IWSG 21 - To Query or Not To Query

Hared to believe that January is already over. Here we are with a new month and a new IWSG blog post.

If you've been around my blog enough you know that I am an Indie Author and proud.

When I started my author journey I never considered the 'traditional' route. I never thought about trying to get an agent and writing a synopsis or any of that. Part of it was because I knew that Fiendish was going to be a hard sell. The other part, well it started as a blog story so I'd already 'self published' it in a way so it felt right to just continue on when it became a book. As I worked on Not Broken, again going Indie was the only thing in my head. I planned a little better than I had with Fiendish, because it's all a learning process. I'm still figuring it out and trying to get better as a whole.

When I joined the chat group on Twitter last year, most of the women were talking about the query process. They were doing pitch events, and working to perfect their query letters and synopsis to submit to agents. I was the Indie Island as it were, and that was just fine. I got excited and nervous for them. I cheered them on as they made submissions and I learned from them through the process.

2018 I set goals again like I did in 2017. Nothing major and nothing that would add additional stress, but just things to hold me accountable. Something that isn't on that list is my decision to attempt the big Q.

Getting not so favorable reviews is one thing, but to submit your work to industry professionals and have them 'reject' you is a whole other ball game. Not only that, I'm not a patient person. The idea of jumping through hoops to prepare the query and synopsis, plus scower the web to find out what agents or publishers might work, all of it sounds like a ton of work. Not that going Indie is easy, but there's less waiting involved. I mean once you go through all that and do your submission, you could be waiting months, MONTHS, before they even respond. If they respond.

Why on earth would I want to put myself through that? Well, for the learning experience. Writing a query letter is a different mindset from writing a novel. Having to condense down, and pick out the highlights without giving it all away is a test of skill I've never put to use. The synopsis is yet another skillset and hell even making up pitches for contests on Twitter. All of it is a learning experience and in this business you should always be willing to learn and not cut yourself off to things.

With that thought in mind, I've decided to query this year. Not that I'm expecting anything to come of it, but I want the learning experience. I did my first ever Twitter pitch contest when IWSG hosted it last month. No likes, but really it was trying to narrow down 45k story into 280 characters. NOT EASY. LOL I'll be trying again next week for the one dedicated to romance.

I'm not looking to submit to agents, my attempt will be submit direct to publishers like Entangled, Carina, Limitless, and Evernight. Ones that are focused on the type of stories I write. The ladies of my CP group helped me figure out which ones might work. The project I'm submitting is my first novella, an erotic romance.

If by some major off chance I get accepted, then yay me. If not, then I continue on with my plan to build my Indie brand. Either way I move forward to check things off my short list of goals.

Not matter what, I'm excited to see what 2018 brings!


The Insecure Writer’s Support Group is a home for writers in all stages; from unpublished to bestsellers. Our goal is to offer assistance and guidance. We want to help writers overcome their insecurities, and by offering encouragement we are creating a community of support.

The awesome co-hosts for the February 7 post are  Stephen Tremp, Pat Garcia, Angela Wooldridge, Victoria Marie Lees, and Madeline Mora-Summonte!