Something not often talked about among writers is what happens after getting out of the querying trenches—and unfortunately, that sometimes you’ll go right back into them.
After amicably parting with my agent in April, I’m foraying back into QueryLand. In a lot of ways, it’s heartbreaking. I thoroughly enjoyed working with my former agent and making the decision to query again was a tough call to make.
I’ve been giving myself a lot of grace. It’s hard to leave someone who championed your work; even harder when you have to trust you’ll find someone else who will champion just as hard for you. I’m approaching this second time querying with more experience, a better understanding of what I want and don’t want from an agent relationship, and a brand new manuscript.
In honor of that last point, here’s a brief pitch for my new adult horror novel, THE RED PIT:
It’s been twelve years since Sloane Cooper saw her mother.
Moving to the tiny town of Winnepa, Tennessee, isn’t many people’s first choice, but when a paleontology internship opens up in the mysterious hometown her mother refused to talk about, Sloane trades the sunny beaches of California for the forests of the Appalachian mountains. But things are not all as they seem in Winnepa-here some liars seem truthful, some secrets are better left hidden, and some creatures just shouldn’t be disturbed.
If you are a querying writer, I want to leave you with 3 reminders:
- It’s not a matter of if you can do it, but when you do it. I fully believe that if a writer keeps at it for long enough, they will find success. Be willing to learn. Be willing to fail. Never self reject.
- What’s yours will wait for you. Trust that there will be an agent (and an editor, and readers) out there who will connect to your work. You do not need to rush. Take your time to create. Find joy in the process.
- Your journey is your own. As hard as it is, don’t compare. No journey is linear. There will be setbacks. There will be failures. It might feel like everyone else is progressing faster than you (and if you’re back in the query trenches yourself after being previously agented, you probably relate to this one all too well). Don’t give up. Your time is coming. I promise.
Good luck, and happy querying, friends!
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