tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665052536053897386.post7359063360820312571..comments2023-09-16T15:03:34.579+07:00Comments on Adam Heine: Query Letters and That Pesky Bio ParagraphAdam Heinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02225813532455467868noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665052536053897386.post-88864963822261909592012-12-20T08:16:16.513+07:002012-12-20T08:16:16.513+07:00"You are not a special snowflake." lol
..."You are not a special snowflake." lol<br /><br />I've always included my publishing credits (with Highlights) in my PB queries, but I wasn't going to with my YA query. I didn't think poetry credits would be relevant. But another of my CPs (Krista) has been telling me that including them shows agents that I have a history of working with editors (basically that I'm not a crazy or difficult to work with). What do you think?Myrna Fosterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13534358757278599925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665052536053897386.post-67138411577973225862012-12-08T13:27:52.080+07:002012-12-08T13:27:52.080+07:00I agree wholeheartedly. My standard is Rule #1 - o...I agree wholeheartedly. My standard is Rule #1 - or will be when I finally finish my edits and send out my carefully crafted query! KayChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16267506508468548195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665052536053897386.post-28738972618650574552012-12-08T10:08:45.706+07:002012-12-08T10:08:45.706+07:00I would stick with #1. Seriously.I would stick with #1. Seriously.Angela Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03324366495151363782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665052536053897386.post-86024742133525625692012-12-08T02:54:53.102+07:002012-12-08T02:54:53.102+07:00The fact that Susan has sold that many SP YA books...The fact that Susan has sold that many SP YA books is still incredibly impressive. MG may be harder to sell for SP ebooks, but YA is certainly no Adult Thriller or Erotica, which seem to really dominate in SP.Matthew MacNishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03264738483763244969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665052536053897386.post-21242833646140316482012-12-07T22:46:25.585+07:002012-12-07T22:46:25.585+07:00I usually go with #1. But now I'm considering ...I usually go with #1. But now I'm considering querying my MG novel next year, so I'll be revisiting the query. It's interesting the 20k number that Janet Reid tosses out, because I was just at a conference where the number was 100k, or don't bother. And even then it was "yeah, but are those 100k sales at 99cents??" <br /><br />Attitude, people. You just don't know what kind that person on the other end of the query letter is going to have. <br /><br />My thoughts on this right now are thus: I'm a self-published author. I've sold a bunch of books. I'm going to keep doing that. It's part of the package with me-the-author, so it's good for the agent to know that up front. If they have an allergic reaction to self-publishing, they're not the agent for me. If they scoff at my 19,508 sales (as of this morning), they're not too savvy about the market these days, and also are not the agent for me. In a way, it's a litmus test for the AGENT, not a bio for me.<br /><br />Or... I stick with #1 and let the story sell itself. I think I can move copies of a book because of my record of... selling copies of books... but the MG market is different, and my YA sales may not mean much there. Publishers pick up a book because they think that THEY can sell it, not because they think the author can sell it (celebrity/well-known authors aside). And I want them to pick it because they think that THEY can sell it - that is somewhat the point, after all. <br /><br />Then again, with publishers going after self-pub authors without agents, I'm not entirely sure an agent is going to be necessary in the future (although in my case, probably yes, because I'm in MG).<br /><br />#complicated!Susan Kaye Quinnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07348197999397141067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665052536053897386.post-83517518774209623082012-12-07T21:46:10.910+07:002012-12-07T21:46:10.910+07:00Thanks for the detailed explanation.
And thanks ...Thanks for the detailed explanation. <br /><br />And thanks for giving me something for my vanilla bio paragraph: I can use Rule #5 with my WIP.<br /><br />"I love it when a plan comes together." - John "Hannibal" Smith played by George Peppard on The A-TeamDaniel Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12214334186482741716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665052536053897386.post-49718167298400628762012-12-07T20:25:29.915+07:002012-12-07T20:25:29.915+07:00There is really only one rule - if it works it wor...There is really only one rule - if it works it works, and if it doesn't it doesn't.<br /><br />But honestly, I completely agree with you. I included a bunch of BS in my query the last time I queried, and the request rate was pretty high (for fulls, not representation, obvs), but I really don't think it had anything to do with any of what I call housekeeping details.<br /><br />In fiction, the story is the only thing that matters. That's why I tell people to get right to it, and leave personalization and housekeeping to the end, if they're going to include it at all.<br /><br />Thank you for your time and consideration.Matthew MacNishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03264738483763244969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665052536053897386.post-44373791344764975102012-12-07T19:11:42.194+07:002012-12-07T19:11:42.194+07:00I would TOTALLY read that book.I would TOTALLY read that book.Adam Heinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02225813532455467868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665052536053897386.post-89743317678919677352012-12-07T19:09:58.314+07:002012-12-07T19:09:58.314+07:00This slushy snowflake agrees.
It's kind of li...This slushy snowflake agrees.<br /><br />It's kind of like if someone is telling you about a book they want you to read - I really can't imagine what they could say about the author to get me to read it other than, "He spent a year in Antarctica as a mercenary, and he was in the worst of the 2010 penguin revolt." And even then, that's <i>only</i> if the title is <i>Penguin Revolt.</i>Steve MChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15026970188928733645noreply@blogger.com