TALLGLASSOFWALTER

Let’s be so authentic with one another: going into querying as a brand-new writer feels a lot like showing up to a barbecue with dollar-store paper plates. No spare hands, no support, no manual. You just start piling your plate and fumbling with sauce-covered fingers, trying not to make a bad impression.

I started this way and left an emphatically unremarkable impression.

I finished my first manuscript in September 2025, and had started querying months earlier. Yes, that’s right – I queried in June 2025, before the manuscript was even close to finished. On the other side, with a few beta readers and critique partners under my belt, I would not recommend this method. It didn’t hurt me this time, but I came all too close to having egg on my face if any agent had asked for the full or sent more than a form rejection.

Here’s what I’ve done that I wish I’d have done from day one:

1. Research the actual market. Not just the “I like this genre and will read a few books” research, but real market intelligence. Publisher’s Marketplace, QueryTracker, Manuscript Wishlist, YouTube interviews, and every piece of information you can get your hands on is valuable. These tools will tell you if your wonderfully sincere efforts have a pulse in the market right now. Mind you, there are no clear answers out there because there will be times when a VHS tape holds significance in a streaming world.
2. My first round of queries was a true spray-and-pray. Find a keyword match, hit send, cross my fingers while lighting an intention candle, and proceed to hate myself and my writing until a form rejection comes some months later. I’ve never been one to see rejection, only redirection. I sat down with a few agents, publishers, a handful of published authors, and two writing conferences before I found a format that doesn’t make me cringe at myself.
   • Introduction & technical specifications (word count, genre, category, market relevance)
   • What’s at stake (beyond plot, the emotional core – why should someone lose sleep over your manuscript)
   • Intention & connection (what the story is for, and why the agent is the best match for that purpose)
   • Biography (short, human, and no humblebrags or humor [you may be funny, but this isn’t the platform…yet])
3. Set your own expectation of why your story matters right now and why you’re the only person on earth to share it. That means demonstrating your market knowledge and, more importantly, conducting a healthy self-evaluation before querying agents.
4. Secret sauce tip: Do your research on the specific agent. Each industry professional I speak to says things like “quote me to me.” This industry can be siloed, so positioning yourself as an informed and proactive partner is the best way to get your queries noticed.

I’m aiming for traditional publication, so my part-time job is reading industry newsletters, connecting with editors, and learning how to better advocate for my work. That being said, there’s a myriad of ways to make your dream happen – self-publishing, hybrid, small press. For me, I want the long game of traditional publishing, where I can bring my third, fourth, and so on projects along with me.

Coming up on my query-versary in September 2026, I’ve sent nine queries to earn five rejections. Most agents receive thousands of queries a year and have a 90% dismissal rate or higher. Knowing how human I’ve been in this process, I can imagine a few gems slipping through the cracks into a slush pile. The odds are not exactly in our favor, but there’s a purpose and a place for stories out there.

The best and most congruent advice I’ve received is this: keep your creativity separate from your business.

Querying is a job. It is research, spreadsheets, tracking numbers, custom-tailored queries, and (for me) logging rejections. Writing, on the other hand, is the thing I and you love. Don’t let a few unpleasant reality checks in a brutal market bully you away from a dream. The market doesn’t decide if you’re a writer. It only decides whether it buys your book right now.

Keep going. I sure will, and I’ll see you out there. Good stories make for great times.