QUERYING: THE VOCABULARY AND WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

In the past two blog posts I have done, I have mainly been giving you advice and random information to use when writing your book, which is important. But today I want to go over something a little different: Querying agents, particularly the vocabulary you need to know before you start the next stage of your writing.

Hello again fellow writers!

In the past two blog posts I have done, I have mainly been giving you advice and random information to use when writing your book, which is important. But today I want to go over something a little different: Querying agents, particularly one of my most-dreaded parts of the writing process: writing a synopsis.

Why?

Weeeeeell.......I have big news.

As you know, or maybe not,  I finished my first novel a few months back, in the middle of last summer. Recently, I have been querying agents. This week, I just got a reply from one of them requesting for more after I sent them my synopsis and query letter! "WHOOOHOOOOO!", right? Sure, but it doesn't come straight to that.

You might be reading over this post, and stumbling over some of the terms I am using. Well, for those who don't know, a literary agent is someone who represents your book in the publication process. Basically, they help put in a good word for you with publishers, assist with contracting, such as with the publisher, or if your book is translated in more than one language, or if it becomes a movie, and helps you decide on the best publishing company for your book. They're like a conductor for every junction on your journey through the writing process.

A query letter is a letter you send to an agent, sometimes called a pitch, or a cover letter. The letter contains a summary of your book, sometimes a quick bio, a word count, what made you decide to query that agent or agency. You can think of it is an introduction to your manuscript.

     A synopsis is basically very, very, very long summary of your book that's about as fun as chewing nails, then throwing them up, mashing them with a hammer, then swallowing them back down again in an iron-flavored smoothie after grinding all your teeth down with a nail file. In short, you're lucky if you didn't have to write one for Language Arts class.

You might thinking, well gosh, why do you want to write about that?

Because sometimes synopsis are required, fellow writer.

Yeah. But will I need to write one?

More than likely, if you plan on querying an agent to represent your book.

What if I don't want to do that?

*shrugs* It may be a little harder to mail your manuscript straight to a publisher.

Why?

I'm glad you asked!

Publishers are obviously major companies, churning out hundreds, sometimes thousands of books a year. Reports show that five-hundred to one-thousand books published in a  year is considered LOW for major publishing companies. On top of that vast amount of publications, you can only imagine how many manuscripts and queries the average major publication company gets a year.

On top of that, most publication companies nowadays don't accept  unsolicited material, meaning they don't view any manuscripts not represented by agent. This means, if you try to pull a Mission Impossible and sneak your manuscript into a publishing house without an agent, it will end up in the recycling.

However, this does not always mean a literary agent is absolutely, one-hundred-percent necessary.

So how do you know if you need one?

1.FEW PUBLISHERS ARE OPEN TO UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS

Sadly. But you can understand how it is necessary.

If a professional agent who has studied in the publication process, and has good knowledge of sales and contracts thinks your work is good, it is more than likely at least worth a look from the publisher. Otherwise, they would have to rake through hundreds upon hundreds of query letters and four-hundred-something page manuscripts. Having it sorted out, and suggested to them by a professional avoids hoards of starry-eyed new-comers who might be so excited about seeing their books on the selves that they barely look over the contract or the sales approach.

So instead of doing that, they ask that all their submissions be represented by an agent who can guide them along the road of publication.

That's not to say one can't publish a book without an agent.

Some publishing will open their doors to unsolicited material every now and then, and there are still the options of self-publishing and e-book publications.

It all depends on how far you want your book to go.

Consider that if you self-publish, that is money coming out of your own pocket, and then trying to make it back again by the sales on your book, which probably won't be so popular without advertisement, which costs more money.

But you don't have to completely rule that option out if you don't want to!

The best suggestion I can give is to do your research. Look at the submission guidelines page on publishing companies' websites to make sure they accept unsolicited material if you would rather avoid an agent before querying.

2. BUT WAIT....DOESN'T A LITERARY AGENT COST MONEY?

Not upfront, no.

In fact,  if you are ever considering a literary agent and they request a "reading" fee, you run. You take your precious manuscript and run. You run fast! Literary agents are only paid after they get your book published, and even then, they are paid by a portion of your sales profit.

