The numbers are the part worth sitting with: about a thousand queries a month against three to five new clients a year. With that gap, fit does most of the filtering, so it may be worth checking what an agent represents and has sold before spending another week on query wording.
Addressing the psychological crash that hits authors right after their debut launch is talking about one of the darkest industry secrets Alyssa. With fifteen years directing a publishing house and collaborating with NYT bestselling authors, I watched so many debut novelists completely freeze up in despair because they expected fireworks and personal transformation on publication day, only to be met with dead silence on teh page of their careers once the initial party ended.
What gripped me most in your discussion with Mary is her uncompromising candor about query numbers versus reality. Hearing that an established agent fielding nearly a thousand queries a month signs only three to five clients a year is sobering medicine every aspiring writer needs to swallow. Her insight that authors waste energy agonizing over single typos instead of clarifying where their story sits on the retail shelf cuts right to the commercial core of this trade.
Where the interview leaves a slight gap is detailing the practical bridge between finishing one campaign and surviving the debut slump. Advising authors to simply fall in love with the next manuscript is the correct diagnosis, but when an author is exhausted from months of marketing and promotional anxiety, jumping straight into a blank draft can trigger immediate burnout. Offering a concrete tactic on how to transition creatively, such as taking a month to experiment with low-stakes short fiction before tackling another full novel, would give Marys advice even greater staying power.
I am notoriously selective with what I make time to study on Substack amidst my own demanding schedule, but your honest peek behind the editorial curtain earned my full attention. You are always welcome in my corner of Substack as well. When you work with debut authors facing that quiet post-launch valley, what is the best strategy you use to help them rediscover the pure joy of storytelling without obsessing over sales figures? :)
I've run into that "post let-down" issue more than once, both with published work and even with some short stories I was still shopping around. "Resting on one's laurels" and all that, but not in a triumphant way. More of a... "Well, what now?" kind of feeling. "I've done my best bit of writing here. What's next? How do I top it?"
And, what usually gets me out of it is to stop worrying about "topping" that story and just focus on writing the next one that's true to my characters and my voice.
Thank you for this, Alyssa, Mary! And also for the raw data there. Thousands of queries a month during open call months, with only around 3-5 new clients per year. That's... daunting, but not entirely unassailable. All the more reason to put forth our best work!
The numbers are the part worth sitting with: about a thousand queries a month against three to five new clients a year. With that gap, fit does most of the filtering, so it may be worth checking what an agent represents and has sold before spending another week on query wording.
Addressing the psychological crash that hits authors right after their debut launch is talking about one of the darkest industry secrets Alyssa. With fifteen years directing a publishing house and collaborating with NYT bestselling authors, I watched so many debut novelists completely freeze up in despair because they expected fireworks and personal transformation on publication day, only to be met with dead silence on teh page of their careers once the initial party ended.
What gripped me most in your discussion with Mary is her uncompromising candor about query numbers versus reality. Hearing that an established agent fielding nearly a thousand queries a month signs only three to five clients a year is sobering medicine every aspiring writer needs to swallow. Her insight that authors waste energy agonizing over single typos instead of clarifying where their story sits on the retail shelf cuts right to the commercial core of this trade.
Where the interview leaves a slight gap is detailing the practical bridge between finishing one campaign and surviving the debut slump. Advising authors to simply fall in love with the next manuscript is the correct diagnosis, but when an author is exhausted from months of marketing and promotional anxiety, jumping straight into a blank draft can trigger immediate burnout. Offering a concrete tactic on how to transition creatively, such as taking a month to experiment with low-stakes short fiction before tackling another full novel, would give Marys advice even greater staying power.
I am notoriously selective with what I make time to study on Substack amidst my own demanding schedule, but your honest peek behind the editorial curtain earned my full attention. You are always welcome in my corner of Substack as well. When you work with debut authors facing that quiet post-launch valley, what is the best strategy you use to help them rediscover the pure joy of storytelling without obsessing over sales figures? :)
I've run into that "post let-down" issue more than once, both with published work and even with some short stories I was still shopping around. "Resting on one's laurels" and all that, but not in a triumphant way. More of a... "Well, what now?" kind of feeling. "I've done my best bit of writing here. What's next? How do I top it?"
And, what usually gets me out of it is to stop worrying about "topping" that story and just focus on writing the next one that's true to my characters and my voice.
Thank you for this, Alyssa, Mary! And also for the raw data there. Thousands of queries a month during open call months, with only around 3-5 new clients per year. That's... daunting, but not entirely unassailable. All the more reason to put forth our best work!
That's such a great way to push past the "what now." Getting back to and sticking with your craft is one of the best ways to get past it.
Glad the numbers are useful, even if they are daunting!