Guest post by Neely Tubati Alexander
We love to see authors winning, but we might love getting a peak behind the curtain to see how they do it even more! In this post, Neely Tubati Alexander, author of Love Buzz and In a Not So Perfect World shares some of the lessons she learned, the most valuable resources on her journey and the query letter that landed her agent.
In a Not So Perfect World by Neely Tubati Alexander
Sloane Cooper is vying for her dream job at a top video game company and during the interview, she promises to stay single and dedicated to her work. Which should be easy enough since her last boyfriend cheated on her and she’s not interested in dating. However, when her attractive neighbor Charlie offers her a trip to Turks and Caicos, asking her to pose as his girlfriend to win back his ex, Sloane agrees, seeing it as a chance to develop a game design to impress her potential employers. Despite the growing chemistry between them, Sloane struggles to stay focused on her career while avoiding falling for Charlie.
Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon
When I embarked on the journey of querying my debut novel, Love Buzz, in late 2021, I had little understanding of how the process worked. Reflecting on it now, while I did achieve the goal of signing with an incredible agent, a bit more preparation and research could have made for a much smoother experience. Here are some of the mistakes I made and how I would address them if I were to start over:
The Importance of the Query Letter
I underestimated the significance of the query letter. Naively, I thought agents would skim over the letter and dive straight into the writing sample. I learned the opposite is often true—agents can place more weight on the query letter than the sample itself.
I also learned the value of asking for feedback from agents who passed on my early submissions. Although most did not provide any, one amazing agent took the time to tell me that my query letter wasn’t working, which led me to revise it for subsequent rounds of queries.
Resource: The Shit No One Tells You About Writing Podcast, particularly their “Books with Hooks” segment, where agents Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra critique query letters. This podcast gave me crucial insights into the heavy lifting a query letter needs to do.
Expanding My Agent List
My initial list of agents to submit to was too short. I started with just ten agents, hoping this would be enough, but quickly discovered that many authors submit upwards of one hundred queries before landing an agent! I ended up querying a total of thirty-three agents, expanding my list as I went.
Resource: QueryTracker.net I relied on the “requests like” report to identify agents who might be interested. Each time an agent requested pages, I could see which other agents made similar requests and then submit to those agents. This method introduced me to agents I might not have had on my radar otherwise.
Revising and Resubmitting
My query process eventually led to a revise and resubmit request. An agent gave me editorial notes and asked me to make those edits and resubmit. I did that, and they offered me representation! I leveraged that offer to reach out to other agents who still had my query. This strategy resulted in multiple agent calls, allowing me to choose the best fit. It does not hurt to go back and ask for feedback or to nudge, I learned. Looking back, I could have done this more often throughout.
The Successful Query Letter
Below is the query letter that landed me my agent! Hopefully this example will help you shape your own as you venture out, looking for a partner in your publishing career.
I am pleased to share LOVE BUZZ, (complete at 82,000 words, contemporary romance). This novel is an exploration of love at first sight, in the vein of Josie Silver’s ONE DAY IN DECEMBER that toes the line of women’s fiction and romance, similar to Rebecca Serle’s IN 5 YEARS.
Serena Khan has it all. The well-paying job. The almost-fiancé. She has built her life atop her late mother’s wishes: stability above all else. In a few short weeks, she will officially be able to say she has made it when her “Life at Thirty” feature for her college newspaper, which she deems the pinnacle of achievement, is published. But before this happens, her sturdy life is thrust into chaos by one chance encounter.
On the last night of her cousin’s Mardi Gras bachelorette party, Serena meets Julian. Their short time together makes her feel things she has not felt, perhaps ever. When their interaction is cut short, she decides she must find him—if for no other reason than to prove what she felt with him was nothing more than alcohol-induced infatuation. The list of clues for finding him is pretty short, though: His name is Julian. He lives on Chamber Hill. He works at a tech company. He is a fan of Lil Wayne and Nirvana.
As she strips away the perfectly curated life that would have made her late mother proud, Serena must decide if the pursuit of real passion is worth it, and fast, before her alma mater turns her into a cautionary tale and before she destroys the life she is supposed to want.
I am a first-generation Indian-American mother of two who resides in Arizona, married to the man I met at a bar, though not on Bourbon Street. Originally from the Seattle area where this book is largely set, I am an active member of two critique groups and seek to tell stories with diverse characters, specifically BIPOC stories where race isn’t the driving force of the novel, rather we get to see BIPOC characters celebrating love for love’s sake.
Per your submission guidelines, the first ten pages of my manuscript are below. May you enjoy it like a fine bourbon.
Leave A Comment