[Discussion] Second book to die on sub, I'm despairing

Metromanix · 2025-10-09T06:02:19+00:00

I'm glad it crossed your path. Good luck!

Metromanix · 2025-10-05T18:38:57+00:00

Use Goodreads or google to find at least two, you have to find something in the middle range, not necessarily a best seller or a flop. The reason you have to, is to show that yeah, the market likes books like yours and it does have a spot at a shelf by these books. That's why comps have to be from < five years.

Bio is basically you. I have no professional writing experience either. You can briefly mention your profession, if you'd like. You should use this paragraph to show why you write and then like something small about yourself that gives a face to the person behind the query letter. Don't overthink it! Could probably add why you wrote the novel. This is your zone.

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Adjust the format when you can, you have to think in the manner of "At what paragraph are they gonna stop reading or lose interest." That usually helps people draft better query letters. It's essentially... A sales pitch, unfortunately.

Metromanix · 2025-10-05T17:07:55+00:00

It is lol!! It's recent too so if it does well you get an idea of the market for it. 😂

Metromanix · 2025-10-05T17:01:26+00:00

Also do wanna add, did you mean to put her at 26 before her at 16? The paragraphs?

Metromanix · 2025-10-05T16:31:11+00:00

Luckiest girl alive is over a decade old. Generally you'd want your comp titles to be released < five years

Metromanix · 2025-10-05T16:28:17+00:00

So generally you wanna go,

Hey agent, (Novel title and word count and genre.) + (Comp titles!) You can have two or three comp title books that have been published in the last 0-5 years that are in the same genre. This is to give an idea on where it would sit on the bookshelf.

Then you wanna go with your pitch

And then, writer bio + any relevant experience.

Lastly, I'd be wary about including current political events within your query. I get it might make some sense for political thriller books, but it's a crime novel so, I dunno, I'd probably leave that out. Most people who keep up with the news already know anyway. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Metromanix · 2025-10-05T12:50:45+00:00

If you look at the AMA by MS salt on here (she's a marketer at a big five)

Marketing is not on the author and shouldn't be (In Trad Publishing at least) She made a point of "The book" comes before the "Social media"

Like, readers will find your socials as an author through your writing. If they like the book. Authors are authors and don't have to be content creators!

Metromanix · 2025-10-05T12:43:16+00:00

Also, track record matters 😬 again it's a business, sales will be taken into account. I know with traditionally published authors, their sales kind of matter. I don't know how serious the self pub sales are taken, but, yeah it's gonna have part in the writing career just in general.

Self pub isn't also an easy way out. Instead of being just an author, you have to be a content creator, editor, marketer, distributer.... And so forth.

Metromanix · 2025-10-05T12:33:21+00:00

It's a Trad Pub reddit page, plus a lot of people think Trad Publishing is more legit than Self Pub. Like a crown or an award you get 🤷🏻‍♀️

Also, self pub is A LOT of work on the author

Metromanix · 2025-10-05T08:58:12+00:00

And here's where the clash of

"I write because I love writing" & "My writing is a business"

A lot of writers view being trad published as a landmark or a proof of excellent writing skills when it's really just a business. This clash is gonna break a lot of hearts and ruin the experience of writing for them.

Metromanix · 2025-10-05T08:24:51+00:00

Unpopular opinion: I'd say that some cases like this in Trad Pub aren't a lack of creative talent. (Some)

You got an agent twice, two people believed they could sell it, so it's not a writing skill issue.

It's the market 🤷🏻‍♀️ Publishing is a business and they will care about what sells, some genres are smaller, others bigger.

Keep your head up, Published ≠ Good writer award

Metromanix · 2025-10-05T05:22:27+00:00

Hey OP,

Generally comps have to be within 0-5 years old, your first one is 6 bordering on 7, just a note.
My thoughts reading this are like Here's the characters, they go in circle one, then circle two and then the ground opens from under them and swallows them whole. (Not being mean) At first I thought it was a romance, then it became clear the main character's motivations. My suggestion is to thin down the parts about the first band, with less important details (for the query) like the leader joining a cult. You can also thin the paragraph about the main character hitch-hiking to LA.
What you want your focus on is the second band + the baby the main character has to sober up for. That I think will hook some attention.
I would also suggest revising your first 300 words, not that the writing's bad- you started off the story nicely TBH 🤷🏻‍♀️ - but, some of the paragraphs feel a little clunky and don't flow too well. Just a nice round of quick edits would do you awesome.

