I know it's been a very long time since I've been active on this blog, and for an almost equally long time, I've wanted to change that. As a result, I've decided to bring back the Kickass Queries Series installments, wherein authors share the query that nabbed them their agents. It's fun, it's useful, and y'all seemed to really appreciate the last go-round, so it felt like the perfect way to ease back into the blogosphere.
Here today to kick off the brand new series is Emily R. King, who not only scored representation with Marlene Stringer at Stringer Literary Agency, but also recently sold her book to Skyscape for Publication in 2017:
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| CONGRATULATIONS, EMILY!!! |
Pitch
for YA fantasy, THE HUNDREDTH QUEEN:
Rajah Tarek claimed ninety-nine wives and countless
courtesans before he came to Kali’s temple looking for his final queen. When
she sees his gold carriage, she knows a benefactor has arrived. She knows he
will pick the prettiest, strongest girl. And she knows with her plain looks and
history of fevers it won’t be her.
She is mistaken.
The rajah claims Kali, ripping her away from her
simple life high in the mountains to his desert palace. But before she’s to wed
him, Kali must defend her position as his final wife in an age-old rank
tournament, battling to the death against young courtesans vying for her
throne. In this competitive female hierarchy, sabotage rules. Kali’s only peace
is found while in the company of her kind imperial guard. A man she’s forbidden
to love.
Pitch for YA fantasy, THE HUNDREDTH QUEEN:
Rajah Tarek claimed ninety-nine wives and countless courtesans before he came to Kali’s temple
looking for his final queen. When she sees his gold carriage, she knows a benefactor has arrived.
She knows he will pick the prettiest, strongest girl. And she knows with her plain looks and
history of fevers it won’t be her.
She is mistaken.
The rajah claims Kali, ripping her away from her simple life high in the mountains to his desert
palace. But before she’s to wed him, Kali must defend her position as his final wife in an age-old
rank tournament, battling to the death against young courtesans vying for her throne. In this
competitive female hierarchy, sabotage rules. Kali’s only peace is found while in the company of
her kind imperial guard. A man she’s forbidden to love.
When Kali’s fevers prove to be more than an illness, but a feared power, she agrees to aid a
warlord and end the rajah’s tyranny. Her one chance of being alone with Rajah Tarek—and
killing him—is on their wedding night. A wedding that will only take place if she sacrifices the
love of an honorable man to end the reign of a monster and is crowned the hundredth queen
WOW, am I right? And here's what Emily had to say about her querying process:
G: How
many manuscripts did you query prior to signing with your agent/publisher?
G: How
long did it take to write your query/pitch, and what things/steps do you think
were most important to make it agent/editor/contest-ready?
G: Tell
us about your query style – do you approach your entire list of prospectives at
once, or query in small batches and revise in between?
ERK: First: Research, research, research! Utilize websites,
social media, and your writer/author friends. Follow agents and editors on
social media and introduce yourself to them at writer conferences. Visit literary
agency/agent websites. Know who is currently open to submissions, what their
guidelines are, and their feedback style. Write down everything you learn and form
lists of ten or so agents. When your manuscript is ready, send the first ten
queries. After a few requests/passes, send another ten queries. Query in small batches
so that if you receive feedback for revisions you haven’t botched your
opportunity with every agent in the land. Most agents are amenable to
revisions, but only if they request them.
G: Now
the fun part – what was “the call” like? How did you know your agent/editor was
the right person to represent/publish your project?
ERK: Querying is like dating. Don’t look for a girlfriend/boyfriend,
look for a spouse. For many reasons these agent/client partnerships, although
well-intended, don’t always work out. Suffice to say, a year after signing with
my first agent, we amicably parted ways. I reentered the query trenches with a
manuscript no editor or agent had seen. Within a week, I got an offer from an
agent who shared the same vision for my career. I had found my match.
G: If
you could give one piece of advice to authors seeking publication, what would
it be?
ERK: No matter where you are in your career, you are not alone. Every writer experiences rejection, disappointment, frustration, and makes missteps. If you love to write— and I mean LOVE—you will find a way to achieve your publishing goals.
Thank you, Emily, for your fantastic advice. I know I can't wait to see THE HUNDREDTH QUEEN on shelves (and anyone who feels the same can click the book's title and add it to their Goodreads shelf). Best of luck and thanks again for sharing your query!
Rajah Tarek claimed ninety-nine wives and countless courtesans before he came to Kali’s temple
looking for his final queen. When she sees his gold carriage, she knows a benefactor has arrived.
She knows he will pick the prettiest, strongest girl. And she knows with her plain looks and
history of fevers it won’t be her.
She is mistaken.
The rajah claims Kali, ripping her away from her simple life high in the mountains to his desert
palace. But before she’s to wed him, Kali must defend her position as his final wife in an age-old
rank tournament, battling to the death against young courtesans vying for her throne. In this
competitive female hierarchy, sabotage rules. Kali’s only peace is found while in the company of
her kind imperial guard. A man she’s forbidden to love.
When Kali’s fevers prove to be more than an illness, but a feared power, she agrees to aid a
warlord and end the rajah’s tyranny. Her one chance of being alone with Rajah Tarek—and
killing him—is on their wedding night. A wedding that will only take place if she sacrifices the
love of an honorable man to end the reign of a monster and is crowned the hundredth queen.
Rajah Tarek claimed ninety-nine wives and countless courtesans before he came to Kali’s temple
looking for his final queen. When she sees his gold carriage, she knows a benefactor has arrived.
She knows he will pick the prettiest, strongest girl. And she knows with her plain looks and
history of fevers it won’t be her.
She is mistaken.
The rajah claims Kali, ripping her away from her simple life high in the mountains to his desert
palace. But before she’s to wed him, Kali must defend her position as his final wife in an age-old
rank tournament, battling to the death against young courtesans vying for her throne. In this
competitive female hierarchy, sabotage rules. Kali’s only peace is found while in the company of
her kind imperial guard. A man she’s forbidden to love.
When Kali’s fevers prove to be more than an illness, but a feared power, she agrees to aid a
warlord and end the rajah’s tyranny. Her one chance of being alone with Rajah Tarek—and
killing him—is on their wedding night. A wedding that will only take place if she sacrifices the
love of an honorable man to end the reign of a monster and is crowned the hundredth queen.
