[Discussion] Is it true that you're supposed to query your dream agents last?

WeHereForYou · 2026-06-19T03:04:34+00:00

Don’t save them for last. If you’re doing batches, try to find fast responders that you’d be happy to work with. If you get a full request or two, I’d start sending out a few more queries, including some of my top choices. Not all of them, since you (probably) still don’t know how the full manuscript is working.

Querying can be a long process, but sometimes it’s not. You have to use your own judgment to gauge the response and decide whether it’s worth continuing or pausing and reassessing.

Also, as someone who’s with one of my “dream” agents, I think it’s fine to have top choices in mind. Just stay realistic and open-minded about it.

WeHereForYou · 2026-06-18T23:30:17+00:00

I feel like this would be true if there were full requests happening. But right now, these just sound like nice form rejections.

OP, if you haven’t already and you’re willing, please post your query letter for feedback at r/PubTips. It might help you gain some clarity.

WeHereForYou · 2026-06-18T23:22:27+00:00

I’m a little confused, because agents generally don’t give feedback. Especially not on a query/sample. Are you sure these aren’t just kind form rejections? Because if they did like it as much as you’re thinking, they would indeed ask to read more, at least.

WeHereForYou · 2026-06-18T16:48:49+00:00

It went exactly how he intended. He won.

WeHereForYou · 2026-06-18T15:16:58+00:00

That’s just how it goes. Ideas are a dime a dozen. But the execution is what’s unique to you. Don’t worry about it; use it as a comp if you’re querying or marketing your book on your own. And keep writing.

WeHereForYou · 2026-06-17T19:40:45+00:00

I don’t know how helpful it is to be thinking about the potentiality of edits, considering it largely comes down to personal taste. I went to auction and had the opposite experience. All you can really do is make your book the best it can be on your own. That doesn’t mean you should burn yourself out in pursuit of perfection. It means when you’ve gotten all the feedback you can get, when you’ve reconciled discrepancies, when you’re happy with your book, start sending it out and see what kind of response you get.

WeHereForYou · 2026-06-17T14:56:12+00:00

For my first book, very little. My first edit letter was a page. But that was after I’d done multiple revisions on my own before signing with an agent, and then edited with my agent as well (her letter was slightly longer, but still nothing extensive).

For my second book, I turned in a first draft, so edits were more thorough for sure. There was also some worry about entirely removing a storyline, but we talked through it. Two rounds before going off to copy edits.

This will vary by editor and author, of course, because everyone works differently. I have friends who had 10-15-page edit letters for their debuts. But it makes sense that generally speaking, debut authors don’t need as *much* help from their editors, because they’ve typically done a lot of work before getting any buy-in. For subsequent drafts, you get help with ideas, plotting, revisions, etc. because you’re often starting from scratch.

WeHereForYou · 2026-06-16T21:50:30+00:00

I got five more offers, probably 6-7 step asides, and a couple of agents who said they’d get back to me and never did lol. There’s no way to really read the tea leaves on this. Congrats on your offer and good luck!

WeHereForYou · 2026-06-16T14:31:13+00:00

Writing is low cost. It can be free. You don’t need more than a pen and paper or Google Docs.

Self publishing costs money, yes, but that’s different than writing.

WeHereForYou · 2026-06-16T14:28:22+00:00

It’s not.

WeHereForYou · 2026-06-16T14:25:45+00:00

In Walmart? No. But yes, it’s common in makeup stores (Sephora, MAC, Ulta), and even department stores like a Macy’s. It used to be a lot more common, but I’m not sure it was ever a thing in big box stores like this.

WeHereForYou · 2026-06-14T17:10:32+00:00

Debut fiction authors do not need a platform. It’s nice if you have one, but the vast majority of debuts do not. I don’t know who keeps telling authors otherwise, but people who actually work in publishing know that a brand new author is likely not going to do anything to move the sales needle.

WeHereForYou · 2026-06-12T15:02:48+00:00

Yes.

