How I Got My Agent
So, I got an agent. Eight months ago now, so writing this blog post is long overdue.
I consider myself very lucky to have found an agent so quickly. My query letter was not perfect, and neither was my book, but I was incredibly fortunate to find an agent who saw the vision and has since helped me elevate the story further. Throughout the nine months I spent querying, I experienced the entire spectrum of emotions, ranging from happiness to depression.
Let me start off with a disclaimer – I don’t know how I did it. I don’t think anyone really does. As much as it pains me to say this, there is no secret hack, no trick to it. Even if you wrote the most perfect, most lyrical, most delicious book, that doesn’t guarantee you’ll find representation. Ultimately, it’s all a game of luck and timing, and you need your wits to stay consistent. And a very high dose of confidence! And I think that’s the only ‘secret’ tip I have. You shouldn’t give up, you gotta keep pushing.
That being said, there are, naturally, some things you can do to increase your chances of finding an agent, like writing a good query letter, perfecting your opening pages, keeping track of MSWL changes, etc. Things I’ll talk about in another blog post. Things, unfortunately, that Sara from 2022 knew nothing about.
A little background…
I’ll spare you my entire childhood story and my affection for and involvement in arts, and try to keep it brief. I was a little bookworm child, and I loved reading so much. I’d finish a book in a day; I even remember my mom got annoyed once when I was in middle school and got me a kindle because she grew tired of me asking for a new book every day. That love for fantasy worlds organically grew into the need to create those worlds myself. I wrote my first story when I was eleven or twelve years old, a Harry Potter fanfiction. In the next years, all throughout highschool, I kept writing. Some stories I kept to myself. Others, more fanfiction for different fandoms, I used to post online (none of these are online anymore). I loved how much joy it brought me, and of course, I also loved getting feedback from the people who read those stories. I’d come home after school, and start writing. So, that’s it. That’s what sparked my love for writing.
Looking back on those times, I’m grateful I started as early as that. A little kid with English as her third language – writing those fanfics and reading books in English definitely helped improve my skills over time. Honing them, sharpening them, until, one day, I was ready to write a longer story. Until I was ready to create my own worlds.
Throughout university I wrote and finished three novels, none of which I ever dreamt of querying (I didn’t even know at the time what querying was!) or publishing.
HoW - the story of my soul
And then, one night, inspiration struck! I still remember it so clearly (but Instagram Archives also helps pinpoint the exact date – October 20th, 2020). I pulled out a sheet of paper, and started writing down ideas for a magic system, drawing doodles of characters, researching very specific topics I could tie into the plot. I still keep the folder with all these papers and notes.
And then, I wrote the book! Ha…except, I didn’t. I had just returned from Asia, COVID was raging in Europe, and I still had to finish my university degree. So, all I could do was daydream about the book of my heart, the love for the story only growing by the day, as I was writing my dissertation instead.
It wasn’t until almost a year later that I actually started writing the book, my beloved HoW. I knew at that point that this was the story that I would want to see published one day, the story I’d want to see on shelves, the story I’d want other people to read as well.
Querying HoW
When the first draft was done, I did the most ridiculous thing an unprepared writer could do – I started querying. Without a single idea what I was doing, I was simply eager to get my story out to agents. I didn’t know much at the time. I didn’t know about different resources for writers, I didn’t know about the writing communities on social media apps. I was just a silly girl, with her silly excel sheet and a silly little dream. I knew nothing. The first ever query I sent was March 30th, 2023, and you guessed it – it was a disaster.
And, as expected, the rejections started rolling in. Wellp. I was a little heartbroken, but that didn’t stop me. I loved my story, and I knew it had the potential to be published. So, I took a step back and dove in deeper. I joined the writing community on Twitter (X) and met many like-minded writers from all over the world. The support there kept me going, it kept me sane as more rejections rolled in. It also exposed me to so much more information, and helped me connect to other writers, who I now dearly call friends. I sent my manuscript to some, and they beta read it for me. As I was waiting for the last feedback on that first batch of queries, I went back and did edits and changes. I did more research, FINALLY learned what querying really entails, found the proper websites, buried myself in a sea of MSWLs, built a list of agents, and polished my manuscript and query letter.
Second attempt. Mid to late 2023, I sent another few batches of queries. This time, the response was more varied. I got a few full requests, and I was so excited to finally see a development. But, here too, I got rejections. Some agents left no specific notes, but others gave me detailed feedback that I incorporated into my next round of edits. One lovely agent had suggested my story might read better if I changed the POV and tense, so that’s exactly what I did. I did a huge revision which took a couple months, and she was right – the story did read better, and I fell in love with it all over again.
TDF enters the chat
Around that time, a Twitter pitch event was happening. Naturally, I pitched HoW. However, something propelled me to also pitch one of those old stories I’d written during university – TDF, a gothic romance. I received a couple full requests for HoW, but the response to TDF? It blew me away! I was so shocked that it was gaining so much attention from both agents and editors. Within a week, I’d gotten more full requests for TDF than I had in 6 months for HoW. I was, of course, thrilled, and this really sparked in me an enthusiasm that had dulled after so many rejections. So, I started querying TDF alongside HoW, mentioning that interest from editors and publishers.
