Holy smokes!
Last Wednesday's blog post about what I'm looking for precipitated an incoming query deluge!
I loved it of course, but holy smokes, figuring out what to do next is more of a challenge than I realized.
For this kind of open call, it's not simply Yes or No.
Which means it's going to take some time.
I wrote to everyone who queried me to let them know I got their email and when to expect to hear from me again.
(That means if you emailed me and DID not get a reply, email again. If you used my New Leaf email, try my gmail instead: JetReidLiterary{at}gmail{spot}com}
It was gratifying to see the amount of interest and I'm really excited to be moving forward.
I had a burst of sympathy for those agents who get a sudden deluge of queries. It can be a bit daunting.
Your takeaway: if you're querying an agent because you saw an interview in Writers Digest, or the agent got a mention on some sort of news related site, expect some lag time in reply. I got 28 emails in one day; almost a hundred in the week. I've heard of agents getting 200 after some big new items.
All this is of course on top of actually doing the work I do every day, and trying to figure out which projects being proposed have the most traction.
Maybe I should have kept Colin after all?
39 comments:
I wrote to everyone who queried me to let them know I got their email and when to expect to hear from me again.
I didn't query you, or anyone because I'm not there yet. But I can't tell you how grateful I would be if I had queried and received that reply.
I sent a query to your New Leaf address a few weeks ago. Should I resend to the other address, or just sit tight as you get through the deluge?
Huzzah! I hope you find wonderful projects that you can't resist.
Congratulations to Donna and Cecelia for contest wins.
And congrats to all those queriers who received that rapid procedural response from Janet. Way to stay classy!
This is an example of why (abs or boobs) twenty-something blue eyed blondes get more hits on dating websites. They have what others want. So Janet, what's it like to be someone's middle of the night dream ?
Oh, I forgot, if I had queried the queen and then saw her pop up on my email so fast, I would of peed my pants until I learned the truth.
Well, of course queries flooded in. Part of being QOTKU. And of course, when in doubt, keep Colin. In a box. He's a capable Multi Purpose Minion. Best of luck all you ambitious query writers.
I suspect it's rather like a holiday where you revel in the opportunity to open gifts and learn if there's a shiny one under the tree that will become your favorite.
First impressions are huge, of course, but sometimes you're surprised by what stays with you.
Enjoy!
I'm with 2N's on that initial knee jerk reaction. She's read the query and is asking for a FULL!!!! Oh. She's just housekeeping. Darn it.
Backtrack to yesterday's posts, etc. Woohoo! What a nice surprise to come home to! Thank you QOTKU - for NOT sending me Colin! He'd drive me crazy leaving bowls of mushy cereal in the fridge to eat at his leisure.
Well, I have to admit, I was treating my entry about Colin's visit to The Reef more like the 25 word adventures, meaning captions for the pics - instead of a story, b/c doggone, after I read some of the one's submitted I thought WOW, maybe I ought to have done what John (MS) Frain did, and REDACTED mine!!!
Congrats to Cecilia! I'm with QOTKU on the asbestos underpants. That is just darn funny to say it and to hear it in my head!
OT: Yesterday was exhausting, but fun. I was one of 25 authors who participated in the Bookmarks Festival Moveable Feast. As the organizers said, "it's like speed dating with authors." It was held in Winston-Salem, about 2 hours from me. I had to be there by 1:30 to park/get checked in, etc. and the event started with a meet/greet at 2:00 with the actual "speed dating" from 3:00-5:00.
The organizers gave us a schedule of which table to begin with and where we'd end up - 10 tables total, for 10 minutes each with 1 minute in between each change to get to the next table and settled in. They rang what sounded like a cow bell (more cow bell!!!) at the end of the 10 minute segments. I was so sick of myself by the time it was over, if I never heard, "I'm Donna Everhart and I wrote..." again, it would be fine by me!
Then, to cap off that event, I chose to stay to attend a dinner at Charlie Lovett's house. If you don't know who Charlie Lovett is, you can read about him here. Not only was his home absolutely stunning, but he collects artwork, papers, various editions/volumes - I guess whatever he can get his hands on - about Alice In Wonderland. He also has Lewis Carrol's typewriter.
What just about sent me over the edge though was eating dinner with Diane Chamberlain and Kimberly Belle. The other authors I saw (not at the dinner, just at this event) were Travis Mulhauser (Sweet Girl), Julia Franks (Over The Plain Houses) and Lynne Branard (Traveling Light, Pie Town) to name a few. I got home at midnight.
Like I said, tiring, but FUN.
Everyone seems to be having such a splendid time! Huzzah to all, especially Janet's queriers. Hoping there is something exciting in there.
