McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
Query Before Completed MS?
blgarver:
I was wondering...
Do some writers query before they finish their manuscript, or even before they begin writing their manuscript? I think I read that on another board somewhere.
Just wondering, because I'd be freakin terrified to send anything out before I at least had a first draft. And I probably won't end up querying until I have a final MS (final as far as I'm concerned, anyway).
BLG
meg_evonne:
From what I hear, your instincts are correct. Wait until you have the MS complete AND make sure your first 90 pages are as perfect as possible. Sounds like its query-->then they hopefully will ask for 90 pages if interested -- followed by manuscript. Further suggestion was send out to five agents, if you get negs then redo your query and try another five etc. Good luck!
the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh:
--- Quote from: blgarver on November 05, 2007, 02:08:41 PM ---Do some writers query before they finish their manuscript, or even before they begin writing their manuscript? I think I read that on another board somewhere.
--- End quote ---
You can do it if you're an established writer whom publishers have some solid evidence are capable of finishing and turning in a publishable novel; there's no point in trying otherwise.
blgarver:
Okay, that clears it up. I guess I wouldn't be too worried if I was an agent and Stephen King sent me a query before he had a manuscript.
That brings up something else...
Do writers as established as King even have to query? Or is it pretty much a given that whatever they write will be bought?
It's sort of wierd to think that Stephen King or someone as successful would have to pitch and sell their idea every time.
the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh:
--- Quote from: blgarver on November 05, 2007, 05:59:46 PM ---Do writers as established as King even have to query? Or is it pretty much a given that whatever they write will be bought?
It's sort of wierd to think that Stephen King or someone as successful would have to pitch and sell their idea every time.
--- End quote ---
I don't honestly know; but if you read On Writing, it's clear that King wrote a lot of stuff when having serious drink/drugs problems that he now seems to regard as not very good, and there's no mention of him having any problem selling it. And there's no lack of examples of writers getting to a point where they appear to make enough that they can refuse to be edited and indulge themselves at the expense of whatever qualities made their books good to begin with - Anne Rice springs to mind.
I don't know that the world has room for more than a handful of such writers, though. It's certainly not the case for the average mid-list SF/F writer with half a dozen or so novels out and a couple of reasonably-major-but-not-Hugo awards, of whom I know a fair few.
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