10 Things Literary Agents Look for in a Book

[@michaelhansen4228]

Manuscript Side 1. Voice (style of writing/narrator) 2. Writing quality (technically sound) 3. Plot (interesting and with nuance) 4. Characters (more understand than like) 5. Setting (does it feel full?) Business Side 6. Marketability (publishers and readers will give it a chance) 7. Market (potential readership size) 8. Hook (central element that sets it apart) 9. Potential Submissions (who can we send this to?) 10. Enthusiasm (do we want to devote adequate time to this project?)

[@MarciaMatthews]

Thanks for the outline.

[@cameronstoneadams1183]

A hero I don't deserve.

[@Ruthie888]

Oh, wow! I just found you. You guys are totally legit, not trying to sell me something, but actually knowledgeable and helpful. I can tell I'm going to binge-watch your series as I write my grocery list that will make my future agent and editor laugh and cry!

[@antoinetteg6542]

I just watched two videos in a row, and feel I can relate to you, Jessica. Your voice and persona resonate with me. I'm writing a memoir about missionary work in Africa, full of joy, adventure, humour, and heartache. Busy with the fourth edit, cut and polish. I'm definitely going to research your agency when I'm ready to start querying! Thanks for the helpful content and enthusiasm.

[@elizabethdibenedetto5699]

As always, I leave this forum feeling more prepared for future queries and having a fuller clarity of these specifics. I certainly agree with each item you have brought up. I am so grateful for your videos. You have no idea how these videos help authors/writers to learn the industry and grow. Thank you again for your time and kindness to provide your experience and knowledge.

[@h.a.s.7336]

I agree with the "show don't tell" discipline (it's especially true for screenwriting) but I read plenty of award-winning and bestselling books that do A LOT of telling... When I read those long "tell" passages, I'm like, hey, they are breaking the cardinal rule and they got away with it. I think the bottom line is: if "telling" is done well and hooks the reader into the story, it doesn't matter.

[@aduralkain]

You are absolutely correct. Most great authors rely basically on telling, more than on showing. Writers like Hemingway are an exception. But even Hemingway began The Sun Also Rising with a long "tell don't show" chapter. I think this whole "show don't tell" thing must be the result of creative writing teachers needing to have something to say to their students, or of professional editors needing something to charge their clients for. It's much easier to say to an aspiring writer "look, here you are telling, not showing", than to actually evaluate if the story they are telling is good or not. The result is that most aspiring writers end up sounding exactly the same, writing in this clunky, incredibly artificial style. "Show don't tell" most of the time sounds forced and inauthentic. Great writers tell great stories, and that's it.

[@samp4050]

Personally, I think the old rule of show don't tell is outdated and over rated. There are some famous authors who totally ignore this rule and sell millions of their books. Danielle Steel is one of them. When I read a book with way too much description I put it down and never read it again. It's really boring if you have a short attention span and just want to get to the actual action, and the author has bored me to death by writing long, useless descriptions. Another rule I believe in breaking, is that authors should stick to one genre only. Colleen Hoover broke that rule as well, and look how successful she is too. Rules are made to be broken, it's what makes certain authors more successful than others. 😊

[@markoffmichael]

Loved this. And the point made at ~10:00 about rewriting a book, or a show you've watched is SO true (For me that was the series, "Lost").

[@JohnRMiles]

This was a very helpful video. As a first-time author, the publishing world is a new universe to understand.

[@candiemays2698]

I love your comment "Make the setting its own character." That comment brought to life a different meaning for the setting. Thank both of you.

[@IzSaru]

I love your videos. I always feel encouraged while watching and after.

[@BookEndsLiterary]

That's the goal :)

[@ArtbyMSB]

I also agree with James that immersion in the story is very important.

[@kmhumphreys1]

I'm watching your videos as I'm working on a new manuscript. Encouraging me to keep writing.

[@merlcycle8058]

Wonderful chemistry between these two!

