Write Query Hook vs LitConnect: take charge of your query list

Publishing a pitch and waiting for interest can be one part of an agent search. You may also want a shortlist you can work through yourself, with a reason for each name and a record of every query.

That is where we recommend Write Query Hook. WQH gives you manuscript-specific agent matches and the tools to organize your own submissions. You decide whom to research, whom to query, and when to send the next batch.

We make WQH. This comparison uses LitConnect's public product information checked on November 5, 2026, alongside the WQH features described here.

How LitConnect works

According to LitConnect's product overview, writers prepare a submission package and provide manuscript details. The platform matches those details with agents' declared interests. Agents review the pitches and can request further material.

LitConnect also describes tracking pitch engagement and requests. Its public site says writer access is free while the platform grows, and that it does not use AI to judge writing or determine fit.

Its participating-agent directory is worth checking against your manuscript. The people using a particular platform matter more than the appeal of its process in the abstract.

Why WQH gives you more control

With WQH, your next action does not depend on an agent discovering your pitch inside WQH. Smart Match helps you identify candidates in a database of over 3,300 literary agents. You inspect the results, decide whom to pursue, and use each agent's required submission route.

Smart Match considers genre, subgenre, format, themes, comparable titles, and audience. A young-adult mystery set around competitive swimming has several useful details beyond the word 'mystery.' Your project profile gives the search more to work with.

The advantage is control over the research and the sequence of your queries. You can build a small batch, review the agents individually, send through their official forms or email addresses, and record what happens. A match helps you choose where to look. It does not promise a request.

An agent can be a strong fit and closed to new queries. WQH refreshes open and closed submission statuses every 24 hours, with submission-status filters to help you plan an actionable list.

Suppose you have set aside Saturday morning to send five queries. Start with open matches, read each agent's current guidelines, then prepare the requested materials. The daily status refresh reduces repeated checking during research. The official page remains your final check before sending.

Once you have a list, a WQH subscription lets you download a spreadsheet populated with your agent results. If you prefer sorting and annotating a workbook, the research is already there. You can also keep your working records in the Query Dashboard.

Keep projects and agencies straight

Your second manuscript needs its own shortlist. WQH supports multiple projects, each with a manuscript profile and Query Dashboard. Recommendations use the specific project's details, so you can search for a memoir without turning your novel's query list into a mixed collection of notes.

WQH also warns when an agent's agency matches another saved agent across your projects. That includes agents you are still researching. It gives you a chance to review the overlap before you save another candidate or prepare the next submission.

For example, you may have saved an agent for your novel last month, then encounter a colleague while researching your memoir. The warning brings that connection to your attention. You can check what you actually sent and read the agency's policy.

Keep outside activity recorded. WQH cannot know about a submission or request that you have not added to your records, and it does not synchronize LitConnect activity automatically.

Using both tools

You can use both if each serves a purpose in your search. LitConnect can be another way for participating agents to encounter your manuscript. WQH can remain the place where you choose direct-query candidates and organize your projects.

If an agent expresses interest through another service, check your existing submissions and the agency's rules before sending more material. Maintaining clear records matters more as you use more than one route.

For authors who want a deliberate querying routine, WQH is the better starting point. You can research a specific book, build a shortlist, export the results, and keep the follow-up work with that project.

Try WQH with your manuscript details, and review the current plans for full matches and spreadsheet downloads.

Common questions