The Anxious Inquirer: Part 2

Image by Nic McPhee via Flickr

Consider the query letter to be your book's first impression. Since most literary agents will not view your work until they are convinced it is worth their time, perfecting the query letter is one of the most important things an aspiring author can do, in my opinion. When I set out on my querying venture, I was no where near ready. Nevertheless, after viewing a few samples online and doing a little research (not near enough), I sent my first query letter to an agent. I received a quick rejection in two days, but that only fueled my determination. I went online, viewed a couple more samples, did a little more research (still not enough), and revised and resent my query letter to another couple of agents. Both of those were rejected as well. I guess you can figure out what I did next. Yep – viewed more samples and did more research (getting warmer).

 
This went on for several months, since many agencies took weeks to respond. I worked to perfect my query letter so intensely in response to these rejections that I completely forgot about my poorly drafted manuscript. Then, it happened. The response we all hope to receive – an agent wanted to view my full manuscript! Finally, I had molded my query letter into an intriguing sneak piece of my masterpiece. Then it hit me. Oh no! It's not ready! What was I thinking? I'll be the laughing stock of the literary community! Oh, woe is me! Needless to say, I learned my lesson the hard way.
 
I worked desperately for the next 24 hours revising, correcting, and essentially, crying. Who was I kidding? It would take several weeks to get it in descent shape. Forget grammar – that was the least of my worries. There were problems with flow, pace, and dialogue. Can you believe I used the word 'robot' in my 19^th century historical? The first robot wasn't invented until 1954. The word robot wasn't even used until 1921! Ultimately, I sent the manuscript. Then, I spent the next few weeks biting my nails and finding even more problems with the draft I sent – it was a disaster. After a few more months of sulking, I decided it was time to shape up that manuscript once and for all. Next time, I would be ready!
 
I spent about two more months giving the first third of my book a full overhaul, and the remaining, much needed revision. I couldn't believe how much better I felt when I finally got it finished. I still don't know why I waited so long to edit that story. What I do know is that I'll never send another query before I'm ready to send the manuscript. Since then, I've queried another hand full of agents, and received two more full requests. It felt good to send them with confidence. I'm not saying there's no room left in them for criticism, but at least I can say I did my best and that I'm proud of the finished product.
 
What about you? Are you or have you ever been an anxious inquirer? Have you ever sent a manuscript or piece of work that you weren't proud of? What was the end result? Seven months in, I'm still waiting for the result.