Hello, dreamers. As we approach the fifth week of my querying mission, I still have six queries outstanding. And unfortunately there’s a good chance I won’t hear back on most of them.

I had considered sending out a few more queries, but the truth is, there probably isn’t enough time. The current query window is already closing. Thus, I’ve decided that the upcoming #SFPit event will be the formal endpoint to my query efforts this year.

I’ve spoken about it in the past, but it’s worth noting there are good and bad times to query. Allow me to explain:

Query Windows

As the Byrds famously said, to everything there is a season, and querying a novel is no different. While many agents remain technically open to queries throughout the year, it’s understood that there is always a right time to query and a wrong time. And just because an agent is open to queries, that doesn’t mean they’ll be fully receptive. For many, the decision to not fully close down is rooted in something we all understand: FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). They may not be particularly interested in taking on new clients, but if something really awesome is out there being queried, they don’t want to miss out because they were closed.

But, generally speaking, there’s a right and wrong time to query. The best times to query during the year are known as query windows. And there are three major ones.

Query Season

Without a doubt, the biggest time of year for queries is the opening months. It’s such a major querying window it’s usually known as “Query Season”. Query Season essentially runs from the first of the year through the end of February.

The reason for this burst of activity comes down to agents and their annual schedules (this will be a recurring theme). Most literary agents close to queries in the final months of the year, taking December, November, and part or all of October to relax, decompress, and spend time with their friends and families for the holidays. Another reminder that agents are human, just like the rest of us.

But once the holidays are past, agents return to work fresh and revitalized. They’re open to new ideas and eager to explore new opportunities with prospective clients. And because everyone querying knows this (or certainly should), they typically receive by far their highest volume of incoming queries during the first two months.

Now, on the face of it, the fact that so many people are querying all at once might make this seem like a bad time to query. But again, this is the time of year when nearly all agents are actively seeking new clients. Sure, you’ll be up against a lot of other querying hopefuls. But on the flipside, agents are more likely to give serious consideration to your materials.

That said, the volume does present some drawbacks for querying writers. Because of the sheer number of queries they’re fielding, agents are more likely to request smaller writing samples, generally opting for just five pages (as opposed to the opening one-to-three chapters). And if your work doesn’t stand out against all the others, you’re more likely to get a rapid pass. But on the bright side, turnaround tends to be swift, potentially giving you the chance to revise your materials and find new targets.

The “Second Chance” Window

After the initial flurry, things settle down, and by early spring the literary world moves into what I like to call the “Second Chance” query window. This window runs, essentially, from March through mid-to-late May.

I give it that term because of, again, the behavior of agents. In an ideal world, an agent will find at least one or two projects in the mass of early queries they connect with. They request more materials, possibly even a writer’s full manuscript. Agents, as I keep saying, are very busy people. Reading an entire manuscript, much less critically, takes time. Especially when they have several at once.

But generally by spring, they’ve read through manuscripts and made their decisions. If they found writers they’re interested in representing, they move on from queries into the protracted business of signing representation contracts and editing manuscripts in preparation for submission to editors. If not, however, they go back to their query piles, in search of a project better suited to their tastes and the current market.

By this point, agents are likely to be more critical. They’ve already read mountains of queries, and have a better idea of what, exactly, they’re looking for. They may take longer to respond, and are less likely to respond positively. And the closer you get to summer, the less likely you are to receive a positive response, or any at all.

The Summer “Dead Zone”

As spring turns to summer, the literary market shifts gears. Many agents close to queries during the summer, and the few who remain open are generally unreceptive to anything that isn’t the next guaranteed bestseller. Many agents take time off during the summer, both to enjoy the weather and to take a break after months of reading through query after query after query. Those that do remain active typically spend the summer attending conferences or finalizing contracts with new clients.

This makes summer effectively a “Dead Zone” in the querying year. Even if agents you’ve targeted are open to queries, it’s best to wait. On the bright side, that means late spring and summer are a great time to make major changes to your manuscript, and rethink your querying strategy.

The Autumn Window

As summer ends, most (but not all) agents reopen for a final round of queries. After a summer away from their inbox, attending conferences, relaxing, or signing new clients, they return to the office interested in new opportunities.

The Autumn Window is more compact, often running only from early September to early-to-mid-October. I like to think of the Autumn Window as being more “intimate”. Fewer agents, fewer authors querying. Agents often request larger samples, and are more likely to thoroughly consider your work. However, in this window you’re up against the clock…

Year-End Closing

By the end of October, most agents have either closed or are closing. Deals are being finalized, clients are going out on submission to editor, and everyone is winding down for the string of holidays that dangle from the end of the calendar. I speak from unfortunate experience some years ago when I say this is, without a doubt, the worst time to query. Worse than summer.

But if you’ve reached the end of the year and your work still hasn’t found a home, take heart. If you’ve reached late October, January is only a few short months away. A new year approaches, rife with potential. A blank slate, where everyone gets to start over with fresh eyes and minds open to fresh ideas.

If you’re a querying author, it’s always important to remember that this process isn’t a sprint; it’s a marathon. Querying can take years, hundreds of rejections, even multiple projects before you finally find one that’s the write book in front of the right agent at the right time. If you fire off a round of queries and the current window closes, it’s just a bump in the road. There will be another chance. There’s always another chance. – MK