On Querying Literary Agents the Right Way with QueryTracker

Send us Fan MailIf you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the querying process—you’re not alone.In this episode of Talking Book Publishing, Kathleen and Adanna sit down with Patrick McDonald, the creator of QueryTracker—the platform that has become the gold standard for querying literary agents. What started as one writer trying to organize his own submissions has grown into one of the most trusted tools in the publishing industry today. This conversation pulls back the curtain on the business side of writing—what’s really happening when you hit “send” on that query, and how authors can approach the process more strategically instead of just guessing.In this episode, we cover: How QueryTracker became an essential tool for authors  What data can tell you about agent behavior and response times  Why querying feels so difficult (and how to make it more manageable)  The biggest mistakes authors make with query letters and comp titles  How QT Critique is helping writers get real, honest feedback  Why persistence—and patience—matter more than you think Patrick also shares insights from his upcoming book, The Modern Guide to Querying Literary Agents, built from 20 years of answering authors’ most common questions.🎧 Listen now and take the guesswork out of querying.Connect With UsKathleen: kathleenkaiser.comAdanna: maddannastudio.comPodcast listeners receive a special 20% off all ProBookLaunch products. Use code TBPLISTENER20 at checkout.Have a topic or guest suggestion?Email us at [email protected] the conversation on Instagram: @writerspubsnet