How To Submit A Query That Gets Looked At

As a new writer, I know how scary and overwhelming it can be to query publishers about your book. You’ve worked so hard on it, and you’re putting yourself out there with every query letter you send out. As the former submissions manager with Big World Network, I wanted to give you some insider tips on how to get your query seen.

Here are a few tips to get your query noticed by any agent you choose to submit to:

  1. Follow the steps listed on the website. Every agency will have a different submission process. Yes, it’s tedious, but agencies want to see that you actually looked at THEIR website and understand their procedure. 
  2. Learn how to write a query. Take time to get the query right. There are lots of resources online to help you do this. Once you have your query letter polished, you can send it out to multiple people, but you want it to look professional. Not too wordy, but we do want to get the details on your book.
  3. Have several people read your query. Just like your book, you want to have a few different people read over your query letter. If you can get someone who has successfully written query letters in the past, that’s great, but at the very least, have those closest to you read it over. Read it out loud to yourself. Make sure it sounds professional, but most important, make sure it sounds like YOU.
  4. Have your social media set up and going. We want to see that you’re serious about getting the word out about your book. We want to know that you’ve taken the time to set up an online presence. You don’t need to have a million fans, but seeing that you’re putting yourself out there is a huge plus in our minds.

I hope this helps!

****(Big World Network is a little different than your typical agency. They serialize books and release them little by little, in episodes. Think Hulu, but for books. They want books that will get readers hooked and coming back for more each week. In order to be considered by them, your book must be able to be split into 12 different chapters, each having a beginning, middle, and end, just like a TV episode. They post one chapter a week for 12 weeks. They want the whole story done when you query them because some of their members have the option of purchasing an entire book at once for a binge reading session.)****

Speak Your Mind

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.