[@Owlzindabarn]

I could listen to you two talk all day; currently deep in edits for something. I might just want to query BookEnds first...

[@MastersofHumility]

Do it!

[@cashpat2000]

Oh wow. Why did I not see this before my full MS submission? Better late than never. Thanks a ton for this.

[@JosephPLiu]

Jessica and James, another very helpful video about the criteria you use to evaluate both the content and market potential of a book. I'm taking copious notes from all your videos!

[@verseandvanity]

I absolutely love watching you guys. So personable with detailed advice.

[@ThePepperh]

LOVE LOVE LOVE!! I feel encouraged and better prepared to query. And certainly less intimidated by the whole process. I'll bet all agents are actually real people just like you two!

[@ArtbyMSB]

I like what Jessica says about the pink sweater. I agree with her.

[@joseffirmagemiyasato]

I loved this guys. Thanks for making these discussions available. I'm new to the channel by the way. I've liked and subscribed!

[@BookEndsLiterary]

Thanks for being here!

[@rachelmann2781]

Content on point as ever! Thank you BookEnds!

[@midnightlemon4255]

Every agent I've listened to has recommended that new authors trying to break in should submit a manuscript that's a "standalone with series potential." I fully understand the logic behind that recommendation. Say, however, that you've already ignored that advice, and the book you're looking to query as an unpublished author is clearly the first in a series. Should you state that in the query, or should you leave it out?

[@nunziobusiness1509]

Also, you need at least one gay leading character these days (Trans? Even better). It's all about "woke" culture.

[@unasperanza9803]

@@nunziobusiness1509 Probably depends ongenre

[@lisakaufman3029]

I've watched this video previously but decided to come back to it because I'm soon going to be querying my pages! Feeling way confident, I asked my mom how I'd know I'd made the right choice of an agent! She didn't have to think of a response, as she said, "It'll be the one who's most enthusiastic about your story, darling!" Do mothers automatically know everything unlike daughters having to think about it?❤

[@BruceWBishop]

I've been enjoying all your videos to date and find them quite helpful! I had one of your agents on my list of those to query, and *then* found your videos by accident. Kismet!

[@mireillescott3647]

Such constructive advice I tried to follow...just got a nice rejection from an agent, but she thanked me for the opportunity to read my query letter and spend time escaping into my creative world . She was not the right agent for my work but it was not to say your story wasn't wonderful ...gave me some hope in that I will find an agent with the right key to let me loose ..lol

[@theartzscientist8012]

Did you ever find one?

[@clara2768]

You two are amazing! Thanks for taking the time to create these videos! Do you have any video on something like what we can expect from an answer to a query--pass, miss, yes I want to read more, I don´t like this novel, but do you have anything else etc..

[@geoffreynhill2833]

Talking of the "voice" of the narrator, Kurt Vonnegut"s was a great one! 😂

[@jasonpowell1487]

Wow. This was so helpful and surprisingly motivating. I started watching while laying in bed and now I'm subscribed to this channel and at my desk (dining room table) . Thank you guys for content like this.

[@BookEndsLiterary]

We love to see it!

[@shelleestories]

I laughed when you said that in cozy mysteries multiple murders don’t raise eyebrows. I remember reading Into The Water and all of the women were dying in the town. The town was just like oh well, that’s just where women go to die. I remember thinking, okay....lol

[@Lizzie.Brooks]

Great! Thank you!

[@enekneya7378]

Great information! @0:36 Why shouldn't you use the word "Voice

[@Auxik]

A couple of my beta readers have told me they got that feeling of "questioning reality" when they put my book down. I took that as an exemplary compliment.

[@kathleenschwab4645]

I love your enthusiasm for books!

[@Elephantine999]

Great discussion. Really helpful.

[@r.harlansmith7282]

Can you do something on promotion; book signings, advertising, interviews, etc.? Which of these are essential and which are not?

