From the trenches

Hi friends!

I thought I'd provide an update from the querying trenches, six months in. While I had a vague idea of how this process would play out, it's been a lesson in rolling with the punches and learning to accept I am not necessarily in control of what happens with my story from here on out.

So far, my strategy has been to send out my query in batches—to a wide array of agents—all of whom I specifically choose and I'd love to work with. I am querying in batches so I don't exhaust my curated list of agents if there is something "off" with my pitching package. That way, I can still tweak it—based on feedback—before I run out of agents to query. If I get zero interest in seeing more of my manuscript, I can presume that my query (or my sample pages, if submitted) is not landing. If I receive lots of requests for more of my manuscript—but ultimately a rejection—I can presume that there is something about my story to tweak, be that plot, pacing, POV, character arc etc, especially if the agent provides specific feedback and it's a repeated response to my story.

I am proud to say that for the most part, all feedback to my query package has been very positive. Many agents have requested to see more of my material, and my full manuscript in the hands of about a dozen agents at the moment. One agent reported my "delightful" manuscript had a lot to love about it. She highlighted specific parts, saying, "Your voice, your humor, your great premise, and the artful way you draw the reader into the story." These responses have been so encouraging!

Of course, I've received some rejections too, most of them explaining that "the middle grade market is very tough right now" or it's "not a fit for my list at this time." I'll take that kind of feedback too, although it's still disappointing.

There have also been some queries that have gone unanswered, which is frustrating, but also part of the process. I get it.

For now, since I haven't received any actionable feedback, I am staying the course with my strategy. As more agents respond, I may pivot. I'll keep you posted when there is any exciting news that breaks, and in the meantime, I'll keep on drafting my next story!