Comments on: Query Letter Outtakes http://www.courtneymilan.com/ramblings/2009/01/06/query-letter-outtakes/ historical romance on the blog Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:53:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Lily http://www.courtneymilan.com/ramblings/2009/01/06/query-letter-outtakes/comment-page-1/#comment-8552 Lily Sun, 18 Jan 2009 00:26:35 +0000 http://www.courtneymilan.com/ramblings/?p=188#comment-8552 Thanks for posting these! I thought querying was going to be so easy, because hey, you're just summing up the characters and conflict in a catchy way, how could that be harder than completing a whole manuscript? Now the manuscript had its trials, but as soon as I wrote my first draft of my query letter I sort of sat back in my chair, a little pale, and thought, "Oh no." It was actually really interesting to read Sherry's feedback on yours. I'm mostly doing mine by looking at examples on Query Shark and trying to find elements that work or don't work by comparison, but it was enlightening to see someone ask the obvious questions. I'm now going to jump back to my latest query attempt (I think this one's try 1,000,013) and see if it answers those great questions. Thanks for posting these! I thought querying was going to be so easy, because hey, you’re just summing up the characters and conflict in a catchy way, how could that be harder than completing a whole manuscript? Now the manuscript had its trials, but as soon as I wrote my first draft of my query letter I sort of sat back in my chair, a little pale, and thought, “Oh no.”

It was actually really interesting to read Sherry’s feedback on yours. I’m mostly doing mine by looking at examples on Query Shark and trying to find elements that work or don’t work by comparison, but it was enlightening to see someone ask the obvious questions. I’m now going to jump back to my latest query attempt (I think this one’s try 1,000,013) and see if it answers those great questions.

]]> By: Patrice http://www.courtneymilan.com/ramblings/2009/01/06/query-letter-outtakes/comment-page-1/#comment-8551 Patrice Sat, 17 Jan 2009 16:15:11 +0000 http://www.courtneymilan.com/ramblings/?p=188#comment-8551 Loved this post - I just discovered your blog via Jenn Jackson to Kristin Nelson. Thanks so much for sharing the process. Like Sherry, I am good at queries. And titles! I have helped a number of friends with both titles and queries. And of course I tend to come up with my hot titles and irresistible query letters LONG before I've written more than a few chapters. Maybe I should go into that business. Congrats from another lawyer/writer. Loved this post – I just discovered your blog via Jenn Jackson to Kristin Nelson. Thanks so much for sharing the process.

Like Sherry, I am good at queries. And titles! I have helped a number of friends with both titles and queries. And of course I tend to come up with my hot titles and irresistible query letters LONG before I’ve written more than a few chapters.

Maybe I should go into that business.

Congrats from another lawyer/writer.

]]> By: Carley http://www.courtneymilan.com/ramblings/2009/01/06/query-letter-outtakes/comment-page-1/#comment-8495 Carley Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:59:39 +0000 http://www.courtneymilan.com/ramblings/?p=188#comment-8495 Courtney- I love that you've shared all this, so thank you. It makes me realize that not everyone can just whip out a decent query, and that really, that fact doesn't reflect on their writing in general. Best of luck...and congratulations! I'm with Sarah, maybe I should post mine on my blog as well and see if anyone will pick it apart! We'll see! Courtney-
I love that you’ve shared all this, so thank you. It makes me realize that not everyone can just whip out a decent query, and that really, that fact doesn’t reflect on their writing in general. Best of luck…and congratulations! I’m with Sarah, maybe I should post mine on my blog as well and see if anyone will pick it apart! We’ll see!

]]> By: Merc http://www.courtneymilan.com/ramblings/2009/01/06/query-letter-outtakes/comment-page-1/#comment-8494 Merc Fri, 09 Jan 2009 03:27:09 +0000 http://www.courtneymilan.com/ramblings/?p=188#comment-8494 Heh, that's great you can share those, Courtney! :D Thanks for the laughs--though I can totally sympathize. I'm not quite at the querying point but my attempts so far have utterly sucked. :P I'm waiting a bit to unleash mind-numbing horror on my crit partners by asking them to take another look at new query versions later. ;) Thanks for sharing, ~Merc Heh, that’s great you can share those, Courtney! :D Thanks for the laughs–though I can totally sympathize. I’m not quite at the querying point but my attempts so far have utterly sucked. :P I’m waiting a bit to unleash mind-numbing horror on my crit partners by asking them to take another look at new query versions later. ;)

