I never could have anticipated the sheer number of spreadsheets I’d make when I shifted from poetry to novel-writing. It started with revisions and pretty much never stopped. Seriously, no one tells you how many spreadsheets, emails, and Zoom calls are involved in being a published writer. And querying is one of the places where you really need to embrace spreadsheets with an open heart. 

Why? Because you’re about to do a lot of googling, and you’ll want all that information in one place. Trust me on this (I’m pulling out my librarian-in-training card here). You want that spreadsheet.

Of course, telling you to “go make a spreadsheet” isn’t exactly helpful. So here are the headers I used for mine. Let me stress: these are just the things I came up with. They’re not the right headers—they’re the right ones for me (kind of. probably). You can absolutely do (and in all probability will do) better.

Headers I Used for My Spreadsheet*:

• Agent & Agency Name. Straightforward but essential.

• Deals & Clients. How many deals they’ve made recently (and overall), and whether they represent any authors or books I know.

• Relevant Manuscript Wish List (MSWL) Items. Noting any MSWL details that could apply to your manuscript. These are especially handy when crafting a personalized opening to your query.

• Response Policy & Times. Is it CNR after two months, or a nudge after three? Does it seem – from some lurking in QueryTracker – that it takes them a few weeks or a year+ to answer?

• Submission Guidelines. How many sample pages does the agent want? Do they require a synopsis? Is there a specific query format they ask for? Do they accept submissions via email or QueryManager? This is an important one. I would suggest to always double check in the agent’s website, since sometimes agents change their guidelines without updating it in all relevant places.

• Query Number & Round. I’ll talk more about batches a few tips down, but it’s always useful to note queries that belong to the same batch since this gives you an idea how well your query is working. This is especially important if you tweaked your query between rounds. Once I got three requests for the same query format, I knew it was time to stop tinkering with it.

• Query Date. The date you submitted your query, and also the date of anything that followed - fulls, partials, nudges, etc.

• Useful Links. Personal website, agency websites, professional social media profiles, and any interviews and podcasts you managed to dig up. Sometimes it takes months between finding the agent and actually querying them - or you might want to check something for queries you already sent - and it’s much easier to double-check for updates when everything is in one place and you don't need to go hunt for it again.

• Notes. Anything you found that doesn’t fit neatly anywhere else. Sketchy Twitter/Reddit gossip? A mini publishing scandal? Someone mentioning this is the best agent in the world? You’re going to want to remember these later, especially when it gets closer to the call.

Again, you can absolutely do better. This is here only as inspiration for your own special spreadsheet. (Oh god, how did I get here? Being the spreadsheet preacher was not part of the plan. Send help.)    

* If you go for the premium version of QueryTracker, you pretty much get a built-in spreadsheet. In that case, you can use the notes options to do a lot of this there. I ended up having my spreadsheets and a parallel, less detailed one in QueryTracker, which was absolutely uncesassry, but it worked for me. 

I honestly can’t stress enough how valuable query swaps are. Not only do you get feedback on your own query, but you also learn so much by seeing other queries—especially ones that are almost there but not quite polished yet. Most query examples online are the highly successful, highly polished, very finished ones. Swapping queries gives you a chance to see how queries-in-progress look like, and teach you how to spot weak spots and figure out what they need to be tighter.

That said, feedback is invaluable. And feedback from someone who hasn’t read your book and doesn’t come to the query already knowing what you’re trying to say is the best. And as a bonus, this is a chance to start building your writers’ circle. One of the people I exchanged queries with (and whose query I absolutely loved) ended up signing with the same agency as me. And now we’re debuting the same year. (plus, her cat is adorable).

At some point soon, I’ll try to do another post with all the iterations my query went through and what feedback made me change what. But for now I’ll just say - if you take anything from these tips, take this. You want new, unbiased eyes on your query. Not every comment will be helpful (some of them might be downright hilarious). But seeing how people read your query, how they react to it, and what kind of trends emerge - this is truly invaluable. 

As to how - the internet is full of places for finding beta readers and critique partners, (and I am but a tiny fish in it). I used Maggie Stiefvater’s Critique Partner Matchup group, and found there amazing critique partners and amazing beta readers and lots of querying people to exchange query packages with. But I’m sure a Google search will help you find ten other places that might be more relevant to your genre. (If you know any, let me know and I'll link them here!)

Tip: Utilize friends’ spouses (thanks, Tsach!). Most people are game to read a query if you tell them it’s like the back cover of a book. They don’t need to be writers to give you super valuable feedback!

Remember the learning curve I mentioned earlier? This is where it really kicks in. Unless this is far from your first querying rodeo, you’ll probably be learning how to query while actively doing it. Even if you went through a few rounds of query swaps (go you!), your query is not going to be perfect right out of the gate. The comps are going to be wonky. Something in the phrasing is going to be clunky. Your bio too stiff or too wacky. You're going to have a typo. That's just the way it goes. I don't make the rules, etc.

So, what’s the solution? Query in batches. Think of queries like (tiny, evil) cookies, and you’re trying to figure out their baking time. Start with a batch of five or so. Then wait a few weeks. Obsess over your query. Agonize about that typo. Tweak as needed. Then send out the next batch. Rinse, repeat.

It isn’t just about hedging your bets. It’s about getting a feel for what querying entails. You won’t get much actual feedback—most responses will either be A) Requests or B) Form rejections—but you will start to understand how the process works. Batch querying also gives you room to screw up a little bit without big consequences.

