Posts tagged ‘querying’
LITERARY AGENCY QUERY REQUEST FORM
LITERARY AGENCY QUERY REQUEST FORM
Here is a query form from a literary agency. The information required is typical of forms found from other agencies.
Top of Form
Step 1. Tell us about the author
Fill in these author-related fields.
First Name: (required)
Last Name: (required)
E-Mail Address: (required)
Biography:Tell us a little about yourself and any writing credentials you may have.
Website Address: (if you have one)
Have you previously published other books? Yes No
Have you ever been represented by a literary agent before? Yes No
If you previously self-published a book, about how many copies were sold in the first year?
If this query is a referral, who referred you?
Step 2. Tell us about the book
Fill in these book-related fields.
Title: (required)
Genre: (required) select your book’s genre Action/Adventure Chick Lit Childrens Commercial Contemporary Crime/Detective/Police Erotica Family Saga Fantasy Fantasy: Magical Realism Fantasy: Urban Graphic Novel Historical Horror Humor/Satire Inspirational LGBTQ+ Literary Multicultural Mystery New Adult Offbeat/Quirky Romance Romance: Category Romance: Contemporary Romance: Historical Romance: Paranormal Romance: Thriller/Suspense Romantasy / Romantic Fantasy Science Fiction Short Stories Suspense Thriller Upmarket Western Women’s Fiction Young Adult Young Adult: Contemporary Young Adult: Fantasy Young Adult: Historical Young Adult: Literary Young Adult: Mystery Young Adult: Paranormal Young Adult: Paranormal Romance Young Adult: Romance Art Cookbook Cultural/Social Issues Finance Food Gardening Health & Fitness History Home Decorating & Design LGBTQ+ Lifestyle Memoir Narrative Parenting Politics Psychology Relationship & Dating Religion Self-Help Spirituality Travel True Crime Women’s Issues This agent only represents the genres shown in this list. Selecting an inaccurate genre will result in a rejection. If your book’s genre is not shown here, please go to QueryTracker for a list of agents who do represent your genre.
Word Count: (required)Enter the approximate WORD count of your book. Enter numbers only. Do not include any letters or special characters.
Is this book currently published or has it ever been published before? Yes No
Query Letter:Tips for formatting and pasting text
BoldItalicUnderlineAlign
- Align Left
- Align Center
- Align Right
- Align Justify
Clear FormattingUndoRedo
Ctrl+V or Right Click to Paste (Pasting large blocks of text can take several minutes. Please be patient.)
Enter your query letter for this book. (Tips for formatting and pasting text) Do NOT paste images into this field. Pasting large blocks of text can take several minutes. Please be patient.
Pro Tip: Make your query letter shine, get it critiqued for free at qtCritique.com
The First 10 Pages of Your Book (or full book proposal if non-fiction):
(If your book is shorter than this (such as a picture book) please include the entire text.)Tips for formatting and pasting text
BoldItalicUnderlineAlign
- Align Left
- Align Center
- Align Right
- Align Justify
Clear FormattingUndoRedo
Ctrl+V or Right Click to Paste (Pasting large blocks of text can take several minutes. Please be patient.)
Paste in the first 10 pages of your book, or your full book proposal if your book is non-fiction. (Tips for formatting and pasting text) Do NOT paste images into this field. Pasting large blocks of text can take several minutes. Please be patient.
Optional: Sign into QueryTracker
A QueryTracker account is NOT required to send a query. If you are not a member of QueryTracker, you can skip this section.
Or join QueryTracker, a free service that helps authors find agents and keep track of queries.
Signing into QueryTracker will link this query to your QueryTracker account, allowing it to be automatically tracked and displayed in QueryTracker.
Your QueryTracker Username or Email Address:Your QueryTracker Password:Sign In
Forget your credentials? Recover them at QueryTracker.
Not a QueryTracker member? Join here (Free)
Learn more about auto-tracking queries.
Final Step: Submit Your Query
Submit Query
Important: After submitting your query, you will receive a personalized link to a special page that you can visit any time to check your query’s status.
If the recipient of your query would like to read more, they will contact you through that page as well as through email.
Bottom of Form
This form is powered by Query Manager, a service of Query Tracker. If you have any questions about this service, please Contact Us.
QueryTracker is a free service for authors to help them find literary agents and organize query letters. Learn more.
Having the information on the above form should help you in quite a few queries.
