QueryTo Society Papers, Volume 20

Dearest Querying Community,

Without further ado, pull up a chair and pour yourself a cup of tea. It is time for The QueryTo Society Papers, Volume 20.

Dispatches from the Query Trenches

“Another day, another war,” reports @briannabookerauthor from the query trenches. Good morning to her too.

We have always believed that the query trenches run on hope, loads of it, but until now lacked empirical evidence. Alas, @auraayashi has provided it by making public her five-step querying process: send query → obsessively check email → assume rejection → contemplate self-publishing → find hope → repeat. It is quite remarkable that the entire trad pub industry depends on debutantes recovering emotionally before they learn how to upload an ebook.

“…hear my plea. Send my champion straight to me.” On first read, one would assume this is a prayer to the publishing gods. Dear reader, it is not. The publishing gods have apparently exhausted @literarykey_’s patience, forcing her to take her case up directly to upper management: the ancestors. Generations of this family lived, loved, struggled, and died only to be summoned back because someone will not request the full.

“I know we’re not friends,” began @beyleeloves before informing the patronesses that the “wacky questions on their forms” remind her fondly of “those friendship booklets from the 90s.” While other debutantes are offering sacrifices to the gods and summoning the deceased to help them escape the trenches, beyleeloves is busy filling out forms with considerable delight. This startling level of cheerfulness caused considerable alarm until we discovered she has been querying for ten days. Ah. Carry on.

The literary highwaymen of our society continue to grow alarmingly sophisticated by the day. @tomisvickauthor says he was “rejected by a scam literary agent” and he doesn’t “know how to feel about it. Like what? You don’t want to scam me.” We regret to report that even the criminals are now building their lists selectively at this time.

A debutante who escaped the trenches has returned with a radical message for those still inside: “Allow me to share the ONE thing that preserved my sanity,” says @authorchiaragala. She kept her query email inbox separate and didn’t use QT Premium. We thank her for her service, but the debutantes cannot come to the phone. They have just refreshed QT’s Query Timeline for the umpteenth time and are comparing their dream patroness’s last fifteen response times.

This week, @authordanaekosm stood in the middle of the public square and asked very boldly: “Do literary agents know they’re allowed to offer representation as a birthday gift?” Upon hearing this, several debutantes exchanged perplexed looks. Apparently, no one had informed the patroness who delivered a form rejection at 11:57 p.m. on New Year’s Eve that we were exchanging gifts.

@angelbrittanyxo received her first request one day after entering the trenches. When asked how many tears had been shed, she reported: “I am suspiciously calm.” We have since placed her under observation.

“Anyone have any favorite cocktails to pair with rejection?” @furiosa_anon asked the public square. But debutantes everywhere were busy refreshing QueryTracker and didn’t hear, forcing Furiosa to conduct her own investigation. Her conclusion? “Absinthe in the bathroom seems appropriate.” And that, dear readers, is a sentence that could only have been produced by the query trenches.

@megan.stark suffered what she describes as a “querying related crashout.” Treatment consisted of picking herself up, dusting herself off, and administering one slice of Buc-ee’s fudge. The patient then immediately returned to the activity responsible for the injury.

@hannahbananasbooks rushed into the public square waving a rejection above her head. “This rejection has made my day!” she cried. The patroness had “truly loved the concept” and passed only because she already represented something too similar. Several debutantes immediately gathered round to admire the magnificent rejection.

A passerby stared at the celebration and finally asked, “A rejection made your day?”

Several heads slowly turned. Good heavens. A civilian had wandered into the trenches.

@jennifermajorwriter was sighted in the drawing rooms checking her correspondence mere seconds after dispatching a query. “Me, checking my email 17 seconds after sending a query to a lovely agent with an 8-week response time,” she confessed. We gently reminded her that the patroness had eight weeks to reply. Jennifer stared at us dumbfounded, blinked twice, thanked us, then refreshed again.

