It's time for another ISWG post hosted by the illustrious Alex J. Cavanaugh. This is such a helpful group. It's a place where a writer can vent their frustrations about the road blocks they encounter on their journey to publication, without fear of judgment or condemnation. If you're interested in learning more, click on the linky above.
After a few helpings of cookie dough ice cream, I slinked back to the drawing board, tail tucked between my legs and restructured my letter. It took about two weeks of hard work, maybe more, I stopped counting after the umpteenth draft, but I finally completed a well-written query (thanks to input from some of the ISWG members). At least I thought so, but the question still remained, would a professional agree?
There was only one way to know for sure, so I enrolled in a Master Class designed to help writers perfect their queries. The literary agent who taught it, dissected each of the students letters in front of the class. Although his critiques were tactful, he found problems in almost every submission. When my turn rolled around, I sat stiffly in my chair and waited for the ax to fall. Much to my surprise, it never did. He told the class he wouldn't change a thing about it. In fact, he said, "This makes me regret that I don't deal with adult genres."
After receiving ten form rejections from agents, it was soooo nice to know that I finally got it right. Now, I understand the industry is subjective, but receiving that type of validation from an industry professional made my year. I hope this post doesn't sound too braggy, because that's not my intention at all. Instead, I wanted to share some good news for once. It seems that too many of my posts are filled with woe is me's. It's nice to write a positive one this month. Again, I couldn't have found the strength to perfect my query without your support, and FWIW, it means the world to me. Until next time, happy writing.
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