Thank you once again to everyone who participated in the Be An Agent for a Day contest. 50 queries, 300+ participants, 15,000+ comments later….. I know you’re curious to see how you did.
When I started this contest I really had no idea how it would go. I didn’t even spell out a prize because I wasn’t sure if we’d have five winners or fifty winners. I didn’t know if it would be fantastically easy for people to spot the three actually-published authors among the fifty queries or whether it would be fantastically hard.
Well, now we have our answer. And I think you’ll be surprised.
First off, none of the actually published books were among the top five most requested queries.
And out of the 300+ people who participated, only two people guessed all three published authors with their five choices (that’s less than 1%, compared to the 16% who predicted they got all three). A huge, massive round of applause to Moth and Chenelley!!! They win partial manuscript critiques. They also might have a future career as agents.
Now then. At long last, here are the ones who were actually (or soon to be) published:
Query #39 was for THE PREY by Allison Brennan. The query (and manuscript) landed her an agent, a pre-empt offer from Ballantine, and reached #33 on the NY Times bestseller list. Spotting this query would have been a career-maker. Only 15% of the agents for a day requested it (and many of the ones who passed were quite rude).
Query #9 was by Hannah Moskowitz, and her novel BREAK will be published this summer by Simon Pulse. In real life 60% of the agents she queried requested to see more. But only 31% of the agents for a day requested it.
Query #21 was by Inara Scott, who subsequently received a two book deal with Hyperion Books for Young Readers. Only 16% of the agents for a day requested it.
By contrast, the most-requested query overall was #10, a work-in-progress by Dawn Johnson, which generated a 52% request rate.
What should we make of all this?
To be fair, many of the people who personalized their rejection to Allison Brennan’s query mentioned that they were passing because it sounded too familiar. Well….. yeah. It was a big book. Quite a few people probably either remembered it or even read it. So I’ll let some of you slide on that one.
But more importantly, I think this contest goes to show how people may have overemphasized the query itself when they were playing agents. The queries that generated the highest response rate were the most technically precise. They were tidy, they were well-organized, they followed the rules. They were good queries (and some of them may go on to have success stories of their own). But this wasn’t a contest to spot the best queries.
When an agent is reading a query we’re trying to look past the query to get a sense of the underlying book. We’re evaluating the concept and the writing, not ticking off a box of requirements. I don’t reject people solely because they start with rhetorical questions or their word count isn’t quite right or they break one of the query “rules”. I can’t afford to do that. Nor do I request pages for a book that has a perfect query but whose underlying concept is flawed.
A good concept and strong writing are more important than good query form.
Now, a strong query helps your odds and your request rate, which is why we blogging agents spend so much time talking about the “rules”. It really does help your odds to write a good one. When people are writing good queries it helps us spot the good projects. But remember: the most important thing is not writing a good query, but rather writing a good book. A strong concept is so important.
The other main element I’d take from this challenge is how subjective this business really is. What resonates with you might not resonate with someone else. That’s why it’s so important to query widely. I was one of the 40% who passed on Hannah’s query because it just wasn’t quite right for me at the time.
And of course, I hope everyone will remember this contest the next time a poor agent or editor is mocked for passing on [insert bestseller here]. Because getting it right is incredibly hard.
What do YOU think of the results?
Brent Billy Curtis says
Wow! Thanks a ton for the contest Nathan.
BIG Congratulations to Moth and Chenelley!!
I didn’t play agent, but I was query #37 and I learned more in the one week of this contest than I have in 20 years of writing queries.
Big thanks to my thumbs up folks, and HUGE Thanks to all the folks who rejected me, (especially those who provided feedback).
I was trying too hard to sell my novel as something that it really isn’t and it turned lots of people off. (lots of feedback that the query was too graphic, which it was, though my novel itself is not).
Also, I came across as a bit of a pompous jerk quoting my “accolades” that I’ve received over the years from screenplays and short stories. I was trying to make my query sound flashy like a book cover filled with great reviews, but obviously humility would serve me better.
Most importantly, I’ve been working this week on tightening up my focus and outlining my plot clearly.
So…hmmm…I think I owe Nathan and my reviewers about 20 years worth of workshop fees. đ
morphine-moniza says
Yay I got one correct and seriously considered another one! I’ll just be happy with that.
