#1 mistake that will get your query rejected -- a fairy tale
Once upon a time there was a writer who dreamt of traditionally publishing. So they…
Read everything in their genre.
Joined a critique group.
Attended all the conferences on how to write a book.
Wrote a first draft. A second. A third. Probably a fourth and fifth. Likely a sixth.
Had an imposter syndrome attack.
Got to The End.
Hired a developmental editor.
Rewrote their novel a few more times.
Sent copies to beta readers.
Rewrote their novel.
Survived another round of imposter syndrome attacks.
Hired a copy editor.
Fixed the issues.
Took all the classes on how to write a query.
Wrote a query letter.
Wrote a synopsis.
Researched agents.
And otherwise did all the things to Cinderella themselves so they’d be ready to strut into the palace ball.
Finally, they sent out their first query and crossed their fingers it would be enough.
Then some butler took one look at Cinderella standing there at the door and said, “We have to pass. We’re just not connecting with this blue dress. Good luck at the next ball.”
Our Cinderella had gotten to the palace, but couldn’t get through the door into the ballroom.
Their novel had disappeared into the dismal deeps of the dreaded slush pile.
This happens All The Time.
The agent you're querying may never see your query because of that butler.
It’s not personal. They don’t know you to make it personal.
I know because I used to be that butler.
While reading an agent’s slush pile submissions, I received a list of guidelines for what to let through for consideration and what to send immediately to the auto-reject pile.
Why did I have this kind of power?
You are just one of hundreds of authors querying agents every day.
The agent I worked for received a hundred or so queries a week. I know other agents who receive multiple hundreds of queries a week. Most agents have someone helping them sort through their slush pile.
The Royal Charming you’re waiting to notice you and whisk you away to bestseller land may never even know you were at the door trying to get into the ball.
There are several very basic ways you can increase your odds of getting through the slush pile, but here's the #1 most basic:
Follow the agent’s submission guidelines.
I can’t stress this enough.
It’s like our Cinderella knowing the ball is a formal evening gown event and showing up at the palace dressed for a toga party.
I know it feels like a no-brainer. “Duh Jocelyn, who wouldn’t follow the guidelines?”
Right? But I can’t tell you [FIRST NAME GOES HERE], how many submissions I read that didn’t follow guidelines. I saw this mistake all the time.
If a query didn’t follow the guidelines (how many pages to submit, who to submit to, page format, etc.), I was told not to read it.
I had to auto-reject what might have been a brilliant submission that an author had spent months working on.
Submission guidelines are the very first fairy tale test to see if you can follow directions.
If you can’t follow basic directions?
Royal Charming is never going to know you tried to get into the palace.
Keep going.
Hello!
My name is Jocelyn.
Story warrior, book lover, day dreamer, gardener, and creative. I help serious writers roll up their sleeves, get their novel ready for publishing, and reach readers. When I’m not elbow-deep in the story trenches, I’m outside world-building in my garden and battling weeds with my three criminal mastermind cats.
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