If you’re keeping score at home and/or slowly dying inside, the QueryTracker request rate dropped another tenth, to 3.8% #amquerying #writingcommunity

#amquerying #writingcommunity #misterhandqueries Today I checked an outstanding query today that looked like it made its way into the maybe pile. Got the rejection a couple hours later. Must have been the “maybe not” pile. Queries: 125 Pending: 1 Rejections: 123 (3 fulls, 1 R&R) Withdrawals: 1

Possibly the best post about querying that I’ve ever read. Advice on navigating the trenches is almost always more meaningful when it comes from people in the midst of it than from those who got out.

I’m a plotter. Always have been, always will be. And I have so much to figure out before I can even begin drafting this novel. But I just came up with the opening line, so I’m breaking out the hashtag for just one night. #amwriting

Not only this but AIDS disproportionately killed *leftish/Dem/progressive* Gen X men. Yes, some Gen X men were conned by "nice" Reagan & HW Bush; but those who weren't were in higher-risk groups. (As with Boomers.) Culturally, demographically, etc, AIDS created a hole that right-wingers filled.

Okay, one more #revpit note for everyone who, like me, didn't get selected. You know how when you're at the wake of a loved one, people who mean well will say something that's meant to comfort you but is so tone deaf it makes your ears bleed? You get a lot of that after contests too. #givegrace

Now that #revpit is over: To the editors and readers who volunteer their time, I offer thanks. To the winners, I offer congratulations. To those that didn't win who are planning to enter the query trenches for the first time, I offer condolences. For most of you it's about to get much worse.

You may never get your yes. No one likes to admit that, but that's what makes what we do so brave. If the yes was guaranteed to be out there, and it was only a matter of time, it'd be called patience, not bravery. But whatever happens to one's publishing efforts, the writing can always be a journey.

It was lunchtime in high school when Bryan ran in to tell us the Challenger had exploded. No one believed him because Bryan was always making up stupid stories trying to get us to believe them: “Guys, did you hear? Michael Jordan got stabbed in the ankle riding the el last night!”

Five books to get to know me by: 1. The Phantom Tollbooth 2. The Chocolate War 3. Watership Down 4. Riotous Assembly 5. The Last Catholic in America

It seems like the editors get to have most of the fun during #RevPit, so I've decided to try to do my own version of #10queries, where I will go through all the possible 10Q posts of the editors I submitted to, and try to figure out the odds that any of them are based on mine. A 🧵: (1/12)

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