Any literary agent that requires a "reading fee" is more than likely  a scam. Run. Fast.

Always do your research before querying an agent. Usually, all you have to do is, type the agent's (or publisher, depending on which route you go) name and "scam", and you'll get all the results you need.

3. AGENTS KNOW EDITORS

Turns out, everyone is connected!

Agents help get a lot of books published, and usually work with several specific genres, whether it be cookbooks, fitness, children's. YA, or romance. And during those times they help get books published, they adopt and maintain relationships with editors, who buy books in their area of interest.

Most agents will help buff and polish your work before it is sent off to an actual editor, increasing your chances of getting it sold!

It's like the cherry on top of the best sundae of your life (except with more paperwork and contracts involved)!

4. AN AGENT HAS A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT YOUR BOOK IS WORTH

Your success is also their success. So rest assured, most won't just half do it.

They'll make sure you get the best contract and payment for your book, as well as seeing to it that the payment a publisher makes on your book is fair.

Without an agent to represent you, a publisher will normally pay less for your manuscript than they would if you did have an agent.

For instance, you might sell your book to a publisher yourself, THEN you find an agent that can negotiate MORE than what was originally offered.

5. YOUR LITERARY AGENT MANAGES ALL CONTRACTS

Film, e-books, audio books, and foreign translations.

The more money you and your book make, the more your agent makes, so your agent will always try to find the best deal for you as far transcriptions outside of the actual manuscript go (films, translations, etc.) They aren't just interested in the money, though; they want to see your genuine success and growth as a writer! It's just great to be a supporter and witness of a successful life and career!

SO HOW DO YOU QUERY AN AGENT OR PUBLISHER? HOW DO YOU CHOOSE BETWEEN THE TWO?

Well, after you have made your decision on which route you want to go, it is important for you to do your research, since both will have very different requirements. 

The best thing to do is to first read books from the publishing company or agency you are considering . How does the collection they represent compare with your book? Are they same genre? Generally around the same length?  Does your manuscript exceed or go below that length?

Then, look on their website. Usually, you want to look through the home and about pages on the site, then check out the "submission guidelines" page. Make sure you read thoroughly as ALL of the information here is important before querying your desired representative. Make sure the site does not say "currently closed for submissions".

    Some publication companies will want your full manuscript, while others will want the first ten pages. They will always want a cover letter  with your name, phone number, address, email address, and (possibly) the address for your website if you have one. In the cover letter, or query letter, you will want to include a brief summary of your book, a brief bio of yourself, a list of previous publications if any, and what made you interested in querying them. Try to keep your cover letter to one page (I know, it sounds so hard to squeeze all the glorious amazingness of your manuscript into one letter, but it's actually simpler than it sounds. It's the synopsis that's hard.

Most publication companies will prefer email submission, and others will prefer snail mail. Regular mail, or snail mail, usually has a response time of 6-8 months (over half a year, while email queries tend to be quicker and cheaper. So, if the publication company offers a choice between the two, submit over email.

   Agencies tend to be a little different.

Usually, agencies have a quicker response time (anywhere for 2-4 weeks to 6-8 weeks), and prefer email submissions.

The thing about agencies is to know that they are a team of people representing separate projects all under one company name. Like a tree with several branches. Different agents on the team may prefer different material. You wouldn't want to read gushy, over-dramatic romance novels if you were only interested in fantasy novels with thrilling plots, sword fights, dragons, and demi-gods in it, would you? Or read biographies all day when you're more into fast-paced mystery novels?

Most literary agents will ask for the first 3, 5, or 10 page of  your book, and will request more if they like it.

Some personally respond to their queries, others don't. If they don't respond with in the time frame they give, it is understood that they are not interested in perusing your work. Some agencies have a policy stating that a "no" from one agent is a "no" from the agency as a whole, while others will allow you to query a different agent if you receive a rejection from a different one.

Most agencies (and publishing companies for that matter) ask that you please do not call about submissions. Don't pester. Just sit down and wait your turn.

