That alphabet soup is my critique group. I brought my query letter last night for their feedback. And I'm so glad I did. It's very easy to get so close to something and so focused on one element that you miss the obvious. Some of the more amsuing things they caught:
- I misspelled "suite" in the agency address. But "squite" looks pretty cool, so I may end up finding another spot for that little typo.
- I neglected to mention the title of my book anywhere in the letter. I laughed very hard at this.
- I never asked for representation anywhere in the letter.
We also had a five-minute discussion as to whether you should write "an SASE" or "a SASE". And the group understood at once what I was doing with my mention of
BNW and thought it was very clever without overreaching. Woo-hoo! We also had a new gal there who has extensive experience in non-fiction proposals. Hearing her two cents was great, although I'm not sure how much of her advice to take. I'll let the feedback roll around in my head for another day or two and then spruce up the letter to send it out by Saturday. It feels good to be doing this. Exciting. And yet I'm already prepared for a rejection and considering what needs to happen to the letter to be ready for the next agent on my list. I like this sudden bout of realism. It's refreshing and empowering.
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