What is the most queries you've sent for one project?

[HarrisSP]

I just hit query letter #200, and have been steadily revising as I've gone a long. Readers have said they thought it was good.  I have received one partial, which was quickly rejected. I should probably hang it up, but I don't think I will.

That number isn't normal, is it?

[edelweiss]

200 is an awful lot for one partial.

Did you post your query here in query review? You'll get some great advice.

Good luck! 

[Zooks]

I sent 168 queries for a MG with 'Elizabethan speak' and got 6 partial/full requests. Of those one agent is still trying to 'figure out how to work with it'. because she really likes it. 

As edelweiss suggested, maybe post your query on QT and see what comments/suggestions you'd get.

[Falen]

I'm at 40 queries, with 12 fulls and 3 partials.

200 does seem like a lot for no bites. That makes me worried that maybe your query isn't doing its job as best as it could.
And everyone has their stopping points. I don't think i could do 20o queries. I don't even think i have that many agents to query.
I see myself maybe stopping around the 70-80 mark. But i guess we'll see what happens.

[AnyaHarker]

I'm at 33 sent — with 2 partials, 1 full... and 21 rejections. The others... haven't sent me my rejections yet. 

And yes, do send your query through here. It helps. Then again, I've been through the wringer here and I haven't been doing so well. Sorry... two rejections in one day makes me want to curl up with a bottle of scotch. 

[sbp725]

I'm at 56 queries sent with 14 full requests and 4 partial requests.  Unfortunately, all of those have come back as rejections except for 3 outstanding fulls, 2 partials, and 1 agent who said she'd take another look after revisions. I also had one prior R&R request that turned out to be a "thanks but no thanks" in the end.

Agents seem to love my premise, but for whatever reason they're not "falling in love" with the manuscript. I need to go back and do some revising, but it's hard to know what exactly to attack. I know my query and initial pages are working, but I need to go in with a scalpel and figure out what's not working after that.

[Magpie]

I agree with the others. To have sent this many queries with only one bite seems like there's a fatal flaw in the query itself. You would do yourself a favor to put the query up for review. Sometimes getting others' eyes on it helps. Also, who are the readers who said they liked it? Are talking family and friends or critique partners because one group will give you a better assessment of a manuscript than the other.

[Tabris]

Harris, is this the query you've been sending -->  http://querytracker.net/forum/index.php?topic=11376.msg141686#msg141686


I didn't comment on it the first time around, but if this is it, I'll give it a shot. I think the query itself may have been undercutting your book because it feels as if there's no protagonist.

[Kimmy]

I sent 119 for my first book, which I have shelved, and received 20 requests for partials/fulls/one R&R. Agree with the others - post your query and spruce it up.

[augusto]

I'm in a similar boat, numbers-wise, and recently got my query shot down in a query 'contest'. Read your query and would immediately suggest losing the the funeral director. It's a compelling story and an interesting approach but, as you're finding out, probably a hard sell. I wouldn't give up on it, but I hope you're hard at work on your next book. Good luck! 

[koevoet]

I'm in the same boat as sbp725 but with no requests for fulls.  I realized too late that I had sent out query letters before the manuscript was completely polished.  Most agents liked my premise, but I think got too bogged down in information overload in a long first chapter.  Those first few paragraphs are really important and i think the moral of the story is: don't query until your project is polished and perfect.  I'm going to start another fresh round of queries here in a month or so, so hopefully I'll get some requests for fulls.  Hang in there!

[MittensMorgul]

I've sent out 51 queries, with 25 rejections, five requests (two still out), and an R&R (which eventually led to one of the "no thank yous," but really improved my ms). I'm taking a query break until I get some more responses.

[sbp725]

This post has been really helpful, by the way, to see how others approach querying.  Like Mittens, I'm taking a break from querying to implement some changes to my manuscript. I'm hoping to come back with a stronger book and better results on submissions than I've had in this last round.

[HarrisSP]

I'm glad to hear so many are having so much success. That was the correct query linked above, and the interesting thing is that my book DOESN'T have a protagonist, at least not in the traditional sense. Natalie isn't front and center in most of the book - she's more of a single different colored thread weaving through a patchwork sweater of multiple narratives (maybe I should have used that metaphor in the query letter). Also, I have considered cutting the funeral director, but I don't know if there are any more agents left to send to. How long do I need to wait before requerying with improvements?

In later queries I've been referring to it as a short story/novel hybrid, hoping that would help, but its to no avail..  Now, so much rejection has pushed me to write a sell-out book, with a clear good protagonist, journeying against a clear, bad antagonist. I guess thems the breaks. Maybe if I write the next Twilight, there'll be enough interest for my 'early' stuff.

[JeanneG]

Harris,

I'm not sure if the problem is the lack of a clear protagonist. It may be more effective to pitch the book as a series of linked stories, whose lives are all connected by experiences with Natalie. Google "novels linked stories" and see what you come up with. You may be able to find agents who have repped these types of books and some viable comparisons.

A couple of books that popped up immediately on this list: Olive Kitteridge and A Visit from the Goon Squad. They're very different in subject matter and tone but follow a similar structure. Also, you might want to consider submitting individual chapters (if they can stand alone) to lit mags. Getting a few of the chapters published as independent stories can help you sell the grouping as a novel to agents.

Hope that helps.

JeanneG