Hilary Deeth on Querying

Hilary trained in book publishing at PSU, which is the only such program on the West coast. Others in the US are in NYC. Hilary focused on agents and acquisitions but was open to any questions on publishing.

Hilary’s class was taught by DongWon Song, a well-known agent working in sci-fi and fantasy. He represents Rick Riordan as well as several local, well-recognized authors. Hilary’s interest is in fantasy, but the process of getting agented is similar regardless of genre.

HOW TO FIND AN AGENT IN ORDER TO QUERY

1. INTERNET SEARCHES: Google has compiled lists by genre: general fiction, romance, etc. Agents specialize in certain areas and their contacts are focused in those areas. Agents will not usually take submissions for other genres. Famous example: JK Rowling was rejected because she was submitting a children’s book to adult book agents.

a. Pay attention to sub-genres. For example, historical fiction set in a certain place or time period.

b. Find out about the agent in order to personalize your pitch letter. “I noticed you represent X and X book, which are similar to my book.” This helps get their attention AND understand your book.

c. Don’t copy/paste all the same wording into multiple email queries. Make the opening paragraph personalized. Then, synopsis and other content can be more templated.

d. Introduce your book using comparison or “comp” titles. This paints a clear picture in the agent’s mind, but you still need to explain how your book relates to the comp.

i. Example from Hilary: “my book has multiple character storylines and perspectives like Game of Thrones.”

ii. Example from Alan: referenced other books that had similar systems of magic to what he wrote in his fantasy novel.

iii. However, don’t overreach! Compare to known but maybe not bestseller titles.

iv. You might use books the agent has represented.

v. Question from member: how do you know what other title an agent has represented? Easy to search online.

e. After intro and comps, include a blurb about your book (like what would appear on the back cover). Have friends read it to see if someone unfamiliar with the story can understand what it’s about from the short summary.

f. Close with any other publishing history and thank the agent for their time.

g. Important: follow the submission guidelines to the letter. Agents get so many submissions that they are looking for a reason to ignore those that don’t follow instructions. They want someone easy to work with.

i. If you are submitting pages, make sure they are the best they can be!

i. Some guidelines allow pages other than the first 10. Do this if you can! Often times, authors get feedback that they have started their story in the wrong spot, so your first 10 pages may change.

ii. Use your strongest 10 pages. Choose a passage that tells some of the story you’ve referenced in your query letter.

iii. If you do have to send the first 10 pages, get them read, reviewed, edited, and polished.

j. Word counts: learn what is standard in your genre and don’t deviate too much, especially when submitting a debut novel.

2. SOCIAL MEDIA is another place to find agents.  Publishing nexus started on Twitter/X, where most agents still are. However, this platform is dying. Still, you might…

a. Follow agents who represent work like yours.

b. Participate in online pitches.

3. CONFERENCES: Another great place to find agents is to attend conferences in your area.

a. Agents are there to find writers so you’re not “bothering” them.

b. but don’t bother them on the way to the bathroom!

Alan Deeth on Getting an Agent

Alan signed with an agent last year. Wrote and revised his book in 2021. Queried 100 agents over the course of the year. Signed in 2022 and the novel was under revision (more editing) in 2023.

So remember, your first query very, very rarely gets a response.

Your first book you pitch may not be the one that gets picked up, since the market for what is saleable can change. It might still get pushed up later, but meanwhile try pitching another.  

PREPARING TO QUERY

In addition to Hilary’s points…

Make your BLURB 100-200 words that entice a reader (agent) to read the book.

Make your SYNOPSIS 1-2 pages single-spaced that tell the entire story, including the ending. Many agents will not want a synopsis at first.

Write a query letter that convinces the agent your book can be sold.

Make sure the MANUSCRIPT is in the best shape possible so that you can pull excerpts from it through the pitching process.

Blurb vs Synopsis: see comparison slide in the presentation.

Choose some COMPS: agents love these! You should be reading what you’re writing to understand the genre and the market for it. Can be TV shows or other media as well, but some should be books.

prepare your AUTHOR BIO: keep it short and stick to relevant accomplishments.

PREPARING YOUR MANUSCRIPT

1. Use standardized fonts, layout, spacing, etc.

2. Save files of various excerpts: first 10 pages, first 50 pages, first 3 chapters. There is some flexibility if a chapter runs over (10 page request could be 11 or 12) but don’t push it.

3. Ensure the edits, comments, etc. are cleaned out.

4. Include your name and contact information in the header/footer to ease the agent’s job.

FINDING AN AGENT

1. There are many. Find those with good credentials and track records.

2. Agents get paid by getting your book published. You should not pay them for anything (editing, etc.); that is a red flag.

3. Keep track of your submissions: use a spreadsheet or other tool(s) to avoid confusion and repeat submissions. Make note of the agent’s

• a. Name
• b. Agency
• c. Social media
• d. Familiar clients
• e. Areas of interest
• f. Query guidelines
• g. Unique qualities
• h. Your reasons for thinking they’rs the agent YOU want to work with
• i. Optional additions: how excited are you to work with this agent? Are they currently open or closed to submissions? When did you pitch this agent? How long is their response time?
• j. Note: if an agent rejects a particular book, you could wait for a period and then submit a different book to them. Also, if they say “I’m interested in this but…” this is an opportunity to learn from the feedback they give you. Remember, they took time from their busy schedule to engage with you!

