In order to get a book deal, according to all the advice I found on all the writing platforms, first: you need an agent.
To get an agent, you have to write a query letter. That process is LONG. To query an agent, you have to:
Look through different agency sites to see if they’re a fit
Find out what they like, want, and are interested in going forward.
Read the bios of their agents
See which agent you best match with, which includes what they’ve published, the things they want, and how they prefer you query
Write the Query Letter.
Wait
A Query Letter isn’t something that’ll win a creative writing contest, but rather a formulaic letter that shows what the book is about, how it compares to comps, why it’s important, and why you’re the one to write it. You fit all this information into one page or less and attach the samples they request.
These letters aren’t something you do once and go from there. Rather, each agent you query needs their own letter. Which takes a bunch of research. And a bunch of writing. And since you’re a writer trying to get a book deal, there’s pressure for perfection.
For me, it also takes a long time. A query letter typically takes me between 2.5 - 4 hours, depending on the supplemental materials the agent wants. So you do the writing, work on the letter, send it out, and then wait. To quote Tom Petty, “The waiting his the hardest part.”
The thing with the queries, as well, is that you might not even get a response. So you might hear nothing. Or you’ll have spent four hours on a query letter only to get a one sentence denial the next day.
I don’t say this as a complaint, but rather just that it’s a lot of time and a lot of no’s. You sort of get used to it. After spending a lot of time doing the work, you spend a lot of time trying to get the work out there. And then you’re often told no.
So it’s sort of a shock to the system, and you have to process when: you get a yes.