As I read the queries and pitches that come to me as a literary agent, I'm continually amazed at the incomplete submissions--whether it is a one page query letter or a book proposal and sample chapters or a fiction submission.

Why is it a problem for these writers? They want to get their book idea published yet because they don't present a thorough, professional and complete submission (query or proposal), then it is like they stand there and beg for rejection. Because of the volume of these submissions, I can almost guarantee they will receive a form rejection letter and nothing that explains their idea was never fully considered because they were missing a piece of the puzzle.

For example, let's look at a query which I received from a writer. After I read the pitch, I could not tell if it was fiction or nonfiction. So I asked--effort on my part to send a message. I learned it was fiction.I asked again--what type of fiction, young adult or adult? What was the length (the word count--because if I'm not specific it is almost inevitable they will respond with t