Danielle Chiotti
Literary Agent
Upstart Crow Literary
Literary agent @ Upstart Crow Literary, book lover, food lover.
Literary Agent
Cindy Cummins @cindy_cdcummins
What is a good word count for YA-Fiction? I have received good feed back, but one agent said my word count was a bit low. #AskUpstartIt depends on the genre. A contemporary might be as low as 60,000, a fantasy might be upwards of 100,000. #AskUpstart
Literary Agent
Nancy Parish @nancyparish
#askupstart What does "I didn't connect with the main character" mean in a query. Is that something that can be easily fixed .I use this phrase a lot when reading queries. For me, it means that something about the character voice didn't spark. #AskUpstart
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
Keri @BackyardReading
If an agent is not interested do they typically let the author know, or is it a matter of silence means no? #AskUpstartA thousand different agents might give you a thousand different answers on this. For me, I always try to respond. It's not always timely, but I try! #AskUpstart
Literary Agent
Angie Hawkins @th_littlebirdie
#AskUpstart if you really liked the writing of a submitted piece but it was too close to something you already had, would you ask for other/more mss or decline and move on?I would likely invite the writer to query any future works. #AskUpstart
Literary Agent
Rebecca R. Cohen @RebeccaRCohen2
@susanhawk @UpstartCrowLit What is the key to hooking an agent? What stories really catch your eye? #askUpstart #askmeanythingWrite a fantastic manuscript, and pair it with a clear, concise query. I never know exactly what I'm looking for when I open the query box, but I'm always ready to be wowed. #AskUpstart
Literary Agent
Maureen M. Mirabito @maureenmirabito
I’m planning to query agents in batches—6 to 7 at a time. If I don’t get any interest from those 6 or 7, should I consider a revision? What’s your take? #askupstartIf the comments from agents call out the same issues in the novel, then it's worth considering a revision. Otherwise, get it out as widely as you can! #AskUpstart
Literary Agent
Michael Stearns @mikalroy
What “trends” do you see growing or waning nowadays? Or is it utterly foolish to speak of trends at all? #AskUpstartLately, I find myself dealing less in trends and more in: does this story surprise and delight me? I want to be surprised and delighted. #AskUpstart
Literary Agent
Danielle Chiotti @daniellechiotti
@mikalroy @th_littlebirdie The barn was very large. It was very old. It smelled of hay and it smelled ofmanure. It smelled of the perspiration of tired horses and the wonderful sweet breath
of patient cows. It often had a sort of peaceful smell as though nothing bad could
happen ever again in the world.
Charlotte's Web. Every darn time. #AskUpstart
Literary Agent
Maureen M. Mirabito @maureenmirabito
If I’ve queried you and need to remove olives and mermaids and how much my character hates her new town from the story, how long should I wait to try again? #AskUpstartIf you have something fresh and new, why not try now? #AskUpstart
Literary Agent
Lynn Rogalsky 💻 @lynn_rog
I know it depends on the genre and individual story, but are short chapters in MG/upper MG acceptable, say 200-500 words? Is there a norm? Thanks.#AskUpstart
You're right that every story is different, but that sounds rather short for chapters in MG/Upper MG. But if it works for the story, go with it! #AskUpstart
Literary Agent
Maureen M. Mirabito @maureenmirabito
If this query landed on your screen today, and you said, “I have been waiting my entire career for this!” what would it say? #askupstartOh gosh, that's so hard to say. I often don't know it until I see it, which is why I try to get into the query box as often as I can. #AskUpstart
Literary Agent
Anup 📝📚 @anuponthenet
Who in your agency is best fit for adult science fiction? Thanks. #askupstartTo the best of my knowledge, none of us reps adult sci-fi at this time. #AskUpstart
Literary Agent
Elizabeth Toth (Stoever) @Stoeverit
#AskUpstart What are the most common types (or examples) of revisions you do with debut authors? Pacing, char development, improving the ending? Thx!All of the above! Every novel is different, but pacing in the first act is key, and I often spend a lot of time there with debut clients. #AskUpstart
Literary Agent
Adam Blackman @Adamdbgood
#AskUpstart If a pitch is liked during a Twitter event, when should one submit a query? That day? Within the week? Does it matter as long as the *heart* is referenced in the query letter? (Thanks for offering this Q&A!)It's appropriate to send whenever the query and project are ready to go. If you're ready now, great! If not, it's ok to wait. Also: always research who "hearts" your pitch! #AskUpstart
Literary Agent
Khadijah L. VanBrakle 🇨🇦 @LVanBrakle
Is there anything specific that you want authors who query one of you to know? Something we can't find out from social media. #askupstartFrom a personal standpoint: I love stories with lots of emotional layering. And I quickly jump down to the writing sample so I can read to get a sense of that. #AskUpstart
Literary Agent
Khadijah L. VanBrakle 🇨🇦 @LVanBrakle
Is there anything specific that you want authors who query one of you to know? Something we can't find out from social media. #askupstartFrom a technical query standpoint: I love brief queries with a clear hook. #AskUpstart
Literary Agent
Cara Liebowitz @spazgirl11
If you're unclear on the feedback an agent offers on your full, is it appropriate to email back and ask for clarification? I often find when agents offer feedback I'm not entirely sure what they mean. #askupstartA good question, and I'm sure this is difficult for writers. Unless I'm requesting a revise and resubmit, time does not typically allow for me to respond in more detail about why I'm passing. #AskUpstart
Literary Agent
Faaiza @modestmunchies
I have a cookbook proposal I'd like to submit. Should I paste the first 20 pages into the email with my query or just send a query and wait for a proposal request? #AskUpstartI always like to see sample proposal pages with cookbook queries. So yes, include pages, please! #AskUpstart
Literary Agent
PJ McIlvaine @PJMcIlvaine
#askupstart When you like a pitch at a pitch event does that get priority over other pitches in the inbox?I typically review queries in the order in which they were received. #AskUpstart