Hmm but I must say there’s a serious flaw with this contest. How do you know the books that actually have been published are likely to sell better than the unpublished books? it’s extremely likely that quite a few of the other queries refer to books which are even more commercially viable, but just not ready for publishing yet. Just a thought.
Like Nathan said, they could go on to be really really successful.
Owl Sprite says
There were so many good queries… it was really hard to tell. I had a feeling I would be 0 for 5!
After rejecting #9 it did occur to me that it was probably one of the published ones, because of the compelling topic. I couldn’t stop thinking about it after I read it, even though it wasn’t something I personally would read.
Annalee says
I passed on all three, and in retrospect, I came across more snarkily than I intended to in #39. I was one of the people who passed because it looked really familiar–it just didn't occur to me that there was a good reason for that >_<. I certainly wasn't trying to be rude, but I forgot how poorly tone translates in comments–I apologize to Ms. Brennan for coming across so poorly.
I think what I took away from this more than anything else is that it hammered home the old adage that agents are looking for a reason to say yes, not a reason to say no. A query that follows the traditional format makes the reasons to say yes pop right out, so that they don't get lost in a harried agent's slush.
That doesn't mean that there won't be other reasons to say yes buried in the slush, though, which is the part I missed out on because I was too busy trying to beat the pile of queries down as quickly as I could (pause for a moment so that the real agents around these parts can laugh at me for finding fifty queries overwhelming). If Ms. Scott's query had said "X-Men for girls" in it, I'd have been all over that like white on snow. In fact, I'm going to go buy her book when it comes out, because nothing about that sounds like a bad plan to me.
I think the other lesson here, though, is really just how not-personal and subjective many rejections are. Ms. Moskowitz's query was well-written and had great voice, but because of past experiences with self-harmers in my life, I'm extremely sensitive about how they're portrayed in fiction. So I passed, knowing that agents who didn't have my background would snap it right up. And clearly they did; just not so much in this contest.
Oi. Long comment is looooong. Sorry.
Anonymous says
I would love to hear how many of these novels work out over time.
Maybe Nathan can have a check in day for past participants of his contests now and then.
I would seriously love to read #1, #10, #12, #36, and #42
and probably a LOT of the others.
I also agree with another blog comment about how the queries here were probably going to be WAy better than typical!
Kristin Laughtin says
Wow. I didn’t actually comment on any of the posts, but just kept a running tally in my head. Definitely one and possibly two of the published novels were on my list of books I would request. (So was #10, actually.)
TOUGH job.
Lucy says
The funny thing (although I batted absolutely zero) is that I was not by-and-large in love with my picks. I only thought they could sell, and perhaps some still will. But I think this was a great exercise, and Nathan, we appreciate you (and your volunteers) suffering through the incredible load of responses.
Classy act, Mr. Bransford!
Thank you also to the people who bravely set forth your query. A hundred-plus rejections in one day, ouch! You have my condolences. But doesn’t it make you feel better to see how wrong the rest of us were? đ
Marilyn Peake says
Thanks so much, Nathan, for allowing us to talk about our queries if we had one in the contest. Here goes…
When Nathan asked for contest queries, even if they werenât for published books, I submitted several queries describing short stories Iâve had published and am thinking about expanding into novels. I wanted to see if people might be interested in the characters and basic story ideas, but I didnât describe plot because I hadnât thought of plots for those novels yet. One of those queries made it into the contest.
Thank you to everyone who mentioned being intrigued by the characters and premise in Query #2! I received many comments along those lines, along with a mention that there wasnât enough information about plot.
Query #2 describes my urban fantasy short story, REPO GIRL AND THE FORTUNE FAERIE, published in the anthology, Twisted Tails IV: Fantastic Flights of Fantasy. Hereâs an excerpt (originally not formatted in a way that could be posted on Nathanâs blog for the contest):
Beginning of REPO GIRL AND THE FORTUNE FAERIE by Marilyn Peake:
A brilliant half-moon cut through clouds like a scythe, retreating into blackness. Next to it, a rocky planet pulled scraps of celestial light into its skin; then shimmered like an isolated diamond in the cold night sky. Brittle leaves, nothing more than scraping sounds and grayish ghostly shapes, skittered down the street within the midnight gloom.