@madelineburgetauthor wandered into the public square and announced that she has four literary agent calls next week, then wondered aloud whether her “manifestation playlist cooked a little too much.” Several debutantes congratulated her warmly, then immediately asked the only question that mattered: Where is the link?

“Looking for useful advice on what I’m doing wrong,” says @cbethanderson. “I queried 5 agents yesterday afternoon and haven’t yet gotten a seven-figure book deal. I even checked my spam folder.” Dear, dear, checking spam will hardly do the trick. Where are the ancestors? Where is the manifestation playlist? Has anyone even alerted the publishing gods? We cannot expect miracles without following procedure.

@djlavelyauthor has received a response to a year-old query. “Girl, I got an agent now and the book’s already out! Matter of fact, so is the second one!” We admire the patroness’s commitment to responding to every query, but at this point she may simply purchase a copy.

The literary highwaymen continue to innovate. @authorkgodin saw the name of a patroness she had queried appear in her inbox. You know what happened next. Hope. Adrenaline. Perhaps a brief glimpse of a life beyond the trenches. It was a scam email. The highwaymen, it seems, are no longer content with stealing money. Apparently, they would like to steal the most precious thing we have in the trenches too: our hope.

“It somehow feels like 3 years?!” reports @juliekraetz.author, whose dream patroness requested her full three days ago. Ah yes. Trench time. Seventeen seconds after a query is eight weeks; three days after a full request is three years. Entire civilizations have risen and fallen while someone is “considering materials.”

You may remember @marierioswrites from her subsequent entrance into the vague era. She has now returned bearing the query letter responsible for much of the trouble. It received 40 requests. Her opening assessment of the craft? “Query letters suck.” An extraordinary statement from a woman currently standing beside Exhibit A. Visit her handle to see the letter.

The rogues are onto us. @kbjacksonauthor reports that one literary highwayman, apparently aware that debutantes have learned to distrust Gmail addresses, has thoughtfully provided an “official” email address “for verification.” Good heavens. The rogues have discovered our countermeasures. We must keep our wits about us. If verification is required, find the agency’s website yourself. One does not ask the highwayman for directions to Scotland Yard.

A grand toast to @gracemawriting, who woke to her 13th and 14th requests. We ask that she turn over the query letter slowly and keep her hands where we can see them.

@irisquinnauthor received her first rejection. Fifteen minutes later came her first manuscript request. “The emotional whiplash is so REAL,” she says. Meanwhile, debutantes across the trenches are demanding to know what she sacrificed and whether there is any left.

And a hearty congratulations to every #PitchDis debutante who received a request! There are far too many names for us to reliably account for, and we should hate to leave anyone out, so consider this our collective raising of the champagne glass to you all. 🥂 And for those still waiting, do not leave the public square just yet. The #PitchDis agent and editor request window has been extended through Monday evening, which means the final word has most certainly not been written. Keep the champagne chilled and your notifications on.

Congrats to @lexyschultzwrites, who has received another request. She is “feeling so excited and hopeful about this project.”

There are full requests, and then there is the first full request. @ecskinnerauthor has just received hers, for the very first manuscript she ever finished. “It’s given me a bit of hope to keep going,” she writes. We recommend she keep that sentence somewhere safe. The trenches have officially given something back.

“If anybody cares,” @abigailmackwrites begins, before casually directing us to an entire QueryTracker interview about She Who Holds the Sea, her writing process, and her adventures in the query trenches. Madam. You are addressing a Society that considers other people’s query statistics recreational reading. We care. Debutantes wishing to investigate further may visit Abigail’s handle for the QueryTracker link.

The Order of the Vague

@gemmabyrd.docx strode into the public square, announced “Thriends, I’m ✨✨ vague ✨✨ 😍,” and left us with precisely zero useful information. Excellent. We know nothing. We suspect everything. As tradition demands. Congratulations, apparently.