Some agencies ask for only a query and synopsis before asking to see a sample of your manuscript. In this case, abide by their rules. This may seem like a longer wait and a waste of time, but trust me, trying to pull a  "Mission Impossible" here will be a contender for an automatic rejection. Stick to the rules. Good things always come to those who wait.

Lastly, make sure you know who you're querying to no matter if you choose to find an agency, or if you choose to go directly to a publisher. "To whom it may concern" is one of the most amateur moves you can make.

SO.....WHAT IS A QUERY LETTER?

Like I said above, a query letter is basically your pitch for your novel. Your lucky if an agency or publication company only asks for one of these and a sample. In your query letter, you usually want to include these five things:

. Your full name (no pen names. This is your introduction to the company), address, phone number, and email in the top left corner of your letter.

. The last name of the agent or publisher you are querying with a formal title (EXAMPLE: Dear Mrs. Johnson/Mr. Johnson) two spaces BELOW your contact information.

. An opening. This can be done in several different ways. You can begin by saying you are seeking a representative for your book then include the title and the approximate word count, or you can start with an intriguing, gripping sentence about your book, or you can start with a brief summary and then lead into your information. Think of it like writing the description you would read on the back of a book with more personal information included.

. Include the approximate word count of your book, not the page number. The page number changes during the layout of your book, but words don't. If your book is something like 9,569, you can go ahead and round up to 10,000.

. List noteworthy achievements. If you've won an award for writing (Such as a Scholastic Award, or Writers of the Future Award), written a self-published book that sold over 20,000 copies on Amazon, or are a representative of some writing-based club or organization, your agent or publisher will want to hear about it. Trust me.

. At the end of your query letter, sign something like Sincerely, or Can't wait to hear back from you and then your name, then put your contact information again below that.

A FEW NOTES ON QUERY LETTERS

*Never brag about your book. Never say you are "the next" anything, or say your book will be a best-seller. Whether you are or not is up to the agent or publisher.

*Keep in mind that most literary agents and publishers will be looking at dozens of queries and samples a day, so most of them will only be skimming the letters. Make sure your letter gets all the points across, is easy to read, and is eye-catching (this does not mean fancy fonts. Please don't use those.)

*Keep it professional. Don't use exclamation marks, abbreviations, emoticons, or continue to pester for a response. This isn't Instagram, this is looking for a potential business partner. Let anything you send to them be a reflection of your writing, not your texting.

*To get examples on query letters, and inspiration for writing your own, scroll to the bottom of this blog post

WELL....HOW DO I WRITE A SYNOPSIS? WHAT EVEN IS A SYNOPSIS?

Now on to the harder part of the writing process: synopsizes.

This is the requirement I dread the most. I would rather go through all the things my protagonists go through then hear an agent say "please send a query letter and a synopsis of your book". Jumping over pits of lava, and battling dragons with my hands tied to my back and my legendary sword passed down through many generations all the way to me according to the prophecy in my mouth would be much easier than writing one of these bad boys.

But let's get one thing straight first: what exactly is a synopsis?

Well, like I said above, it's like a very, very, very long summary of your book. Typically, most agents like to see at least 3-5 pages for a synopsis. 

But what do you include in a synopsis?

Well, a synopsis is like a big spoiler sheet to your book. I know, that sounds a little crazy. Sending an entire summary of your book from start to finish to a n agent or publisher? Won't you be spoiling the whole thing for them? But that's exactly what they want. The more they know about your work, the more they'll be able to tell how marketable it is/ what market it belongs in, and how well executed the ideas are then they would from a query letter alone. 

For publishers, this also means deciding if your novel is a good investment.

I know this sounds hard. Creating a whole 3-5 page long summary/spoiler sheet of your book when you can barely come up with a response when someone ask "So....what is your book about?".

But that's another reason literary agents and publisher want to read your synopsis! Writer's are used to writing fantastical masterpieces woven by strands of words and spun into a fictional universe, but when it comes to summarizing all that magic and all those magnificent plot twists to someone, it's like everything we ever wrote crumbles out beneath us and our straight plot line seems to become a bumpy road leading into off-subject detours and a lot of "ums". Trying to compress your universe into one document is hard. 

