By Sarah K. Ginter

There are several paths to publishing, but if you’re interested in trying the traditional route you’ll first need to find a literary agent. The good news is if you’re new to the query game, a ton of information exists all around the Internet. The following 5 resources have helped me develop my query letter, be inspired to keep writing, and stay educated on the publishing industry; I hope that they’ll do the same for you:

1. If there is one person I would guide you to for research on the dreaded query letter it would be Jane Friedman. Starting her career at Writer’s Digest, Friedman is a publishing expert and entrepreneur. Her blog alone provides an incredible education, but she has also published two books I recommend for your To Be Read list: The Business of Being a Writer and Publishing 101.

The following link brings you to Jane Friedman’s blog post on Query Letters – anything you’d ever want to know and then some: https://www.janefriedman.com/query-letters/

Jane Friedman will be visiting Indianapolis in July, and she is teaching a class for the Indiana Writers Center! Find out more about her upcoming workshop: How to Get Published: Traditional, Self, and Everything in Between.

2. Another person I suggest you put on your radar is Eric Smith, a rock star literary agent who I discovered on Twitter (@ericsmithrocks). He’s always tweeting helpful writerly things. The following link is from Smith’s website where he published several examples of successful queries from writers he now represents. This is a goldmine if you’re looking for ways to start and/or tweak your letter: https://www.ericsmithrocks.com/perfect-pitch
   
3. Need help narrowing down which literary agent to query? Agent Jessica Sinsheimer and writer Julie Kingsley co-founded the Manuscript Academy that is chock full of incredible opportunities:

First is their MSWL (manuscript wishlist) hashtag on Twitter where agents can tweet ideas, plots, characters, etc. in books they are looking for.

They also produce a podcast called The Manuscript Academy where they invite literary agents, editors, and writers to talk all things publishing. Try Episode 36: #TenQueries with Agent Kelly Van Sant (link here).

Next you can go to their website and search for agents and editors by genre: http://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/find-agentseditors/search/. Each of the agents/editors on this website offers what they are most looking for right now with links to submission guidelines.

Finally – each month the Manuscript Academy opens up “10 Minutes with an Expert” meetings. Some of the agents/editors on the site above are available for a 10 minute conversation to discuss your first page, your query letter, and/or any publishing questions you have in general for $49. This is a particularly unique opportunity because it’s year round. Most writing conferences offer something like this, but you also have the cost of the conference, travel, and hotel. Sinsheimer and Kingsley have created the opportunity to have a consultation with a publishing professional on your terms every month via Google Hangout, Skype, or phone call. Some agents will request partial or full manuscripts just like they would at a writing conference.

4. Another resource that is binge-worthy for commute rides, exercising, walking the dog, or just waiting for the muse is the podcast 88 Cups of Tea by Yin Chang. She interviews a variety of authors, literary agents, publishing professionals, filmmakers, etc. You will feel nothing but inspired after listening to one of Yin Chang’s episodes of 88 Cups of Tea. If you’re interested in trying out an episode, here is one with three literary agents with tips on your query letter: https://88cupsoftea.com/podcast/parkliterary/
   
5. My last resource is in the form of a tip: become involved in the literary community in some way shape or form that fits your personality and lifestyle. This can be anything from leaving reviews for your favorite authors and recommending your favorite books to friends and family to starting a Twitter account to follow authors and fellow writers; there is an enormous community of writers on Twitter, involving querying writers, writers of all genres, poets, nonfiction writers, bestselling authors, etc. who share articles and offer words of wisdom or simply discuss roadblocks in writing projects. You can follow literary agents who will tweet updates on how far they might be in the slush pile or offer a #querytip or #pubtip about errors they are seeing or advice on writing.

Becoming more involved in your literary community may mean attending a free speaker series at your local library or signing up for that class at the Indiana Writers Center you’ve been eyeing. Whatever it is, I think that it can help you get out of a writing slump or even meet someone who will become your new critique partner.

As maddening and sometimes crushing the query process can be, it shows that you’re out there trying. There are other steps to publication (self-publishing and Wattpad to name a couple), but if you’re in it to become traditionally published, you’re going to need resilience, patience, and a strong query letter.

So wherever you are in the querying process, know that a few or 50 rejections will likely start your journey – some are form rejections and some are slightly more informative stating “I’ve had a difficult time placing books with X subject – but you have a fascinating premise” – and some agents flat out never get back to you. It’s a difficult process that is completely self-propelled. As a couple months go by, you might even ask yourself, why am I doing this to myself? Yet you can’t imagine giving up on this story. Then you send out another query and are filled again with a sense of hope because it only takes one yes.

Follow me!

Twitter: @sarahelizwriter 

Instagram: @sarahelizwriter

Sarah Ginter earned her MFA in Creative Writing from Butler University and her BA in English from Indiana University. She teaches writing and grammar at a local private school. She has taught creative writing to students in elementary through the university level. She writes Young Adult, Middle Grade, and children’s books. She will join the IWC staff as programs manager, effective July 1.