4. Search. A lot.

• a. Google for agents in your genre
• b. Google literary agencies and dig into details of every single agent using Ctrl + F to search for key words
• c. MSWL website, though sometimes outdated, can help tell you what agents are looking for
• d. Use social media
• e. Attend conferences

5. Use https://querytracker.net/   This is tied into Query Manager, which agents use to send/receive queries.

6. Make sure it’s a good fit. This is a business partnership, so you want to find a talented professional that you enjoy working with.

7. Junior vs Senior agents: see comparison slide. Alan has had good experience working with a junior agent who is mentored by a senior agent. When his agent went on leave, he was taken on by the firm’s head agent.

SENDING QUERIES

• 1. How: attend online pitches on social media, attend conferences in person, and/or send cold queries.
• 2. Where: use web form on agency site (less common), email agent, and/or use QueryManager.
• 3. What: gather materials/elements, make sure files are clean and names are professional, and follow format/submission guidelines.
• 4. When: no wrong time! Publishing moves slowly and has vacation/holiday times like any other industry. Make note of agency-specific policies (“no from one means no from all”) or agent-specific policies (“no response means no”).
• 5. BE PATIENT.

RESPONSES from Agents:

1. “Closed no response” (CNR) is when they reject you by not responding in a certain span of time.

• i. First, check if they explicitly say this means rejection
• ii. If not, nudge politely
• iii. Alan received 20+ of these

2. REJECTION (no)

• i. It sucks, but…
• ii. Rejection is not criticism. Agents have limited bandwidth for clients. Not every agent connects with every book, client, genre, etc. They have to be able to sell it and, if they cannot, they are not the right fit.
• iii. Form Rejections (not much personal info, but may give main reason for saying no).
• iv.  Personalized Rejections: see comparison slide.

1. a. Use the feedback!
2. b. Alan heard from some agents that he had too many character perspectives. Others liked it, so this can be subjective.
3. c. If one agent mentions an issue, consider it. If multiple agents mention the issue, change it.

• iv. Querying can be exhausting. You can handle it and learn from it though. Take breaks when you need but keep submitting. Remember that once an agent accepts your submission, they still have to submit it to publishers.
• v. Alan received about 60 form rejections plus a handful of personalized rejections.
• vi. If a book keeps getting rejected, it’s not necessarily dead! Shelve it and try writing/pitching something else before returning to the first book.

3. REQUEST (maybe yes!)

• i. Partial requests will specify what to send. Alan’s agent asked for the first 50 pages.
• ii. Full request means the entire manuscript.
• iii. Rejection at this stage still happens but is less likely.
• iv. Remember that publishing is subjective, so responses will vary.
• v. Revise & Resubmit (R&R) request means they want you to do some work on the material before they work with you on it. They will tell you when and how to re-query.
• vi. If an agent wants to work with you, they will set up a call, which is a two-way interview. Don’t stress but do prepare.
• vii. Take your time. If other agents still have your submission, let that process complete. Let the agent you’ve met with know that you’re waiting on other responses and/or other agents are interested.

Query in waves. It is a process, so do what works for your schedule. Alan sent 10 per month.

WHEN YOU’VE GOT A CONTRACT  

1. Read it carefully! Then…

2. Work through lots of revisions.

3. BE PATIENT AGAIN while your agent decides how and when to query publishers.

4. Distract yourself by writing the next book!

5. Agent Submission to Publisher is similar to your querying agents in that it takes time and involves rejection. However, you now have an agent on your side.

6. Most people stay with the same agent for future books.

RESOURCES

• 1. Agency: BookEnds Literary’s YouTube Channel
• 2. Agent Experience:
• 3. Published Author Experience:
• 4. Expert Guidance: Brandon Sanderson’s YouTube Channel
• 5. Industry Tool: QueryTracker
• 6. Industry Tools: MSWL & Publisher’s Marketplace (paid)
• 7. Social media: Twitter/X

Alan and Hilary – What happens next?

What happens once a publisher accepts your book?

• 1. Marketing teams will advertise your book using an annual budget they get (which has to be shared over all that year’s books). They have high, medium, and low investment levels. If you’re in the high tier, your book will sell!
• 2. Art team will do cover, etc.
• 3. Editing team will keep working on material. Yes, more edits.
• 4. Usually takes 1 year from being accepted by a publisher to book being released.
• 5. Your advance will be paid in installments over the course of this time.
• 6. Royalties will often not arrive until after the book makes up the cost of publishing. Some people never make royalties.

Question: is it a similar process in nonfiction? Yes, but agents will be more open to book proposals instead of needing a full manuscript. They will want to know why YOU are the person to write this book.

Follow-up question: use your area of expertise and research to demonstrate that you can put together a saleable book.

Question: for rejected books, is self-publishing a good option? Yes, as long as you can market yourself well. It is multiple jobs in one. It is now more viable and accessible than ever before, but it requires a lot of up front investment of money and time.

Questions about children’s books:

• 1. Does the market work similarly? Yes.
• 2. Do you submit the full book (might only be 10 pages in total)? It will depend entirely on the agent/agency, so read submission guidelines.
• 3. Do general agents represent children’s books or do some agents represent only children’s books? Both scenarios are possible, and agents will clearly state what they represent on their website/social media.

Open submissions: some small presses accept un-agented manuscripts via contests or open calls. Local presses also often publish poetry, short stories, or other formats that are location-specific.

Poetry: some similarities but Hilary is not an expert in this