TRANSCRIPT

Hi, when querying agents, there is just no getting around visiting each agency’s site to check submission guidelines and to see who’s actually open to submissions. However, that said, there are a few ways to optimize the process to save yourself some time.

First, you'll want to organize your agent list into two sections. In the first section, list all the agents that accept submissions via QueryTracker. In the second section, put the ones who accept their submissions via email. Now doing this will save you time because you won’t be hopping back and forth between the QueryTracker site and your email.

Second, when submitting via QueryTracker, save yourself time by cutting and pasting. So to do this keep one QueryTracker window open with all of the fields filled out. Then, when you open up new QueryTracker forms, just and paste the information from each form field into the corresponding fields for each new agent. The information required isn’t always identical from agent to agent, but much of it is, so you’ll just save a ton of time compared to filling out one QueryTracker form, sending it off and then starting a new one. Just a word of caution if you cut and paste your QueryTracker letter from one submission form to the next, just be sure you update the agent’s name.

Third, when submitting via email, you can save yourself time by cutting and pasting here as well. Now some agencies and agents that accept submissions via email want the manuscript pasted into the body of the email. If you do this, be sure the formatting remains intact, such as bold or italicized items, or line breaks. Just when you cut and paste things tend to get messed up. And then, just like with the QueryTracker submissions, keep one email open and then cut and paste your manuscript into subsequent emails. This will save you time because you won’t have to check and reformat your manuscript with each new email. And of course also be sure to check the agent's name.

One more way to speed up the querying process is to sign up for QueryTracker’s Weekly Updates email. After signing up for this email, you’ll start receiving notifications when new agents get added to QueryTracker or when agents’ profiles are updated. And this can be really helpful. For example, an agent on your list might have been closed to submissions when you were querying, but now you’ll be alerted if they’ve reopened. This email is free, so I just recommend that you should sign up now.

Do you have other ways to speed up the querying process? Be sure to let me know in the comments.

And thank you so much for watching. If you got any value out of this video, like it, subscribe to my channel and share the video with other aspiring picture book authors.