Seven Queries

I've read that many authors go through 50 to 70 rejections before they get agent representation. After almost four weeks in this process, I can't imagine how they manage it. Not because I've only had one rejection so far and it hurt too much (it hurt, but it's part of this process) - but because I've had a hard enough time finding 7 agents to query, let alone 70.

There are many places you can hunt for agents to query. Publishers Marketplace, Query Tracker, Manuscript Wishlist, and Pitch Wars are just a few. But to be honest, so far (and again, I've only been at this for a few weeks) I have found easier to rule agents out than to commit to querying them. Not everyone is looking for your manuscript, your brand, your genre. Not everyone is open to new clients. Not everyone has a powerhouse mentality and team that will work with you to launch your book into the highest potential it can reach. So, I think (and I hope) by doing the homework of ruling out agents before I query them, I can avoid the rejection that would otherwise inevitably follow - no matter how good my manuscript and query letter are.

I could be wrong. Tomorrow I could get six more rejections, and I could be singing a different song.