Chronicles of the Craft: Navigating the Query Trenches

Putting Yourself Out There: The First Battle in the War for Your Book

Welcome to Chronicles of the Craft, the corner where I leave all the thoughts, musings, and emotional outbursts of my journey as a writer. Don’t mind the mess.

When I first started drafting A World Beyond the Unknown, I thought the hardest part would be finishing the book. Then, when I finished, I thought okay, the hardest part must be revising. And after several drafts, beta readers, and agonizing over every word, I thought surely the hardest part was crafting the perfect query letter.

I was wrong.

The hardest part is this. Hitting send. Putting yourself out there. Waiting. Receiving rejections. Swallowing the sting of it. Deciding to keep going anyway.

The Query Gauntlet

So far, I’ve sent out seven queries to agents via QueryTracker—each carefully selected for their above-average response times, in hopes of getting early feedback. Out of those seven, I’ve received three four rejections. One of them came within the hour. Let me tell you, nothing humbles you quite like getting a “no” before you've even had a chance to refresh your inbox.

Does it suck? Absolutely. Is it unexpected? Not. At. All.

Publishing is a brutal industry, and the odds have never been worse for debut authors. The economy is tanking, tariffs are squeezing the life out of the book market, and traditional publishers are more risk-averse than ever. A debut novel—no matter how good—often feels like a long shot. But I knew that going in.

100 Rejections

Here’s the mindset I’ve decided to adopt. My hope is that by openly sharing, it will help even just one other person conjure the bravery to hit the send button.

My goal is 100 rejections.

That’s right, 100. Or perhaps when I run out of agents who feel like a good fit. Every rejection is just a step closer to my next move. If I hit 100, I pivot to self-publishing and throw everything I have into making this book succeed on my own terms. Either way, this book is getting out there.

I don’t say that out of arrogance—I say it because I believe in this story. I believe in these characters. I believe A World Beyond the Unknown deserves to exist in readers' hands, whether through a traditional publisher or by my own efforts.

The Sting of Rejection

Let’s be honest—rejection hurts. I don’t care how much you prepare yourself, how logical you are about the process—getting that “Not for me” email stings. Especially when you’ve poured your heart into a story, labored over your pitch, and imagined the possibility of an agent falling in love with your book.

But I also remind myself, rejection doesn’t mean my book is bad. It doesn’t mean I’m not a good writer. It just means this agent isn’t the right fit. Maybe they already have a similar project. Maybe my pitch didn’t quite land. Maybe they just weren’t feeling it that day.

A rejection is not a statement on my worth or the worth of my book.

What Comes Next?

For now, I’m in the trenches. I’ll keep refining my query, my pitch, my synopsis. I’ll keep submitting. If I get feedback, I’ll consider adjustments. And in the meantime, I’m continuing to write, because no matter what happens with this book, I have a dozen more waiting in the wings.

If you’re in the query trenches too, I see you. This process is grueling, but you’re not alone. And if you’re on the fence about querying, just know: the hardest part is putting yourself out there. But if you can do that, you’re already ahead of the game.

So here’s to the “no’s” that bring us closer to the “yes.” Here’s to the stories that refuse to be buried in a drawer. And here’s to every writer daring to believe in their own words.

More soon,
Magnolia 🌿