Sending a Book Query Letter Before You’ve Revised

Did you put your work away for a few months before doing one last pass? (Nobody ever takes this advice, but if authors held off on submitting to agents and publishers until they could do a hands-off period with their projects, the slush pile would be a very different place, indeed.)

Writers want to get “out there” quickly, and find out if their project is worth anything. I understand, I really do.  But submitting a book query letter for a manuscript that hasn't been fully revised can often lead to a rejection. (And then you will start agonizing about whether or not you can resubmit to your dream agent, who already rejected you.) This could mean a negative outcome for your book query letter, when you could’ve otherwise begun a promising relationship with an agent.

Social media pitch contests and other opportunities like this can make this problem worse by giving writers a false sense of urgency, like they need to submit instantly or they will miss their chances forever. But you can always send a book query letter later, when the project is well and truly finished.

Waiting To Send Your Book Query Letter Is Worthwhile

This was our response to a question asked by one of our Good Story Learning members. This particular writer was rushing into a submission because the writer pitched an agent at a writer’s conference while the manuscript wasn’t ready yet, and got a request for 50 pages. Here’s what we wrote:

You seem to be in a rush to send your pages, even though you originally wanted to wait. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! I need to do it!" I am concerned that you may attempt to rush through your revisions in order to meet a—let’s face it—arbitrary deadline.

You say you aren’t sure whether you can ask the agent to wait. Why not? Don’t think about the worst case scenario. This request is only high stakes if you let it be. In addition, if the first fifty pages get a positive response, you may find yourself in the same dilemma when an agent requests the rest of the manuscript. It will be like, "What should I do? Do you think the next two hundred pages are ready for submission?"

I suggest holding off on submitting to that agent until your manuscript is really completely ready. It might require months of work to get it there. Of course, you can send it, but I don’t think this anxious feeling will go away until you know you’re sitting on a marketable and revised manuscript. 

You can always ask that agent to wait. Most likely, they will say yes, and you can revise in peace. We’re happy to report that the writer took this advice, and the agent was comfortable waiting for their submission. Sure, the conference maybe ramped up their timeline. The better option would’ve been to not give a book pitch or send a book query letter too early.

The Book Query Letter Can Wait

So, should you submit early? No. Not only are there contests running constantly and conferences happening all the time, but approaching the book query letter with a do-or-die attitude will not help your anxiety. The best way to get published isn't by racing to submit your work with a premature book query letter. Your biggest asset in publishing is a great manuscript that you can use to impress an agent.

Maybe I’ve convinced you that delaying an agent submission is beneficial, especially if you’re still revising. If not, remember that even if an agent responds with a full manuscript request after you send them a book query letter, you can still tell them that you need to take more revision steps before submitting. Thank them for their interest and let them know that you will get back to them when you are ready.

Take a deep breath—there's no need to rush sending your book query letter or a requested manuscript. There's no need to give an arbitrary timeline, either. It might put on extra pressure that you don't need. Most agents understand that they want something that stands out, even if it takes more time than usual. So take your time, revise your project some more, and present something that is truly extraordinary. It'll be worth it in the end.