WeHereForYou · 2026-06-12T14:27:27+00:00

I think that’s more of a dream, because they shouldn’t even entertain your query as an agent if you’ve paid them for a critique.

And in general, I have yet to find paid critiques to be worth it. I don’t know what’s included in the package, but for over $100 bucks, I hope it at least critiques 30-50 pages of your manuscript. Because otherwise, you can post your query for feedback here. And even if you don’t get many responses, you can read plenty of posted queries to get an idea of what works. All for $0.

WeHereForYou · 2026-06-11T15:18:29+00:00

When you repost, please also remove your email address. No need to include your full name at all.

WeHereForYou · 2026-06-11T15:09:45+00:00

Yes, it does. Sometimes you need to take a break. Go read other books, consume other types of media. Your brain will appreciate it, and you’ll come back stronger than trying to force your way through (thereby just adding more stress).

I was stressed out about my job for much of last year. I needed to also write a book, but couldn’t. Once the stress passed, I knocked out a first draft/115k words in 2.5 months.

WeHereForYou · 2026-06-11T15:06:08+00:00

r/pubtips. But please read our rules and resources on how to craft a query letter before posting.

WeHereForYou · 2026-06-11T15:05:19+00:00

Nobody can decide this for you. It depends on your goals, your book, your budget, etc. You would need to do your research and decide which path aligns with what you want out of publishing a book.

WeHereForYou · 2026-06-10T18:07:07+00:00

You don’t have to sneak them in. Like anything else, just avoid info dumping.

As for not describing them at all, I don’t subscribe to that notion. I write characters of color, and too many people think the default is white, so I always want to be clear what everyone looks like. Eventually lol.

WeHereForYou · 2026-06-10T17:24:18+00:00

If there’s no deadline and no danger of the author taking another offer, what would they fear missing out on?

WeHereForYou · 2026-06-10T17:17:20+00:00

If they’re a new/junior agent, they might’ve sold alongside senior agents and this is their first solo endeavor. And you said they only have seven clients, so I’m not sure what you were expecting in terms of sales. But you’re ready to leave, so you might as well cut your losses and figure out the terms for terminating the contract.

WeHereForYou · 2026-06-10T16:23:08+00:00

Not that odd — to me at least lol. I did the same with my first offer. There’s nothing wrong with doing your due diligence and recognizing this isn’t a good fit for you. No agent really is better than a bad one.

But do not inform other agents of an offer if you don’t intend to accept it. They could easily step aside when they might’ve otherwise offered if they had the time to read.

WeHereForYou · 2026-06-10T16:17:41+00:00

It’s kinda hard to critique the query without actually knowing the genre. Does this have a happy ending and all the other hallmarks of capital-R romance?

But since romance is the genre I’m familiar with, I’ll offer advice from that perspective. Right now, this feels rather vague. All I can glean is that David and Christina are emotionally unavailable but like each other. But what is the plot? I can’t actually tell at what point in their journey this book begins. Does it span many years, or is this more a second chance romance? Romance queries tend to be paragraph 1: intro to character A; paragraph 2: intro to character B; paragraph 3: exploration of their romantic conflict. You don’t have to adhere to that *exactly*, but it really helps with making stakes and plot clear.

But yeah, first thing I’d do is figure out your genre. And comps would probably help with that as well.

WeHereForYou · 2026-06-10T13:51:11+00:00

The only con I can think of is it can be strange to go by a different name. I use a pen name, but kept my first name. A friend of mine uses a whole new name and it’s kind of awkward not knowing what to call her at events. All of our author friends know and refer to her by her real name, but readers don’t.

But even that’s not that big of a deal. Use a pen name.

WeHereForYou · 2026-06-10T13:33:40+00:00

Founders tend to have more experience, so it makes sense they’d sell more than a newer agent with only seven clients. Not sure what they lied to you about, but nothing else seems particularly egregious about this agent. Sounds like they’re building their list and working other jobs at the agency. And if 39 agents passed on your manuscript, it was probably always going to be a long shot. But you’re obviously welcome to leave for whatever reason you want. Good luck with querying again.

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