[@zivmontenegro8303]

This video is amazingly helpful❤❤

[@trailwalker76]

Does this apply to different genres of books...Like Children’s books?

[@BookEndsLiterary]

Hi! Yes, these are pretty universal.

[@lorenhackney9981]

LOVE Cozies!!!!!!!

[@brittanyarrington3971]

How does word count factor in to your decision? What would make you excuse a higher word count?

[@carlydaniels4184]

Thank you-well delivered.

[@darintroxel3295]

how do you get see these things from an author if like your other video you are only reading 10 pages of the book when it can change completely by the end of the book?

[@sharonjansen6875]

Hi, is it okay to use first person plus third person?

[@BookEndsLiterary]

If that's what makes most sense for the book, then yes!

[@sharonjansen6875]

@@BookEndsLiterary Thank you. My published psychological thriller was written with first person for the protagonist and third person for the antagonist. I was wondering if I should change it for the sequel.

[@TheEchoingPen]

I did something similar in my novella. Most of it is in third person, but I switched to first person for one chapter about the protagonist. I was a bit nervous about diverting from traditional narrative styles, but I'm all about breaking rules to create something fresh. This shift to first person offers an intimate glimpse into the protagonist's mind, enhancing the connection between reader and character. It's not just a change in perspective, but a way to add depth and break the monotony, keeping the reading experience lively. It's exciting to experiment with narrative styles, isn't it?

[@JK-wd6oe]

I have a question? I hear many agents say that a turn off for them is using a lot of description. Yet some of the best selling authors do just that. Take Steven King for example. He can use 5 pages to describe a door knob. He describes things in intricate detail. Brad Thor is another one. He describes in detail the clothes his characters are wearing, the type of vehicles they drive,. In one of his best selling books he even described the plant life in great detail that was at on of his scenes. He describes things in great detail yet he is a best selling author. Anne Rice was another one that described thing in minute details and she was also a best selling author. If best selling authors are describing things in great detail then should that not be the norm? I am confused by that. Thomas Harris is another one that used great detail in his books and he also was a best selling author. My question is if best selling authors use an abundance of description then should agents not look for that quality in a book? I don't know I am just curious. Thank you

[@unasperanza9803]

Tolkien as well lots of gorgeous description of landscape. I presume if you are an accomplished writer it works maybe?

[@fiddlerontheporch]

"We ate breakfast half an hour ago, so it's close to lunchtime." -I believe you meant "second breakfast" and now I am convinced you are hobbits.

[@tonymilner2526]

Agents always say they’re looking for something different. Yet, when writers submit to their manuscripts, agents want to know what other books the submitted novel is similar to, and what genre it can be pigeonholed into. Different … or similar? What am I missing?

[@Astropeleki]

They want books that are not the same story as the ones they like, but are still capable of re-evoking the same emotions as them. So if an agent's favourite book is Harry Potter, they might not want the story to be about a boy going to a magical school but they still might want to see the protagonist discovering they are magical and venturing in a completely different world than ours. So similar, but different. I know it's annoying, but I thinks sometimes agents themselves don't quite understand what makes them tick 😅

[@kaymcbride3321]

Great video!

[@bernadetteshields3726]

Absolutely loved this video 😍

[@megalodon667]

Question on submitting x pages of a manuscript, or if I am submitting a full manuscript request. What should the spacing be? I noticed most submission pages don't specify. Single, double?

[@BookEndsLiterary]

Hi! Usually this means double spaced!

[@MarciaMatthews]

“I have a first draft. I know the editors, I know the houses.”

[@storyladysmagicbook]

Thank You!

[@DixieJoJarchow]

great advice

[@IsabelleMarot]

Hi Agents! I was wondering what you thought about people writing the hook from the perspective of the protagonist? I'm writing a book in first-person from the POV of a strong female character. I've heard from a couple of people not to do that, but I've seen success stories from others. I'm keen to hear what you think :) Another question: I have dual POV in my novel, with one character's POV being 70% of the book, while the other character is only 30%. When I am querying, should I mainly describe the first protagonist and briefly mention the other or should I explain both equally? Thanks in advance.

