QueryTo Society Papers Volume 23

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 23.

Whispers from the Query Trenches

“I have sent my first query,” announces @dawnfulness. Her announcement was accompanied by an image of Frodo looking as though he has just survived the destruction of the One Ring. We regret to inform her that she has merely left the Shire.

@mostly_cozy_annie has decided to postpone nudging her full manuscripts until week twenty. Her reasoning? A fear that the nudge might spur the patronesses to “print the entire 95,000 word novel only so they can set it on fire.” We’re beginning to suspect that the greatest works of speculative fiction are being written not in manuscripts, but in the minds of querying authors awaiting responses.

@sammoe_y has penned what can only be described as a love letter to strangers in the QueryTracker comment sections. “Even though we've never spoken, do you feel the same camaraderie I do?” she asks, comparing fellow querying authors to soldiers in different squadrons. We find this rather touching. In ordinary society, friendships begin with introductions. In the query trenches, they begin with a mutual interest in whether a patroness has finally reached the submissions from March.

@loganspurgeon has chosen a Hunger Games salute to announce his return to querying. We consider the comparison rather apt. Both institutions involve an elaborate selection process, powerful people watching from a distance, participants desperately hoping someone will take an interest in their survival, and a distressing number of eliminations. The chief difference, of course, is that the Hunger Games are compulsory. Querying authors, on the other hand, enter the arena of their own free will. Repeatedly.

“Received a rejection from a literary agent TODAY. I have been agented for six months,” reports @pipersmythewrites. We had assumed that once a debutante secured her literary match, the rejected suitors would quietly disappear. Evidently, some insist on writing months later to explain why they would never have married her anyway.

@rglongauthor has received his first query rejection! “Am I doing it right yet?” he asks. “Probably need about 100 more before I can be sure.” We are pleased to confirm that he is doing it right indeed. These days, a hundred rejections is practically a starter collection. The more seasoned debutantes have moved on to limited editions, personalized refusals, and the exceedingly rare revise and resubmit.

“So obviously I’m at the naive stage,” confesses @sallydohertywrites, who has just sent her first query in years for a new manuscript. She believes it “will be snapped up soon,” but has already warned Society to expect her to be “wallowing in form rejections” within a few weeks or months. We appreciate the advance notice. Most debutantes wait for the patronesses to reject them. Sally has already penciled it into her calendar.

“How many times have i revised my query letter and said ‘THIS is the one??’” asks @stonefirewriter. Her answer? “Yes.” We consulted the Royal Society of Mathematics. They declared the response invalid. The Royal Society of Querying Authors, however, unanimously approved it, stating that it is a unit of measurement understood by every debutante in the trenches.

A response to a full manuscript nudge in just TWO HOURS? Naturally, @brandy.onice_writes was convinced her literary fate was about to be decided. “IS THIS IT?!?!” she wondered, hyperventilating at work. “I call my wife. Telling her I can’t open the email response. She talks me through it. I take a deep breath 😮‍💨 and finally calm myself 🧘‍♀️. I open the email.”

The patroness's response?

“We apologize for the delay. We have had an uptick in submissions and will get back to you as soon as possible.”

We are beginning to suspect that the most dangerous phrase in the query trenches is not “Thank you for thinking of me,” but “You have one new message.”

Requests, Rumors & Other Encouraging Developments

@ms_stephens has taken to reciting nursery rhymes over her QueryTracker timeline. We initially feared the rejections had finally driven her to madness. Upon discovering the solitary yellow maybe, however, we joined her. Starlight, star bright, indeed.

And would you believe it? The same debutante has since returned with splendid news! “I got another full request!” she announces. We cannot confirm whether the heavens intervened, but we strongly advise her to keep making wishes. Whatever arrangement she has established with the celestial authorities appears to be working.

@emily.byrd.writes awoke to a full manuscript request after a particularly trying week and reports that the news “made my entire week.” She remains “cautiously optimistic.” We find this rather characteristic of querying debutantes. They could receive a handwritten declaration of love from a patroness and still wonder whether it was sent to the wrong address.

“full request just made me do a little dance,” declares @victoriajayneoh. We applaud her restraint. Some debutantes have been known to scream, cry, throw up, summon their entire household, and question whether the email is real. This debutante has instead chosen a dignified little dance.

“Thank you Jesus,” exclaims @keilahjude, having received her first literary agent offer of representation. We suspect several other debutantes will be adding this particular prayer to their morning routines. We cannot guarantee divine intervention in the literary marriage market, but we are delighted that this lady has received such splendid news.

“What's it like to be a unicorn?” asks @katie.diaz.author, who brought news of a mythical creature roaming the query trenches. This debutante queried on Monday, received a request that very day, and secured an offer of representation by Wednesday. We have examined the timeline several times. We regret to announce that the rest of us may have been querying in the wrong dimension.

We have examined the timeline several times. While some debutantes joined in the applause, several others fainted. One poor soul has been waiting longer than that for an agent's website to load. We regret to announce that the rest of us may have been querying in the wrong dimension.

The Literary Marriage Market

A splendid match has been made! @yinnquirosauthor has signed with Tianna Kelly of Neighborhood Literary and announced the occasion with the immortal words, “We’re agented, baby!!!!” We offer our warmest congratulations and respectfully request that someone inform the patronesses still considering her query. Their courtship season has officially concluded.

From the Literary Archives

A particularly intriguing piece of correspondence has come to Society's attention this week.

@mb.taylorwrites has shared the query letter that helped secure her literary match, along with 12 full requests and four offers of representation from 25 queries sent over two weeks.

