Writers: I love you.
I want your book to land the perfect agent, sell for a life-changing deal, and maybe even hit the screen one day.
But sometimes… your queries makes me close my laptop and stare out the window for a while. Before you panic, please know this isn’t about being “too weird.”
I like weird. Weird keeps publishing interesting.
What I’m asking you to stop doing are the things that make your query sink faster than you can say, “but my critique partner loved it.”
So, in the spirit of honesty (and a little tough love), here are ten things this agent wishes you’d stop doing.
1. Querying before your book is finished.
It’s tempting to send a query the moment you type “The End.” I get it. Your excitement is real. But querying before you’ve revised, polished, and completed the entire manuscript is like inviting guests over for dinner and serving raw chicken.
If I love your sample chapters, I need the rest immediately and definitely not “after beta feedback,” not “once the kids are back in school,” or even “after another round of revisions.”
Remember that a query is a promise the book is ready for the next step. Please don’t break that trust.
2. Opening with an apology.
“I know you probably won’t like this, but…”
“Sorry if this is terrible…”
If you’re opening with these sorts of statements, you’re essentially asking me to dislike your work before I’ve even met it. I can’t even call this humility. It’s more like full-on self-sabotage.
Publishing is tough enough without undercutting yourself in the very first line.
Confidence on the page signals professionalism, and professionalism makes me want to keep reading.
3. Using comp titles that aren’t comps.
This one’s tricky but so important. A comp can’t just be a book you loved. It has to align with your project in a real and recognizable way.
Put another way, comp titles are publishing shorthand that tells me who your audience is and how your book fits into the market. That means “Harry Potter” is not your comp, nor is a TV show from 1999.
A good comp is recent (within the last three years), in your genre/category, and aimed at the same readership. Show me you understand your lane by picking comps that are specific, fresh, and strategic.
4. Explaining publishing to me.
Every so often, a query starts with: “I know publishing is a business, so…” My soul leaves my body when I read that.
Yes, it’s a business.
How do I know this? Because I live and breathe it every day. Explaining that to me is like explaining water to a fish. And usually, it’s just a segue into telling me how I should do my job.
Avoid this at all costs and instead, tell me about your book.
5. BCC’ing me on a query blast.
Nothing sinks a query faster than opening an email and seeing 46 other agents on the same thread.
Yes, it’s going to take some time to find your person. And yes, it takes time to personalize queries. But your career is worth that effort and no, there’s no shortcut.
When you send a blast, you’re saying, “I don’t care who represents me, just someone, anyone.”
That tells me you’re not ready for the partnership side of this work.
6. Pitching a book you haven’t reread since draft one.
If your query calls the manuscript a “lighthearted romcom,” but by page four I’m attending a double funeral, we’ve got a disconnect.
Often, this happens when writers draft a pitch early and never update it. Your query should describe the book you have now, not the version you thought you were writing three years ago.
Reread your manuscript before querying to help you align your pitch with the actual story.
7. Getting creative with fonts.
This might sound superficial but trust me: presentation matters.
When a manuscript arrives in Comic Sans, Wingdings, or a rainbow-colored display font, it’s hard to take the work seriously.
Please don’t make me spend the first five minutes of our potential partnership recovering from font shock.
Stick with industry standards like Times New Roman or Garamond.
Clean formatting says, “I respect your time. Let’s focus on the story.”
8. Sending outdated file formats.
Speaking of fonts, file formats are just as important. RTF, ODT, PDFs that require Soviet-era software… Please, no.
If I have to dig around for a program just to open your pages, that’s already a red flag.
Unless the guidelines say otherwise, always default to a Word doc. It’s simple, universal, and professional.
Easy to open = easy to read = more mental energy for your story.
Don’t make tech the barrier between your manuscript and my attention.
9. Explaining your theme for three paragraphs.
Themes aren’t appetizers you plate up before the entrée. Your book’s themes should come alive naturally through story, character, and conflict.
When a query spends three paragraphs telling me it “explores the duality of man” or “questions the meaning of family,” I start skimming.
Agents don’t want the academic essay version. Give us the story! Show me your theme through plot and character stakes. That’s how I’ll feel it.
10. Following up after 48 hours.
Yes, I got your query.
No, I haven’t read your 87,000-word manuscript in two days.
Agents are juggling submissions, current clients, editorial work, calls, contracts, and about a thousand emails. Following up after 48 hours doesn’t show enthusiasm. It shows impatience in a very slow-moving industry.
The better move is to track your submissions in a spreadsheet, give agents the response time they request, and use the waiting period to start your next project.
Final Thoughts (and a small plea!)
I want your book to succeed. I want to champion it. But when queries come in with these issues, it makes me wonder if the writer is ready for the professional side of publishing.
So, help me help you: send your best work, in the right format, with the right comps, and without the self-sabotage. Respect the process, respect your book, and respect your future agent’s time.
Want to do a deep dive into the role of the Literary Agent? Grab the replay of our Expert Series Traditional Publishing and the Role of the Literary Agent!
About the Author:
Jessica Berg is a literary agent and writer who has guided authors through every stage of the publishing journey. With an MFA, a roster of successful clients, and a role as a contributing editor at Writer’s Digest, she is known for her clear, approachable style. She speaks regularly at major conferences, teaching querying, comp titles, and the business of authorship with an emphasis on building sustainable, long-term careers. Her client list includes Katia Sinchenko, Vincent Zandri, Lisa Roe, Arizona Bell, and others. Don’t forget to sign up for her weekly newsletter!