[@BookEndsLiterary]

We suggest writing your query in 3rd person, not from the POV of the character. You can definitely mention the multi-pop in the query, but you'll have to explain the character's stories as they relate to the book!

[@IsabelleMarot]

@@BookEndsLiterary Thanks for. your help! :)

[@carololxd]

This video is everything I needed! One question, should I mention in my query that I have a book in wattpad with 150K reads? Or is it not worth it? Thank you❤️

[@ncnant]

Sounds impressive to me 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@annmanzo]

It's subjective. The reads on watt pad can be from the author as well as a reader. and anytime you go in to edit it counts as a read. If you have 1M reads and 25 chapters, it equals 40k reads, but again, some can be from the author especially if they click the view as reader. It's not trustworthy if you can go in and manipulate the numbers to get attention?

[@BookEndsLiterary]

You can include it, though I don't know that it would sway an agent either way!

[@carololxd]

@@ncnant hahahahah thank you! XD

[@carololxd]

@@annmanzo Yeah :( that's why I was hesitating on the importance of reliability of mentioning it as 'writing qualifications' :/ thank you so much for your reply!

[@petermitchelmore2592]

I've been doing all that for weeks, still no luck yet.

[@cherinetawfik824]

Hello Guys, Thank you for the video, when will you start to accept new queries for (Picture Book)? which Agent should I address from ur Agency?

[@fatima-purposefullybeautif5950]

silly question - Is a memoir regarded as fiction or nonfiction?

[@BookEndsLiterary]

nonfiction

[@currently7886]

That book that only took 8 pages to know it was a winner, anyone got the info on the book's title?

[@annmanzo]

Not sure if you were aware, and I especially wanted to hear what you had to say, but the ads, I think there were 13, and some of them doubled up right when you were in the middle of a sentence and waiting to click through the two ads, (video will resume after this ad) I lost the thread. But great info!

[@BookEndsLiterary]

13 ads? We're so sorry about that! We have them automatically place, but we'll keep an eye on that going forward.

[@robertcoyle1532]

Get a good add blocker. uBlock works well. I never see any.

[@golfdoc1950]

I love practical suggestions

[@italiagorino6358]

My book is done but my question is should I not go to Amazon.?

[@MastersofHumility]

Odd aside: I could have sworn the title of James's client's cozy mystery was "Still Knife Parenting.". Luckily I was close enough to figure it out.

[@BookEndsLiterary]

That'd be a very... interesting... book... lol

[@MastersofHumility]

@@BookEndsLiterary I'm hoping the knife is a metaphor.

[@MastersofHumility]

Cool how you separate voice and good writing.

[@TammyGibaud]

Where can I find Storytin?

[@grandma.p]

How much does a literary ageent charge? Do you get the copyright first?

[@johnpavon799]

Jessica do you live in an Attic? and James did someone tell you to get to your corner?

[@BookEndsLiterary]

You got us...

[@ZombieJohn]

Seriously great tips-thanks!

[@tucko11]

Why use an agent at all ? Just saying are they basically a phone answering service ? Does Robert Deniro need an agent to get a role in a movie ?

[@ggjr61]

Just wanted to say as a mystery reader especially cozy’s two things I hate is when the main character is stupid or clumsy. These are two traits that I see a lot of probably because the writer can’t figure out how to keep the main character blind to the obvious but it’s really annoying.

[@johnpavon799]

How many best seller have you taken on?

[@alihormann7743]

Cannot wait to send a query letter your way!

[@adisuyash]

Good luck 🍀

[@jeromemalenfant6622]

So, my 'cozy mystery', which I assumed was a cozy since it has an amateur sleuth, (a small-town, male defense lawyer), but with 13 murders, two suicides, 4 attempted murders, a little non-consensual sex, no cats, no bakeries, no woman sleuths, no women who run bakeries while solving murders on the side, is NOT a cozy?

