Allison Strong
The Radioactive Patient
I began querying my opiate-recovery memoir, “The Radioactive Patient” about a week ago, right after Christmas. This is not my first rodeo. Back in 2018, I made an attempt at querying a book about tardive dyskinesia. Back then, I was confused about the difference between non-fiction and memoir, so I took the “non-fiction” route, wrote a proposal and submitted to maybe three agents. When I look back on those efforts, I cringe, because my bipolar disorder wasn’t as well-managed as it is today, and the query letters now read as sort of angry and scattershot. Of the three agents I queried, I received one rejection slip. The other agents never got back to me. Discouraged and maybe distracted, I quit querying.
Today is a different story. My book is complete, though I hope my future literary agent will suggest more revisions, so that the character arc and basic storyline are clearer and more “gettable.” Of course, I’m not going to say that in my query letter, but I don’t mind telling you.
I re-queried the agents I’d contacted previously, and also reached out to agents who’ve recently represented books in my category. My expectations this time around are more reasonable–I expect nothing. It’s kind of like it was being an actor in LA, the odds are stacked against most authors seeking representation, but there’s always that chance.
My instinct, which is maybe misguided, was to query like 50 agents in one fell swoop and then put “The Radioactive Patient” book aside to work on short stories and my next book. But a more measured approach is to go slower, accept the querying agents as an ongoing part of my life as an artist, choose to be happy during the process and still work on short stories and my next book project. Because during that time, extra publishing credits, potential literary journal awards (why not think big?) and possibly receiving a fellowship will give my author bio the bona fides to sway agents and publishers to take a hard, long look at my submission materials.
And of course, strengthen my skills as a storyteller. Which is the fun, beautiful, and magnificent part of being a writer in the first place.
Right?
Right!