🙌 sharing my successful query letter + tips & strategies

[@PsychOnlineAldrian]

Last time I queried: 0 publications under my belt. This time: 2 short stories, 1 flash, 1 short story reprint, HWA member, ran a writing group. Thank you for sharing your journey in all its glory 🎉🎉🎉 Resilience!

[@lynndjung]

incredible!! tysm for commenting and sharing bits of your own journey as well :)

[@KrisMF]

queen eunice 😭😭😭 she is a trove of publishing knowledge!!! your "connective tissue" note is so important and is one of the things i notice the most when i'm beta reading queries!

[@lynndjung]

she's the BEST. i'm so glad you agree re: connective tissue!! you have such stellar insights on query letters tbh

[@BriannaCollins-m2t]

would love a video on synposis writing!

[@lynndjung]

Absolutely - I'll add it to my agenda!

[@lexiewritesfortheGods]

❄️ this was such an informative video! I'm nowhere near querying (I'm a young writer on the first draft of my sci-fi novel) but i loved every second of it. happy new year!

[@lynndjung]

thank you so much for watching, and happy new year! good luck with your first draft as well :)

[@emmandres]

oh what i thought it was a coincidence until i clicked the link. eunice kim is my writing mentor too! yes she's amazing and so helpful, sage advice is exactly the term id use to describe her words of wisdom 💗

[@nataliejaneshields]

LYNN! This video is packed with such helpful information! ❄ Your query letter was gorgeously written (which I had no doubt would be the case) and on behalf of everyone I'd like to say THANK YOU for being our publishing info big sister 🫶

[@lynndjung]

Thank you so much Natalie!! I'm so glad that my videos and info are helpful

[@prettyspectrum6371]

It's so nice hearing your voice! I saw another one of your videos was also dub and became so dissapointed thinking "man, i wish i could watch that". Now i can comfortably binge your channel 😊

[@lynndjung]

i'm so glad! i turned off the autodub feature so hopefully it won't happen again in the future.

[@renplatts]

your videos make me so excited and enthused to keep writing and the next part of my journey !!! happy new year Lynn ❄

[@CheyenneSedai]

Please make a synopsis video! Also, finally getting the full plot pitch for Moths beyond vibes is making me even more excited.

[@lynndjung]

I absolutely will in the future! I'm so glad, I was a bit nervous to share at first but this project truly is so close to my heart.

[@lailapapas3111]

As someone who wants to query in the future, nothing is more helpful than seeing what succeeded so I can replicate what worked! Thank you so much for this!! I would love a video on the synopsis since I like many others struggle with it so badly

[@briellewrites]

This is so helpful for all writers tbh!!!! Thank you for posting this 💗

[@lynndjung]

thank you brielle!!

[@kelleyiswriting]

omg eunice!! thanks for sharing all these tips honestly this is *gold* information. i can see how you're an amazing teacher i love the way you explain things

[@lynndjung]

AHH thank you so much kelley!! i'm also here always if you ever need support for your querying journey!!

[@gabbygabbygabbyoioioi]

I do think it’s amazing to share this. I do also think that with this particular querying case with you getting the agent through referral that it’s more about you having written a darn good book (rather than a focus on your submissions package) and having cultivated a solid writing community that led to a referral as I figure with a referral your query letter is given a tiny bit more leeway with the agent you signed with (not leeway with the book of course! You had to write a great book!). I think a referral is much more than a tiny advantage (as you can query agents who are closed with a referral, you can have your materials looked over faster with a referral with a number of agents, there’s automatically a subconscious, bolstered view that you are more of a professional writer than most of the query pile because you have a direct connection to a client they love and work with). I think the tips are helpful! I think the line of a referral being a tiny advantage felt off to me is all. Your submissions package is attempting to get the agent to just look at your pages and I think referrals usually get the agent to do so from the beginning (or-at least-be way, way, way more inclined to do so otherwise). Though of course at the end of it, we have to write a great book and one they think they can sell. So congrats on doing that 1000%! ❄️

[@lynndjung]

This is a very fair and astute assessment, and I apologize if my mentioning of the referral sounded dismissive in any way-it was definitely an extra leg up in terms of being considered by that agent, and I am so grateful to have had that opportunity. That being said, I personally think that the fact I've had representation before served as a 'bigger' factor if that makes sense! The reason that I say that is because I only had a referral for one of the offering agents-there were several others who I had cold queried who still ended up offering rep. So I'd like to think that my submission package (& my experience of having rep before) were an asset for those inboxes! Thank you for watching!

