Querying: The Writers' Dark Night of the Soul
A snarky, honest, personal post about my writing journey, market trends, and an exciting giveaway you won't want to miss!
I remember writing my first full-length novel. Fueled by a love of Katherine Paterson and Harper Lee (and a rudimentary grasp of prose), I lay on my stomach in the grass of my backyard, filling three spiral notebooks with what was to be my Great American Novel. Naturally, it was a serious, heartbreaking literary work about coming-of-age, poverty, and loss. It would be an instant NYT Bestseller.
I was eleven years old.
When I was seventeen, I found these spiral notebooks (along with their successors) inside a plastic storage bin under my bed. I was so embarrassed that I quickly burned them in a rusty barrel like a criminal trying to hide some incriminating evidence.
My husband still can’t forgive me for vanishing this part of my history, but I have no regrets. Call me unsentimental. Call me hard-hearted. At least, if I do become a bestselling author one day, no one can blackmail me.
Like most writers, I knew from a young age that this was what I wanted to do long-term. But I didn’t think I would be in my thirties before I finally had a book worthy of being launched into the world.
Talking to other writers, even those with a Master’s in Creative Writing, we all seem to agree that though classes can help, no one can teach you how to write a good story. It takes a lot of reading good books, studying the greats, failures, and life experiences, doing it poorly, and learning to do it better. My previous manuscripts were my teachers. And though many of them will only ever live on my hard drive (and yes, some are ashes—I never claimed to be perfect), I am grateful to them for what they taught me.
About My Current Project:
I am currently querying a fantasy novel. Before this, I’d always written historical fiction, but when my children were born (and my writing time became more limited), I realized I could build worlds faster than I could research them, so I made the genre switch.
My love for history inspires my novels, and the one I’m currently querying is loosely inspired by the political climate between Austria-Hungary and Serbia at the onset of WWI. But it is decidedly set in a fantasy world with a magical freshwater lake, and people can manipulate time and memory in limited but potentially catastrophic ways. There’s also a dash of slow-burn romance between two characters with dual POVs (because creating romantic tension is just too much fun to resist).
Querying
Oh, the dark days of querying.
Going into it, I had very realistic expectations. A few of my author friends landed their agents after 90 and 120 queries, so I thought, “I won’t stop until I hit 120 queries.”
So far, I have queried about 25 agents and a few small publishers. So, I’m not in too deep yet. Some have sent form rejections with the general message, “This isn’t right for me.” I have had one full request and one partial request. The full request (from a small traditional publisher) passed, saying, “It didn’t fit their current list.” The partial (from another small traditional publisher) still has it, and I’ve some very real concerns I may have a beard to rival Rip Wan Winkle’s by the time I hear back.
The only semi-personalized feedback I’ve received was from three agents stating that my book “doesn’t fit current market trends.”
Ah, yes, trends. They want what’s popular.
Shall I write (yet another) fairytale retelling for you? Is that what would please your majesties of the Big 5? Shall I insert (yet another) shadow daddy fae betwixt its generic plotline?
When I started my book, I knew what I was doing. I wanted to write a book like nothing I’d ever read before. Moreover—something my readers had never read before. I wrote my story because I longed for something different than the backdrop of princess and dragon stories I see on the B&N shelves. I didn’t aim to write anything “like” what was being done. For me, creation should be original, not copied, and not easily pointed to like something else.
But perhaps I should have strategized differently, written something easier to pitch so agents would “get” what it was right away, and then saved this book concept for when I had an agent.
I know time travel is one of those fringe subgenres that’s hard to sell, and I wonder if this is a sticking point, too. Perhaps I’m not pitching it right because it is time travel…and isn’t. I’m treating the potential to use time as a magical system more than a genre. However, it isn't easy to communicate this in a query letter and a two-page synopsis.
The Top Secret Plan
At this time, I plan to wait to hear back from the six agents and small publishers who are still reviewing my book. However, I do have a top-secret-in-the-vault plan for what happens next.
Can we call it an evil plan because that sounds more fun?
Yes??
Thank you.
I’m not sharing any details today, but know that my subscribers will be privy to my evil plan before anyone else.
Enough about all that. Moving on to the next line of business!
The Giveaway
To celebrate the launch of this newsletter (and my birthday), I’m conducting a giveaway!
The Winner will receive:
1 AUDIBLE CREDIT (to be used on a book of your choosing)
And a “The Book Was Better” T-shirt (in your preferred size, style, and color. See a few examples below).
How to Enter:
If you’re already subscribed to this newsletter—congratulations! You’re automatically entered!
Bonus entries: If you recommend or restack this newsletter on Substack.
Simply being a Substack ‘follower’ doesn’t count as an entry. You have to subscribe to the newsletter. Yes, this newsletter is free.
I currently have 123 subscribers, but if I reach 200 subscribers by the end of the giveaway. I’ll pick two additional winners for t-shirts.
It will run until August 5th, so the winner(s) will be announced in my newsletter on August 6th!
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
July’s “Golden List” of Resources for Readers and Writers
*New List Coming in August!*
Upcoming FREE Writing Classes
Did you know that Jane Friedman offers a free session on the business of writing or publishing every month? Space is limited, but you can apply for her clinic by following this link.
Writing Craft Workshop: Interview with Lauren Spieller (hosted by the Good Story Company) is FREE on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, from 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
Brandon Sanderson’s lecture series on YouTube. I haven’t listened to all of these yet, but I believe there are over 12 hours of lectures and homework, and it’s FREE!
