120 e-mail queries have been submitted to date, and I got to admit I’m getting some great rejection slips. 53 actual rejection slips, so far; then there are those who simply choose to ignore everything I send them. Out of the 53, 35 are people who take time to address me and my work by name, saying things like "intriguing" and "interesting." What does that mean? They want to see more from me, and they want me to send something that puckers their butts. Nothing more, nothing less. It’s kind of a letdown, but that’s the nature of the business.

Number four query out of seven is being edited. I won’t get a request from any agents to see that novel, either. How can I be so certain? The state of the economy. My opening blurb has to be just right, the synopsis has to be perfect (and about a single page long); then I have to provide the first three chapters or the first 30 pages, whichever comes first. They have to be perfect, too. A lot of work for so little hope.

Some of the agents I query will get nothing more than my query letter. That’s it. Two small paragraphs that tell them what they need to know. Some will get the letter, synopsis, and first five pages of the book. Some want the letter, synopsis, and ten pages of the book. Others will get the full query package. This is all I can do: Write and edit book after book, sending out their query packages. 97 % of all published authors made it that way, and 97 % of all authors to be published in the future will do it that way. If you can prove me wrong on that, do it.

I will be cutting down my agent list after this next query is out and back. If, after four queries, I’m still not good enough in their eyes to even send out a form rejection slip . . . I can only assume nothing about my writing excites them in any way. They will be stricken from my list. My thinking on this is: If agents want to see more of what I’m doing, they address me and my books by name; they think I have potential, they address me and my books by name; they want to encourage me to succeed with forty published books in fifteen years or less, they address me and my books by name; they can make oodles of greenbacks with every published book from me whether I use my name and one or two pen names, they address me and my books by name. I have the drive and the talent to keep the pot boiling.