Finally...the pie charts!

Now. As surprised  many of you, the largest percentage of queries were rejected for something completely within the writer's control: these were projects in categories that our agency had gone on the record--many records, in fact--to say were not for us.

At the time of the making of this pie chart--and this has since changed--we did not represent sci fi, fantasy, or thrillers.

But we received hundreds of these projects--some with headings like, "I've read that you're especially interested in sci fi, so..."

This is easily prevented with the use of my favorite work for this purpose, The Jeff Herman Guide.

There's a new edition out every year. And it's much more than just lists of genres--it also includes detailed interviews, so that you can get a good feel for each agent as a person.

Now, sometimes I get emails like this:


According to Agent Query, you are interested in literary and women's fiction, and you are also actively seeking new clients. Does Jeff Herman know something Agent Query doesn't? Somehow, I doubt it. You seemed like a good fit for my work, which is precisely the reason I queried you. If your listing on Agent Query is  inaccurate, then perhaps you should consider changing it.


Best wishes,
[Writer]


Now. This is an issue of far more than just rudeness (it's never a good idea to take this frustrated tone with an agent): this shows that, when finding an agent, it's not just a matter of genre--but a matter of taste.

For example, all three of these works fall under the umbrella of Women's Fiction:

But most agents would only be interested in one or two of these. 

As you can see, it's very important to do your research--or we will lose respect for you immediately. 

After all, if you haven't bothered to learn who we are--why should we want to know more about you?

The very easiest remedy? 

Cleverly personalized first lines. 

For example: 

Query personalization
The big magenta section is 76.6 %
The blue wedge on the right is 10.6%
The green wedge, top-left, is 10.5%
And the tiny yellow sliver on the left is 2.2%

76.6% of writers wrote "Dear [Agent's name]" and the rest was a form.

10.6% wrote merely "Dear Agent"

2.2% made errors--misspelled my name, called me by another agent's name, etc.

And only 10.5%--keep in mind these were taken from a batch of relatively smart January writers, too--bothered to make a real, personalized query. 

Next time, I'll show you how that makes a huge difference in success rates.

Hope this finds you well.