About the Author: Quest for Qualifying Queries

Hello again my friends. My apologies for the recent thread of no posts this week. This is entirely my fault since I have been focusing on sending as many query letters as I can manage between shifts at work. Now for those of you who do not know what a query letter is, I shall explain. Basically, it is a cover letter that is specifically addressed to a literary agent. To explain further, in this short one page letter you are trying to prove/ show off why this agent should be interested in your book. It is important that they feel a connection to your story to invigorate them to really sell your tale. Now, how does one capture and retain the attention of one of these individuals? See I have no idea. My personality lends itself to not really be the boastful type, making this sort of thing not up my alley.

In my personal view, one must test the merit of a writer by his work. Most agents, I feel, would agree with this statement, but that would mean the poor individuals would be reading at least five hundred books a month. I don’t even think I could reach fifty books in a month if I had nothing else to stop me. To help them manage this massive task, they limit the amount they first have to read to the first three chapters of said books or the first ten pages. Fair enough, one needs to get a feel whether or not one will connect to the story from the very beginning. For the most part, I sincerely feel like this system does truly work for most novels. However, I do not think this works for those of us that write in the way of worldbuilding. Not only in the first three chapters do we have to introduce the characters that one will fall in love with, but a world in which one will get lost in its wonder. This leads me to also notice a trend among agents. One will find, at least from what I have seen, not many that represent fantasy or science fiction; both of which usually involve a fair bit of worldbuilding. Makes one wonder how to find that one agent that will be your partner to success.

Finding an agent is a daunting task and a journey that every writer must take; knowing that the quest, unlike our own tales, is not in our hands. We have to learn to trust someone else to judge in a quick glance whether or not to represent us; being ready to take several rejections for not being quite the right fit. But fear not my friends, most of these agents are very kind. From the rejections I have personally gotten, they encourage me to keep trying and can definitely see that my story will be published. Words of encouragement that I think every writer would be elated to hear. So give it your all as you continue to chase your dream. To all those agents that look letter after letter, I say to you thank you. The entirety of your job is to give us the opportunity to live out our dream, share our tales, slide in some lessons, and connect with people when sometimes we find to be hermits. Without some of you, the stories we grew up with and inspired by would not exist. Continue doing what you do and hopefully I will be a partner with one of you very soon.

Never stop trying to achieve your dream, for why wish them in the first place?

KC J. Hutchins