Before You Query

January 1, 2023

Congratulations on completing your book! It was hard and tiresome and exhilarating and you probably want a break. So—if you need time away from your MS, take it. Best to go into the querying phase with energy and positivity.  You can do this!

Now I begin by saying the worst thing of all.

Do your homework. I can almost hear your groans. I get it. You’ve just written a book that no doubt included research, and the thought of doing more can be overwhelming. But there it is.

Some of you already worked through this stage, and that’s great. But if you aren’t sure how to write a query, find out now. Same for a synopsis and bio. Really. You probably intend to approach a number of publishers, so after you’ve written a basic query, synopsis, and bio, you’ll tweak them individually to meet the requirements of each publisher.

Publishers receive more queries and submissions than you can imagine. The extra care taken now helps you present your book and yourself in the best light possible. Do not wing it when you get to the publisher’s website.

There’s a ton of free resources out there. Finding those articles, blogs, and newsletters will help you with far more than one query. You’ll begin to amass and grow your all-important writer’s resource library. And there’s a huge writing community that you need and who need you. Connect with your people. Look for online and in-person writers’ groups and writers’ associations (associations are often organized by genre and have an annual fee). I know you’re already aware of ways to connect on social media. Do the things because writing a book in a vacuum is crazy hard.

Publishing a book in a vacuum is impossible.

More on the query with hints for finding resources next time. And no more worst things.

Cindy