Tip 1: Don't start with your dream agents. Trust me, everything moves sooo slowly in publishing, you won't miss out on querying them. And if you happen to get five full requests right off the bat, then great! Your query and opening pages are amazing, and I want to read them, please and thank you - this is the time to urgently query your top ten agents. It usually takes agents months to get back to you after requesting a full, and the standard is that offers come with a two-week window for you to inform other agents and take time to consider. You'll have time to query those dream agents, and it's best (in my absolutely non-official opinion) to wait a few rounds until your query is in its best possible shape.

Tip 2: There's a good chance that your dream agents list will change throughout the process (have I mentioned the learning curve?). It certainly happened to me. My top five dream agents six months into querying were not the same ones I dreamed about the first week of querying. Just saying.

In all likelihood, most rejections you’ll receive—especially for queries—will be form rejections. It’s a numbers game: agents receive anywhere from hundreds to thousands of queries each month, and personalizing every response is impossible. Plus, form rejections are often an attempt to protect writers from overanalyzing hastily scribbled feedback as though it were gospel. If you’re lucky, you might get a semi-personalized rejection, where an agent has a few kinds of form rejections and chooses the one that fits your query best. But still, in most cases, form rejection it is.

The thing is, one form rejection tells you very little. But ten of them? They tell you that there's a chance that something about your query or opening pages or agent list isn't working. It means that it's probably time to stop, and think, and try to get some fresh eyes on your query (again. I know. sigh.), and reassess what agents might be seeing—or not seeing—in your materials. Then revise, and try again.

A friend recently quoted in a conversation the age-old saying (well, probably not that old, but you get it): "There's nothing wrong with your query if you're getting requests, there's something wrong with your manuscript if you're getting rejected." And this is true, sort of. But also, not always. Because another possible reason for a rejection? It might be that you're querying the wrong agents or pitching your book in the wrong genre.

True story: this is what happened to me. I started querying assuming - my book has a girl made of flowers in it, so it must be fantasy (Please note: I say this as someone with a master’s degree in English literature. Yes, you may laugh.) And this is how I queried it at first: I pitched it as straight-up fantasy and sent queries to agents who primarily represented straight-up fantasy, usually of the secondary world kind.

It took two personalized rejections on fulls—both arriving within days of each other—to make me pause. After consuming a borderline embarrassing amount of ice cream, I took a moment to rethink if fantasy was the best way to pitch it, or the only genre it belonged to, and whether the agents I’d targeted were the right fit. I'll give you a hint: they weren't. The day after the second rejection, I went back to the drawing board. This time, I searched for agents interested in crossover literary speculative fiction. Within days of sending this new batch of queries I got a full request. From Hillary (aka, my amazing agent).

Which brings me to my last point: once in a blue moon — usually on a full — you might receive a personalized rejection. And this, in my completely non-expert opinion, is gold. Even if it doesn't tell you how to make your book better, it might give you a hint how to query better.

If you thought I got a bit too excited about spreadsheets, brace yourself. I'm sorry to say that this is the point where I really get a fervent gleam in my eyes. But here's the deal: nudging is good. No, let me rephrase this: nudging is amazing.

And I get it: it's hard enough to email strangers (read: agents) asking them to love your book, let alone nudging them. The dread that you'll break one of the unspoken industry rules and be blacklisted forever is real. But here's the thing: nudging is awesome. How awesome? Every time I gathered up the courage and nudged someone, it was helpful.

And it's not that I think nudging has some magical powers (at least, I'm not likely to admit it out loud). Sometimes, I nudged and got zero answers, or zero helpful ones. But here is the thing: nudging made my life easier, made my waiting times shorter, and gave me opportunities I would have likely missed out on otherwise. 

A few things to consider:

While I'm enthusiastically team nudging, it's really important to check the specific agent's policy before you nudge. Some agents have CNR as policy. Others state a specific timeframe after which you can nudge. Rare (and wonderful) ones update their websites with their query queue status, letting you know when it’s appropriate to follow up. I believe that the industry rule of thumb is - if nothing else is specified, nudge after three months. This goes for both query and partial/full. At least, that's the rule I went with. Or, to be honest, I set three months as a nudge date, and then gave it a couple more weeks just in case.

The practical bit:

If, like me, you're irrationally paralyzed by writing an email in which you could make a mistake and doom everything, here are the actual nudges I used, as is (well, minus names and dates).

They're not particularly good, and you can probably do a lot better. But I used these phrasings, and nothing bad happened. Or, to be quite honest, I used them, and very good things happened. Like getting an email asking to set up a call. (I told you nudging is awesome.)

Nudge for a Query: 

"Dear [Agent name],

I sent a query for [Manuscript Title] on [date] but haven't heard back yet. I just wanted to make sure it arrived safely in your inbox. If you're still considering, great! Just in case, I have re-pasted my query materials below.

Thank you for your time and consideration!

[Your name]"

Nudge for a Partial/Full:

"Dear [Agent name],

I just wanted to check in to see if you've had time to consider my manuscript [Manuscript Title], sent to you on [date]. No rush – I know you're very busy, and I appreciate your time and consideration.

Thanks so much,

[Your name]"

Like I said, they're not particularly good, and today, I would have probably phrased them differently. But they worked and, more importantly, didn't make anyone hate me forever. So, if you're feeling lost about how to nudge, this might be a place to start.