I have spent the last 45 years of my life learning the craft of comedy writing. Why in the WORLD would I outsource any of that process to a machine? The process is the point. And I enjoy it. There's a word for "writers who use AI," and it's "non-writers."

#amquerying #writingcommunity Two years ago the request rate on Querytracker was 5.5%. Today it's 3.9%. That means a 29% drop in requests. It also means we need to reevaluate the metrics we use to evaluate a query, because any numbers used in 2024 are already dated.

In an impulsive decision, I submitted to #RevPit with less than an hour to spare.

Fans getting into heated debates over which novel I started to phone it in.

During voir dire, the judge asked us our hobbies, and I mentioned writing. A lawyer then asked what I've written. "Three novels and four screenplays," I said. "Interesting!” "I wish the agents agreed with you." Got selected for the jury. 🫤 #writerslife #writingcommunity

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries Agent opened for queries and had humorous fantasy on their MSWL so I sent one out. Queries: 124 Pending: 1 Rejections: 122 (3 fulls, 1 R&R) Withdrawals: 1

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries I'm not actively querying, but a few days ago I saw an agent representing my genre had opened to queries and that they had quick response times, so I sent one out. The rejection was quick. Queries: 123 Rejections: 122 (3 fulls, 1 R&R) Withdrawals: 1

Our protest began at Lincoln Elementary. @anabelforcongress.bsky.social spoke. We marched to a pedestrian bridge over the Eisenhower. We held up signs & many cars and semi trucks to honk their horns in approval. Funniest part was when we got a thumbs down from the driver of a Tesla cybertruck.

It's appropriate and transparent for a literary agency to state in their submission guidelines that a no from one agent is a no from the agency. Restating that in the body of their form rejection is...a choice. #amquerying #don'teventhinkaboutqueryinganyoneelseintheagencywiththis

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries I filed the last two queries as CNR today. It's over. Queries: 122 Rejections: 121 (3 fulls, 1 R&R) Withdrawals: 1

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries CNR rejection. I'll give the last two until the end of the year before calling it. Queries: 122 Pending queries: 2 Rejections: 119 (3 fulls, 1 R&R) Withdrawals: 1

Reposting as I forgot to add hashtags. #amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries

My first ever Substack post! I hope it's easier to read than it was to write. open.substack.com/pub/misterha...

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries The agent who asked for the R&R passed. It was personalized and very kind. I'll talk about it more later. For now, I'm just watching the boulder roll back down the hill. Queries: 122 Pending queries: 3 Rejections: 118 (3 fulls, 1 R&R) Withdrawals: 1

As of today, the QT request rate is down to 4.1%.

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries Filed a query as a CNR, and an invitation to appear on an author's podcast to discuss older authors pursuing trad publishing was rescinded. Queries: 122 Pending queries: 3 Pending R&R: 1 Rejections: 117 (3 rejected fulls) Withdrawals: 1

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries I nudged the R&R I submitted 24 weeks ago. Agents have to prioritize existing clients, so going that long without a reply isn't always a bad thing. But there's no way to spin it as a good thing, either.

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries Query timed out into a CNR. Worse, in two days it will be 24 weeks since I submitted the R&R, and I will need to send a dreaded nudge. Queries: 122 Pending queries: 4 Pending R&R: 1 Rejections: 116 (3 rejected fulls) Withdrawals: 1

watching your husband’s phone light up like a Christmas tree and knowing it’s President Donald J Trump

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries The governor sent a form rejection. Queries: 122 Pending queries: 5 Pending R&R: 1 Rejections: 115 (3 rejected fulls) Withdrawals: 1

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries Stay of execution.

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries Sent a new query to an agent that reopened recently. Other than genre it has almost nothing on their MSWL, but I don't self-reject. Let the pros do it. Queries: 122 Pending queries: 6 Pending R&R: 1 Rejections: 114 (3 rejected fulls) Withdrawals: 1

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries Sent a new query. Making a little progress with an idea for a new WIP, but it's going very slowly. Queries: 121 Pending queries: 5 Pending R&R: 1 Rejections: 114 (3 rejected fulls) Withdrawals: 1

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries Sent a new query. Difficult to judge their repsonse rates as they recently changed agencies and QT data only shows for the new one. Queries: 120 Pending queries: 4 Pending R&R: 1 Rejections: 114 (3 rejected fulls) Withdrawals: 1

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries CNR rejection today. 2 pending will CNR in the next 6 weeks. The 3rd is past CNR but QT shows agent is catching up on queries. Then it's up to the R&R. Queries: 119 Pending queries: 3 Pending R&R: 1 Rejections: 114 (3 rejected fulls) Withdrawals: 1

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries Another form rejection. One of the remaining pendings will be a CNR on Wednesday. T.S. Eliot was right. It always ends with a whimper. Queries: 119 Pending queries: 4 Pending R&R: 1 Rejections: 113 (3 rejected fulls) Withdrawals: 1

