Everything Plus One

I knew I had to be forgetting something yesterday. What list can end at 9?

It hit me as I massaged Brilliant Brunette shampoo into my hair today. Could that have had something to do with it?

Anyway...

10. Refer to your referrals. Referrals in query letters can be great, but don't think just because someone has endorsed your project, you're on the fast track to publication. Agents have to actually know the person who gave the referral, so give some context.

If Meg Cabot or Lee Child has told you to query Agent A with your project, context may not be necessary. However, if a lesser known author or someone the agent met in passing at a conference refers you, you should say as much.

"My friend, Name That Friend, author of Name That Book, met you at the Backspace Conference and said you're looking for paranormal YA projects. She thought you might really enjoy my book about..."

Also, quotes and blurbs aren't really necessary at this stage. Having them in your back pocket for the editor and committee at the publishing house is a good idea, though.

Happy Querying!