[@jasonchristianwriter866]

Thanks for the videos. I'm finding them very insightful.

[@margaretelyse]

When an agent say he or she only accepts queries from people she met at conferences or referrals, what about Covid lockdown? What about disabled writers? What if you are unlucky enough not to know anyone who can refer you? Seems like writers may need an agent to obtain an agent.

[@ShorkGamer]

Nice Talk!

[@one_smol_duck]

In the beginning of this video, there's a bit of discussion about moving away from the term "voice." It kind of sounds as if the term has become problematic -- if I'm interpreting that correctly can anyone explain to me why that is? Google isn't turning up anything helpful. The only thing I can think of is that it could be a bit of a racist dog-whistle, with "I didn't connect to the voice" perhaps translating to "this sounds too black." But even then, it doesn't seem like the word "voice" is really the issue here. I realize this is a bit of an older video, I'm just curious.

[@johndavids4780]

10 things agents today are looking for in books today. Dwarves, elves, gnomes, werewolves, vampires, handsome prince who is a disappointment to his father the king, a medieval kingdom on an imaginary world, unicorns, witches and a teenage girl in assassin school. It also needs an amorphous demon who disappears in a cloud of black smoke. No fairies! They are so last year. It also helps if the captain of the king's guard is gay.

[@thatnikkiyouknow]

Is it still possible to land an offer of representation without a first draft if the plot and characters and setting is detailed and compelling? Is it common?

[@rupertgrech7097]

Seems to me and in my experience, it is less about the quality of the writing and more about celebrity and social media following. Writing quality is secondary to reputation and following.

[@BookEndsLiterary]

We respectfully disagree

[@1ktales]

The sound balancing absolutely killed me. Jessica's mic would just spike like at times. It most often seems to happen when she goes to laugh, which can be absolutely deafening.

[@BookEndsLiterary]

These were our early pandemic videos, when we were adjusting to zoom. We believe this is no longer an issue?

[@cherinetawfik824]

Please more Picture Books videos Thank you Cherine Tawfik From Egypt 🇪🇬

[@riiraa881]

'Telling, not showing?'. I thought it was the other way around. 'Show, don't tell.'

[@MarciaMatthews]

Filed under Writing

[@thegrandpencil4374]

They should really only look for one thing: great writing.

[@Rockblue01]

3:25....James yawned again! :D

[@danohanlon8316]

1. Plot, character, dialogue, setting, mystery, suspense, horror, etc.-these are things that pertain to fiction only. As a non-fiction writer, your video compels me to point out how much you got the title wrong. Though partial, “book” is not synonymous with “fiction.” Had you entitled it, “10 Things Lit Agents look for in a *Novel,* perhaps I would not have invested twenty-five precious minutes in the vain hope that non-fiction writers would not be yet again regarded as was Cinderella before the pumpkin showed up: completely ignored. (Alas….) The closest you came to discussing non-fiction was in the word, “hook.” I repeat. “Book” does not necessarily mean “novel.” 2. (Words to the wise at Bookends): Do you know the agents images on your website are all mixed up? Also, there’s this: One of your agent’s (Emily Forney’s) page reports, “She … is focused primarily on non-fiction….” And a few lines later, she says she is, “not a good fit for … non-fiction.” Now… if a prospective client had made those kinds of mistakes….

[@BookEndsLiterary]

Hi! While there are some points in the video directed at fiction (plot, setting, characters), most of the points would stand for non-fiction, especially those in the latter half :) It appears to me that all of the correct headshots are lined up with the right names on the Agency and Submission pages on our website - if you would like to further describe what you are seeing, we would appreciate that! And as for Emily, her page says that in picture books specifically she is focused primarily on non-fiction, but in adult she is not a good fit for non-fiction. Hope this clears that issue up!