A hooded figure moved quickly. Passing under fiercely glowing streetlamps, she revealed little: long, dark hair escaping the confines of a purple hood; tall, shapely, female body; purple velvet cloak tied securely around her neck and held closed by the steel grip of one slender hand; high-heeled black leather boots that clacked and echoed against cold concrete slabs of pavement. Her profile was alluring and provocative, like an antique porcelain doll.
Arriving at a brownstone house, one of many along the quiet street, she marched up to the front door. The building loomed large, staring down at her through opaque glass windows. With a sense of purpose and determination, she raised the doorknocker, face of a grimacing god carved from dark wood, and slammed it repeatedly against the steel-reinforced wooden door. She shuddered, unnerved by the embedded metal, and waited.
Windows winked into awareness as yellow light flooded them, splashing the pavement with rectangular afterthoughts, the dusky building growling suddenly with confused speech.
âComing! Wait one goddamn minute!â
âDonât answer it! Itâs after midnight, Charles!â
âIâm goinâ with the gun! Get ready to call the police!â
The woman at the front door chuckled. Police? Thatâs a good one.
Lace curtains slid back, revealing only a moving shadow within a downstairs room.
âI see you, Mr. Charles Quain. You and your family need to leave…right now! There are no further chances. Open up!â She pounded on the door with the sound of an angry mob of men.
Feeling strangely drawn to the porcelain face â powdery white with a hint of blush, twinkling violet eyes, long black lashes, full painted lips â the man opened the front door. Dazed, he stared into violet eyes. His wife watched from the second floor, peering over a thick balcony rail.
The hooded figure spoke in a commanding voice, âPut down your gun, Mr. Quain, and get out here!â
The man obeyed, placing a black Colt .45 on a long, intricately carved hall table, then stepping out into the night wearing only a ribbed sleeveless undershirt and boxer shorts. His wife sped away down the upstairs hallway, waking their children, leading them quietly into the master bedroom and bolting the door shut.
âNice boxers, Quain! Hearts? How sweet! Must be feelinâ lucky tonight.â
The woman extended her long, thin hand from inside a flowing sleeve, briefly flashing glossy purple fingernails, and slapped him on the backside. His buttocks stayed firm, the spank impacting with a cracking sound. Fire burned in the manâs emerald eyes, but he said nothing.
The woman snickered. âPerhaps youâre being evicted, Mr. Quain.â
The man looked up, orange hair brilliant under the golden glow of a nearby streetlamp. âWhat are you talking about? You have the wrong person. My mortgage is completely paid up. Maybe you have the wrong address. Can I see your papers?â He stepped toward her, shivering in the bleak wind whistling round them.
The woman tossed her head back in laughter, hood slipping to her shoulders, thick black hair cascading down in curls. âYouâre rather suggestible. I only said, âPerhaps youâre being evicted, Mr. Quain.â Youâre not being evicted. But you are having items repossessed. Just thought Iâd have a little fun with you.â Smiling broadly, she shoved one open palm against the chest of the man moving toward her, wrestling with the other hand a folded sheet of paper from a pocket in her robe. Slowly unfolding the paper, she continued, âLooks like you havenât paid your charge cards in a while. Iâm here to collect a few things: Ming vase, wide-screen plasma TV, a few paintings…Should I go on?â
The woman snapped her fingers, and a mob of hooded figures moved swiftly from the shadows. Lights blinked on in nearby houses; then faded to black a few seconds later.
Charles Quain shuddered, tried to speak between chattering teeth, âYou canât just take my stuff away!â
The woman laughed again, mockery bouncing off the brownstone walls in waves of echo. âAh…yes. Actually, I can take your stuff away.â Flashing a plastic-coated I.D. card in front of him, she continued, âIâm Donella Bard, Repo Girl, in charge of getting back things that donât belong to you.â
Waving her right hand in the air, she turned her back on the man in debt. Another cloaked figure â a tall, burly man with a gray beard â stepped into the light, tossed a woolen blanket around Mr. Quain; then handcuffed him to the lamppost. When the blanket slipped open, exposing his prisoner to the elements, the hulking figure mumbled a series of rhythmic lines until Mr. Quainâs teeth stopped chattering and a healthy pink color returned to his lips. Fae were sworn to never cause direct harm to humans. Certainly freezing them to death would run contrary to Faerie Law. Therefore, the massive faerie chose a warming spell to prevent his human from death or serious injury.
