Question 12
A lot of writers find themselves getting form rejections to their query. How do you feel about the practice of using test agents to determine if your submission package is working?
You can find this mentor, Lin Thompson, here!
I think it depends on what you mean by "test agents."
If you mean sending your query to agents who you know you aren't really interested in working with, I think it could be counterproductive and might not tell you much. If you send to an agent who you know isn't going to be right for you and your book, chances are good that they'll also feel that. A rejection from them could have nothing to do with the effectiveness of your query and everything to do with them just not being into the kind of book you're writing. Querying is incredibly subjective at the best of times, and no matter how great your submission package is, it's never going to be for everyone.
But: If by "test agents" you mean holding off on sending your query to your absolute top-choice agents till after you've tested the waters a little—yes! A lot of folks recommend that when you're researching agents, you keep multiple "tiers" or submission rounds for yourself—a pile of agents you'd be absolutely thrilled to work with, and then a different pile of agents who seem cool and seem like they'd be into your book but who maybe you don't know as much about, or who are less established, etc. I think it can be a really good strategy to send your first round(s) of queries to that second pile of agents, so you can get a sense of whether your submission package is doing its job and hooking their interest.
Best case scenario: you get some requests from that second pile of agents, send off your manuscript, and can query your top agents with full confidence while you wait to hear back! (Some of the "second pile" agents might end up surprising you, too—I had an offer call with an agent who isn't very online and so who I didn't know as much about as some others on my list, but they turned out to be extremely cool!)
Worst case scenario: no luck, and you go back to rework your submission package—knowing that when you do have it ready, you haven't missed your shot with the agents at the top of your list.
