Bibi Lewis

You have all worked incredibly hard to write a book, give that book the best chance it has by prepping it correctly instead of rushing it out! #querytip

See also: "my book is like nothing else ever written" will not entice me, it will make me very wary #querytip

Only comping yourself to mega-bestsellers doesn't mean I will stop reading your query, but it will raise my eyebrows to the fact that you might not know the genre well enough to write effectively in it #querytip

I've been seeing a lot of queries that list multiple genres in the subj line or pitch--this is often a red flag for me that the project isn't ready. When pitching your book make sure you're being specific and accurate with your genre! #querytip

Relatedly, I've seen an uptick of comp titles that are only TV or Movies. While these can be helpful, I do still want to know where your book fits in the current Book Market! Pop culture comps are most helpful when paired with a thoughtful and recent novel comp! #querytip

Reminder that if you choose comps that are all wildly different, 20+ y/o mega-bestsellers (and give no justification!), agents are going to doubt your knowledge of the current market you are writing in #querytip

#querytip 350K words is too long

If your query includes the phrase "this is a rough draft" it is not ready to be put out on submission #querytip

It's not a requirement. But it's helpful when I'm reading a few in a row and want to remember why I req'd in the first place #querytip

#querytip Your synopsis should not be one line, that's a pitch. Synopsis should tell all major plot points, not just the starting off point