[@Lara_Ameen]

Wow, Lynn! You have a really solid query letter! Thank you for sharing it with us! Wasn’t one of your other comps STARLING HOUSE? Such a great novel and it would definitely be a more recent comp. I LOVE a good dark academia contemporary fantasy! Some editor better snap it right up! 😍 I didn’t realize you knew Eunice until I saw your testimonial on her website! How cool! We were both mentors for Round Table Mentor last year and I think we’re both doing it again this year. She’s so sweet. I’ve been reading a ton of query letters myself for RTM, so at least I know what to look for when helping my writer friends now. Been querying (this is my second time-my other project I queried both literary agents and small presses for 4 years) for 6 months now and have sent 65 queries (so far). I’m in one of those weird positions where I’ve been traditionally published in an anthology (almost twice?) but not agented yet. But I’ve literally signed my book in bookstores. And the anthology won an award. I also have a bunch of other short story publications, so my bio is solid. Hopefully I can secure an agent this year! I really wish screenwriting was like this! I feel like my PhD dissertation novel has a better chance than the script it was based on. You once asked me about my adaptations. And yes, my scripts go through many, many drafts before I even think about trying to adapt them. My PhD dissertation script had 10 drafts (but 12 drafts total) before I started writing the novel adaptation and the novel adaptation has 6 drafts. I’m querying the 6th draft. Selfishly, I hope this is the novel that gets me an agent! 🤞 For my YA horror novel adaptation, I’m still in first draft stage, but the pilot script it’s based on has 5 drafts (so far-that could change, though!). This one is a looser adaptation, though, and the script is Adult while the novel is YA (MC is 42 in the script, but 18 in the novel). So, a lot of the characters have been aged down, but the concept is the same. We’ll see how it goes. I’ve gotten back to writing, finally, as of a few days ago, but I’ve only revised 3 short stories (1 longer piece, 2 flash/micro pieces)-haven’t started drafting the novel again yet. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with querying! I would love to see a synopsis video, too. Pretty please! 🥹

[@lynndjung]

Thank you so much, Lara! STARLING HOUSE was one of my initial comp titles and I did end up using it a few times, but it was more of a 'vibes' comp tbh. Although it is a fantastic book! That's amazing! It's such a small world, and I love how everyone seems to know Eunice somehow. She's the best! I hope this is the draft that gets you an agent as well-you have such an impressive resume that tbh I can't believe you haven't signed already! And I will absolutely work on a synopsis video. Thank you for watching and for your support, as always!

[@emilyhthompson]

Really loved this one, Lynn! ❄️ Still in the thick of drafting, but the querying process fascinates me. I fell into a tiktok rabbit hole on the subject last year and have been hooked ever since. Thank you for sharing your letter, industry insights, and tips for navigating the process!

[@lynndjung]

thank you so much! it is such a stressful process, but honestly I'm fascinated by it as well. best of luck with your drafting endeavours!!

[@emilyhthompson]

@ Thank you!! I'm excited to see how project moths develops this year as well! The pitch is 👌🏻

[@CaeliFaye]

thank you for making this video!! your query letter makes me sooo excited for your book❤ these tips are great, i’m going to be referencing this video as i query :) ❄️

[@lynndjung]

ty for watching!! omg yes, i hope that the video continues to be helpful through your querying journey

[@awritingdai]

❄️ thank you for this video Lynn! Lots of helpful tips! I’m bookmarking to hopefully use in Q2 or Q3 🤞🏽🤞🏽

[@lynndjung]

of course, i'm glad you found them helpful! best of luck!!

[@AriBPK]

lynn, your query letter is amazing! thank you so much for sharing this, it's so helpful to see a successful query 💕

[@lynndjung]

thank you ari!! i'm so glad it's a helpful example!

[@CheyenneSedai]

OMG! I'm hyped for this video the second I saw it.

[@kingstonredmond3720]

That’s a very cool letter. Great job on the video Lynn.

[@Ilovechickpeas]

Such an informative video! I'm still working on my manuscript but I hope I will be ready to query later this year!

[@writewithjoy]

❄️ I love this so much, even though I’m honestly nowhere near querying 🫶 I’m halfway through my first draft! I haven’t decided whether I would like to pursue traditional publishing or self-publishing, to be honest. I keep waffling back and forth! But I suppose the first step is to just write the book, so that remains my primary focus.

[@lynndjung]

ahh thank you so much, Joy! Whatever path you choose, I am so, so excited for your journey and the stories you have to share with the world

[@ByJasmineDayton]

This was such a helpful guide thank you so much for sharing your experience! It's making me think about my stories conflicts and I'm thinking to myself I might have too many conflicts and will need to focus on one 😂

[@lynndjung]

thank you for watching!! haha i love 'too many' conflicts in stories tbh, but yes for the purposes of a query definitely pick out your main internal + external conflict and focus on those!

