
The thing is, with any comp, but especially the bestselling ones, to be very specific about why you are comparing your book to that book. So if you're writing about forbidden love, for example, you might cite TWILIGHT because of the forbidden love aspect. You can absolutely and should use WILD, just be hyper specific regarding what about that book will resonate inside of your own book for people.
I’m looking for a new agent after my debut novel. The editor of my debut (now at a “big five” publisher) has expressed interest in reading the new novel. I have a blurb from a well-known writer for the new novel.
Do you think either of these things is important enough to put in the query subject line?
Thanks for taking the time to respond to so many of these comments!
Hi Ian! Congrats that you already have a novel out. Can the editor of your debut not guide you toward a new agent? That sounds like it would be the best way to go...
This feels like a silly question to ask, but I'm going to ask anyway! If you get an agent interested and wanting to see your manuscript or part of your manuscript, what (if anything) do you put in the manuscript's footer on each page along with the page number? For instance, your name, the title of the book, etc? And do you put a copyright notice anywhere (first page only, in the footer, not anywhere)? Formatting seem rife with possibility for showing my querying rookieness to agents, so I'd like to avoid making these mistakes if possible! 😆 Thank you!
Not silly! A copyright is not necessary (and can signify the rookieness you mentioned) and the bottom of each page should only have the page number. Thanks for asking!
Thank you, Courtney!
Hey there Courtney--
I've signed up for your upcoming class and I'm looking forward to it!
My question is this:
I really loved your advice to make the agent see the movie version of your book in their head when they read the synopsis. My book is non fiction: part radical history of trauma from the 19th C to the present; part response to the social traumas of the present moment; part new treatment framework. I can tell many cinematic stories with the history, but the book also has some important arguments. I'm wondering about how to strike the correct balance between scene and argument in the query letter, given the word count limitations.
Thank you!
You don't want to have too many agendas or ambitions in the query letter-- after all, it isn't the book jacket that you are writing, you are trying to get an agent. Everything you are saying above sounds a bit cerebral. Questions you need to address in your letter are 1) Why do people need this book right now? 2) Why would people pick this book up and pay $29 dollars for it even if they don't know you? 3) What have you done in your life or other publications to help you get the book out there in the world?
Of course, you're not going to state these answers directly, you hint at them. The book needs to sound selling, it needs to sound like it has momentum and/or plot. You don't need to defend your arguments in a query letter-- you need to make your arguments sound marketable and exciting! Make sense? Glad to see you in class!
Thank you for this -- very helpful. More about the reader's need and what it gives the reader and why I'm the person to give it to them, and less about defending why the book is "worthy" to exist -- is that right?
Yes exactly! Query letters should privilege the reader's experience, not yours while writing it, or how you feel about the book :)
ok! One last question, if I may:
I have two sets of readers: clinicians and trauma survivors. What they "need" and how this book responds to them isn't the same. How do I speak to needs and wants of two sets of readers? They overlap, of course, because they're in the room together. Do I privilege one set and background the other? Do I write two separate stories?
Thank you for all your help with this!
You posit the crossover as a selling point, i.e., "Positioned to appeal to both survivors of trauma, their loved ones and clinicians, I use personal experience paired with reported research to..."
Bravo!
Thank you so much, Courtney. See you next week! :-)
Hi Courtney! I have a 69,000 word memoir about my divorce and finding myself again after ending my marriage to a military officer. It was just edited by a developmental editor who suggested I would have a better chance of getting an agent if I include in both my query letter and proposal that I plan to add some reporting to it. To help with platform and proof that I'm capable of producing a reported memoir, last month I had a reported essay published at The TODAY Show that directly relates to my book. I've also had related essays published at many publications, including NYT, WashPo, HuffPost, Newsweek, and YourTango (in addition to many unrelated essays elsewhere at places like Business Insider, Grown and Flown, AARP and Healthline), and HuffPost asked me to do a reel talking about the divorce essay I wrote for them. I also work for a military-related online publication and have 11 years worth of articles and essays about my life as a military spouse. So I'd like to think my platform is pretty decent. I have 2 main questions:
1. Before I was ready to query, an agent reached out to me on Twitter and told me to reach out to her. I quickly threw together a query letter and she immediately requested my proposal, which I immediately sent her. Even though she repeatedly liked my tweets for months after that, I never heard from her again, despite nudging her once. Should I nudge her again now that my manuscript and proposal are tighter? Or should I consider it a no. (It's been a good 8 months.)
2. After that ghosting agent, I queried 15 more agents with no bites. That's when I paused and hired the editor. But since then and since my TODAY Show essay, my queries have either gone unanswered or garnered form rejections. Does this mean my query letter stinks? Does it mean my memoir topic isn't interesting (despite my regularly published essays that give me hope)? Does it mean memoirs are too hard to sell?
