querying about query letters
submitting my query letter to agents and untangling my stomach of knots
I’ve been spending the months of February and March agonizing over my query letter for my manuscript. How can I condense 126,000 words and years of my life into a one-sentence pitch? How do I describe myself in four sentences or less to convey how deeply I care for this work?
This will be a short post to share with you all my publication journey this month. The general update is I have (within the last two hours) submitted my query letter and manuscript to 5 literary agents, and already received one rejection. This is progress, folks! My goal this year was to get rejected at least 5 times from literary agents, so I’m technically 20% into my goal!
For the month of February, my goals were to complete:
Step 5) Line edits
Step 6) Shorten manuscript by 5k words (if possible. Ouch. feels like I’m bleeding out)
I did complete half of my line edits through the month of March, but only managed to shorten the manuscript by about 500 words, I’m a long way from my goal of 5k.
For the month of March, I:
Step 7) Wrote an author bio
Step 8) Wrote a one-sentence pitch
Step 9) Started submitting queries to agents on my list
For the month of April:
Step 10) Continue submitting queries to more agents whose values align with mine
Step 11) Complete all line edits
If you’d like to read my query letter, please take a look below! Nestled into the final paragraph is my author bio as well. If you’d like to read the beginning of Sarabeth’s journey, I’ve posted both Prologues (#1 #2) (not alternate prologues, there are two, because I’m a mad woman who loves symbolism and foreshadowing) as well as a synopsis you can read here on the glossary.
Query for: ONCE BY LIGHTNING (YA Fantasy)
This query letter is to seek representation for my 126,000-word young adult fantasy adventure, ONCE BY LIGHTNING. ONCE BY LIGHTNING stars a diverse LGBTQ+ found family cast with an autistic protagonist inspired by life as an autistic woman.
When fifteen-year-old Sarabeth learns there is a magic world that has been hiding just beyond her reach, everything she’s ever dreamed of has been confirmed. In exchange for information about her estranged brother, who she believes is hiding in this magical realm, Sarabeth and her companions must do the impossible: enchant a sword by each of the elemental powers that the fae worship, the Sisters: Mira of the below, Gaia of the land, and Helia of the above. The problem? Even the fae believe the sword only exists in faerie tales. But Sarabeth has believed in faerie tales her whole life, and she has proof now that at least some of them are real.
Propelled forward on their journey by thieving goblins, guardian sea monsters, mysterious golden dragons, and the spirit of a murderous royal, Sarabeth has to challenge everything she’s believed to be true about magic and the world she’s dreamt about escaping to her whole life.
Inspired by the beautiful and unique landscape of the Northern California coast, ONCE BY LIGHTNING is an unforgettable coming-of-age journey with found family, betrayal, and bold adventure. ONCE BY LIGHTNING is Leigh Bardugo’s SIX OF CROWS, but in the Shire. A fantasy that crosses the world as we know it into the fantasy world we all dream of, perfect for fans of Holly Black’s THE CRUEL PRINCE trilogy and Ivelisse Housman’s UNSEELIE duology.
ONCE BY LIGHTNING is the first installment in a planned trilogy. Upon request, I am prepared to share the full manuscript.
I graduated from San Jose State University with my Master’s in Library and Information Science in December of 2024. When I’m not writing or daydreaming about fae and dragons, I work as an associate librarian at the Sonoma County Public Library. Themes in my life that have weaseled their way into my writing include gardening, pastries, living coastal, and libraries. As an autistic woman, my special interests include the Dewey Decimal System, tiny food, 1870’s American History, geographical maps, and lists.
Thank you for your time and consideration in representing my work. I look forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely,
Charley Ann Gittins (she/her)
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