Recap of May 2024 Meeting: Querying an Agent

Bayou Writers’ Group member, and author, Kris Ackoury was gracious enough to share his experience with traditional publishing at our May 2024 meeting.

Basics of Querying Agents

Traditional publishing usually requires an agent. In order to land an agent, you need to send out query letters. A masterpiece won’t be read without a decent query.

You only get about 200-300 words to pitch your novel, so do your homework about what makes a good query. Querying is highly subjective, so don’t take rejections to heart. Agents are very busy before they start skimming the thousands of queries they get every year.

You may need to send out 100 queries before hearing from an agent. You can find agents on Manuscript Wish List, Query Tracker, and Publisher Websites.

Tips for Querying (From an Agent)

Do not query until your work is polished. Have people beta read and critique it. Make sure you personalize your queries and that you’re presenting your work sincerely. Check out this video for more tips.

Other Resources

Fiverr:

• Beta Readers (quality varies)

• Query/Synopsis (quality varies)

Reedsy:

• Professional editors

• professional cover design

• formatting for print

Atticus:

• One-time purchase for formatting print and e-books

Inkarnate:

• Fantasy map generator

Kindle Print on Demand:

• Print high quality beta hardcopies for $5-$6

Canva:

• Social media

Kris did have handouts, extras will be available at future meetings until supplies last.