[@scarlettdownsiswriting]

This was so helpful thanks Lynn !!!!!!!! ❄️

[@temporalloop]

still writing the first draft of what i think is an unpublishable standalone fantasy lol but i've been trying to understand how western tradpub works & just recently building my agent list, so this video is really helpful!! thank you for sharing your query letter & hoping to get Moths in my hands someday 🧡❄

[@GrimReader]

Congrats currently fighting the never ending fight of getting an agent

[@bloop7863]

I'm on draft 3/4 (a little sick of my book now lol), and am hoping to query in half a year, thanks for this vid!

[@excusemeyourock]

this was a really fun video! I honestly always love reading queries LOL they're so much fun hehe also a cozy fantasy book with the Great British Bakeoff with fairies and enemies to lovers would just be so much fun LOL I keep dreaming up sillier and sillier ideas of it😂

[@sunshinegirlonbeach1993]

Wonderful to learn about Eunice Kim❤

[@lynndjung]

She's a wonderful person!

[@fallabeaufaebelle]

thanks so much for sharing this info!

[@cassythetree]

Very much interested in a video about writing a synopsis.

[@blairewilde]

❄This was such a helpful video! I'm only at what I'd consider to be the halfway point of writing my book, but I'm saving this video to look back to when I'm beginning to querying process!! I do have a quick question - if I have a writing KZbin channel but only have a little over 500 subscribers, would agents still want me to mention that? Of course, I won't be querying for a couple more months so that number may change. Thank you for all your advice!

[@NonAnonD]

I agree that those factors might contribute to the query being responded to but it’s not gonna make an agent offer rep. That was all your manuscript.

[@blue7146]

Haven’t watched the full video yet but just wanted to ask for future reference is anyone getting this video fully dubbed in Portuguese and is very confused?

[@Man-ej6uv]

i've heard this happening with a bunch of languages- it doesn't happen on the site but yeah it's annoying for some

[@ChancellorMarko]

I don't really think my last novel was good (or marketable) enough to publish. But I guess there's no harm in querying just for the experience and learning what agents/publishers are available.❄️

[@Reagan-zi2fi]

For comp titles, is it fine to comp a series that the first book was published 7 years ago, but the series is ongoing, so obviously the last books haven’t been published more than 5 years ago?

[@lynndjung]

I would say yes, but also look for a secondary comp that's a little more recent if you can! Most of the 'rules' around comps are flexible tbh.

[@BooTownBeats]

❄❄❄

[@kiffthewriter]

You share the same last name as my favorite psychoanalyst. Luv et

[@tata11kai22]

Spelled the same, but not pronounced the same, just so you know. Carl Jung is Carl "Yung." The Korean Jung is, well, Jung with a "j" sound.

[@ancientsound]

❄!!

[@girlypopgay]

Please do a synopses video 🥹

[@sarazellewrites]

❄️❄️

[@briellewrites]

❄️ ❄️❄️

[@Dunderkim]

As always relished your great journals. Duly appreciate your sharing, 근데 구독 시작한지 1년이 넘었는데 여태 Hongkong이나 Taiwan 쪽 인 줄 알았어요 ㄷㄷㄷ, Abruptly 'Korean-american'? 왓??? ^^

[@tata11kai22]

아니 Jung은 정씨인데 뭔 말임?? 한국사람이죠 ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

[@Dunderkim]

@@tata11kai22 아.. Jung이 한국 "정"씨 이었군요. 광둥어나, 다른 아시아 권 사운드 인 줄 알았네요.

[@kc-jm3cd]

❄ informative

[@feelswriter]

❄️

[@prettyspectrum6371]

This all really seems so interesting and educative but the AI voice dubbing is so awful! I cant really watch with it.

[@lynndjung]

hey thank you for bringing this to my attention - it seems that yo/utube is automatically dubbing my videos in various languages using ai. i did not turn on this feature or get asked about it in any way.

[@prettyspectrum6371]

@lynndjung Yeah, this awfull feature is turned on automatically, a lot of KZbinrs don't even realize this so I don't blame you. I blame KZbin and Google that don't realize multilingual people exist. I much rather hear ur real voice rather than a robot. Your the 2 KZbin I follow have this problem and I also think the other one didn't want this to happen. The only one that can turn this off is the KZbinr that posted. By going on KZbin studio and disabling it. (You can find tutorials on how to do it) it's really frustrating

[@isaacriggs4656]

You being a non-white woman had nothing to do with it. Of course not.

[@mina352]

Try taking that energy and use it to be a better writer instead 💀

[@Alex10269]

❄❄❄❄