I just noticed the "queries current through" icon, and feel the pain. I suspect this is not where our queen wants to be, or is used to being, with queries. It seems since I've followed the blog (forever?) that queries stay relatively current. The first time I had that little shark pop up in an email (routine question for JR) was a lot of fun. I'd love to have such a cute gravatar. Downside, when I finally meet JR in person, I'll be a little timid of her bite!
I always think we woodland creatures are a small, intimate group. But if Janet got 100 queries right after posting -- 100 who had queries ready to go about the topics she wanted -- think how many zillions must read this blog every day!
*becomes self-conscious*
*blushes*
Leslie,
Sit tight. If you haven't heard from me by the end of this week, email again to the gmail address.
Or check reports of defenestration on Sixth Ave, NYC!
(thanks for your patience!)
What's Colin's email? Buried under fresh snow is chilling, but lucrative.
Hey, InkStainedWench: You're famous! :)
I passed Janet's info on to an author I know who writes children's books (fiction and non-fiction) for a book packager. She's been busy working extra shifts for her day job, though, so she won't get her query in for another week or so, I think.
I hope you're feeling better, Janet, and I hope you feel completely well, soon. Not sure if your unwellness has been viral or otherwise, but both can be debilitating.
What Brigid said. Hope you find some pearls in the deluge!
Uh, is this a bad time to request more Week-in-Review entries?
oh good, Joseph Snoe wants to head off to Carkoon!
I think Donnaeve is still there.
Safe travels!
I knew it! As soon as Joseph made his remark, it was inevitable that Donna would have company in Carkoon. Perhaps, this will mollify Felix for the loss of Colin.
Joseph! Joseph Joseph Joseph Joseph... *sigh* I'll ship my stock of asbestos undies your direction. You'll need them. ;)
Just a quick tip to those who may be fairly new to the comments: The sure-fire way to find yourself exiled to Hell's Armpit (aka, Carkoon) is to suggest Janet take time doing something more than what she already does pro bono for non-clients (e.g., this blog, QueryShark, Chum Bucket, and the countless emails and Tweets she fields from people who don't have any influence on her income stream). Of course, there are countless other ways one might find oneself exiled, but those are not so clearly definable, and are totally at the discretion, whim, and humor of QOTKU, just to keep us all on our toes and living in fear. :)
Janet: I might have stayed if you could keep me in falafel burgers... ;)
Colin Falafel Burgers? Seriously? How are you not king of Carkoon?
I believe that daring to type the names of certain hard-right mouthies on Janet's blog can also result in banishment. Donna, care to comment? ;)
Elise: LOL!!! Trust me... falafel burgers... mmmmmmMMM!!! :)
Kathy: I think even that depends on the moment. A certain popular right-of-the-aisle radio show host who has published books has been mentioned once or twice without consequence. But that was a while ago, not within the current political climate. Besides, QOTKU really doesn't need a reason--hence, "QOTKU." :)
Kathy
Way to go contest winners and good luck to Janet going through all the queries! When I first discovered Query Shark, I binge read half the entries in a single go. I started to see what made a query standout from the crowd. Hoping for lots of awesome standouts in this bunch!
Congrats, Donna and Cecilia!!
Methinks Donna is speechless...
I didn't realize internet connection in Carkoon was so intermittent. Let me try again:
Kathy-
.
Joseph: Pull the string tighter. Used to work for me. :)
I came very close to sending you a query for one of the thrillers I've written. Then I bucked up and just said no. I am going to begin my querying with sci-fi.
At the moment I can see six thrillers, total, in that strange thing I call a brain. Sci-fi, though, is limitless to me. I will break 80k on one tonight.
Sci-fi will also allow me to couch my disdain for a few things in obscure ways. Some people might be able to read into it because there is always someone who can pull a rabbit out of their a--.
My Queen: Has any kind of pattern yet formed about any new direction you are going to lead New Leaf into?
Joseph, Joseph, Joseph.
*Head 2 desk* We hardly knew ye.
Everyone with me now ...
Na na na na. Na na na na. Hey-ey-ey. Goodbye...
Na na na na... (You can take it from here, Joseph. You'll have lots of time. Especially on Sundays when you won't be reading the Week in Review. Even when it came out, it didn't publish on Carkoon. A friend told me.)
Joe??? Is that you???
Ahh, so now I know what misfortune Donna got herself into (At least you have company now).
Joe, enjoy your trip, I'm sure Donna will sprinkle welcoming red dirt (in lieu of a carpet).
Hi Donna
Are you on the north side or the south side?
Janet, you are amazing! but ouch, that is a lot of emails. Good luck to everyone who responded, I can only imagine that if you find even some of what you're looking for - gosh what a win!
What a sharky-goddess. I think everyone who is a regular reader of your blog appreciates the time it takes for you to respond!
Congratulations. I hope those 200 proposals make you 200 fortunes. Good luck to you.
Lesson learned: when an agent is featured somewhere, put on radar...and then do not query for at least a requisite six months...:)
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