Thanks for sharing,

~Merc

]]> By: Sarah Jensen http://www.courtneymilan.com/ramblings/2009/01/06/query-letter-outtakes/comment-page-1/#comment-8468 Sarah Jensen Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:45:25 +0000 http://www.courtneymilan.com/ramblings/?p=188#comment-8468 Thanks for posting. I picked this up on Nathan's blog. I can't believe that anyone would have a problem with it. But obviously some do. I for one applaud you. And I've decided to post my query letter on my blog. And I'm not even agented yet. Maybe someone can point out what's wrong with it. :) Oh and Sherry, feel free to stop by and offer your opinion! Sarah http://legendoftheprotectors.wordpress.com/ Thanks for posting. I picked this up on Nathan’s blog. I can’t believe that anyone would have a problem with it. But obviously some do. I for one applaud you. And I’ve decided to post my query letter on my blog. And I’m not even agented yet. Maybe someone can point out what’s wrong with it. :)
Oh and Sherry, feel free to stop by and offer your opinion!

Sarah
http://legendoftheprotectors.wordpress.com/

]]> By: Courtney Milan http://www.courtneymilan.com/ramblings/2009/01/06/query-letter-outtakes/comment-page-1/#comment-8465 Courtney Milan Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:32:40 +0000 http://www.courtneymilan.com/ramblings/?p=188#comment-8465 Sharia, Writing a query is a little bit like whack-a-mole, isn't it? It's enough to drive you completely nuts. And Jessica, I'm glad to offer myself up as amusement. :) Sharia,

Writing a query is a little bit like whack-a-mole, isn’t it? It’s enough to drive you completely nuts. And Jessica, I’m glad to offer myself up as amusement. :)

]]> By: Jessica Burkhart http://www.courtneymilan.com/ramblings/2009/01/06/query-letter-outtakes/comment-page-1/#comment-8464 Jessica Burkhart Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:23:32 +0000 http://www.courtneymilan.com/ramblings/?p=188#comment-8464 Hey, Courtney! I've been following the query letter discussion on Kristen's blog and it's so interesting. Thanks for sharing! :) Hey, Courtney! I’ve been following the query letter discussion on Kristen’s blog and it’s so interesting. Thanks for sharing! :)

]]> By: Sharla http://www.courtneymilan.com/ramblings/2009/01/06/query-letter-outtakes/comment-page-1/#comment-8462 Sharla Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:02:55 +0000 http://www.courtneymilan.com/ramblings/?p=188#comment-8462 I need a Sherry too! I finally settled on query attempt #15, I think, and synopsis #22, only because I WAS turning into a raging lunatic and probably scaring small children with the fire-breathing and all. You had me laughing because I stopped letting anyone critique them after that because it was like "where's the romance?" and then I'd do that and I'd get "it's all about romance, where's the conflict?" so I'd do that and then get "it's too serious, lighten it up". Any guess on what the next one was? Yep. Too fluffy. So call it denial, but I just finally went with it and now have all my fingers crossed that someone will bite. Because I swear, if I have to go back in that hell, my husband will leave me! :) I need a Sherry too! I finally settled on query attempt #15, I think, and synopsis #22, only because I WAS turning into a raging lunatic and probably scaring small children with the fire-breathing and all.

You had me laughing because I stopped letting anyone critique them after that because it was like “where’s the romance?” and then I’d do that and I’d get “it’s all about romance, where’s the conflict?” so I’d do that and then get “it’s too serious, lighten it up”. Any guess on what the next one was? Yep. Too fluffy. So call it denial, but I just finally went with it and now have all my fingers crossed that someone will bite.

Because I swear, if I have to go back in that hell, my husband will leave me! :)

]]> By: Courtney Milan http://www.courtneymilan.com/ramblings/2009/01/06/query-letter-outtakes/comment-page-1/#comment-8457 Courtney Milan Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:05:37 +0000 http://www.courtneymilan.com/ramblings/?p=188#comment-8457 Sherry, I predict that if you ever hold another "paying it forward" contest it will prove <i>immensely</i> popular. I'm thinking several thousand entries? :) Sherry, I predict that if you ever hold another “paying it forward” contest it will prove immensely popular. I’m thinking several thousand entries? :)

]]> By: Janet http://www.courtneymilan.com/ramblings/2009/01/06/query-letter-outtakes/comment-page-1/#comment-8453 Janet Wed, 07 Jan 2009 04:49:31 +0000 http://www.courtneymilan.com/ramblings/?p=188#comment-8453 I need a Sherry. I need a Sherry.

]]>