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PaperclipPerfector  6d ago (text post)   1712 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for January 4, 2026

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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So I'm trying to get my book published, and part of that process is trying to find someone to agent my [science fiction/fantasy] book by advertising it with a query letter. If the query letter gets an agent interested, the next step is for them to request my full manuscript-- but so far, I haven't had any luck getting agents to bite. Is anyone willing to read over my query letter and give me feedback? I'd love to get advice from anyone already involved in the publishing industry, but honestly if you've ever read the inside flap of a book before deciding whether to read it you have all the experience required to give me actionable advice

(I'll send the query letter via DM if anyone expresses interest. I don't want to post it publicly because my book is hopefully going to be associated with my real name and I don't want to link it with an account that reveals my power level lol.)

Might want to clarify if it’s a fictional or non-fictional book. The processes can be quite different.

Sounds like it’s fictional, given the potential of a full manuscript request instead of just a sample chapter or sample chapters.

How many agents have you tried? It’s like online dating (for men) or job-searching, radio silence is the norm. It’s entirely possible your query letter is fine.

It is fiction, will clarify in the OP. I submitted to 20 agents and got 15 form rejections. (The other 5 have been out for 100+ days so I'm not holding out hope.) I did deliberately submit to a lot of agents with high response rates, low response times, and concurrently low full request probabilities-- but surveying the querytracker statistics I still should have expected 2-3 full requests if my query was merely "average." Since I can't expect to get published unless I'm well above average, that's a pretty telling sign that I need to fix my shit.

Have you considered implying that your identity is trendier than it actually is? Any native American ancestors? Maybe use a neopronoun? You can stop using it later and if anyone objects, tell them you're fluid and they're a bigot.

TBH my ethnic identity is fairly trendy and also relevant to the book so I do mention it, but... I knowingly and deliberately wrote a book that catered to my interests at the expense of probable market reach. Within the constraints of having written something visibly created by a neoliberal catholic furry I'm still going to do my best to get published, but I don't think exploiting my ethnic identity is going to have much of an impact one way or the other.

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