Writing a synopsis is a great way to exercise summarizing your book. Agents and publisher want to see how comfortably and how professionally you can do that.

So what exactly do you include in a synopsis?

First of all, let me say that I am no professional at writing the gruesomely dreaded synopsis. I have only queried one or two agents now who have requested them, and in order to write mine, I had to do vigorous research. 

But once you begin writing one, you start to understand the parts, even though you would rather be getting your teeth pulled then writing one. It's like taking apart a bicycle and trying to put it back together again: You might hate it the idea of it , but once you understand how all the parts work to make the machine move, it becomes a little easier to piece together. 

. A synopsis is a detailed summary of your book including beginning, middle, and end. It reveals the plot line, arches, and main events of your book, as well as how your main protagonist reacts to them. 

. As a summary suggests, begin with the first chapter and first page of your novel. What are we introduced to at first sight? What is the situation of the protagonist? How does that affect them? How does that make them feel? If you will, what about their present state do they not like? Do they have any plans to change that, or are they accept of the way their world is (if say, your book is set in apocalyptical world, and your protagonist is just focused on surviving at the moment) when they are dragged into unexpected circumstances? Does that pull them away from a goal they had? 

. Again, following along with the summary idea of a synopsis, you'll want to include the middle. This is usually where the most narrative arches occur. Some writers feel they should keep the most secrets here, as they don't want to spoil the entire book, but again, that's exactly what an agent wants! However, that does not mean you have to include Every. Single. Detail of your book. Just include the main plot points. For instance, you don't have to list every single character's backstory (unless it's imperative to the plot, and even then you can get away with just putting one sentence. For example, During The Rescue of  Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker meets Leia Organa, the princess of the planet Alderaan, a member of the Imperial Senate, and agent of the Rebel Alliance. 

. Include the ending.

This may seem like the biggest spoiler of all. Who wants to know the ending of a book? Literary agents! Be sure to include the ending of your book, even the parts that may seem unknown. Who wants a summary of a book without knowing the important ending details like the fate of the main character, if the team of characters finally figures out who the prophecy is about or if they survive the war they triggered when they stole one of the antagonist's important objects of power, or who dies at the end. Don't leave out a good conclusion on a good summary. That's like giving someone a chocolate bar and then snatching half of it back. It's just not as appealing (and it's quite rude. Seriously, if you steal half of my chocolate bar, you're going to die). 

. Don't leave the juicy parts out. The nitty-gritty, nail-biting, spine-tinkling, thrilling details are exactly what everyone wants to hear! Do you remember reading a good fictional novel in school, and then rushing to finish the chapter before class started, and then wondering the whole period what happens next with sweat beading on your forehead and tapping your pencil on your desk impatiently, constantly eyeing the clocking, counting down the minutes until you can snatch it out of your backpack again? If you know what that feels like, you have a pretty good idea of what to include in your synopsis.

EXAMPLES

QUERY LETTER

Examplia Placeholder

 123 Main Street Los Angeles,CA 90056 (123)456-789

123Example@Forinstance.org

    Dear Mr.John,

I am writing to you in regards to my 10,000(approximate estimate) word novel, tentatively titled The Last Dragon to Fly.

The Last Dragon to fly revolves around the story of the dragon species, and what truly happened to them. 

The dragons have been hiding in the forests on Arindrama for centuries, never leaving unless absolutely necessary, or to guard the castles of princesses who had discovered their species existence and been kind to them in the past. 

The flock lived as a kingdom united, protecting one another, all playing particular roles like scavenging for food or caring for the young. 

But then, a dark age swoops over the flock. 

