15 More Agents Looking for Memoir and Essay Collections

Where to Query This Week (6.4.25) | Plus, your Query Hotline questions? Answered!

Jun 04, 2025

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Welcome to Sub Club’s Where to Query This Week!

It’s been a while since we’ve answered your questions from the Query Hotline and the subscriber chat, so we’re kicking off a new month with some responses to query letter structure, publishing chapbooks, offers of representation, and social media for writers.

Query Hotline and Subscriber Chat Q&A

Q: How much of the story should be included in the query letter?

A: In a query letter, you should include just enough of the story to hook the agent—not summarize the entire plot. If you are familiar with the three-act structure, your summary should cover Act 1 and hints of Act 2. No huge spoilers or Act 3 outcome. I like to think of it as stopping at the climax and leaving that as a kind of cliffhanger for your plot paragraphs.

But also remember that since the query letter is short, you want to keep this paragraph tight. Don’t waste space on emotionality, set up, and secondary characters. Focus on what makes the plot move: the inciting incident, the stakes, and the tension.

Q: If I've had an initial phone call with an agent who has expressed interest in representing me, what is the right approach to take with the other agents I've queried but haven't heard back from—follow up or assume they're not interested if X time has passed? (And what is a reasonable "X" if they don't state it explicitly in their submission guidelines?)

A: I’m going to share what I did. After I had the initial phone call with my agent and decided to work with her, I emailed all the other agents I was also interested in but hadn’t heard back from yet. They either had my query letter or my full manuscript.

I sent them an email with the Offer of Representation in the subject line (make sure to follow their guidelines here). Here is the exact email I used:

Dear [Agent],
I am writing to inform you that I have received an offer of representation from another literary agent for my manuscript, [Title]. Given this development, I wanted to keep you updated.
If you are still interested in my manuscript and would like to see [Title in its entirety, please let me know. I will be making my final decision on representation by [Date]. I have pasted my original inquiry below for your convenience.
Thank you for your time and consideration!
Best,
Kailey

It’s customary to give agents about two weeks after your initial offer to make a decision. In your follow-up, you can let the agent you spoke with know your timeline for deciding, and you can also notify other agents that you've received an offer of representation. Some may decline quickly due to time constraints, while others may not respond at all. However, in my experience, this kind of nudge often leads to additional manuscript requests.

Q: 1) For chapbook-length work, is it best to submit directly to publishers rather than querying agents? What should you look for in a publisher?

2) If publishers/agents don’t specify preferred spacing of manuscripts, are we to assume it’s double-spaced? Ask the organization? Sometimes it’s specified and sometimes it’s not.

A: From what I’ve seen, chapbooks are typically published by indie presses rather than represented by literary agents. So yes, it’s usually best to query publishers directly.

A good starting point is to look at where your favorite chapbooks have been published. When evaluating publishers, consider what matters most to you as a writer. Do your research, reach out to authors who’ve published chapbooks, and read reviews to find the right fit.

And as far as formatting, double-spaced is typically customary across the board, so I would stick with that.

Q: How important is a social media presence when querying?

A: This is a tough one! Everyone has a different answer, and it also depends on your genre. But in my experience, I never got asked about anything from an agent except for my manuscript. No one mentioned Write or Die or anything else I do on the internet—they just wanted to talk about my work and my novel. Personally, I would focus more energy on your manuscript and worry about the social media stuff once you get an agent.

Q: I recently completed the second draft of my debut novel, “Living The Dream.” I am currently awaiting feedback from a final reviewer, an accomplished screenwriter, and would appreciate your insights on the next steps I should take once I receive their feedback.

A: Congrats on entering this stage! Once you get your feedback (and go through another edit if you plan to), the next stage would be working on your query letter. Take your time with this! Query letters are a huge next step, but they need to be done correctly and with intention. Research query letter best practices. Explore comparative titles (you need these!). Send me a draft if you want some feedback! Plan to write multiple drafts of this letter. And lastly, make sure your manuscript is polished.

You shouldn’t query until your book is complete, and when I say complete, I mean you have done everything you can with it and you feel like it's as clean and ready to go as you can make it. You have worked so hard on this book, so I say, take the time to “sell” it to agents as best as you can.

Writers, let’s get real—if you want your fiction to hook readers like a great film, it’s time to steal from the screen. Join Write or Die’s Reel to Real with

Michael Costaris

on Saturday, June 7 to sharpen your dialogue, master structure, and make your prose unputdownable.

Reserve your spot →