Minutes later, a small group of figures wearing dark capes swarmed the steps leading up to the brownstone and passed inside. Stepping through the doorframe, Donella flicked on a switch and looked around. A large chandelier â light shimmering through crystal droplets, morphing into vibrant rainbows against floor and walls â hung from a golden chain suspended far above. The floor in the front hallway was covered in black-and-white marble tiles. Donella grabbed the Colt .45 from the white ivory table, clicked on the safety, and tucked it into her pocket.
Stepping onto the hardwood floor of the living room, she shouted orders, âTake the plasma TV. Grab those crystal glasses, and the china. Take all the furniture in the living room, and the Persian rug under the coffee table. Get the Ming vase, and the paintings. Iâll go upstairs and look for the jewelry weâre supposed to get.â
Traveling upstairs, Donella ran one hand over the richly textured, antique-white wallpaper embossed with kaleidoscopic swirls, and her other hand over the brightly polished banister. Wooden steps creaked beneath her. At the second-floor landing, she stopped and listened; then moved forward. Pounding on the door to the master bedroom, she demanded that those within unlock it. When she found her request denied, she grabbed the doorknob, twisted until the lock snapped, then kicked the door open.
T. Anne says
Interesting. I learned a lot (even if it was from the sidelines). For one I pared down my query considerably and you know what? First revised query out landed me a partial request over the weekend, so thanx Nathan!
Jen P says
Two of the published made my Top 10 – but I ultimately chose zero. I found it interesting that one I selected was only taken by 11% but others were taken by almost a quarter or more.
I think it shows that:
1) Your blog readers are all educated (thanks to you) on what (we think) makes a good query
2) we all know what we like to read- we aren’t the specialists who know the depth of the market and cross genres well enough to know what sells.
I picked based on my limited knowledge of what I have understood right now is selling, namely: India related stories (Dadi’s), Misery Memoirs cross with YA / 24 hour frame (Losers), YA/Reality with Fantasy elements (Shifters) and the eternally popular Irish set romance-novels (Rosie’s Child) and the crime/thriller with dash of culture clash and romance of Inguami.
“A good concept and strong writing are more important than good query form.”This is a really valuable reminder. By learning and reading about writing, it is easier to get hung up on and spend time on the ‘measurable’ or the more visible aspects of getting published. ie the query than the inquantifiable; that “something” which agents can see or sense, a great story and strong writing. We just have to do it.
My biggest learning is if I want to be a good writer I need to do more actual writing, and less ‘thinking about, learning about, reading about, discussing and blogging about’ writing.
Congrats to the two super agents, Moth and Chenelley! Well done authors – thanks for the insights on your reality of being published too, and to all the stats complilers – and biggest to Nathan.
Marilyn Peake says
Hannah,
Congratulations on having BREAK accepted for publication! I guessed that BREAK was one of the published books, and I’m going to buy a copy. I love stories about humans evolving in quirky kinds of ways. Loved the movie Unbreakable, and the Heroes character whose broken bones always healed. Will definitely buy a copy of BREAK, and look forward to reading it.
Mira says
Hi Marilyn,
I picked #2, partly because I liked it, and partly because I knew it was you, previously published and was cheating.
Um, it is published right?
So, Nathan – why doesn’t it count?
(If it sounds like I’m whining, that’s because I am.)
I don’t care if I got one right by cheating, I just want to have gotten one right.
Personal integrity does tend to fly out the window when the stakes are so high, you know.
Anyway, I really like your work, Marilyn.
Marilyn Peake says
Brent Billy Curtis said:
Also, I came across as a bit of a pompous jerk quoting my “accolades” that I’ve received over the years from screenplays and short stories. I was trying to make my query sound flashy like a book cover filled with great reviews, but obviously humility would serve me better.
I don’t know how agents feel about that, but I actually was very impressed with the accolades in your query letter, and wrote “AMAZING Reviews” in my notes during the contest.
Bill Greer says
After reading all the comments to my query (#33), I’ve spent the last week rewriting it. My wife gives the best feedback. She didn’t see my query before I sent it to the Agent for a Day contest. She looked at it afterward and said, “You can write better than that.”
