Query Mistakes

Writer JM Tohline has compiled/written a truly exhaustive blog post on The Biggest Mistakes a Writer Makes When Querying Literary Agents in which 50 agents respond to the question: “What is the single biggest mistake writers make when querying you?” Tohline notes that most agents began their response with: “‘Only one? How about several!”

Tohline recommends you brew a pot of coffee before sitting down to read the post: “Yes, reading this will take up a bit of your time (20-30 minutes, to give you a fair projection), but…how important is the success of your novel to you? You’ve (presumably) spent hundreds of hours planning, writing, editing, and perfecting your manuscript. Now, it is time to treat your query with the same respect.”

I think his work is worth a pot of coffee, with the first mug tipped in Tohline’s honor for having taken the time to share this information.

[via Writer Beware Blogs!]