Help Please! Proposal Question v2

[BrianY]

I'm reporting directly from a writers conference (my 2nd in a month) where you get to hear agent and editor responses to pitches and proposals and I'm noticing one thing: no matter how much an an agent/editor/publisher likes a pitch, they conclude by requesting a submission by form. (usually Query Tracker, but sometimes the recipients own site) There is clearly some art to this, but I'm at a loss to figure out what it is.

The unspoken subtext was "If you really believe I'd love your book enough to take it to market, why can't you complete this simple task?"

I was fully prepared to share proposal PDF's, but there were no takers. Indeed, at the agent meetings I attended this morning, you weren't permitted to leave anything other than a business card. No sales sheets, summaries, resumes, or even big business cards. Just fill out the form - I heard it repeated over and over again.

There is clearly some art in the way you approach these forms, but what is it? What traps are set for us here?

I've asked before, but it seems like this is becoming more pervasive.

 

[Claire G]

I'm reporting directly from a writers conference (my 2nd in a month) where you get to hear agent and editor responses to pitches and proposals and I'm noticing one thing: no matter how much an an agent/editor/publisher likes a pitch, they conclude by requesting a submission by form. (usually Query Tracker, but sometimes the recipients own site) There is clearly some art to this, but I'm at a loss to figure out what it is.

The unspoken subtext was "If you really believe I'd love your book enough to take it to market, why can't you complete this simple task?"

I was fully prepared to share proposal PDF's, but there were no takers. Indeed, at the agent meetings I attended this morning, you weren't permitted to leave anything other than a business card. No sales sheets, summaries, resumes, or even big business cards. Just fill out the form - I heard it repeated over and over again.

There is clearly some art in the way you approach these forms, but what is it? What traps are set for us here?

I've asked before, but it seems like this is becoming more pervasive.

It's the modern way I suppose. Why do you suspect a trap?

 

[RK Wallis]

@BrianY

It's no trap. I've completed hundreds of Querytracker forms over a number of projects (and I worship Querytracker. It really takes away the stress of keeping a record of which agent I've queried).

But on the form, there's a question asking whether the agent met you at a conference. If you answer yes (or whatever the question asks) my impression is that will catch an agent's attention quicker than someone like me who leaves it blank. Make sense?

I'm sure agents are just trying to streamline the process.

Good luck!
Rachel

 

[BrianY]

Thanks for your answers. I'm noticing that the proposal process is becoming more and more restricted. With these forms, it's no longer possible to include graphics or show your recipe formatting skills. A "trap?" Not really, needing a different sort of response to these new questions and info boxes, absolutely.

 

[RK Wallis]

Thanks for your answers. I'm noticing that the proposal process is becoming more and more restricted. With these forms, it's no longer possible to include graphics or show your recipe formatting skills. A "trap?" Not really, needing a different sort of response to these new questions and info boxes, absolutely.

I don't know. If you look down the bottom of the form, there's an option to attach Graphics. I haven't paid great attention to it, but I'd be inclined to attach what you want there, regardless of the wording they use.

 

[BrianY]

RK, so far, that's only worked with URL's. In the future, I'll create special content for that purpose. I came up flatfooted this time, but not next time.

 

[anaximander]

The query form is probably a filter. A printout disappears. Something in a database still exists after a few months.

 

[BrianY]

So the question becomes "how can we best fill those empty boxes and attract the attention of the recipient?"