McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft

Query Before Completed MS?

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pj:
I came here because I've just got into the Dresden books, after the show, and having them on my reading list for too long a time.  And here I find all this great 'writing' talk too.

I'm about to embark on the great agent search myself.  And I think the advice given above is sound.  I've been polishing the completed manuscripts I have so that those first 50 pages shine.  Hopefully the rest of the pages shine also, but it's worth taking extra care with the first 50.

And I also heard the five agents at a time is the best method.  I came across a site that has a good agent listing, so I've been scouring that for the last week or so doing my research.

Crossing my fingers for some good responses.

PJ

blgarver:
Good luck PJ, and welcome to our little club!

It's a good time here, and along with all the Dresden and Butcher talk, you can find some awesome writing info.

I'm still a long way off myself from starting the agent search.  I haven't even tested that water.  I'm just trying to drag my ass through my first novel so I can get it polished, plus I'm doing Nano...so yeah, it's going to be a little bit.  But, all I have to do is keep pounding the keys, right?

Dom:
People already said what I was thinking, so I'll reinforce it...don't bother submitting a query without a finished manuscript until you're a well established author with a career that lets publishers know you're for real.  Anyone can write a few-paragraphs query.  Few can finish a good manuscript.  And yes, just by reading the works of some massively popular authors (Anne Rice, Laurell K. Hamilton) you can become popular enough that whatever you write will be bought and published, even if the quality isn't as good as their previous stuff.  But it's about as common as becoming massively popular is...ie, only a small percent get to that point.

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