Querying

That horror of horrors: querying.

I'm doing it.

I sent out 3 queries yesterday, three today, and intend to do three tomorrow. Everyone says "5-10 at a time", so I thought 3 a day would make a nice NINE queries out before Nano, and then I can do an additional one as rejections come back, or turnaround times pass.

Tonight, I got my first rejection! I'm so excited! Looking at the email the agent responded to, I noticed that this is one of the queries that did not include any part of the manuscript. Most ask for a few pages or chapters. So that tells me that my pitch needs work. It's good feedback.

Three queries a day may not seem like much, but for each letter I'm consulting the agent's website, their preferences, my own spreadsheet, and for some, the draft query letter I'd already written. So it takes about an hour for each one. It's a mentally and emotionally taxing job.

Anyway, I'm excited to be sending out the letters. I hope I can remain positive through more rejections. I know there will be many. Especially because these first ones I'm sending are the less likely candidates, to help me hone my querying skills.

I feel successful to have a rejection within two days of starting this process. YAY ME! 

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