I was ready for more querying.

The first full version of the proposal for Crying in a Foreign Language was ready by the end of January. It clocked in at roughly seventy pages, included about 21,000 words, in eight sections, including an overview, my bio, the table of contents, a chapter-by-chapter synopsis, four chapters of writing samples, a review of comparative/competitive titles, a look at my audience, and appendix.

I had done my first round of querying last fall, focusing on agents that did not require a complete proposal. Of the eleven agents and one publisher I queried, there were four form-letter rejections, and two requests for a full manuscripts, both of which ended in non-formulaic rejections. 

With the proposal complete, I thought I could begin my second round of querying. I had a list of twenty agents this time, and as I reviewed their requirements, I found I needed more content.

And so I prepared the following.

  • A five-page version of the proposal.
  • A two-page synopsis.
  • Three different pitches:
    • A one-page pitch.
    • A one-paragraph pitch.
    • A one-sentence pitch.
  • A statement of why I am the best person to be writing this memoir.
  • Content that was included in my proposal but were also asked for separately by agents:
    • A brief bio, separate from the one in the proposal.
    • A brief description of target audiences, separate from the one in the proposal.
    • A brief description of comparison titles, separate from the one in the proposal.
    • A table of contents for the memoir, separate from the one in the proposal.
  • Excerpts:
    • The first five pages.
    • The first ten pages.
    • The first twenty pages.
    • The first fifty pages.

Of the twenty agents I queried, six have come back with form letter rejections.

Last week, however, I attended a two-hour session on querying, and over the past weekend attended a two-day seminar on submissions.

I’m going to keep working!