The #1 querying mistake isn't what you think 😮

The biggest querying mistake most authors make isn’t what you think.

Hi authors,

Tomorrow’s the day I’ve been waiting for for nearly two years: The Modern Guide to Querying Literary Agents is officially out on the shelves!

To celebrate, my co-author Patrick McDonald (of QueryTracker) and I are officially declaring this Query Prep Week.

Every day this week, you’ll get one of our key querying tips, along with a mini assignment to get you query-ready. By Friday, you’ll be ready to draft a query letter that gets requests.

Your first querying lesson

Today, we’re starting with one of the most difficult, but critical questions querying authors ask us:

“How do I know if I’m ready to query?”

Because the most common querying mistake isn’t…

❌ Querying at the wrong time of year (it really doesn’t matter as much as you think)

❌ Misspelling an agent’s name (try not to, but it happens!)

❌ Choosing the wrong title (agents know titles often change)

❌ Not having publications in your bio

…it’s querying too soon. Before your book is actually ready.

Your Day 1 assignment (from the book)

Check whether your manuscript is truly query-ready by honestly answering:

✅ Is your manuscript (or nonfiction proposal) complete?

✅ Is it an appropriate length for the genre?

✅ Have you gotten constructive feedback?

✅ Have you revised substantially?

✅ Are you confident in the strength of this draft?

You typically only get one shot to pitch an agent your book, which means you need to put the best possible version in front of them. But as an editor, I’ve seen countless writers get hung up on their comp titles, their title, or other relatively small details, when what will really make the difference is working more on their draft.

Don’t query too soon. It’s always worth it to put in extra time to ensure your manuscript is the strongest you can make it.

Last chance to grab your freebies!

If you order your copy of The Modern Guide to Querying Literary Agents TODAY, you’ll get my exclusive fiction and nonfiction query letter templates.

Once you’ve ordered, submit the details here to claim your freebies.

I’ll be back in your inbox tomorrow for Query Prep Week Day 2 — where we’ll talk about how to make your book sound irresistible.

Happy querying!

Alyssa