Query Wars

Lately it seems I've been sending them out, but not getting them in. I'm beginning to wonder if my e-mail address is hitting the spamguards and getting chucked to the spam box. Ironically, the snail mail SASES come back sooner than the e-mail.

Just in case you haven't begun formulating your query, here are a few good links.

Seekers- Make sure to read this post and the next day's. They're both very informative.

Miss Snark-She's always a good read. This particular post deals with one of the most important things about your query letter.

Janet Reid-And this is from the agent herself. Can you believe it? I'll definitely take this advice. LOL

Rachelle Gardner- She posted this very recently, just like the Seekers. It's good to know that in the end, it's the story (and all it entails) that ultimately hooks the agent.

Charlotte Dillon- More samples of real queries that sold the story.

And there's tons more info all over the net. Are any of you in the query stage yet? Written a bad one? A good one? I'd love to hear how it's going for you. As for me, since I'm not getting any bites I'm starting to think I may need to rewrite my query.

Check out Susan's blog for a chance to win a free book!


So, is anyone going to the ACFW meeting in Tampa on Saturday? Let me know. I'd love to meet someone I "know" in person. :-)

Comments

Susan J. Reinhardt said…
Hi Jessica -

Thanks for the link!

Yeah, everyone is talking about query letters. LOL! I just did a Friday Round-Up post scheduled a week or so out referencing the same subject.

Have a great weekend! I'd love to meet you in person, but it's a little far for a day trip. :)

Blessings,
Susan
December 5, 2008 at 8:50 AM
Kristen Painter said…
I'm about 2.5 hours from Tampa, but already obligated for the day. Too bad, I'd love to meet you!
December 5, 2008 at 9:56 AM
Jessica Nelson said…
Well, I'd love to meet you guys!
:-)
Yeah, since the query advice seemed to be everywhere I thought I'd join the club. LOL
Especially since mine may need work. *cringing here*
December 5, 2008 at 10:26 AM
revolutionaire. said…
Hey Jessica,

I posted a blog called 'winner, winner, chicken dinner' yesterday. It's one of those 'list seven things about yourself' blogs. But the rules included tagging seven other people.

I know your blog is primarily writing related, but what if you listened seven things about you and your writing that I probably don't know?

:)

I'd certainly be interested in reading, and by the looks of things, you have some supportive readers who also might be interested. :)
December 5, 2008 at 1:25 PM
Sarah said…
Wow, I take a break from blogging for a few weeks and I come back to find a brand new picture and 75% of your WIP finished! Congratulations, and what a sweet pic of you and your hubby!
December 5, 2008 at 6:54 PM
Amy Deardon said…
Thanks for the links and advice :-)
December 5, 2008 at 8:16 PM
Jessica Nelson said…
Haha, Sarah :-) Percentage looks big but in reality I probably didn't get a whole lot of writing done.
I'm so glad Chris is doing well.
December 5, 2008 at 8:19 PM
Jessica Nelson said…
Hi Amy,
Thanks for stopping by. Your name looks so familiar :-) I'm fixing to visit your blog.
December 5, 2008 at 8:20 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

We All Got to Learn to Do It Sometime

*grossness alert* We all have to learn to deal with doo-doo eventually. Consider me a newbie mom, but it never occurred to me that my son should be wiping himself until about a month before kindergarten. And then the flashbulb went on and I scrambled to teach him. One problem. He didn't want to. He's fastidious and doesn't like to make mistakes, so the thought of taking care of this daily chore literally reduced him to screaming and crying on the toilet. Basically, he didn't trust himself. He was afraid. Scared to get his hands dirty. Afraid he'd miss something. This is probably weird, but it made me think of us as writers. There comes a point where we have to "grow up" and trust ourselves. We can't always rely on a crit group, agent, or editor to wipe up our mess. I think this should be a part of maturation for every writer, that we can look at our work and be confident in our ability to clean it up. Not saying we'll make it perfect or that we won...
Read more

Work First, Play Later

I'm back! I had a wonderful time with my family. Thank you all for asking. :-) In 2009 my schedule evolved into a blog first/write later kind of thing. It happened that way because my husband began using the computer in the afternoons and evenings for his project, but now that I have a router, my schedule's changing. It's time to work first, play later. That means I do my chores/errands in the morning, write at naptime, and visit your wonderful blogs in the afternoons and evenings. So if I don't show up in the morning, don't be alarmed (if you even notice, lol). I'm just changing things up. I'm too exhausted in the evening to write, that's why. During the day I have way more energy to write but at night there's a fifty percent chance I won't do it because I'm so tired. When's the best time for you to write? I also need to shout out my awesome crit partner, Linda Glaz! Some of you may have met her at ACFW. She's a wonderful, faithful, ...
Read more

Melodramatic Mother

Mom, this one's for you. *wink* The other day we were on the phone and my mom was describing some of her ailments to me. She's normally a healthy person, but she does suffer from allergies and sinus issues. She's also a vivid person and this comes across in her language. In this case, she told me her pain was skewering up through her nose. Skewering. She never finished the description because I laughed. What a perfect word! Strong, to the point, I had an exact (if somewhat gross) image of what was happening. Do you have a vivid person in your life? Someone who thinks in ways you forget to? And in your WIP, are you using the strongest verb possible to convey EXACTLY what you mean?
Read more