Of querying! I sent out my first six letters. It’s hard not to send out twenty or thirty at a time because it takes so many weeks to hear back and I just want to get through the process to (hopefully!) get an agent. I want to see if I get any positive responses though because then I’ll know if I need to rewrite my letter or synopsis or both or if they’re doing their job. When I queried Shift I never got any full or partial requests, and I only received–I think, it was a long time ago–a handful of positive responses that usually told me the market was too saturated at the moment. The Hunger Games had recently been turned into a movie so it made sense but maybe my writing just wasn’t good enough? I guess I’ll find out if I don’t get any requests for this book either. I can believe that the market is flooded still but obviously other YA authors are getting their books published so I would be more likely to believe that my writing just isn’t “right.” If I didn’t have a family and job and other projects occupying my mind I’d probably be waiting on pins and needles for any replies and counting the days until I can assume it’s a pass. As it is, I’m going to count out the days and write down the last day when I should hear from that agent on my physical calendar so I can cross them off when necessary.
Having started querying, I wonder more what people’s thoughts are on AI being used to create a query letter and/or synopsis. When I paid for ProWritingAid, you can buy credits and use them to run through certain aspects of your book. For instance, a character analysis, a chapter critique or manuscript analysis, among other things. These analyses are done in minutes so obviously they’re done by AI. In the manuscript analysis, when paying for premium, it comes with an example query letter and synopsis and other interesting things about the book. It honestly put a new perspective on that book that I didn’t not and probably would not have seen. Because I am very self-critical and I think for some authors (like myself) it’s just had to see our own work in a different way. So, my thought is, obviously having AI write books just to get stuff out or to claim they’ve written a book, is wrong, but is it the same if us real authors have AI write our query letter or synopsis? It’s different from having another person write those things, but some of us can’t spend the hundreds of dollars it seems to cost to have a person read the book and write three papers. ProWritingAid was (I think) less than two hundred, which is slightly more affordable. I would never use AI in my books or even to come up with an idea for a book because, even though I don’t consider myself a great writer, I am proud of my natural writing abilities and don’t feel the need or desire to use it. I’m very against AI invading creative spaces. So, in the case of it writing a query letter or synopsis, is it wrong? I’m honestly not sure but I am positive answers would be on both sides and everything in between because there’s millions of opinions out there. So, this is just one, mine.
On the movie front I recently watched Michael (the new one, in case there are other movies out there). It probably doesn’t need saying but it’s about Michael Jackson. The movie reminded me of the one about Aretha Franklin. Both were good but felt glossed over. I like to watch movies like that and feel like I really got to know that person. I’m not saying like all their deepest secrets are exposed or anything, but it’s possible to watch the movie and feel like you’re almost living their life with them to a degree. But these movies are a good to-watch if you just can’t find something and like a song aspect every now and again.
Mikaela Nicole 