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries And a rejection from that agent a few hours later. They really are on top of their inbox. Queries: 119 Pending queries: 5 Pending R&R: 1 Rejections: 112 (3 rejected fulls) Withdrawals: 1

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries Sent a new query this morning to an agent who is so on top of their inbox that they say to nudge if you don't hear from them in two weeks (!) Queries: 119 Pending queries: 6 Pending R&R: 1 Rejections: 111 (3 rejected fulls) Withdrawals: 1

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries Another CNR filed as a rejection today. Just under seven weeks to go until I make a final nudge on the R&R. Bar's not closed yet, but it's last call. Queries: 118 Pending queries: 5 Pending R&R: 1 Rejections: 111 (3 rejected fulls) Withdrawals: 1

Butler Field is packed and thousands more are outside in the streets. #NoKingsOct18 #ChicagoNoKings

As of October 16th, the QT request rate is down to 4.2%. Down four tenths of a percent since June.

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries Form rejection. Trying to focus on what to write next but all I have are seeds. Nothing's blooming yet. Queries: 118 Pending queries: 6 Pending R&R: 1 Rejections: 110 (3 rejected fulls) Withdrawals: 1

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries Form rejection. Behold the opposite of the maybe pile: the “hell no” pile. Queries: 118 Pending queries: 7 Pending R&R: 1 Rejections: 109 (3 rejected fulls) Withdrawals: 1

#ChicagoMarathon First woman, Mile 23

#ChicagoMarathon Mile 23, first place runner:

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries I sent another query today. Also filled out an application to guest on an author podcast. Queries: 118 Pending queries: 8 Pending R&R: 1 Rejections: 108 (3 rejected fulls) Withdrawals: 1

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries Many agents re-opened to queries this week. I found three that might be a fit. Queries: 117 Pending queries: 7 Pending R&R: 1 Rejections: 108 (3 rejected fulls) Withdrawals: 1

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries Form rejection overnight. Also dreamt an agent drove a bus filled with her entire agency to reject my query in person, so make of that what you will. Queries: 114 Pending queries: 4 Pending R&R: 1 Rejections: 108 (3 rejected fulls) Withdrawals: 1

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries CNR rejection. Not sure what's worse: The dwindling number of pendings, the fear of being ghosted on the R&R, or the uncertainty of what to write next. Queries: 114 Pending queries: 5 Pending R&R: 1 Rejections: 107 (3 rejected fulls) Withdrawals: 1

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries The agent requesting the partial changed her submission guidelines & now asks everyone to send what she asked from me. And she just sent a rejection. Queries: 114 Pending queries: 6 Pending R&R: 1 Rejections: 106 (3 rejected fulls) Withdrawals: 1

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries A query I closed as a CNR last week just got resurrected as a partial request. Nice early birthday present! Queries: 114 Pending queries: 6 Pending R&R: 1 Pending Partials: 1 Rejections: 105 (3 rejected fulls) Withdrawals: 1

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries Two more CNR rejections today, and I sent out another query. Highest request rate of the remaining agents is 2.8%, so...yeah. Queries: 114 Pending queries: 6 Pending R&R: 1 Rejections: 106 (3 rejected fulls) Withdrawals: 1

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries Four queries hit the twelve week mark to become CNR rejections. Days like today are an unfortunate side effect of sending all your queries at once. Queries: 113 Pending queries: 7 Pending R&R: 1 Rejections: 104 (3 rejected fulls) Withdrawals: 1

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries Sent a new query today, and on Saturday I sent a nudge on the R&R. Tomorrow the CNRs will pile up. Queries: 113 Pending queries: 11 Pending R&R: 1 Rejections: 100 (3 rejected fulls) Withdrawals: 1

“Anti-trans harassment and violence is all the rage. Trans people are afraid to leave the country, let alone leave their houses. The right-wing ecosystem has gladly spent years creating these conditions, while Democrats have by turns avoided saying anything about them at all” 😞 👉🏻 archive.ph/ewBhT

ICE has fired tear gas and pepper balls at protesters outside their Broadview facility. They are terrorizing immigrants across Chicagoland. The time to resist is now. It will only get harder as authoritarianism tightens its grip. Please pay attention to this struggle.

I’ve had some time to think about the #Emmys charity running gag, and I think it could have worked had they approached it differently. In my opinion they needed to double down on it while making clear that it was just a gag. A #writingcommunity thread. (1/8)

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries Another novel hits triple digit rejections. There is no joy in persistence. Queries: 112 Pending queries: 10 Pending R&R: 1 Rejections: 100 (3 rejected fulls) Withdrawals: 1

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries Form rejection. Eight of the eleven pending queries will be CNRs in the next ten days, so the end is nigh. Queries: 112 Pending queries: 11 Pending R&R: 1 Rejections: 99 (3 rejected fulls) Withdrawals: 1

QueryTracker request rate is down another tenth, to 4.3%. #writingcommunity #amquerying