5 Stages of Querying

I saw a really interesting online article last night at Writer's Digest called The 5 Stages of Querying. While the author admits they are not all encompassing, she listed them as: Conceit, Fear, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. The author also included helpful methods for dealing with each.

When I sent out my first queries for my first novel, FIGHTING CHAOS, I was certainly in the first stage. I thought the novel was brilliant and a smart agent would see that. And I was surprised that the first agent I queried rejected me via e-mail in under 15 minutes, which, by the way, remains my record rejection response time.

But as my writing improved, as did my knowledge and understanding of the publishing industry, I came to understand why the query and the book never made it anywhere. The story is still interesting, I think, but both the storytelling and the writing are seriously flawed. It reads like it was written by an amateur, which it was. Some of my favorite parts of the book are the oldest and if I ever totally re-write the novel again -- it has gone through seven drafts -- they will be the first to go, never to be seen again.

I'm not ready for that yet. I still love those parts.

As I have grown, conceit generally hasn't been the problem. Of the five, I battle depression in the form of intense anxiety. I try to accept what might comes next when I send out material but the expectation of a positive outcome generally overtakes me. And if I let the expectations of a negative outcome overtake me, I begin to hesitate sending out more queries or requested material.

The article helped, however. And I always remain hopeful and optimistic over time. Sooner or later, something is going to happen. And until then, I will plan my next steps and work on my next novel (which I haven't titled yet, in case you were wondering).

So, carry on, as will I.

And thanks for reading.