I will never forget seeing a post titled ‘shoot your shot’ from a lovely agent on Twitter when I started querying in February. Why? Because that mentality changed my querying life in no time.
I was a newbie at everything. I barely figured out how to use Twitter a few weeks before I started querying; I participated in one pitch event when I had zero followers with…you guessed it…zero engagement and industry likes; I never attended a writers’ conference. Most of all, I had never queried before or written a full-length novel.
But I set off to do exactly what that agent recommended. I shot my shot every chance I got and decided never to self-reject. And the rest…is history. But let me tell you a little bit about that history.
My rejections, particularly the form ones, came from agents I least expected. As a Type A lawyer used to doing the logical things off a list to get to a goal, I thought to myself, if I query agents with the perfect fit manuscript wish list, magic will occur, right?
Wrong.
Most of my rejections came from agents I considered to be a perfect fit based on their manuscript wish lists and tweets. How could this be possible? If the perfect fit agents don’t want it…how could others? But then I changed my mindset. I stayed committed to shooting my shot fiercely. And that meant going beyond my comfort zone and what I perceived as a perfect fit.
I then queried agents that, beyond wanting my genre, had nothing in common with my novel. I created mood boards, engaged with the writing community on Twitter, and participated in pitch events. As with most things in life, the little efforts here and there began to compound. I started getting interest and requests through all channels: Twitter, a writing conference I attended, and cold querying.
And writer friends…believe me when I say…interest breeds interest.
The twenty-four full requests and three offers of representation I received from agents came from an even balance of pitching agents at a writing conference, cold querying, and engagement on Twitter through both pitch events and beyond. One offer came from cold querying, one came from a writing conference partial request that turned into a full request, and one came from a like outside of a Twitter pitch event that turned into a full request.
My initial offering agent requested my full through cold querying within less than 24 hours. Cold querying does work!
A week later, I got the email asking for the representation call. As one does, I let every single agent know that had my full/partial and even just my query know about the offer and of my deadline to make a decision.
At the end of it all, I picked the agent who plucked me out of the trenches first (thank you eternally) who works for a dream agency in New York City and was immediately passionate about my writing and long-term vision for my writing career. I am happy to say that it’s already been one of the most rewarding professional partnerships I’ve experienced, and I cannot wait to see what is to come.
I feel very grateful that the querying trenches were so kind to me, and I know that is not everyone’s experience, but my greatest advice to anyone in the trenches is to know that, while one cannot control the market, timing, subjectivity, and more, your attitude will determine so much.
Make querying and selling yourself your friend, shoot your shot like no other until others believe in you just as much, lean on the writing community for support, and get out of your comfort zone. If you have a limiting belief that is not serving you, discard it immediately.
You never know what is around the corner, but you won’t find out unless you keep going.
Querying Stats
- *1st novel
- *48 days
- *35 queries
- *24 full requests
- *3 offers of representation
The query letter that got me out of the trenches
Dear ___,
Based on your interest in thrillers, I am excited to share my adult psychological thriller, THE PERFECT REPLACEMENT. This novel, complete at 76,000 words, has the stalker perspective from YOU, the portrayal of toxic love told through alternating perspectives from TELL ME LIES, and the dark academia from THE IT GIRL. THE PERFECT REPLACEMENT explores the deadly consequences of ruthless ambition and obsession against the high-stakes, cutthroat backdrop of a prestigious university in the capital. Twenty-four agents have requested my full manuscript.
Victoria Miller would die to be Jessica Larson…on this cutthroat campus in the capital, she might have to.
As she is about to begin her second year at one of the most prestigious law schools in Washington, D.C., Victoria wants nothing more than to stay rather than be forced to return to her broken past in small-town Florida. But with the threat of eviction only weeks away and no connections in the capital, she might not have a choice.
Everything changes when Jessica, the star student on campus, is found dead in a public swimming pool. That day, Victoria overhears that securing the coveted research position with the charming professor propelled Jessica’s success. Desperate for the money and connections she needs to stay, Victoria interviews for the position and gets it, along with Joshua, a fellow student from a long line of wealthy and respected attorneys. After a few weeks, she begins dating Joshua secretly. Victoria is unaware that he orchestrated events in her life to go from stalker to perfect boyfriend, just as he had done with Jessica. When she discovers evidence of that, Victoria races to untangle what happened to Jessica before she suffers the same fate in a place where others have their own dark secrets from that night that need to stay buried…
I am a former professional ballerina and first-generation immigrant from Romania. Currently, I am one of four attorneys serving in the U.S. Supreme Court Fellows Program. Previously, I prosecuted Mexican drug cartels and public officials in D.C. I am also a 2023 Yale Writers’ Workshop alumna, and while I’ve published academic articles in reputable legal journals, my first love is writing thrillers.
Thank you very much. I would be delighted to send you my manuscript immediately upon request.
Best,
Viviana Vasiu
Author Bio
Viviana Vasiu writes psychological thrillers set in cutthroat environments that explore the deadly consequences of toxic relationships, obsession, and ambition. Viviana was born and raised in Transylvania, Romania, where she was a professional ballerina. She moved to the U.S. at eighteen after winning the visa lottery. She graduated as the valedictorian at Stetson University with a B.A. in English and received her Juris Doctor degree with magna cum laude honors from Stetson College of Law. Viviana is also a Yale Writers’ Workshop alumnae and was selected as one of the most notable alumnae since 1870 for her contributions to the fields of Government Service & Politics, Law & The Courts by Kappa Alpha Theta, the first sorority for women. In her spare time, Viviana loves yoga, going to the beach, traveling, and reading twisty thrillers.
She is represented by James Farner with JABberwocky Literary Agency. JABberwocky Literary Agency is one of the top literary agencies in the U.S. that represents numerous New York Times bestselling authors, including Brandon Sanderson, Charlaine Harris, Grady Hendrix, and Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
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