Query Letter Update

by Betsy Ashton

Betsy Ashton, born in Washington, DC, was raised in Southern California where she ran wild with coyotes in the hills above Malibu. She protested the war in Vietnam, burned her bra for feminism, and is a steadfast Independent. She is a writer, a thinker, the mother of three grown stepchildren, companion and friend. She mentors writers and writes and publishes fiction. Her first mystery, Mad Max Unintended Consequences, was published in February 2013. The second in the series, Uncharted Territory, A Mad Max Mystery, came out in April 2015. In her spare time, she is the president of the state-wide Virginia Writers Club. She loves riding behind her husband on his motorcycle. You’ll have to decide for yourself if and where she has a tattoo.

Literary Agents | Query Letters

3 Comments(s)

August 12, 2009

My friend and fellow Valley Writer, Keith Martin, received his first rejection for a short story from a prestigious mag on April Fool’s Day. He received his second for a different story today. His birthday! Happy flipping B’day, Keith.

As Keith said, the mag will run out of holidays before he runs out of stories. Keep up the fight. It’s the only way to win.

I too received a form rejection on Monday. I sent out six queries in the past week. Within 24 hours, I had my first form rejection. A very nice form rejection, but a form rejection all the same.

After checking the agent’s site, and learning in advance that s/he was looking for books in my genre, I realized that there was one word missing. The agent wants new authors with original voices and who write women’s fiction. The missing word was “blockbuster” women’s fiction.

No blockbuster from me, but could be the start of a solid midlist series.

Onward. More agents await my attack!

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3 Comments

  1. Becky Mushko
    Becky Mushko on August 13, 2009 at 12:08 pm

    Thirteen here.

  2. Clementine
    Clementine on August 17, 2009 at 6:18 pm

    Yep. I received another one in my email inbox, waiting for me when I got home. Gotta love this job.

  3. Betsy Ashton
    Betsy Ashton on August 17, 2009 at 7:15 pm

    And they continue to come in. But, if we don't send them out, we have NO chance of finding an agent. Sigh.