Jul 15, 2009

Revising Queries

Slushpile follower / commenter Elana Johnson wrote an excellent post on the QueryTracker.net blog today, click here to read it.

I won't re-hash the entire thing (you really should read it for yourself!), but the gist is that you are better off if you let the criticism you receive sink in before rushing directly into your query revisions.

Take your time. Like in cooking, slower produces a better result. Never microwave a roast...
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7 comments:

Lori Folkman said...

Great link. My query has been curing for a good three months. Maybe that's a tad bit long! Hopefully it won't turn dry and moldy.

July 15, 2009 at 11:33 AM
Rick Daley said...

Dirt + water = mud

Don't sweat the evaporation. And as for the mold, if it's the kind that grows on bleu cheese, it may have an enhancing effect ;-)

Penicillin also comes from mold...

July 15, 2009 at 11:44 AM
Julie said...

I can't figure out where to post my query letter so I guess I'll put it here since this is the most recent post.

I can handle large amounts of criticism. I'm just starting out writing and i am almost finished with my first novel. I have no ending paragraphs to my letter because I don't have any credentials or degree to mention - not sure what I should do with that?

Dear Mr. Agent,

I fell in love with your blog in my desperate need to learn as much as possible about writing a gold medal query letter. I am currently seeking representation for my Young Adult novel, UNTITLED, complete at 100,000 words.

Holly Flynn is a well respected English teacher and aspiring novelist married to her wonderful and attentive high school boyfriend. Her life is exactly as she always planned. That is until an old friend shows up at her door step handing over an item she hasn’t seen in ten years, her journal. Her eighteen year old self preserved in the form of a pink velvet notebook. As she opens the book, a photograph falls to the floor. A picture of herself embracing a mysterious boy who's face happens to be identical to the boy from her novel. A face she thought only existed in her fictional world. A face she’s devoted over 300 pages to.

After reading the journal she discovers her own written words tell a story different from the one she knows. Holly must decide to stay in the life she’s always known or to take a chance and leave everything behind. Is true love worth the pain? Her discoveries bring the conclusion that the world is much bigger than she ever imagined and the mystery surrounding the boy she loves is almost too much for any human to accept. The power to change the past is like playing God in a battle where right and wrong are not the only two sides competing.

July 16, 2009 at 2:09 PM
Julie said...

I also have a blog with some writing samples and as a new writer I would love to have feedback other my family telling me how "Cute" my stories are.

So if you're stuck in your writing or just frustrated with life and you need to let your aggressions out by picking apart and scrutinizing my work go right ahead! I would honestly love some genuine, critical feedback.

http://diaryofanunpublishedwannabewriter.blogspot.com/

July 16, 2009 at 2:14 PM
Rick Daley said...

Hi Julie,

There's a link for submissions toward the top-right of the blog, but no worries, I caught this comment and your query is posted.

July 16, 2009 at 2:41 PM
Elana Johnson said...

Thanks for the link, Rick!

July 17, 2009 at 11:19 PM
Rick Daley said...

Elana,
My pleasure. Thanks for the great post!

July 18, 2009 at 7:29 AM

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