[@lindadiggen9973]

How marketable is a book with a Christian character it is not the main character. I believe my story Getting What You Want meets your requirements. For the hook I can picture an abandon haunted looking farm house and a creature shaped like a chubby inch worm rainbow colored with a confusing smile is it the cat expression in Alice in Wonderland, the Mona Lisa well either way it is one strange looking child's toy. That could be the cover. The back cover could ask What would you wish for if you could wish for anything? Only catch is you have to give up one day of your life and the wish granter has to deem it worthy. Hope I sparked your enthusiasm and would like to represent my story.

[@SuperDoggy99]

Can someone explain why nearly every story I see these days is written in first-person, present tense? My own theory has to do with young writers finding third-person too impersonal and/or unbelievable because they are part of the "voyeur generation" that grew up with on demand television, internet narratives, and video games; third-person defines every bit of their entertainment consumption. They need writing/books to offer something different, in a profound way.

[@dsa513]

I heard that YA is present tense. But other forms of literature use past tense (lit for adults). Think of Dickens (It was the best of times...)

[@johnpavon799]

Who does SciFi Fiction?

[@ninarose3998]

There is some good advice here, but I find it hard to listen to you two. What exactly does "the emotional arcs of things" mean? I do know that characters have arcs. You talk about plot twists as if the term refers to anything other than the direction of the main plot of the book. A developing relationship between characters, or a character plot growth arc, are not twists. "That felt real profound"...? If you read a lot, as you say, it doesn't show much. Sorry if it offends, but it really burns me that anybody can become an agent and stand at the gates, holding back individuals who are more talented and intelligent than themselves from a meaningful career. Just look at the long list of great authors who have been repeatedly turned away, the most well known case being that of J.K. Rowling. Why do agents get to have this power over creative people? "You have a standard... of how you want to be rewarded by the end of the book." First, you're not explaining this standard well at all, which throws doubt on your abilities in my eyes. Second, how can you possibly tell anything about the promises the author makes regarding the story, and the fulfillment of those promises, from the first 5 pages of a book? Yet this seems to be the typical sample size, based upon which thousands of agents reject thousands of books. All of that being said, self-publishing is not for the faint of heart, either. Trying to market enough to get noticed is so difficult it's nearly impossible (unless you have plenty of money), and Amazon keeps drawing the noose tighter, making it harder and harder to get anywhere. In both types of publishing, it seems to come down to a popularity contest, as someone else here mentioned. Oh, for the good old days before the 90s... it's not a great time to be an author these days.

[@robertcoyle1532]

If you don't think you want an agent---why don't you just submit directly to the major publishers?

[@johnpavon799]

I find the whole book agents is poor process I have tried them all all to no avail? Even one of the Big Five publisher wrote a good review which is actually put on the back page still unable to get an agent? My publisher not one of the Big Five has recently given the book a gold seal!-The Gold Seal of Literary Excellence is a proof of support for your book with superior literary work. Gold Seal of Literary Excellence gives you the chance to have your work stand out from other titles. It acts as an immediate reference for traditional publishers, movie producers, book investors, library directors or readers in choosing their next literary experience. Your book cover will have a Gold Seal stamp, distinguishing it from other published books.

[@stevenlloyd39]

I feel sorry for new writers taking advice from armature writers. Newbies need to visit this page.

[@isobelcarson2218]

Jessica why do you interject before James finishes his comments. Let him speak.

[@taniabrassey3247]

I agree with that! You are a terrible interrupter. Annoying habit! But thanks for useful info. Nothing truly groundbreaking though? From a writer in UK.

[@JenniferHashmi]

They shouldn't be looking for anything! They are supposed to be seeing what is being offered.

[@raintreepictures6527]

This is total Bull Crap. Agents don't read queries, they have people to do this. And the only things they read are established writers or the author knows someone high up in the literary business. Eliminate the agent because there are a few self-publishing company's that are really good. It's a gamble but you never know!