We’ve spent a week playing around with it. She’d tell me I was getting closer, and I’d change one phrase and she’d go “No, no, no.” Now she’s happy with it. Me too!
Now to query a few agents and see what happens.
Marilyn Peake says
Mira,
Thank you so much for the compliments about my writing! You just made my entire day.
Anonymous says
I think it was easier for me to read the first page of a work to get a feel for the story.
Wow,Marilyn, your actual story feels VERY different to me from the query.
I now wonder if the first one to five pages may be essential.
Ellen says
Hi guys, I’m Query number 36, Rosie’s Child.
I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who took part. I got some great feedback on my query, an amazing number of you managed to detect flaws in the manuscript based on a short query letter, and I got a major ego boost from seeing so many people ask for partials and fulls. I didn’t participate myself but one of my guesses was correct (Break, which sounds fascinating!).
This competition has given me so much to think about. I’m coming to the end of the first draft of the novel and this has been surprisingly insightful about the whole book.
I’d also like to point out that the title was just a placeholder, the novel doesn’t have a title yet đ I was afraid Rosie’s Child was too close to parody but I’m glad it didn’t give me away. Title suggestions on the back of a postcard, please!
– Ellen Brickley
Heather says
Definitely interesting.
But I think writers who read choose (and enjoy) different books than the average reader, which might be one explanation.
Also, I’m not sure when THE PREY came out, but the “Mystery writer whose books are coming to life” storyline has been done and done again and again on television crime drama shows.
Whether or not that’s a reflection of Ms. Brannen’s popularity or what, if that query came across my desk, I’d immediately feel like it was a tired storyline, and I don’t even read that genre.
The most interesting part to me was how much we, as writers, judged a project based on the query alone.
I wonder if that’s a reflection of how we feel we are judged. Perhaps, when our projects are rejected, we feel it is because of a weak query instead of a possibly flawed concept or inferior writing in the first ten pages.
I wonder how many writers think, “If only they’d actually read the manuscript, they’d fall in love with it and rep it in a moment,” or something equally delusional.
I’m pretty sure I’ve felt that once or twice–especially when an agent put out a wish list of projects that totally meshes with my book conceptually, but my query gets a form rejection response.
I sometimes think writers float between self-deprecation, self-confidence, and outright delusion on a continual basis. ahahaha
hannah says
Thanks for the comments, guys.
For the record, I wrote Break because I dislike self-injury books already on the market, and I wanted to write a book about self-injury that wasn’t a “self-injury book” and wasn’t even a problem novel.
lesleylsmith says
Thanks, Nathan. This was a good learning experience.
Anonymous says
Ellen,
I asked for your manuscript!
I will again too.
And regarding themes:
It may have been done before, but it’s in how YOU do it that makes me want to read your work.
Which was why I passed on a few queries – they seemed like repeats.
If only I had had some pages to read!
While I was pretending to be an agent, I went for five different kinds of books. As an “agent,” I was trying to be diversified. I was also looking for different, fresh, and new or missing elements. I completely missed the ones I guess that are more typically popular.
But as a pretend agent, I wanted my agency to have its own imprint and wanted to build several distinct lines.
What fun to play!
Anonymous says
When I was in a writing group a long time ago, a writer joined us. He said he could listen to anything BUT RABBIT stories. It was my turn to read. Unfortunately, I had a rabbit story.
Samuel says
I’d really recommend everyone read the Poets and Writers link to four agents discussing the business – see Friday’s TWIP post.
Jim Rutman (a very wise and eloquent speaker, I thought) says:
I feel like people have generally read something that tells them how to write, at the very least, an unobjectionable cover letter. I like it when they are fairly matter-of-fact. To me that suggests, whether it’s well placed or not, a certain confidence that you’re going to appreciate the pages rather than the letter. I don’t have any sort of pointed advice about what people ought to do in a cover letter. It just doesn’t matter that much. It’s going to get read.I think there’s a lot to be said in just keeping it simple: This is me. I’ve written a book. It’s about this. Can I send you some pages?
hippokrene says
This was all very interesting.
Thank you for putting this together Nathan. And thank you Allison, Hannah, and Inara for including your queries.
