Baby Evil Writers 101: When to Query
Julie Butcher
We’ve talked about a lot of things here my evil darlings
but, we haven’t covered when to query your
evil manuscript of doom. I made the mistake of querying too soon and
suffered (and rightly so) the hordes of rejection letters and pangs of baby
evil writer growth spurts.
I don’t want that for you, my malevolent dears. So I
have a baby evil check list for you
before you send your firstborn into the world.
1.
You have a completed manuscript. It can’t be
part, it can’t be almost. You must have finished the entire thing. There isn’t
an exception for this rule unless you write non-fiction. Not ever and not past
ever. So that would be NEVER.
2.
You have already started another story. Not the sequel
to the first thing you wrote—a new story. I know you want to immediately go to
the next book in your series. I know this and I did this. But sweet heathens,
the market changes . What sells today won’t necessarily get you a book deal
next week. I’m not trying to burst your lovely bubble but this is an industry
fact. Start something different. The submission process takes months and even
years. You need something new to keep you going when the rejections come in.
3.
You have sent this manuscript to a critique
group, or to a professional editor with a good reputation, and you have made
sweeping changes in the story and to the characters. If you haven’t done this.
Stop thinking about submitting your manuscript to Agents and Editors. Stop
right this minute! No one can write without a reader’s opinion. Even big name
authors have beta-readers. You cannot count your family or your close
non-writer friends in this tally.
4.
You have read your manuscript out loud at least
three times. This is an important step for all true minions of evil. You catch
mistakes like crazy-town and you will improve your work, guaranteed. Evil is as
Evil does. Unless your friends, family, and the people at the coffee shop think you are insane, you’re not finished.
5.
You have put this manuscript aside for at least
three months and worked on something else. Time may heal all puss-filled wounds
but in addition, it gives you clearer eyes for your own work. Our minds are
funny things, my dears, and absence makes them clearer and able to see the
giant infested plot holes of doom.
6.
You have line-edited your work for punctuation
errors or sent your work to a line editor to be corrected. Some editors and
agents can see past where the comma fairy pooped all over your work. Others run
screaming into the dark to nurse the migraine your manuscript caused. Probably
blinding pain will not get you representation or a book deal.
7.
You have mentally prepared yourself for
rejection and have physically stocked your lair with chocolate, liquor, or
whatever items help you to conquer despair.
8.
You have researched agents and editors to make
sure they not only represent the genre you write, but are open to and accepting
unsolicited queries. Personally, I tend to remember the names of people who
defy my wishes right to my virtual face. Don’t be that person.
9.
You have spent more than a week perfecting your
query letter and have gotten awesome reviews on it from your beta readers.
10.
You have scourged the idea of self-publishing if
you haven’t sold within a few months from your psyche. I will take my ball and go home or find someone else to play with
doesn’t cut it in this industry. True evil lasts forever. You have to be ready
for the long haul. Sure, lightning can strike. But how many times have you
personally been hit?
That’s
what I thought.