But, stubborn as I am, I didn’t give up on HoW. It was the story of my soul, my baby, and I loved it so much, I had complete confidence in it. So, while I was waiting for the responses on those TDF fulls I’d sent out, I kept querying agents with HoW. I reached out to those who had the old version of my full manuscript still and asked if I could re-submit my revision with POV and tense changes.
The final spurt
On November 21st, I received a full request from Sobi at LCS Literary, even though I’d queried another agent initially (thank heavens for shared inboxes!). Sobi’s MSWL matched my book, too, so I was happy to submit my full manuscript to her.
Three weeks later, I emailed to ask if I could re-submit with the now completed version of my POV and tense revisions.
On December 8th, Sobi emailed me to say she’d received my message and told me I could re-submit my manuscript with the updates.
On December 14th, I woke up to an email from her, inviting me for a call (!)
Now, that was a first for me. I had no idea what to expect, and I didn’t see the word Offer in the text, so I kept telling myself to take it slow, take it easy, and see what happens during the call. It could be a R&R request, right? It didn’t necessarily mean that it was going to be an offer of representation, right? RIGHT?
Well, all that pep-talk before the call flew right out the window when we actually started talking. Sobi’s enthusiasm for my story was palpable, and I couldn’t stop grinning at my laptop screen as she talked about my characters and asked me questions about them. I could feel her excitement, and that, in turn, got me excited. I don’t remember the conversation word for word anymore, I just remember I said something silly. I jumped the gun and started talking about an offer in my nervousness. I remember Sobi laughed then, and that’s when she officially offered representation. I was a little mortified, but so, so excited and happy! Someone loved my story, someone loved my characters, and was willing to take a chance on them – and me! And not only that, she was excited about my other projects, as well! TDF, and my planned WIPs.
The next few weeks were a storm of emails and nervous twitching as I notified other agents who still had my full manuscripts. I couldn’t quite believe that this had happened, and just before the holidays too. It was like the most perfect Christmas gift I could have asked for, and I was afraid it would go away. The impostor syndrome was hitting hard.
So, when the New Year rolled in, I finally sent out The Email.
I accepted Sobi’s offer of representation, and we officially signed on January 4th, 2024.
Query Stats
Now, the numbers you’ve been curious about.
They aren’t pretty, but the industry is a shifting monster, and opportunities will come and go like waves. It took me a while to learn that, and when I did, the numbers didn’t sting as much. It’s a business, and just like any other business, there’s a time and place for different stories.
HoW (YA Fantasy)
Duration – 9 months
Queries sent – 129 (including agents I queried twice after revisions), so really about 110
Rejections – 108
PR – 1
FR – 11
R&R – 3
CNR – 13
Offer of Rep – 1
TDF (NA Gothic Romance)
Queries sent – 17
Rejections – 5
FR – 7
CNR – I withdrew my outstanding queries after I signed with my agent
The query that got me my agent
Dear [Agent Name],
I'm seeking representation for HOUSE OF WINTER, a 97,000-word YA Urban Fantasy novel. Combining the hidden world within our own of City of Bones with the morally gray characters of Legendborn, this story follows a diverse cast and will appeal to readers looking to immerse themselves in adventures. Because of your interest in YA fantasy novels written by BIPIC authors, I thought you might enjoy HOUSE OF WINTER.
Sixteen-year-old Lani has always had her father by her side. But when they move, an unexpected tear in reality rips her away from him. Alone and confused, Lani discovers a world hidden within the one she always thought she knew: a world controlled by Casters—a race of elementals secretly living among humans. Away from her father for the first time, Lani must learn to survive in this dangerous new world—a world that's awakening dormant powers she definitely shouldn't have—if she ever hopes to have a regular life again.
Struggling while exploring her new powers, Lani is confronted by formidable enemies, all longing for the power of the Sun – a divine light that only two Casters possess. One is myth, the other is Kai, a snobbish boy with a certain disdain for weakness and for Lani.
But when myths become reality, Kai's disappearance gives way to darkness and puts the entire planet in danger, which only leaves Lani with one choice - find him. Before the enemy does. Find him, before the warm winter destroys them all. Find him, or watch the world—and her father—burn.
[Writer Background Paragraph]
Below, please find the synopsis and first ten pages of my manuscript. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Sara J. Kader
So here we are today, a year and a half after I started my querying journey, with my baby HoW in the hands of editors, TDF with my agent, and more projects being written~
To summarize my rambles, querying is not glamorous, and you need to be patient. Something I couldn’t fully achieve throughout my own querying journey. What I did learn, however, is how important it is to understand the reality of it – yes, you need luck, but you also need to be open to revising, editing, communication. Those nine months taught me just how immensely you can improve if you’re open-minded and welcome constructive criticism. It helps you grow so much, as a writer and as a person!
