MY PHILOSOPHY... A writer at
work...
I'm Talking...
Are You Listening? (c)1995
Query Letters...
Are writing query letters an effort in futility?
The writer's magazines, the publisher's directories, etc, etc., all advise one to send out query
letters. Pick your publisher of choice, write a query letter about wanting to submit your manuscript for publication
and sit back and wait. Will you get an answer?
I tried that route and did find it an exercise in futility. I followed the formats suggested
by the magazines, etc. I wrote the letters, I stuffed the envelopes, I stamped the envelopes and I sat back and waited.
Well, some of the recipients of my letters didn't bother to respond. Others used my own letter to
jot a word or two on it, stuffed it in my own self-addressed envelope and sent it on its way. "No," "Not interested,"
"Another time," "Maybe," etc., were some of the comments. To say the least, all this was extremely discouraging. Would
I do it again? No, I don't think so.
Taking into consideration the time, the effort, the cost and the type of responses, I would
not go through that again.
A few that bothered to respond informed me they work only through agents. Has anyone tried to
get one of those lately? It's a "Catch-22." One can't get to a publisher without an agent, and one can't get an agent
because most of them can't be bothered with new writers unless they are 100% sure whatever had been written will be a
huge success.
Something to keep in mind if anyone is considering writing query letters... While you are a scanning
the directories for information about publishers, read the fine print. You'll soon see that a majority of them do not publish
hundreds of books per year. Most usually publish around 10 or 12, except for the big ones, and how many
query letters do they get? Hundreds, thousands! One doesn't have to be Einstein to figure out the odds here.
Today one hears that publishing is at an all time low, so going the query letter route certainly
does not look like a viable option.
Many writers seem to be going the "Publish On Demand"
way. If a writer wants to be published, this is an option. However, I would strongly advise all to make sure they check
out these publishers carefully. Not all produce a quality product. Their are many variables to keep in mind. Caveat Emptor
certainly applies here. Do your research, do your homework.