Patronesses Opening Their Doors & Other Dispatches

For those who care about this sort of thing, Heirloom Literary has announced that submissions will be “read and evaluated by us, not a computer,” and that writers’ work will not be fed into LLMs for evaluation, editorial feedback, or identifying promising queries. So, yes. For those who care. Which appears to be approximately every debutante currently breathing.

Patroness Kelsey Evans has changed houses. She has joined July First Literary, where founder Taylor Thomas Brent announced, “I hired the literary agent of my dreams!” Happily for all debutantes, he followed this with considerably more actionable information: “Writers, she’s open to queries!”

“Well friends, it’s that time.” Eric Smith, founder of Neighborhood Literary, is reopening to queries after a year and a half closed. He is seeking upmarket and literary fiction, accessible genre fiction, high-concept romance, and nonfiction including memoir, essays, pop history, and cookbooks.

CeCe Lyra of Wendy Sherman Associates has unveiled her fiction wishlist, but perhaps the most useful item on it is the one that cannot be placed neatly into a genre box: “I love to be surprised by something I did not think I’d like but that hooks me anyway.” Upmarket, literary, book club, thriller, love stories, historical, romance, and speculative are all welcome, but if your manuscript makes her curious and emotionally invested, her instruction is simply: “Try me!”

“Did I tell myself I’d wait until October to reopen? Yes. Did I get too excited about opening for the first time at Speilburg? Also yes.” And with that, Lee Melillo of Speilburg Literary has opened her inbox early. She is accepting queries through September 30, particularly for underrepresented voices across upmarket/book club fiction, YA, and pop-culture nonfiction. Debutantes, the patroness has broken her own schedule on your behalf. Do not waste this gift.

Jen Chen Tran has officially reopened to queries after being closed for almost a year. “Yahoo!” says the patroness, who is apparently quite pleased to see us again. More importantly, she has arrived bearing a fresh wishlist.

Across categories, Jen says what she is really looking for is “singularity of voice, a plot that keeps me guessing, and unforgettable characters.” In horror, she wants YA and adult coming-of-age and feminist narratives, stories in the vein of The Eyes Are the Best Part or The Moviegoer, female perspectives, and bonus points for a C.J. Leede-style grotesquerie with a little dark humor. She even encourages debutantes who are unsure of the fit to “try me anyway.” A dangerous thing to tell people who have been waiting nearly a year for the gates to reopen.

Literary Alliances

Emily Holi has joined Leslie Zampetti at Open Book Literary. Leslie is “thrilled” to represent Emily’s “delightful picture books, wonderful verse novels, and more.” Emily’s debut picture book, Diva, is already scheduled for publication in Spring 2027 with Linden Street Press. Congratulations to Emily and Leslie on their new literary alliance!

The vague era has ended. After 40 full requests, “some possible news,” and eventually the magnificently uninformative declaration “I’M VAGUE,” @marierioswrites has finally seen fit to tell Society what has been going on. “I HAVE AN AGENT.” Marie is now represented by Kelsey Evans of July First Literary. Congratulations, Marie. It has been exhausting knowing absolutely nothing.

@harmalarmo has officially “crawled my way out of the query trenches!” and signed with Alex Land of Mad Woman Literary Agency. On her way out, she called back to those still below: “Keep querying. Don’t give up! Try not to refresh your emails into oblivion.” Thank you, Harmony. We shall treasure these words while refreshing our emails into oblivion.

@sunnyannewilliams is officially represented by Katie Monson of SBR Media, whom she calls a partner she “couldn’t have possibly dreamt of” better. “IT BEGINS!” she declares. The rest of us had assumed quite a lot had already happened here in the trenches, but apparently it was all merely the prologue.

@mlougal is “proud to announce” her new literary alliance with Ritu Anand of D4EO Literary Agency. The contract is signed. The champagne is poured. There is really nothing left for Society to do but raise a glass.

We are accustomed to learning that a debutante has secured representation through a post containing “AHHHHHHH,” twelve exclamation points, several crying emojis, and lots of screaming, crying, and throwing up. @abbyrosemorris has instead issued notice that her query journey has “officially (i.e. legally, i.e. I signed a document) come to an end.” The matter is closed.