More and more people have become aware of the dragons existence after the many knights that rescued fair princesses from them in the past. Fearing the dragons are destructive creatures and will destroy their kingdom the first chance they get, many kingdoms worldwide set out to slay the dragons.  The collective forces of the kingdoms do slay a few dragons, but other ones (stronger ones) they take back as prisoners to arenas in their empires, where people battle the dragoons and cut their wings off to survive. While deeply injured from having their wings cut off, some of the wingless dragons survive and breed the next wave of dragons, which slowly evolve to become flightless dragons like them, otherwise known as dinosaurs.  Just when the dragons of Arindrama thought the worst was over, the humans make a second attempt to wipe out their kind: hunting them to make their sharp teeth and bones into tools they plan to use to build their new, growing civilizations. Most of the dinosaurs(previously dragons) are swept out because the humans view them as destructive, or find their bones useful for making tools. With a large portion of them already gone, there's really no hope for them when they hear the Earth is supposed to flood.  Years fade into centuries, and eventually the dragons are marked off as a legend, with a few cultures in the world remembering them in their art and stories, and flightless dragons' skeletons are put on exhibit in museums.  With no proof of the dragons' existence,the humans only remember the dragons as stories. But what they don't know, is that there is one more left... Gilbert, the last dragon with wings, and last dragon alive, lurks the forests living happily in his little cave and making friends with all the bunny rabbits of the forest, blissfully unaware that he is the last of his kind until a turn of events lands Natalie Parker, a thirteen-year-old, 21-century, New Yorker  girl in his forest. Natalie, who had been playing a mindless prank with two of her classmates, suddenly finds herself being chased by the police. She stumbles upon Gilbert's cave, where, after she recovers from the initial shock that dragons are in fact real, agrees to help her escape from the police. He flies her to Massachusetts, where she discovers that not only are dragons real, but the government has known about their past existence, and has even set up a research facility. Natalie soon finds herself in a quest with Gilbert to finds the other dragons, but after helping him search the entire United States, and dealing some nasty obstacles along the way, she soon realizes, he may be the only one left...and the government may be after him.  This book is geared towards 10-18 year olds, and while this is my first completed novel, I have also had two fantasy short stories published in Children's Fantasy Magazine, and have won the title for "Future Rising Author" for the Sword in the Stone Press' Annual Fiction-con. 

I am an eighteen-year-old senior in high school, and have been day-dreaming of dragons since the moment I picked up a pencil, so I am extremely excited about the prospect of getting this novel published.  I feel your (agency/publishing company) would be the best home for The Last Dragon to Fly because of your (agency/publishing company)'s profound list of fictional titles, and work with collaboration with authors who have written series.  I look forward to hearing your response [I would love to hear you request for more for agents], Sincerely, Examplia Placeholder 123 Main Street Los Angeles, CA 90056 (123)456-789 123Example@Forinstance.com'

SYNOPSIS

THE WIZARD OF OZ

Dorothy Gale lives on her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry's farm in Kansas with her dog, Toto. Everything is going happily for her on the farm until Toto finds himself in trouble with the infamously mean neighbor, Miss Almira Gulch after he bites her.All the farmhands are too busy to listen when Miss Gulch arrives with an order from the sheriff allowing her to take Toto from Dorothy to be put down. Dorothy cries and pleads Toto's cause, but Miss Gulch takes him away. Toto manages to escape and come back to Dorothy, but fearing Miss Gulch will return for her precious pooch, Dorothy decides to run away from home. 

After running for miles, Toto and Dorothy encounter a fortune teller, Professor Marvel, who upon realizing Dorothy is running away from home, peers into his crystal ball, and convinces her that her Aunt Em is sick.

Just as she is approaching home, Dorothy finds herself in the path of an oncoming tornado. Locked out of the storm cellar, Dorothy flees to the house. A window shatters from the lashing wind and knocks her unconscious. She wakes up to find the house spiraling up in the sky, far animals, other barns, and scraps of buildings, even Miss Gulch cackling and riding on a bicycle that slowly transforms into a witches' broom flying past the window. 

Suddenly, the house drops and a still silence spreads from outside. Dorothy cautiously opens the door, and finds herself in a colorful world of spirals, strange flowers, and even stranger looking, short people who call themselves the Munchkins, and introduce the strange land she is standing in as Munchkinland,part of the land of Oz. 

Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, and beloved fairy by the people of Oz who travels around in a magical floating bubbles, and the Munchkins welcome Dorothy as a hero-as when her house dropped out of the sky it also dropped on top of the Wicked Witch of the East, leaving her feet and red, sparkly heels poking out from under the house.

