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Make Them Want to Read Your Novel
As a former lit-agent intern, I’ve read a lot of slush. Here’s how to stand out.
There’s a lot of advice out on the internet about how to query. I should know, I’ve written more than my fair share.
I’ve been where most writers are: desperate and on the cusp of sending your baby out into the world for the first time. That full-to-the-brim feeling of excitement and anxiety and hope, despite the fact that you know, you know, that this whole industry is built off of rejection and disappointment.
But, even as I was querying my first novel, I also had the opportunity to work as a literary intern. When one of the agents I followed on Twitter posted about an opportunity to serve as her query intern — basically, the person who went through her slush — I jumped at the chance. And I got the gig.
I read Pam’s slush for about two years. And it was a huge learning opportunity, as someone who’s interested in working in the industry, yes; but also as somebody planning to write.
There’s a lot of basic stuff that I’ve talked about in other posts: How your query letter is a test, How not to query, and more besides. All of that deals with interacting with the agent in a professional way.
