Q&A Thursday

Trunked Edition

Hi friends,

Let’s answer some questions!

T asks: My question is about trunk novels / shelved manuscripts. I'm querying a novel right now that's gotten several full requests over the last year but hasn't managed to reach home plate, so to speak, and I'm starting to consider shelving it and moving on. Here's my question: how common is it for authors to get an agent for one project and, once a good working relationship has formed, ask for feedback on other projects that were previously unsuccessful in the query trenches? Should authors let their old work stay in the past, or is there hope for the projects that continue to hold space in our hearts?

Trunk novels can be brought back to life for sure. I don’t know how common it is though, because the back cover copy doesn’t say “this is the authors first trunk novel, after their debut last year.”