Journalist and writer Lucy Blanc has joined Diana Beaumont’s list at D H H Literary Agency, where the agency has given her “a warm welcome.”

@authormarnielnorton is officially represented by Nicky Lovick of WGM Atlantic! “Wish me luck as we start our adventures with subs soon!! Eeeekkkk!!” she writes.

Brooke Brace is now represented by Katrina Lemaire of Corvisiero Literary Agency. Congratulations to Brooke and Katrina on their new literary alliance!

Rhiannon Harvey is now represented by Tali Shammas of Storm Literary Agency. Tali first encountered her work “long before I opened to queries” and found herself “wishing back then that I could request her work.” The query had not yet been sent and somehow the patroness was already waiting for it. A rare reversal of trench procedure.

@clewiswrites is “beyond thrilled” to announce that she is now represented by Stefanie Lieberman at Janklow & Nesbit. Society has checked the photograph and can confirm: she does indeed appear to have made it considerably beyond thrilled.

@haliwriteswords arrived bearing a single word: “SURPRISE!!!!” She is now represented by Hana El Niwairi of CookeMcDermid Literary Management.

@melissa_whitneyauthor has finally spilled the tea: she is represented by P.N. Caldwell of The Caldwell Agency. She is looking forward to the pair’s “literary shenanigans,” beginning with taking her dark rom-com JURY’S OUT on submission.

Two writers entered the trenches together and, delightfully, appear to have escaped together. @cmsiechert are now represented by Keifer Ludwig of BookEnds Literary Agency, who tore through KILL HER STORY in just two days.

Lynn Brown (@literarylynntravels) is now represented by Adrienne Ingrum of Serendipity Literary Agency! A longtime travel journalist and storyteller, Lynn has made a career of going places. We are particularly pleased with this latest destination.

Wonderful news from @lindseyprewittwrites: “I’m officially AGENTED!!!” She has signed with Rachel Beck of Liza Dawson Associates. Congratulations to them both!

@mmdelucaauthor has joined Tali Shammas of Storm Literary Agency’s “Sham Fam.” Tali says M.M.’s work spans some of her “favourite genres: suspense, dystopian, and historical,” and promises that with her extensive backlist and projects underway, “You’ll want to see what she has in store!” Congratulations to M.M. and Tali on their new literary alliance!

Valerie Francis has joined Kathleen Foxx at The Rights Factory. Kathleen says she has known Valerie “for a few years,” loves both her work and “the messages in her stories,” and now gets to help her “share them with the world.” Valerie writes stories about mid-life women doing badass things.

Rio Lombana is now represented by Valentina Sainato of JABberwocky Literary Agency. “I’m delighted,” Rio announced upon sharing the news.

Kalynn Bayron has “some news!” She is now represented by Patrice Caldwell of The Caldwell Agency. And they are wasting no time: “to kick things off,” they’re already going out with Kalynn’s adult fantasy romance, the Pirate Book.

May all these literary alliances be long, prosperous, and utterly legendary!

From the QueryTo Ballroom

The ballroom doors are officially open. QueryTo is now out of beta for both querying authors and literary agents. What began only weeks ago with a small group of invited guests has become a rather busy establishment, and Society could not be more delighted to see debutantes tracking queries, researching literary agents, building their lists, discovering matches, and generally making themselves at home.

For literary agents, Query Management is also open, with tools for receiving and reviewing queries, accepting invited submissions even while closed, and keeping track of prior queries received elsewhere.

And for those who prefer a guided tour before exploring on their own, a full tutorial on how to use QueryTo is now available on the QueryToApp YouTube channel. Consider it your tour of the estate, with considerably fewer wrong turns and no requirement to pretend you know where anything is.

There is no longer a guest list at the door.

Come in.

Until next Saturday, I remain…

Yours in the Trenches,

Lady QueryTo