Question from Loralie:
Thank you for taking the time to do this! I have a question that’s been gnawing at me a little bit, and I haven’t been able to find many opinions on it. Say an agent requested material, either from a query, a conference pitch session, or an online contest, but ultimately passed on the novel with a form letter (the standard, polite, this just wasn’t for me).
If a writer queries that same agent again with a different project, is it appropriate to mention that first interaction? “I queried you six months ago with Fiction Novel 52B, which you ultimately passed on.” Or is it better to just leave the mention out?
Firstly, there is no such thing as a fiction novel. A novel is inherently fiction. Sorry, had to get that off my chest.
And now to your question…It is okay to re-query an agent; however, you must make sure you have either incorporated the feedback that the agent gave you or have drastically revised your book. There is no point in wasting anyone’s time–yours for querying an agent that is very unlikely to request more or offer representation and the agent’s for looking at something they’ve already seen.
And yes, mention that you’ve already submitted to them especially if they already requested material because it will jog their memory. A few of you asked this question so I can tell it is weighing on your minds. If you have more questions ask them in the comments below.