Endless Secrets says
I guess it was harder than I thought it would be. But I did get one right! *jumps with joy*
A lot of the queries however just sounded sooo good, it was nearly impossible even to narrow it down to three.
Great experience.
Ellen says
Anonymous @ 11.55 –
I’ll be glad to send it when it’s done – I lurk here a lot but I feel like I got a great sense of the type of people who post here from this contest so I imagine I’ll comment a lot more from now on.
Other Lisa says
I whiffed. Though I was among the many who rejected Copycat Killer because it sounded too familiar.
Lessons learned? “The incredibly subjective nature of the publishing business,” and yeah, I should stick to writing!
Rick Chesler says
Interesting experiment, Nathan!
Lorin says
My notes are at home, but I’m pretty sure I got 2/3. Not bad, I think, for an amateur. BREAK was the first must read for me – I bypassed putting it on my maybe list and just responded yes right after reading it. Then again, I am biased in favor of YA books. Can’t wait to read it when it comes out!
Thanks for running this contest, Nathan. It was lots of fun!
The Classic Carol says
Personally, I believe this blog and its contests are a plot (haha punny), deliberatley intended to delay writers from practicing their craft. That way agents can catch up on their slush and spend more time in the bar. I love hidden agendas, conspiracies, intrigue, along with scheming, treacherousness, men. And you all have been charmed by that kid Nathan in the orange t-shirt, who you believe embraces boyish charm, if not the classic good looks of a CW cast member. A little more brow, might allow me to take him more seriously.
Marilyn Peake says
Dawn Johnson,
Do you have a website? I loved the story described in Query #10. I’d love to know if and when your book is published, so I can buy it. Thanks.
Mira says
Brent Billy and Marilyn,
I thought the credentials were impressive. It was a large part of why I chose your queries.
I could be wrong, but your peers may react differently to credidentials than an agent would.
Personally, I’d leave them in.
Then for those of us who don’t have them, we can resort to the time honored method of making them up.
No, not really. I would never do that.
Just like I’d never cheat on a contest and get mad that it didn’t work.
Megan says
Woot, got one of em (#39)!Unfortunately, the other two weren’t even on my short list (I picked 2, 18, 20, 36 and 39 and short listed 6, 10 33 and 38). It was lots of fun, though I didn’t read the comments because I felt bad for the query authors. In any case, definitely eye opening.
Anonymous says
I’m not too humbled, because I’m sure my 5 picks will go on to achieve greatness. đ
Ego says
Not one!
I was sure I’d got them all, whilst simultaneously suspecting I hadn’t got any.
The first two published queries were too gruesome for me. No. 2 in particular seemed yuk. Yes, it could be a bestseller but I actively did not want to have to read it.
I loved the third query; it was charming. Can’t remember why I said no but I was probably jealously guarding my remaining requests.
Another reality check for Ego! This whole trying-to-write thing has improved my grasp on reality no end.
NotJana says
Thanks for hosting this competition Nathan!
I’m quite surprised I got one – Running Blind – and Break was my number 6! Then again, the Copycat Killer was a definite no (I even went back just now and read it again – and it’s still a no even though it’s a genre I read).
Anyway, even though I’m far far away from querying, I found this very fascinating. I also pointed a couple of friends (who are either aobut to start or are already actively querying) towards this contest as I think it’s an invaluabe experience.
emeraldcite says
Once again, you’ve run an incredibly informative and exciting contest.
Simply, you have some really awesome posts that should be required reading for all up-and-coming authors.
Although I didn’t directly participate as an “agent,” I did read many of the queries and comments.
Thanks for taking all the time to run these contests.
Terese says
I didn’t play Agent, but I did read all the post and a good number of the comments. This “experiment” was amazing, informative and fun to read. What I learned most of all was that an agent needs well-developed spidy-sense and writers need to be damned good at writing and original. Thanks so much!
Kristi says
Well, I thought I had one and had none, so color me surprised – but not really. It was a tough job, albeit fun to sit on the other side of the fence for a day. Thanks for doing this and congrats to the winners! đ
Anonymous says
Nathan,
Thanks for the opportunity to participate in this experiment. It was interesting, and far more exciting than I expected. And I’m surprised at the ones that are published novels, though I still don’t think I’d choose two of them if I were an agent.
