Why I Stopped Querying My Novels | Traditional Publishing

Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 00:27 Traditional Publishing Process 01:44 My Querying Journey 03:17 Rejection 05:32 Form Letters 07:24 Subjectivity 09:40 Future Plans 12:44 Closing Thoughts 13:25 Outro

Love that you were willing to share your experience with us. I always learn something from other's querying journey . I think its good to rant and get the frustrations out. I hate getting responses months later. I've noticed on Query Tracker that more and more agents aren't responding at all. I hate this. It really isn't professional in my opinion. It makes me wonder if they are that way with editors when on submission. I'm sure editors are treated better but it makes me wonder. Yes to all your points about form letters. So frustrating. I hate to hear that you've become disillusioned with the trad pub path. Should you change your mind and query again I would be happy to help in any way I can. But I'm going to cheer you on no matter which path you take. I appreciate you and your content. Hope this finds you well!

I've gone through what you experienced. I sent out a ton of queries on my first manuscript (not the one I have published). Of fifty queries, I heard back from eight and all form rejections. Never heard from the others, and that was 10 years ago. Because I never heard "something" about why the work was not worthy, I decided to trust in myself and publish my own work. I don't want to wait on someone to tell me that this is a path I should pursue. Writing is subjective. When I taught college English, I set up my point system on essays to be as objective as possible so that my students would know that if they didn't do well on the essay, it was because of the mechanics and not their writing style or subject (as I liked to tell them, I don't like all subjects but grading should not be based on the subject.). However, publishing is a lot about the subject / topic / genre, which is so subjective. I say keep writing! But I agree - I have often thought that traditional publishing will have to change to keep up with the freedoms of indie publishing. I also agree that traditional publishing is old-fashioned as well. Honestly everything you're struggling with is what I went through a decade ago. When I decided to write full time, it wasn't even a question in my mind what I would do. Thanks for sharing your struggles.

Thanks for sharing this. I wish you the best of luck in the future, whichever road you decide to travel. Very much excited about the prospect of reading your stories, whenever that may happen!

This is so thoughtful and expresses a lot of my frustrations with querying. I wish you the best of luck with whatever path you choose for your writing!

I totally agree with what you’ve said in this video. I have queried before and felt the same frustration of not hearing back or receiving rejection emails with no reasons why. Self publishing is what I decided to go with

Unless you have published before or have established presence in media, it is like hunting for jobs right after school - with blank CV, no history, no achievements whatsoever it is hard to strike a good impression.

This the first of your videos I've watched, but I'll say this: when you have a trilogy or duology in mind and are set on those formats, and you've indicated in your query that that is the case, you will likely not get representation. This will be the editorial assistant's decision, hence the form rejections. Now, if you present the first book as a standalone with series potential, you get an agent and you sell to a publisher--you can present the other books in your series at that time, either on proposal or submission if they're ready to present to an editor. (An agent may pitch all three books in a trilogy if they're enthused about them all from the get-go.)

I'm currently in the querying trenches and I COMPLETELY get your frustration. I'm querying a book I put blood, sweat and tears into, and it's something that I'm really proud of, and I'm good with handling rejection, but receiving form replies or no reply at all is honestly quite a kick in the face sometimes. Like you, I totally appreciate that agencies are busy, but still, it hurts 😂 Also, I agree that it is so so hard to sell your book on just a few chapters, and just a one-page synopsis! I'm convinced that's something that is holding my query back, my synopsis just does not to my 96,000 word book justice 😅 Thank you for sharing your experience, it makes me feel less alone! I feel like us querying authors have to stick together! I look forward to checking out more of your content. I'm new to authortube and would love to connect!🤘🖤

This was a timely video to see. I am self-publishing my first book next month. This reminds me of how many folks on Twitter complain, even after they've been accepted through an agent, then passed on to submission or editing, that it is quite common to experience no more replies to their emails, or DM's and months and months go by, then they hear back suddenly that the agent is no longer able to work with them, or the company the agent was with failed, or publisher is no longer interested, or it gets held up in publishing limbo with no release date set, and then years go by if they get their book out at all. Getting accepted by an Agent, or even the publisher, is never a guaranteed path. It seems that with indie/self-publishing booming, trad publishing are becoming even more rigidly gatekept. The few people who do get deals, always happen to have six digit or higher social media followings, or sold a successful book or had a successful Wattpad story. I have chosen the self-publishing route as well, all for the very same reasons. My book isn't perfect, but I'd rather publish it after years of hard work, then sit for years in silence and never share it at all.

Hate those form letter rejections. Also, agree with the subjectivity of the whole process. Indie publishing is the future. It may force changes for the good in traditional publishing, but I doubt it. Hopefully, a system will emerge that helps indie writers get their work out there in front of readers instead of getting lost in the algorithms.

Great, sound, logical sum-up of a terrible process. Agree on many points. I'm wondering if you've had any critique partner or beta reader feedback before querying? Having no judgment but your own can make one feel completely unmoored when trying to keep up with all the uncertainty, subjectivity, and rejection...:/

The type editor John Adamus calls agents "pimps". Normally I'd hate this moniker, but with agents, it's pretty accurate. Self pub is hard but it's so much more satisfying and unrestricted!

Depending on how bad you really want your book published you are most likely going to have to self-published. But that may be a good thing....

I think what a lot of people miss is that when an agent or publisher rejects a book, they do so for the reasons they believe a book wouldn't sell well. Whatever those reasons may be, they will also mean that it will be difficult for the same book to sell well if self-published, and that's assuming you have the knowledge, contacts, skills and resources to market your self-published book as well as a publishing house could. Authors who have success when self-publishing probably have books that also would have done well if published traditionally and they also have a lot of skills well beyond those required to be a good author. For the rest of us, querying is our best option, as frustrating as it can be. I have only just begun it and I can already foresee a long hard slog. But I would rather be rejected by a plethora agents and publishers while attempting to find one that loves my book, than to see my book flop because I didn't know how to self-publish, because if that happens I'll never know whether the book was good/marketable enough - only that I couldn't market it. If it fails the traditional route, I'll know it was an issue with the book, and I can try to write a better one.

What is the book that gripped you from the first sentence?

The cynic in me looked up works by "Rachel Terry" and found "Lightbringer".... is that one of yours? It looks interesting.

Yeah. I think everyone who doesn't have some kind of connections or credentials that make your book easily marketable is highly unlikely to find an agent to take a random chance on them. Agents are looking for sure things. You have to have something different in your background that sets you apart (ie. "The author served in the marines for 15 years and now she's writing her first novel about it") or your book has already proven to be a hit through self-publishing. Sadly the actual quality of your work and query has very little to do with it. Yes, it must all be "good," of course, but that alone is not enough to get you published anymore.

I think its important to remember that publishers doesnt owe anyone anything for unsolicited work. They already have writers and we are asking for a job with our manuscripts.

How would you propose that traditional publishing "speed up" the process. You have found what you see as problems, but beyond independent publishing, you have not offered a good solution. If you can find a way to speed up the process, you will become a success. Best of luck in your journey.