I wrote The Scream Series to highlight experiences I’ve had over the years that frustrate the bejabbers out of me…and it’s not because I’m being put out (well okay, that’s part of it), but because authors are adversely affected (which I think is criminal). Be it through an author’s own lack of understanding or someone else who screws up the publishing works; it’s important for authors to know the pitfalls and downfalls. I want authors to be successful. Let the screaming begin:
Scream #5 – The Neverending Query
Just because queries are done via email these days doesn’t mean authors aren’t tasked with brevity. I don’t need to read about how clever you find our submission guidelines; how much you enjoy our blog (thank you, though!) and how much you’ve learned from it; or that you’re a perfectionist.
Bless your heart…but I’m less than entertained because none of this gets me closer to finding out what your story is about.
I’m more than willing to read a pitch that’s about three to-the-point paragraphs. A query isn’t the place for details of “I did this, then I did that” that yammers on for twenty paragraphs It’s a pitch, meant to entice an acquiring editor to ask for pages. The neverending query makes my eyes glaze over. And yes, I want to scream.
