Surviving the Query Process

For writers, querying is the stuff of dark legends whispered to children before bedtime. From the pressure to write a perfect letter to weathering a storm of rejections, it's the scary monster in the closet for scribblers and penmonkeys of every kind.

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For many, this is the point where "I am a writer" slowly withers into "I tried to be a writer." But does it have to be like that? Or is there a way to defeat it, maintain sanity and - dare I say it - even enjoy the process? I'm currently in the midst of querying my sci-fi novel The Year of Lightning, and this is how I stay happy.

1) Try your best to embrace it. Not with dread, sighs and dramatic eye-rolls, but with genuine enthusiasm. Since a writer aspiring to traditional publication must inevitably face the query, use it as a way to improve your craft. Writing a query letter can teach you how to present your story as succinctly and economically as possible, while still conveying your style and building suspense. Researching agents and agencies is a golden opportunity to learn more about the publishing business. Don't surrender to doom and gloom. Instead, make the process work for you.

2) Revel in your victory. If you're querying, that means you've competed a novel and edited/revised it, put it through beta reading and edited again, and given it the best final polish you can. Congratulations! You finished a novel - something the vast majority of aspiring novelists will never accomplish. You climbed a mountain and lived to tell the tale. So celebrate! Enjoy and take pride in your accomplishment, and that feeling will fuel you during the difficult days.

3) Accept rejection. It will happen. How many big-name actors got their huge breakout role after one audition? Approximately zero. Even if your work is brilliant, most agents will not want to represent it. And you know what? That's a good thing. You want to be represented by someone who does more than just enjoy your work. You want them to be blown away by it, to be so passionate that they will fight with every cell and every breath to get it into the hands of readers around the world. Have the patience to wait for that one agent who says, "You're amazing and we will do incredible things together." As for all the agents that reject you, be grateful to them for being honest and clearing the way for your true partner.

4) Allow yourself to feel bad. When your work is rejected, it's okay not to enjoy it. What's not okay is to wallow in it. That doesn't do anyone any good - especially yourself and the other writers who have to listen to it all day. So what do you do? When you receive a rejection, give yourself ten minutes to drown in misery and self-doubt. Let it wash over you. Let your heart sink, and envision a future where you aimlessly wander the streets, offering to write every stranger's memoir for a nickel and a ham sandwich. Once your ten minutes are done, pick up your heart, dust it off and charge forward with renewed determination. Rejection never feels good, so don't bottle or repress it. Open up, let the darkness flow from you, and then all that remains will be the light.

5) Surround yourself with peers who know what you're going through. There's an immense amount of comfort in knowing that you can message a friend with "Ugh, querying" and they'll respond with, "I know! But don't give up." Share yourself and your experiences, and offer your own support to others going through the same thing. A sense of community, of not being alone, can work wonders.

6) Stay productive. Don't spend all your time querying and waiting on responses. Keep writing. Not only will this keep your mind occupied and prevent you from checking email every three minutes, but it will serve to remind you why you're doing all this. While the business side works itself out, keep doing what you love. Who knows, that story you're writing to distract yourself may end up being exactly what publishers are looking for.

I hope this helps. Now, suit up and get writing!

-Batman