Querying Mistakes I Made (So You Don’t Have To)

We’ve all been there, right? The endless querying trenches, staring at your inbox like it might suddenly start producing miracles. In my last post, I talked about the things that helped me finally land my dream agent (after, ahem, a very long road). But if I’m being honest, that road was also paved with a lot of mistakes.

Some I made because I didn’t know any better. Others I made because I was impatient, or hopeful, or convinced that this time, surely, this query was The One.

If you’re just starting to query (or you’ve been at it for a while and feel like you’re shouting into the void) I hope this helps you avoid a few of the potholes I fell into.

Not Doing the Research

This one hurts because I thought I was doing my research. I had my spreadsheet, my list of agents, and I’d even Googled a few. But here’s the thing: real research goes deeper than that.

At first, I sent queries to anyone who represented my genre. Contemporary romance? Great, here’s twenty agents who list “romance” on their website. Send, send, send.

Except most of them represented adult romance. Or they weren’t open to submissions. Or they hadn’t sold a book like mine in years. (This last one was huge.)

Once I slowed down and actually dug into each agent (reading interviews, following them on social media, checking what their clients were writing) my request rate completely changed. Agents started asking for fulls instead of sending polite “not the right fit” rejections.

Research isn’t glamorous, but it’s one of the best things you can do for yourself. You’re not just trying to find any agent — you’re trying to find your agent.

Sending to Any and Every Agent

Ah yes, the “throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks” phase. I convinced myself that if I just sent enough queries, eventually someone would bite. The problem? I wasn’t being selective. I wasn’t thinking about fit.

Agents know when they’re being mass-queried. They can tell when a letter isn’t personalized. (Trust me, “Dear Agent” or “Dear Literary Representative” does not go over well.)

When I finally stopped focusing on the quantity of queries and started focusing on quality and tailoring each query to the agent and their specific tastes, I started getting responses. Real ones.

So please, save yourself the time and heartbreak. Don’t send to everyone. Send to the right ones.

Not Addressing the Agent by Name

It seems small, but this one matters. “Dear Agent” feels generic, and agents can spot it from a mile away. It tells them you didn’t take the time to learn who they are, and if you’re hoping for a long-term partnership, that’s not the first impression you want. And if you’ve been doing you research (see above) you should have no issue whatsoever finding a specific agent’s name.

Many agents will indicate how they prefer to be address, but not all. If you’re unsure of their title (Mr., Ms., Mx.), it’s totally fine to just use their full name: “Dear Taylor Johnson.” That’s professional and safe. But never skip the name entirely. Personalization goes a long way.

Writing a Query That’s Too Long

My first query letter was… well, let’s just say it was ambitious. I wanted to make sure the agent understood everything: my characters’ backstories, the themes, the emotional arc, the symbolism, the hamster…

Yeah. No.

A query letter isn’t a synopsis. It’s a pitch. Think of it like the back cover copy of a novel: just enough to make someone want to read more. When I cut the fluff and focused on the core conflict—who wants what, what’s standing in their way, and what’s at stake—the difference was night and day.

A good rule of thumb is a query letter should be no more than a page. If you need more, I have a full blog post breaking down the query letter for you.

Want help keep track of your queries? Get my exact spreadsheet that I used to track my queries and eventually land my literary agent!

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Overloading the Pitch

This ties right into the previous point, but it deserves its own spot because it’s so easy to do. You’ve lived with this story for months, maybe years. You love your subplots and side characters and the clever little twist in chapter 27.

But in your pitch? Simpler is better. Stick to your main character, their central goal, and the primary obstacle. Leave the rest for the manuscript.

Less really is more.

Not Sending to the Right Agent

Sometimes this mistake comes from impatience. You find an agent who sounds wonderful, they’re super nice on social media, and you think, “Well, they don’t really rep my genre, but maybe they’ll make an exception!”

Spoiler: they won’t.

And it’s not personal! Agents have to stay focused on what they know they can sell. It doesn’t mean your book isn’t good, it just means it’s not the right fit for them.

Think of it like dating. You’re not looking for just anyone to say yes, you’re looking for the person who gets your book, your voice, your weird little world. And that person exists. You just have to find them.

Thinking You’ll Nail It on the First Draft

If I could go back and give past-me one piece of advice, it would be this: your first query draft is not your final query draft.

Query writing is its own art form. It’s weird and difficult and often harder than writing the actual book. I rewrote mine at least ten times. Each time, it got tighter, clearer, and a little more “me.”

So don’t rush it. Let your query sit for a day or two. Read it out loud. Send it to critique partners. (Seriously, they’ll catch things you completely miss.) And when you think it’s ready, give it one more pass.

Patience pays off here.

The Bottom Line

Querying is humbling. It’s slow. It can make you doubt everything about your writing. But it’s also where so many writers prove to themselves just how much they want this.

Every rejection teaches you something. Every draft gets you closer. And when you finally get that yes (the one that makes all the “no’s” worth it) you’ll know that every stumble, every misstep, and every revision mattered.

So hang in there, writer friend. Keep going. Keep querying. Keep believing that your story has a place in the world, because it does.

Where are you in your querying journey?
I’d love to hear from you! Drop a comment below or connect with me on Instagram — I share behind-the-scenes updates about Something Bright and Beautiful and all the ups and downs of writing life. (Spoiler: lots of coffee. And probably too many commas.)

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