When to Query: A Calendar
Never query between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day—agents and editors are usually closed to queries during this time to spend more time with their families.
To be safe, don’t query the week leading up to Thanksgiving, or the week after New Year’s Day.
Do not query in January or February—these are popular conference months; agents and editors are busy traveling to and from these events.
Don’t query in the spring (March through May) because this is when agents and editors attend writing and publishing retreats in mountain cabins by bubbling brooks.
Don’t query in early June because agents and editors are attending graduation ceremonies for their children, or receiving honorable degrees from prestigious universities.
Never query in July or August because that’s when contests are being judged so they don’t have time to look at anything non-contest related.
Don’t query in September! That’s back-to-school time! Agents and editors have families too, you know! Sheesh.
Never query in October because that’s when agents and editors are busy picking apples, carving jack-o-lanterns, canning, jamming, and at long last putting the finishing touches on their own novels to put on submission.
Never query on the weekend. Also, not on Fridays. To be safe, avoid Thursdays too.
Never query before 10am or after 4pm. This makes it seem like you don’t respect their time.
Never query at lunchtime.
Don’t query during a full moon. Self-explanatory.
Never query on a leap year! (hello: 2020!)
Don’t query during, or the two nights following, a meteor shower because your manuscript will pale in comparison to the majesty of heaven’s display.
Try not to query if Mercury is in retrograde.
Find out what it means for a planet to be in “retrograde.” And, of course, never query if you are googling anything else—your uncertainty will leap off of your query letter and make you seem difficult.
Never query during your period. Men, don’t query if a woman you know is having her period.
In my experience, the best time to query is 3:12 pm on a Wednesday in late June, ideally the 23rd or 28th.
If neither of those days fall on a Wednesday, just wait till next year!