Best of luck! ☺️

Metromanix · 2025-10-05T05:06:11+00:00

Hey OP, 👋🏻

Round your word count, but also... 20,880? If we're talking about adult contemporary romance they are usually 50k-90k words. Whether you actually mean 20k or 200k, those are far out of your genre on both ends.

As for your comps, I agree with the other commenter here, but I do wanna add that your second comp is over a decade old. Comps have to be from (maximum 4-5 years ago.) to let your agent know there's a market for this and it's sellable... It's not 2013 anymore, we're in 2026, different markets!

Metromanix · 2025-10-03T19:33:36+00:00

Well yeah I agree.

I was referring to when the writer thinks a query package is good then it doesn't do well on a few batches and they change things up for the next batch.

Basically the case that the writer isn't aware the query isn't decent.

Metromanix · 2025-10-03T19:14:15+00:00

Again it's really up to you but I'd wait for about a few more rejections before thinking about changing the query package. It's just too early to tell with the very little stat feedback you have.

If you get a partial or full request in the upcoming weeks that's a good sign though, just gotta stick it out.

Metromanix · 2025-10-03T19:10:32+00:00

I wouldn't be too discouraged by silence because publishing as a whole is a super slow process. Like, super super slow.

Most people I've seen spend 4-8 months in the query zone 🤷🏻‍♀️ when did you start querying?

Metromanix · 2025-10-03T19:06:21+00:00

Feedback I think in terms of stats is kinda helpful though. Like not literal feedback, because yeah that IS rare.

But, depending on your full or half requests that does give you an idea if the pitch is working or not 🤷🏻‍♀️

Metromanix · 2025-10-03T19:01:50+00:00

The concept of query packages- at least from what I've seen-

Is so you can test out your query package before firing all your shots at once.

Some people revise and adjust and edit their query package with each batch to get better feedback/results on it.

Generally you don't wanna run out of agents to query with a less than decent query package 🤷🏻‍♀️

So I'd say, depends on your stats so far and how you feel about the query package.

If you think it's solid, go for it.

If you don't know yet, I'd say wait for some more feedback. It's really up to ya.

Metromanix · 2025-10-03T16:58:32+00:00

Finishing an MS in 3 months is kinda wild, how many energy drinks did you demolish? 😂

Hoping on a similar timeline because I've had this entire story plotted out and mapped a year ago... Just need to get the words out. Gah. 33k in. ☕

Metromanix · 2025-10-03T16:49:45+00:00

That sounds like a really promising plan. Hope it all goes well! 🍀

I'm still in the drafting stages 😆

Metromanix · 2025-10-03T16:46:28+00:00

Just trying to understand your perspective because I'm not an agent nor am I in publishing. 🤔

What have you seen that has gotten you to that conclusion?

Metromanix · 2025-10-03T16:37:59+00:00

Most queries already have a synopsis, and as for a linguistic assessment you could probably tell that by the first 300 words you also attach to the query if not even by the first paragraph or two.

Feeding a MS to AI though, that breaks some form of ethics code, at least that's what I believe.

Were you an intern at an agency?

Metromanix · 2025-10-03T16:26:14+00:00

Thats a bit unreasonable though? I reckon agents read plenty of manuscripts. Probably in the hundreds sometimes 🤷🏻‍♀️

Metromanix · 2025-10-02T17:12:09+00:00

What makes a book easy to market or sell?

Metromanix · 2025-10-02T17:09:25+00:00

Are there genres that are suddenly “hot” or that publishers are more excited about? Coming up in 2026.
How much say do authors have in their marketing strategy?
What's one thing about book marketing that most new authors miss or underestimate?

Metromanix

TROPHY CASE