Thanks so much for the time you take to help writers. I'm so stoked for your query class next week, and I included my query letter in your other post for consideration to workshop.
Congrats on getting ready to go back out there and the platform you are building.
1. Yes. Nudge/follow up and include the ways in which you're getting your message out.
2. It could be a combination of things-- if they aren't asking for pages at all and there aren't pages going out with the query, it could be the query itself, the title of your book which isn't compelling enough, or the subject matter isn't "sticky" (which means easy to pitch, easy for readers to grasp the value in it for them.) I'm teaching a class on hybrid memoir for Jane Friedman on June 26th-- I'm not sure she's publicized it yet, but I'll advertise on my Substack when sign ups are live, as that would be a good class for you.
Wow thanks so much for the speedy response! I'll definitely reach back out to that original agent and keep an eye out for your Jane Friedman class, which sounds perfect for me. And that's so interesting about the book title...my developmental editor said my original one wasn't good, and we changed it to one I actually like so much better. Maybe that was an issue with my first round of queries.
You'll also need a solid and catchy subtitle for memoir!
I like my title (Camouflage), but I'm wondering if my subtitle is too boring (A Memoir of Divorce, Hope and Self-Discovery). Thanks for the input! I might have some more brainstorming to do.
I think you need to do some competitive auditing because there is a big trend in divorce memoirs right now that you should tap into. You should audit what the titles and subtitles are and try to align and make sure you have something super catchy that stands out and adds something new to the conversation.
That's great advice. On my list to start tomorrow. Thanks so much! I really appreciate your help and speedy responses.
I’m wondering how specific I need to be about POV? I mention in my query that the book follows three women from different generations. But there are also seven chapters scattered through the book that are written from the perspective of women in the Bible. I’m not sure if I need to mention those chapters as points of view, because they’re stand alone stories and not part of the continuing storyline. The first one occurs pretty early, in chapter three.
Related questions in case you have time (and also thank you for offering the workshop):
1. Is a book considered multiple POV if it’s written from multiple perspectives in the third person, or do they have to be first person to be considered multiple POV?
2. Do I need to use the term or can I just say the story follows three women?
3. I mention that the story is based on real movements that affect a lot of people, but don’t mention why that’s important. Meaning, there are thousands and thousands of people like me making their way out of churches that didn’t allow female agency or tolerate questions. It seems like there would be a large market for a story about a girl escaping that world (and of course for girl power stories in general), and also a market among people who are curious why people stay in oppressive situations like that. What it’s like to live in America with beliefs most Americans find shocking? So the question is do I talk about the market for a book like this?
4. How much personal story to include?
You can just say something like "Sandwiched between lyrical observations from women in the Bible, my three women characters represent different generations and value systems" or something like that!
1. Yes- multiple POV is multiple POV regardless of whether it's in 1st or 3rd
2. You can say the story follows three women, that's a way of saying multiple POV
3. After you summarize the book you should absolutely point to market trends and public interest in your subject. You talk about the market by researching - are there major articles/podcasts/news programs about this topic? Do your comps speak to the trend?
4. Generally one-two sentences before your bio to show your personal tie to the material is good!
Perfect. Thank you.
When's the right time to move on from a project (and hopefully revive it later, once one has an agent)? 50 rejections? 500? I'm getting on with writing my next novel, but managing queries is time-consuming, so I'm wondering when to call it a day and focus on my new project. I write women's fiction/book club fiction, which agent feedback has indicated is an overcrowded market.
Hi ! This is an essential question we'll go into depth in during class. Generally I counsel people to stop at 25/30 questions. Try to take stock, what isn't working? Consider changing up the query letter and getting a professional to look at the letter and the first 10 pages or so. Make some changes. After another 20 or so more rejections, especially if there is no response at all, you stop and try to seek help to understand what's going on, or (better, and cheaper!) try to place essays that dance with the topics of your book in publications and magazines to up your platform. Improve your literary citizenship and profile, and then try again...or possibly try with another project. I personally would never go more than 50 query rejections without doing some major overhauling of the project.
I self-published a book in 2022 (nonfiction). It won four awards but hasn’t sold impressive numbers (in the low 300s). I don’t have a big platform. I’m working on a second book now. Should I even consider going for an agent/publisher? Or should I assume that there won’t be interest and save myself the time and effort?
Did you enjoy the self publication route? If you did, and you are building up an audience that way, I would just keep going! The amount of time it will take you to query and either find or not find someone could be super disheartening to you. If you're doing just fine on your own (and winning awards! Congrats!) I wouldn't fix what isn't broken, personally. Post a link to your book here so people can see it!