LITERAY AGENCY QUERY REQUIREMENTS
LITERAY AGENCY QUERY REQUIREMENTS
As mentioned in a previous post, when searching for a literary agent you will discover that many agencies use an online form you must use to make your query. This makes the search much easier than it was in the past for most of the information required is, more or less, the same for all forms.
Here is a list of the information required on many of the forms,
Information on previously published books
Title
Publisher
Release date
If you have self-published a book
Query letter
Synopsis
Sample pages or sample chapters
The number of pages or chapters varies by agency.
Pitch
Target audience
Books similar to your book
Bio
Most agencies using an online form also require that you are a member of Query Tracker, a free website.
In a future post I will supply a form used by an agency so that you may see what they look like.
LITERARY AGENTS
MY QUEST FOR A LITERARY AGENT
I have a novel, The Beast Awaits, for which I am seeking a publisher. I have used Duotrope to compile a list of publishers but so far I have found none that I deem satisfactory. Therefore, I am now looking for a literary agent for which Duotrope also provides a listing.
For many publishers having an agent is the only way your work can be reviewed. The fact that you have an agent encourages publishers to look at your work for they know that the only way a REPUTIBLE agent makes a penny is if they sell your work.
I filled out a Duotrope questionnaire for agents and received a list of 124 agents. Daunting. But through my use of another website, I was able to reduce this to a list of seventeen agents I feel secure in pursuing.
In a future post will describe how I accomplished this.
WRITER’S FORUM: MAUSCRIPT FORMATING-WRITING PICTURE BOOKS FOR CHILDREN
WRITER’S FORUM
MANUSCRIPTE FORMATING – WRITING PICTURE BOOKS
FOR CHILDREN
The owner of this blog teaches creative writing for adults at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education in Boston.
Subjects covered by the blog include Types of Picture Books, Manuscript Formatting, Cover Letters and Agents.
Concerning agents, you are told what I have emphasized in the past. Never send money to any agent. If an agent asks for money they are not reputable.
The website is free.
Manuscript formatting – Writing Picture Books for Children
WARNING
As I’m sure you know in our current society very little is free. When you use a site indicating that it is free your email address or telephone number is probably being added to a list which will be sold. So when using any website consider the value of the site to you and if it is worth the occasion annoying ad.
WRITER’S FORUM: AGENTQUERY
WRITER’S FORUM
AGENT QUERY
AgentQuery provides a wealth of information about agents and publishers. Information is provided as to where to find agents, organize and track queries and look at agents’ data. Publishers’ info is also available.
If you do find an agent or publisher that fits your needs; do some research before you make any commitments. Using this website is free.
In future posts I will introduce you to the websites which can provide information on how reputable agents and publishers are. These sites include Duotrope for which information has already been posted. Other sites in upcoming posts which will also be helpful are Predators and Editors and also Absolute Water Cooler.
AgentQuery :: Find the Agent Who Will Find You a Publisher
WARNING
As I’m sure you know in our current society very little is free. When you use a site indicating that it is free your email address or telephone number is probably being added to a list which will be sold. So when using any website consider the value of the site to you and if it is worth the occasion annoying ad.
WRITER’S FORUM: LITERARY AGENTS
WRITER’S FORUM
LITERARY AGENTS
ASSOCIATION OF WRITER’S REPRESENTATIVES
For a writer there is no certain way which will enable you to find a valid publisher for your work. But there is one avenue which will help a great deal: Obtaining a literary agent.
The ability in obtaining a literary agent depends on the quality of your work. A reputable agent will not take you on as a client unless they feel that your work is publishable. The fact that you have an agent will gain you access to publishers you would otherwise not be able to approach. You see, an agent, a reputable agent, does not make a dime unless they can find a publisher for you. Of course, publishers know this so the fact that you have an agent tells them that perhaps they should take a look at your work.
The purpose of this post is to provide a word of caution and how to protect you from dishonest actors. Yes, as in all professions, there is a sleaze element.
A valid agent should not charge you anything to take you on as a client. Even if the agent appears to be honest, there is another scam. The agent will say they will take you on as a client, but your work needs editing. That’s when the money starts flowing out of your pocket. Run, don’t walk away from this agent.
I also want to mention that if you find a publisher for your book on your own you should not have to pay them anything to publish your work.
Back to literary agents.
There is a highly respected organization, Association of Writer’s Representatives, made up of reputable and honest literary agents. To become a member of this organization they must agree not to charge the writer and only earn their commission from the sale of your book. This database has a huge number of agents which can be searched according to the genre of your work.
And it is free.
USA Literary Agent Directory and Database 2023-24 – Free Access (literary-agents.com)
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