Posted by LenKJ on June 16, 2007 at 11:43:19:
In Reply to: How to get an agent for my novel posted by JenJ on June 14, 2007 at 14:27:42:
: I'm seeing a lot of ideas about getting an agent on this forum and I get the idea that literary agents are overwhelemed with queries first-time novelists. I've seen a lot of sites that say it all depends on your query letter. But I've sent out some queries but haven't got ANY responses. What am I doing wrong?
Does that mean you are not getting ANY responses, or only form letter responses?
But either way, from what I've read, there is no one answer to this question. Queries can be too long, too, quirky, or too boring. Or they can be doing a good job of describing your novel and no agents are interested. There are plenty of sites on the internet with advice about how to write a query letter. Check them out. They generally say keep it short and to the point. And make sure you include a brief bio about yourself, being sure to mention any writing experience you have, even classes you've taken or writing workshops you've attended. Agents may find your subject interesting but they are so overwhelmed these days, they have to also be convinced you can write well.
HOWEVER, if you are not getting any replies AT ALL (no form-letter rejections), it might mean your query is not getting read. The bigger agents have interns to sift through queries, but smaller agents might not. They may simply not have had time yet to read yours. The worst scenerio is that it will never get read. But there is an upside to that: it means you didn't get rejected. Keep trying.