Thanks for that guidance! And thanks as well for the invitation to share my book. Here it is:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0B8BD9MMB/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?ie=UTF8&qid=&sr=
For those interested, it’s in the spirituality genre. Here’s an excerpt from a reader review:
“The book is gorgeous. It's accessible and engaging for both those drawn to the language of spirituality and those seeking meaning and purpose (but skeptical of terms like "spirituality").”
Lots more reviews accessible if you click the link.
Beautiful, thanks Dan! And congrats on the book!
For querying a novel, how do you feel about including a non-fiction book as a comp (along with another novel)?
(The non-fiction book is one I used extensively for research and the real-life scenario in that book is similar in many ways to the scenario in my novel.)
Generally I don't think agents love it when you include books you used for research. That's just not something an agent cares about. Readers? Yes. Agents want to see comps in your own genre so they can see if the subject/topic/plot performs well. So generally, you should use comps in your genre.
Thanks, Courtney! Does it make any difference to your answer that the non-fiction book was a bestseller, won awards etc., and I suspect there's a good chance many of the same readers would be interested in related fiction?
I was thinking of using it less because I used it for research (I used MANY books for research, haha!) but more because it (apparently) sold well and I think there'd be an overlap of readership.
But it's still a nonfiction comp for a novel, right? That's not going to fly for most agents. The point still stands-- you are trying to sell apples, so you want to show apples that have sold before. Oranges are a totally different market, if you will. But you're certainly welcome to do it anyway and cross-genre with your comps!
Ok, thanks Courtney. I appreciate you taking the time to respond to my follow up question. This is so helpful!
Hi Courtney and fellow Courtney fans! I'm hoping I'm not repeating a question here, but how do we submit query letters so they might be picked to be workshopped on the 17th? TIA :)
Hi Sarah! You can post your letter in the comments of this post: https://courtneymaum.substack.com/p/open-call-for-query-letters See you in class!
I got a manuscript request from a reputable agency with a very experienced submissions editor. The result was essentially, 'It's fine, I just didn't love it.' I very politely pressed for more substantive feedback, saying it would help me decide whether to revise or close the project. Her reply seemed sincere with lots of genuine encouragement, but boiled down to 'personal taste,’ nothing concrete. What should I make of this? I’m wondering if she actually read it or just skipped straight on to something with a better pitch.
If I were to decode this, my feeling is that she doesn't think the writing is there yet. There probably wasn't enough voice or momentum for her, or characters she felt gripped by-- that is generally what agents mean when they say "it wasn't for me." Sometimes it could be a question of topic, what the book's about. That's unfortunate that she didn't give you clearer feedback. I know that's frustrating.
First off, as a vet—has your cat had a skin biopsy? What med for anxiety did you use? If that one didn’t work, there might be others he tolerates better. Or sometimes your vet can adjust the dose and titrate up. Is he on any other meds for other medical conditions? Parasite prevention? I’d probably know if he has fleas, but not mites. I’m not opposed to the acupuncture, it has been shown to have benefits in many areas but I have so many questions.
Second—I have a very bad habit of overthinking my comps and finding all the reasons it’s but a perfect comp. How do you decide what’s close enough and what’s not? Can I comp a duel POV if mine is single POV for example?
HI Lauren! Thanks for weighing in on my poor cat. He's on Gabapentin right now- 1/2 pill in the morning, 1/2 at night with food. The full pill at once made him a Zombie and only half a day didn't make a difference. We have not done a skin biopsy. We have tested him for both fleas and mites. He's not on meds for anything else but we will use a tick prevention liquid on him soon. We put fish oil in his wet food at night.
On the comp front: have you read this post of mine on that subject? https://courtneymaum.substack.com/p/comp-titles If you comp a book with a different POV set up than your MS, just make it clear *what* you are comparing your book to in the other book. Plot? Voice? Humor?
Thanks, I'll check it out. If the gabapentin isn't working for him, I would talk to your vet about trying a different anti-anxiety med. Ultimately, it sounds like what he really needs though is the skin biopsy. These can generally be done awake with just some light sedation and lidocaine if your cat isn't too freaked out at the vet. And definitely talk to your vet about making sure they send it to someone who specializes in dermatopathology and not just a regular veterinary pathologist.
Got it! I really appreciate this, thank you!
Hi Courtney, Looking forward to your masterclass. I write graphic nonfiction, and I sent some queries in the form of a scrolling comic (a pdf that I plopped right into an email). I thought the idea was clever, somewhat meta, and it gave agents an idea of my aesthetic. No response from any agents, so I'm wondering if they saw the whole thing as a gimmick, or if it's possible that my comic was too distracting from the nitty gritty info that agents are ultimately seeking. What are your thoughts for querying a manuscript that is visual in nature? How might I incorporate the visuals? Or do I need the written query to do the work, and trust that agents/publishers will seek out examples of visuals? Thanks so much!