We have only one question: what precisely did she put in that letter?

Curious debutantes are strongly encouraged to inspect the evidence on her Instagram profile.

Of course, the author herself reminds readers that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to querying. We consider this a sensible observation. The patronesses are notoriously particular, and a letter that inspires one to request the entire manuscript may leave another reaching for the rejection template.

Still, a successful piece of literary correspondence is always worth examining. One never knows which turn of phrase, intriguing hook, or clever introduction might inspire improvements to one's own.

Invitations from the Patronesses

Liz Gettle of Myth Literary Agency is open to queries! The patroness is seeking horror, psychological thrillers, suspense, young adult fiction, historical fiction, book club fiction, fantasy, romantasy, upmarket fiction, and more. Interested debutantes are encouraged to consult her manuscript wishlist before making their introductions. A promising courtship begins, after all, with knowing what one's prospective patroness desires.

Fernanda Martinez of Fernanda Literary Agency is open to queries. She's seeking Commercial Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Crime, Fantasy, General Fiction, Historical Fiction, and more. Visit her profile to query her.

William Marasco of L. Perkins Literary Agency has officially entered the literary marriage market and is accepting queries through November 1. The newly appointed patron seeks magical heists, superheroes, artistic horror, and fresh dark academia, among other delights. Pirates, however, need not apply. We are intrigued by a gentleman who welcomes thieves and supernatural horrors into his drawing room but draws the line at anyone arriving by ship.

A new chapter for Shelly Romero, who has exchanged Azantian Literary Agency for Confluence Literary Agency. The patroness champions traditionally marginalized voices and represents fiction from middle grade through adult. Her querying doors are scheduled to open November 1–7. We recommend that interested debutantes use the intervening days wisely. There is still time to reconsider that opening paragraph for the forty-third time.

Rebecca Matte of kt literary has announced her final querying window of 2026: November 1–5. “This will be the last time I open this year,” she warns, though she hopes to reopen early in 2027. We advise interested debutantes to consult her manuscript wishlist. The doors shall remain open throughout the announced window, regardless of how many hopeful manuscripts arrive.

A stirring has been detected at Savvy Literary! Najla Mamou has updated her manuscript wishlist and will reopen to queries November 1 following what she describes as “a nice hibernation.” We’re delighted to welcome the patroness back to the literary marriage market. She represents new adult and adult fiction and nonfiction. We trust the debutantes will allow her sufficient time to stretch before descending upon her inbox.

Chelsea Hensley of Mad Woman Literary has announced that she is open to queries, and her tastes are anything but ordinary. Lyrical prose, genre-blending, ambitious structures, and unexpected storytelling are all welcome. “The bolder the better!” We suspect several debutantes have just retrieved the manuscripts they were previously advised were too strange for polite company.

From the QueryTo Community

There is no shortage of debutantes seeking literary companionship this season, and the QueryTo Beta Matchmaker continues to welcome new introductions.

More authors have been posting their manuscripts in search of beta readers and critique partners. Some seek a fresh pair of eyes before entering the query trenches. Others hope to find an ongoing literary confidant, someone willing to exchange chapters, discuss troublesome characters, and explain, with the greatest possible kindness, why the third-act twist makes absolutely no sense.

We consider these alliances most valuable. After all, the patronesses are not the only people whose attention can change a manuscript's fortunes.

If you are seeking a beta reader or critique partner, do pay a visit to the QueryTo Beta Matchmaker. And if you have a little time and a generous editorial spirit, consider browsing the requests already posted. Somewhere in the ballroom may be a writer whose manuscript is precisely the sort you would love to read.

Elsewhere, the QueryTo Query Letter Review & First Paragraph Feedback space remains available to authors seeking counsel on their correspondence and opening pages.

We encourage debutantes to share their work, offer constructive feedback, and lend their fellow writers a discerning eye. We understand that the query letter is a particularly troublesome document. It must somehow capture an entire novel, entice a literary patroness, demonstrate one's voice, and refrain from becoming a synopsis in disguise. All within a remarkably small number of words. A little outside perspective can be invaluable.

And let us not neglect the QueryTo Pitch Showcase, where authors have placed their stories to receive encouragement from their fellow authors.

Curious readers are invited to browse the pitches, discover unfamiliar manuscripts, and leave a word of encouragement when something catches their eye. One need not be a literary agent to recognize an intriguing premise, a memorable character, or a story one would dearly love to read.

A kind word costs nothing, requires no synopsis, and, most remarkably, comes without a six-month response time.

From the QueryTo Ballroom

Dear readers, this week's dispatch has offered quite the assortment of literary fortunes. One debutante has barely left the Shire, another is collecting rejections, a third has received an offer of representation, and somewhere in the trenches, an unidentified unicorn has apparently completed an entire querying courtship between Monday and Wednesday.

We shall endeavor not to dwell upon the unicorn. It is unbecoming to be jealous of mythical creatures.

Meanwhile, within the QueryTo ballroom, literary introductions of a different sort continue to unfold.

The Beta Matchmaker is welcoming new requests from authors seeking critique partners and beta readers. The Query Letter Review & First Paragraph Feedback space remains available for those hoping to strengthen their correspondence before approaching the patronesses, while the Pitch Showcase offers authors another opportunity to share their stories and encourage one another.

Whether one is preparing a manuscript, searching for a trusted reader, or simply looking for a little companionship in the trenches, we hope the ballroom proves a welcoming place to find it.

Until next Saturday, I remain…

Yours in the Trenches,

Lady QueryTo