In the middle of the celebration, the Wicked Witch of the West, a green-skinned witch in black robes and a pointy hat, appears in a column of black smoke and burst of fire, declaring she has come to claim her sister's shoes. But Glinda claims they now belong to Dorothy, and magical transports the ruby shoes on to Dorothy's feet. The Wicked Witch of the West scowls and swears revenge on Dorothy for her sister's death before vanishing in another cloud of smoke. 

Glinda instructs Dorothy to follow the yellow brick road spiraling out from the center of Munchkinland to Emerald City, where the Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz may be able to transport her back to her home in Kansas.

On her journey, Dorothy comes across a scarecrow, who desperately wants a brain (being that he's just filled with straw), and invites him to join her and ask the Wizard of Oz and ask for a brain. Along there way, they come to an apple orchard, where they meet a rusted Tin Man. After giving him some oil, and finding out he desires a heart (as he is hollow on the inside), they invite him to come along with them. Together, deep in the woods, they meet the Cowardly Lion, a lion who is scared of everything, and desperately wants to ask the Wizard of Oz for some courage, so they invite him along as well.

After they make a narrow escape from the Witch at the enchanted poppy flower field, a field of flowers that induce sleep, the four make their way to the gates of Emerald City.

At first, they are rejected of their wishes to see the Wizard, but eventually they are allowed access to the Wizard's room to see the Wizard who appears as a large, disembodied head fogged by green smoke.

The Wizard agrees to grant them their wishes if they bring him the broomstick of the Wicked Witch of the West, implying that they must kill her to get it. 

On their way to the Witch's castle, they must walk through the Haunted Forrest, where, unbeknownst to them, the Witch is watching them from her castle through her crystal ball. She releases a swarm of her flying monkeys after them. They swoop down an capture Dorothy and Toto and bring them back to her castle. When the Witch tries to remove the slippers from Dorothy's feet, she is zapped by magic, then she remembers that Dorothy must be dead first in order for her to remove the slippers.  Toto escapes the castle and finds the others in the forrest and leads them to the Witch's Castle, where they overpower the Winkie guards (the Wicked Witch of the West's personal guards) and steals some of their uniforms in order to free Dorothy. But the Witch discovers and traps them right as they are releasing her. The Scarecrow provides a distraction and the they manage to escape, being chased by the Witch and the Winkie guards, but they are eventually surrounded.  Dorothy, thinking quickly and grabbing a nearby bucket of water, splashes the Witch in the face, and unintentionally melts her. The guards rejoice that the Wicked Witch is dead, and give Dorothy her broomstick as a sign of gratitude.   Back at Emerald City, they present the broomstick to the Wizard.  But open asking him to grant their wishes, he hesitates and stutters.During their argument, Toto pulls back a curtain, revealing "the Wizard" as an old man who has been projecting his image onto the wall in front of him. At first, he denies that he is the Wizard, trying to continue the illusion, but eventually gives in and admits it was all just trickery.

Dorothy calls him a "bad man",starting o fear she will be stuck in Oz forever, to which "The Wizard" responds that he is not, but he is a bit of a "humbug". When he grants Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow's wishes (though not in the way they expect) by giving the Scarecrow a diploma, the Tin Man a ticking heart-shaped clock, and the Cowardly Lion a medal, Dorothy has a glimmer of hope. The Wizard arranges to take her home in his hot air balloon, but when Toto runs off as they are about to leave and Dorothy runs to grab them, the balloon sadly leaves without them with the Wizard unable to stop it. 

Suddenly, Glinda appears and tells her she has been able to return all along by clicking the ruby slipper's heels together three times. After a tearful farewell with her new friends, Dorothy taps the red heels together three times, saying "There's no place like home..."

She wakes up in her bed in Kansas, surrounded by her family, the farmhands, Toto, and Professor Marvel, where they explain she was ill.

Dorothy insists the land of Oz was not a dream, but she admits, in the end, that it is true that "There is no place like home".

Well, there you go, organized information on all you need to know before querying...

I hope this list answers your questions about the querying process, and if your not at that stage of your writing journey yet, then I hope this post inspired, motivated, and informed you.