Live Panel with Eric Smith (P.S. Literary) is Wednesday, July 24, 7:30pm to 9:00pm (CDT). “One of the hardest parts of submitting your work is ensuring that your query and page are ready to go. Together, we will get your queries and pages (as many as we can, drawn at random) ready for submission. Even if yours isn't chosen, you'll learn how agents work and take away lessons that will help you long into your submission process.”
Four Facebook groups for Independent Authors:
Self Publishing Support Group
Writers Helping Writers
Supporting Beginner Writers
20BooksTo50K® (the last one is focused on the marketing and business end of self-publishing).
Where can I find critique partners?
No, as sweet as they are, Grandma Agnes and Aunt Phillis don’t count. You need unbiased critiques from people who read in your genre. But finding readers isn’t always easy. Check out this post from The Good Story Company for ideas on where to start!
Short Story Publications CURRENTLY OPEN to Submissions
Havok Publishing is seeking mystery, science fiction, comedy, thriller, and fantasy stories between 300 and 1,000 words long.
Cast of Wonders is seeking fantasy, sci-fi, and light horror stories that have deep emotional resonance and contain something unreal about them—geared for readers 12-17 years of age. The submission window opens July 15-31 for young authors and again September 1-14th for general submissions.
Azure Magazine is open. It publishes lyrical philosophy, experimental fiction/poetry/non-fiction, dark humor, classical forms, and innovations in craft. For adults. 50 pages double-spaced maximum.
Are there any teen writers here? The award-winning magazine One Teen Story is currently running a contest for writers ages 13-19. The contest winners will receive $500 upon publication and 25 copies of the magazine featuring their work.
Conquest Publishing is a small, traditional publisher. It is not currently open to unsolicited submissions but is actively seeking guest bloggers interested in educating the literary community and sharing experiences relative to their writing and/or publishing journey.
*Volunteering to do a guest post is a great way to create connections and get your name out there.*
Small Traditional Publishers CURRENTLY OPEN to Unagented Authors
Firebrand is a Christian romance imprint of Quill and Flame. Firebrand submissions will open for unagented submissions from the last week of July to the first week of August 2024.
Quill and Flame, a general market, “heat without the scorch” romance YA/NA
publisher that publishes YA, NA, and Adult fiction. It will reopen to unsolicited submissions in January 2025.
Charlesbridge publishes high-quality books for young people, including picture books, middle-grade, and YA novels. CURRENTLY OPEN.
Blue Dot Kids: Small press for ages 0-12. A science and environment publishing house solely focused on the “appreciation of nature, conservation, environmental stewardship, and science. CURRENTLY OPEN.
Annick Press is currently accepting submissions of picture books, early chapter books, middle grade fiction, YA fiction, graphic novels, and non-fiction for kids of all ages. YA novels tend to range from 50,000–70,000 words. CURRENTLY OPEN.
Everything With Words: A small UK publisher of MG and YA over 40K words. They will reopen in August to unagented authors.
Andrew McMeel Publishing is a leading publisher of poetry, inspiration, humor, and children’s books. Currently open. Familiarize yourself with the types of work they publish and consider whether your work would be a good fit.
Pants on Fire Press is currently open to unsolicited manuscripts from authors for middle-grade and YA novels. Read submission guidelines carefully.
Page Street Publishing is currently open. From their site, “We publish young adult (YA) fiction (for ages 12 and up), in all genres, and a variety of nonfiction books in such categories as cooking, sports, science, nature, interior design, crafts, and parenting. We also publish picture books in all genres for ages 4-8 with particular focus on new talent, artist-led narratives, engaging story arcs, and visually driven concepts. We do not publish board books, early readers, chapter books, or middle grade at this time.”
Twenty Hills is a small publisher currently seeing anthology submissions for two themes:
Fantasy Little Red Riding Hood retellings! They can either be very clear retellings, or simply inspired by the classic tale. They are looking for poetry and novelettes. Fantasy with any subgenre, such as fantasy sci-fi, dark fantasy, contemporary fantasy, paranormal fantasy, and so on. Due date December 31, 2024
They are also seeking work inspired by Wonderland/Alice in Wonderland but with unique twists, tropes, themes, or perspectives that stand out. November 30th, 2024.
Paige Tate & Co. is currently looking for: Art How-To, Craft, Self-Help, Wellness, Gift Books, Devotionals, Heirloom & Memory Books, New Parent Books, and Children’s Books.
Pen It Publications a very small publisher of PB, ER, CB, MG, YA (and adult). Currently open.
Phaidon is currently open to limited categories. “We currently only publish for children ages 0-14. Your proposal’s subject matter must be relevant to the target age group and its quality must be commensurate with the Phaidon brand. Please be aware that we do not currently publish in the Young Adult category.”
Pixel + Ink is a publisher of fiction series for children ages 3-13. “We exclusively publish fiction series for these levels: picture books, chapter books, middle grade, and graphic novels.”
Free Books and Arcs for Readers
Conquest Publishing currently has four titles to apply as an ARC reader.
If you’re not on BookBub, you should be! The site adds free, downloadable book titles daily.
Currently Reading:
Scales of Ash and Smoke by Emily Schneider
As always, thank you for being here!
Love and light,
Bethany
Thanks for sharing your expereince and best of luck to you! Querying is never easy even for those of us who have been around for a long time and occasionally have to switch agents.
This was beautifully written, as always, Bethany! Also I had no idea many of the small presses existed and were open to unagented submissions- after feeling super bummed out with a MG contest this week I have a MG story that fits the bill for some of these presses! Thanks!