I’m having absolutely no luck with agents. I’m pretty sure it’s because they don’t like my query letter. I don’t like it. If I could get them to read the first ten pages of the book, I’m sure they would want to read more. I’ve given the manuscript to some highly critical readers who like both the story and the characters. I don’t seem able to get an agent to spend the time to read any part of the manuscript.
I need a hook
Apparently, the key to getting anywhere in the publishing industry is having a good hook. As I understand it, a hook is a one-sentence blurb that excites the reader’s interest. I may know how to write fiction but have no idea how to create a grabby hook.
OK, I get it. Agents are inundated with thousands of manuscripts a year. Their job is to sell books to publishers. They are interested in finding books they can sell. As far as I can tell, they don’t want to put in the time to decide if a story is worth considering unless the author prepackages the marketing pitch in the query letter. It isn’t enough to write a novel, an author also has to develop the marketing strategy for it, along with the necessary sales materials. The only thing the agent expects to do is phone a publisher and pitch the book by reading the author’s prepackaged marketing blurb. At least that’s how it seems to me.
In fact, good agents, once they decide to represent a book, will spend considerable time with the manuscript helping the author improve the story. When the publisher buys it, an editor is assigned to help refine things further. The problem is hooking the agent.
So far, not one agent has asked to read my manuscript. Maybe I’m a crappy writer. I’m certainly terrible at marketing copy, Whatever talent I have is focused on creating the story and characters. Hooks, blurbs, and such aren’t things I seem able to produce. I’ll stop now. I’m sure you are tired or hearing me whine.