Hi everyone!
Hope you are all writing like it was going out of style.
First things first–Past Cliches:
Movers and Shakers: Individuals with the power and/or influence to effect change. First, they alluded to God, but in 19th century started being applied and compared to human beings. Check out A. O’Shaughnessay’s Music and Moonlight (1874).
Snow job: Exaggerated flattery used to cover up some real issue. Term probably came from – to be snowed under, meaning overwhelmed.
Originated among GIs during WWII when they talked to a superior officer with elaborate fiction to excuse some misdemeanor.
Did you find the cliches?
Now, on to Querying..
How often do you write your piece, whether short or long and keep editing and don’t attempt to write a query letter? How hard do you find it to write the query?
The novel, for me, is the easiest part of my writing. Trying to condense my novel and myself down to a page is the hardest part of writing to publish. That and the synopsis.
We won’t go there at this time.
So, do tell, how many query letters have you written and sent out? I have several written. As a matter of fact, I have a query for each of my novels, but have sent out only two, and that was way too early, before I knew what I was doing.
I took a couple of classes in query writing. Think I learned anything? Yes, that it is very difficult to write one. Why? Because each agent or publisher wants something different. What I learned in my query writing class, the agents that have lectured, don’t want. Very confusing.
But, that does not mean the writer gives up. He/She studies and writes and re-writes. Just like the novel. Then the writer should have a critique group look it over.
Main thing is we shouldn’t be afraid to send it out when we think it’s ready.
Again, it’s write, write, and write some more.
Give it a try.
So how many queries have you sent out and received a reply on–other than a standard rejection? Let me know.
Keep Writing until next time.
Julie