I wonder if the “find the published books” angle of this skewed the results a bit. If you’d kept the fact that there were successful queries in the bunch a secret until everything was tallied, I think people’s choices would have been different.
It seems like agents have to go at the slushpile with an “I hope there’s a winner in here” attitude rather than “I absolutely know there are 3 in this specific grouping.” It changes the dynamic a bit, but it was still fun. (Yes, fun. :p )
FWIW — some of you out there are pretty good at picking up nuances in those query letters. One of the recurring comments on mine (#48) was that the “killer” element felt tacked on (that’s where a lot of people lost interest) Well… it was tacked on, about 30 seconds before I hit “send”. Good eye on that one.
Erin Nolan (Agent EJN) says
I got one right! Yay! And I rejected the other two mainly due to the fact that they just weren’t to my personal taste, so again, this contest really proved how subjective this business. The one I got right was Running Blind. I found it kind of funny how a lot of people were jumping all over this author for “getting her character’s name wrong” towards the end of the query. This totally tipped me off to the fact that this was probably one of the published books, and she’d missed one while disguising the character’s name for the contest. But I really did request it because the story sounded like a lot of fun. I’ll look for it on the shelves!
Dawn says
Congratulations to Moth and Chenelley! Well done!
I enjoyed this very much. I wasnât going to select queries because I didnât have any complaints about the agent and submission process. Not yet…havenât been at it long enough to get frustrated. However, this experiment opened my eyes, so maybe I wonât end up getting frustrated and discouraged.
Anyway, I was overwhelmed with curiosity and decided at the last minute to give it a go. I managed to pick one of the published works. (#9) Yippee! I did mull over the other two, but ultimately didnât put them on my whittle-down list.
I appreciate all the comments on my query (#10) both positive and negative. It all helps a great deal. After sharing the day to day happenings of this experiment with my mother, she is now pushing me to get to work polishing ON ONE HAND. Hahaha! Iâve decided sheâs right, especially after so many of you liked the query and Marilyn would like to read it. Thanks.
Big thanks to Nathan for running such an interesting experiment.
Venus Vaughn says
Nathan,
I got 1 of the 3, and the one I got right was the one you passed on! THE BREAK. (#9)
I am actually going to go out and find that book now, because if I only had to make one choice out of the 50, that would have been it. I’ve been thinking of it ever since, which, I think, is exactly what you want in terms of repping a project. Something you can’t get out of your mind.
As for THE PREY / COPYCAT KILLERS (#39) – once again, subjectivity comes into play. I wouldn’t have had the enthusiasm to rep it properly, so I can’t beat myself up for passing on it.
The final one, Inara Scott’s project (#21) looked interesting and was on my maybe list. And that one would be where experience comes into play as I know nothing about the YA market. Though I should have remembered loving books like that as a kid (THE GIRL WITH THE SILVER EYES). I probably passed because it seemed too familiar.
Thanks again for the managing the work of the project. It was very illuminating.
hannah says
Venus, thanks so much!
Martin says
Well, apparently I would make a terrible agent. No real surprise there. đ
I was the author of Query #12 and I can’t thank everyone (especially Nathan) enough for this experience (can’t believe I’m saying thank you for 295 rejections in a week!)
For those interested, the query was indeed for an actual novel. Stealing Genius is currently being beta read and I’ll be querying for real starting next month some time.
Thanks again, everyone, and I’ll keep you posted on SG’s adventures.
Caroline says
I managed to get… 1. đ
Dawn says
I’ve kept my friends updated on this experiment too, whether they wanted it or not. *giggle* And today I told them that my name was actually mentioned in a post by Nathan.
I feel like a celebrity. *weeeeee!*
holly cupala says
Illuminating! I knocked myself out of the running after fifteen or so (would never hack it as an agent!), but I really liked the concept for BREAK and will look for it this summer. Congrats to the winners!
Davien says
I liked the exercise, but I can’t help feeling like this was a little bit stacked against us.
We didn’t have the submitted writing samples for most of these queries, only the queries themselves. So, of course we relied heavily on the content of the queries.
AS Meredith says
Great idea, well executed. You’ve done a service to us aspiring writers. Can we nominate you for a Nobel prize or something? They don’t give Nobel Prizes for research in the fiction publishing process? Oh darn…