The good news: My beta reader gave my draft a thumbs up... naturally she had recommendations (trim this chapter, make that point clearer, typos, don't call final chapter "epilogue" just make it the last chapter). But generally she thought it was strong and holds together well. Good pacing. Interesting. Good ending. I can probably make her recommended changes in the course of a weekend.
The Bad news: No one wants to read it. I have 60 queries out and have received 18 form letters saying "does not sound like our type of story". Have received 1 request for a full (4 months ago and I never heard back) and 1 request for a partial (a month ago).
I know, I know: go to Query Letter Hell. I think my QL is good. However, clearly it's not working. So now I'm experimenting with different versions of it. My Beta suggested I don't lable the book a "thriller" but call it "suspense" and that I highlight that, although the narrative voice is a male character, the real protagonist is the woman he is working with/talking about. Also that flagging that the story involves a ghost in the query letter might be a turn-off.
Bottom line... (sigh) ...frustrated, but am shooting for getting 100 queries out there. Ugh. (Pounds head against wall.)
The Bad news: No one wants to read it. I have 60 queries out and have received 18 form letters saying "does not sound like our type of story". Have received 1 request for a full (4 months ago and I never heard back) and 1 request for a partial (a month ago).
I know, I know: go to Query Letter Hell. I think my QL is good. However, clearly it's not working. So now I'm experimenting with different versions of it. My Beta suggested I don't lable the book a "thriller" but call it "suspense" and that I highlight that, although the narrative voice is a male character, the real protagonist is the woman he is working with/talking about. Also that flagging that the story involves a ghost in the query letter might be a turn-off.
Bottom line... (sigh) ...frustrated, but am shooting for getting 100 queries out there. Ugh. (Pounds head against wall.)
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