A lot of agents won't open queries with attachments, so your best bet is setting up that accompanying visual information on a website or blog that they can look at via a link!
Nudges! When it is a good idea vs bad idea to nudge an agent on a query? Always a bad idea? After 120 days? How about on a full? For example I have a full that has been out for (checks spreadsheet) 241 days. I nudged a few weeks ago and got no response. I am always of the "I don't want to bother people" side of things, but also i don't want them to forget that they have my query/ MS. Thoughts on nudging?
Ah, nudges! They are so uncomfortable. While there aren't any strict rules, generally I think:
Nudge after two months when someone hasn't gotten back to your query
If they've asked for a partial: 6 weeks
If they've asked for a full: 6 weeks to two months
Generally past three months, I would personally assume it is a no but there's no harm in following up to make sure. If it's been a super long time (241 days) you can say something like "Given that it's been a while since I've heard from you, I'm assuming that you are passing but I want to confirm for my records" or something like that! Good luck out there.
Hi Courtney!
Thank you for another great AMA. I'm signed up for the 17th and have been meaning to email you for the platform class--a great reminder! And sorry to hear about Chester. I hope acupuncture helps. I had a dear family cat, Mr Magoo, and it was so hard to see him struggle as he got older.
My questions are as follows:
1. How do I know when my query letter is ready to send to agents? I've been workshopping one after I sent out what I thought was a stunning letter, only to have ZERO agents respond. It of course got torn to shreds, several times. I'm feeling better about where I am with it, but not confident at all. I'm also terrified of burning through agents like I did with my previous letter (I sent to about 25 overall with one positive about the concept, but I don't have a platform, 2 form responses, the rest crickets).
2. Best tips for switching into "marketing brain" that feels requisite for the query process. Admittedly, this is not my strong suit, but I'm willing to learn to make sure my book does well and so does the relationship I have with an agent.
3. How do I stay somewhat positive/sane/grounded and creative? I've noticed that once I fully immersed myself in the world of querying I can't reach the other ideas I have for a next WIP, or even just the feeling that my story is worthy of telling anymore. It feels like all my energy is going toward the process of marketing me and my book and there's not a lot of room for anything else.
1. You can have readers (colleagues or professionals) weigh in on whether your letter is ready or not, and of course, as you have seen, the agents themselves will help you understand if you have missed the mark.
2. Ah, that switch! Well, it's about learning and increasing your knowledge of the industry and making contacts and becoming a true literary citizen. That takes time! Subscribing to Substacks like mine, to magazines like Poets & Writers, taking seminars and online classes-- this all helps so much. If you didn't take our platform class two weeks ago, you should contact me to purchase the video of it- that 3 hour class will really help you understand how to build your marketing brain! You can write me at thequerydoula@gmail.com That video releases this Wednesday for purchase.
Thanks so much for this! One more question (if you're still accepting them): For those agents who make a blanket rule for non-fiction that they want the proposal but ask for the full MS for fiction, if I have a full MS available in memoir, do I still submit a proposal? Or the MS? I've seen some agents differentiate that they want the full MS in memoir, but a proposal for other NF projects. Not sure if I should just follow each individual preference, or if there's a general practice for memoir that I should be aware of before I start querying.
In the query you let them know you have both the full memoir MS and a proposal available. If they want to see material they then know they have a choice.
Thank you for sharing your insights with us, Courtney. My question is about comps to use in my query letter. I've heard/read to never use Wild by Cheryl Strayed. Because it's too successful. That makes sense. My memoir of my two-year sail across the Pacific Ocean, to New Zealand and home to Seattle, shares a lot of parallels with Wild. Except it's the Pacific Ocean instead of the Pacific Trail. Possibly less sex and drugs, too. When I pitched two agents at a writing conference, and didn't use Wild as a comp, both asked why I didn't once they heard about my story. My instinct is to NOT use Wild and let prospective agents draw that connection themselves. This will be more powerful than if I suggest it. What do you think?
The thing is, with any comp, but especially the bestselling ones, to be very specific about why you are comparing your book to that book. So if you're writing about forbidden love, for example, you might cite TWILIGHT because of the forbidden love aspect. You can absolutely and should use WILD, just be hyper specific regarding what about that book will resonate inside of your own book for people.
This makes sense, Courtney. I can see how it would be meaningful to be specific about why this comp.
I’m looking for a new agent after my debut novel. The editor of my debut (now at a “big five” publisher) has expressed interest in reading the new novel. I have a blurb from a well-known writer for the new novel.
Do you think either of these things is important enough to put in the query subject line?
Thanks for taking the time to respond to so many of these comments!
Hi Ian! Congrats that you already have a novel out. Can the editor of your debut not guide you toward a new agent? That sounds like it would be the best way to go...
This post and whole thread have been so helpful!
Thanks Erin!