Crafting a good query letter takes ages: First, find a (hopefully) receptive agent online. Then stalk them. Find out what they like. Shoehorn that into your pitch. (Oh, you're a Slytherin too?) Research their submission guidelines. Rehash all the submission materials you've compiled so far. (What's the difference between a 'blurb' and an 'elevator pitch' anyway?) Craft a witty, professional letter where you brag about your previous successes (none) and don't outright beg for representation.
Send! Repeat, twenty to fifty more times. Now, sit back and wait for the rejections to roll in.
We go through all this, hoping for that ONE agent who will recognize our worth, champion us to the world and launch us into the best-seller list!
Or, at least, so I'm told...
