Querying "The Voice"

Okay, I know I said I was sick and I also said that I was going to lay low for a few days but I watched a show tonight and just had to write about the connection I found to querying. 


And after I'm finished writing this I'm going straight to bed and then I'll be lying low once more. 


Did any of you watch "The Voice" on NBC? If not, you really should watch it next Tuesday, then you'll really know what I'm talking about.


Anyway, it's a new "find the best singer" type of show. But they have moved past the other singing show's and have discovered a way to really find the best voice.


There are four judges (amazing world famous singers) that sit with their backs to the person auditioning. This way they can really hear the voice. If the judge likes the singer, they press a button and the chair turns around.


Here comes the best part. When more than one judge likes the singer, they get to kind of fight it out or explain why they'd be the better coach for the singer. It's awesome. 


And here's how it applies to querying. Let's say the four judges are our top four all time favorite agents. We work endless hours writing a manuscript, rewriting, revising, writing a query letter, rewriting the query letter again and again, doing all we can so we give our best to the agents. And then the agent gets to our query and it's like a blind audition.


They don't know much about us and they can't see us. It's our work in their hands. So, if they like our query, they press that 'reply' button. Just like the show, we might not get an agent to press that button, but we shouldn't stop trying.


So, what is the agent looking for? Just like the show, the singer could have picked a great song and could've dressed really nice, but it all comes down to the voice! Yes, the writing is key in querying but from what I hear, a lot of agents are looking for voice!


And there you have it. Watch the show, see the connection, and apply it. Do your best, bring everything to the table, and hopefully you get not only one agent to press that button but lots of them fighting for your voice :)


Good luck and happy writing!