[@BookEndsLiterary]

Please don't speak for BookEnds. Every agent hear reads and responds to their own queries. "It's a gamble but you never know!" is not sound advice for writers trying to make a career out of their writing.

[@raintreepictures6527]

@@BookEndsLiterary I apologize I offended but I was just going on past experience with hundreds of literary agents who send out form rejection letters. Who I know don't read manuscript. Sorry again.

[@PermaPen]

You realise how much of a trick you're missing by not engaging with your commenters? Makes you seem remote, uninterested, incurious.

[@JaeStories87]

I've seen them reply to comments many times before. 🤨

[@BookEndsLiterary]

We're sorry to hear that, as we do reply to our commenters often.

[@PermaPen]

@@BookEndsLiterary KZbin's algorithm likes engagement, so it's in your interests to do more. The more you respond, the more comments you'll get, the higher in the rankings you'll get. The standard seems to be to stick around for an hour after posting the video, responding as much as possible.

[@JaeStories87]

@@PermaPen - They're not regular Authortube vloggers. They're a business uploading industry vlogs on the side as a free resource for writers. I don't think they're very much concerned by the algorithms...

[@PermaPen]

@@JaeStories87 They're a business trying to attract high-quality clients. They're on a platform that depends on engagement. If they're going to expend effort on it they may as well get the best results they can. But sure, they can do all this as they like.

[@nunziobusiness1509]

Wow.. fastest rejection ever from Jessica, holy shit. I am sitting on a novel that is more riveting than anything Clancy has written, with a more interesting story. Sorry the writing wasn't PhD-level, but I deliberately wrote it in a way that the words wouldn't become a hindrance to the story, if that makes any sense. Page-turners don't work when you get hung up on gratuitous phrase-turning and unrealistic dialogue. I wrote it to be a money-maker. Working on the screenplay now. Then comes the sequel. Should be even better.

[@user83c9f49]

I don't have to read it to know it's bad. I can tell by your egotistical statement. Good writers are never this pompous.

[@nunziobusiness1509]

@@user83c9f49 "I can tell"... doesn't get much more egotistical than that, does it?

[@MichaelAlperstein]

If your query letter had anything remotely like what you said about being more riveting than Clancy, that would be an automatic reject. Perhaps it's your query letter and not the book? Have you gotten critique partners and learned the art of writing queries?

[@nunziobusiness1509]

@@MichaelAlperstein I didn't know novels were judged by the artfulness of the query letter. Maybe we should judge dance competitions by the outfits? And no, I am not pretentious enough to say something like that, but I have received enough rejections that I feel I am a bit qualified to comment on how flawed this system is. Enough people have read the novel to let me know that a) they could not put it down, and b) they want a sequel. Pretty good praise for any work, no? The only criticism has been of the scientific complexity of a couple scenes, which I somewhat agreed could be abridged and dumbed down further, for lack of a better term. I realize not everyone is schooled in sciences. I am not above rewriting scenes based on sound advice, or allowing an agent to steer a possible career, but to flatly reject something based on some stupid custom whereby an agent looks for a reason to reject it based on something wholly unrelated to the work being pitched... Does nobody READ anything anymore? There's a LOT of utter shit out there getting published. Oh, but the query letter was GREAT. I wrote this book with the intention of having it optioned. It would make an excellent action film. I used Crichton's formula somewhat, as he wrote with that in mind (having come from screenwriting and directing). I've started adapting it, actually, and have worked with a Director on a few local shoots who will get a copy when I'm done. I have a feeling the movie might come first. Either way, there's money to be made.

[@MichaelAlperstein]

@@nunziobusiness1509 I hear you. I don't like the system either. But if you want agents and large publishing houses to take you seriously there are a ton of unwritten rules to follow. And if you don't want to follow the rules that's perfectly fine. but I think the chances are extremely low they will take you seriously. Self-publishing might be the way to go. Then it will just spread by word of mouth.