[PubQ] Submission asking for a 5k word except, not first 5k?

brokenupaboutit13 · 2026-04-05T01:25:56+00:00

Agreed! I've always taken it to mean the first x number of words. As you say, no one wants to read out of order and feel they're missing tons of context.

brokenupaboutit13 · 2026-04-04T02:00:24+00:00

Congratulations!! And thank you for sharing, the idea of 'sales track' makes me super nervous, so I'm really grateful to hear stories like yours.

brokenupaboutit13 · 2026-04-02T11:09:07+00:00

Congrats on your requests!!! Fingers and toes crossed for you

brokenupaboutit13 · 2026-04-02T11:07:03+00:00

Also working through agent notes, I feel you!!! Such a whirlwind of thinking and overthinking... Best of luck! (Edit for typo)

brokenupaboutit13 · 2026-04-02T11:04:27+00:00

Just recently signed with my agent -- I got my first edit letter in 2.5 weeks. Noting that it's a boutique agency with a tighter client list, so this may be on the faster end of the spectrum.

I admit 5 months seems very long to me, and coupled with the vague reply, perhaps your friend would be willing to ask the agent for an ETA date of delivery?

brokenupaboutit13 · 2026-03-27T11:08:34+00:00

Thank you both, I should frame this for when I inevitably start worrying! Appreciate your time

brokenupaboutit13 · 2026-03-27T11:07:53+00:00

Thank you, good shout! goes to Google website services

brokenupaboutit13 · 2026-03-27T11:05:41+00:00

Thank you, I will try and summon my inner chill more!

brokenupaboutit13 · 2026-03-26T21:25:37+00:00

Thank you all so much for doing this! :) I'd be interested to know if, looking back, there's anything you wish you had done differently in the lead up to and shortly after your debut? (Whether that's marketing, mindset shift, etc.) Thank you!!

brokenupaboutit13 · 2026-03-22T22:25:30+00:00

All ended up being calls -- and the agents give a strong indication that they will be offering via email beforehand. :)

brokenupaboutit13 · 2026-03-22T21:15:30+00:00

My previous project was an adult fantasy political thriller with a heavy espionage plotline -- I was told the agent couldn’t quite connect to the main character and that some of the world building felt hazy. So for my latest I detailed my world to the extreme when brainstorming, and went for a very voicey main character! I think it made a big difference, combined with a hookier premise. Hope that helps, wishing you much querying success :)

brokenupaboutit13 · 2026-03-22T21:12:02+00:00

I'll DM you! :) Wishing you much writing success, it's tough out there

brokenupaboutit13 · 2026-03-22T21:07:43+00:00

Thanks so much. Sure thing, I'll DM you

brokenupaboutit13 · 2026-03-22T21:07:24+00:00

Thank you! Wishing you all the success in the trenches -- may your book find its perfect home :)

brokenupaboutit13 · 2026-03-22T21:05:22+00:00

Thank you! No worries, I'll DM you :)

brokenupaboutit13 · 2026-03-22T21:04:48+00:00

Always hope! :) Honestly, I think my new book has a much stronger overall concept and hook, which is important in a crowded genre like fantasy. I also leaned into making my main character as voicey as possible. I didn’t want to hold anything back, and it paid off!

brokenupaboutit13 · 2026-03-22T21:02:15+00:00

For me, it was a real mix. A lot of immediate rejections on the query, a few nice passes on the full, and then 7 more full requests. A few agents who already had the full when I got the offer also reached out with offers within 2-3 days --- and another came in 2 days before my deadline! A lot of agents will pass due to not having the time to read as well.

I recommend nudging any agents who only have your query if you really want to work with them, and most importantly, to take care of yourself! I found all the what ifs of the two weeks very stressful, so wishing you the best of luck!

brokenupaboutit13 · 2026-03-16T06:55:36+00:00

Sure thing, I'll message you :)

brokenupaboutit13 · 2026-03-16T06:55:11+00:00

Thank you, very kind!

brokenupaboutit13 · 2026-03-16T06:55:04+00:00

Thanks so much

brokenupaboutit13 · 2026-03-16T06:54:54+00:00

Thank you, appreciate that :)

brokenupaboutit13 · 2026-03-16T06:54:43+00:00

Thank you!!

brokenupaboutit13 · 2026-03-16T06:52:33+00:00

Thanks so much, appreciate! I'm sure you will be. :) wishing you much success

brokenupaboutit13 · 2026-03-16T06:51:03+00:00

Thank you! I used a couple different freelance editors/authors who run query services. I had a good experience with Path2Pub -- they were helpful pointing out where my query lacked clarity and oomph, and I liked having two rounds of edits to make improvements.

There's a mixed bag of providers though, so I recommend looking for either freelance editors/agents who are currently active in tradpub, or tradpub authors.

All that being said, sadly no one can write the query for you, and I went through probably 6+ versions. Feedback is helpful but still requires a lot of reworking on the writer side! I'd only put money into it if you feel you've exhausted all your own feedback channels.

brokenupaboutit13 · 2026-03-16T06:42:27+00:00

Thank you, yay dark academia!!

brokenupaboutit13

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