That's a very long time. You shouldn't wait that long. If it's with us, then feel free to withdraw from that agent and query another at BookEnds. If it's with someone else, you can nudge again, but if it's not working then you can always withdraw and go elsewhere #AskAgent

For a nonfiction picturebook, just write the first manuscript. It's extremely unlikely that you'd be able to sell a debut pb on proposal, and you wouldn't want to invest time in writing follow ups if the first doesn't sell. #askagent #askbookendsjr

Only write the first book. Query with the first book and see where it takes you. If the first one doesn't work out, the sequels won't have a leg to stand on #AskAgent

Absolutely acceptable. You don't need to let agents know it's a multiple submission, we just assume as much. There are some agents that require exclusive, though we don't think that's fair to the author! #AskAgent

A platform isn't 100% necessary when querying agents, but it becomes necessary when you have a deal. So while it's a plus during querying stages, it's something that can be worked on with an agent or editor. #AskBookEnds #AskBookEndsJr #AskAgent

Twitter is a dirty black hole that sucks us in and makes us angry. So, not important at all. ;) No really, you don't need Twitter. You probably do need social media at some point in your publishing career, but pick the platform you like. #askagent

So many possibilities to why an agent doesn't connect w/ character. Could be due to problems with interiority, or infodumping, or bland voice,or bored character, or could simply be agent's reading preferences.Rejections are all subjective. Crit partners can likely help. #askagent

I think you're overthinking it ;) If you get vague feedback and you don't have the ah-ha moment of what you can do, file it away on your spreadsheet and move on. #askagent

This might be a personal/subjective thing, but it might also mean the character needs more development. If they come on really strong, do we also see their vulnerabilities? Do we understand the motivations for why they do what they do? etc. #askagent #askbookends #askbookendsjr

I think slice of life are (and have been) more difficult for a while now, so as a debut if you do write both character-driven narratives and slice-of-lifes, I probably would start with the character-driven book! #AskAgent #askbookendsjr #picturebooks

I don't think you should be querying the second. My advice is to try querying something fresh: bookendsliterary.com/2010/01/29/wri… #askagent

I do think there's a chance for an offer. An agent would ask to see something again unless they are interested. Of course, it's also a bit of a test to see how you handle revisions. I think my advice, is do what you can do and what works for you to make it the best. #askagent

Most of the fiction pbs I've sold as an agent are around 450 words, and they're all the standard 32 pages. But, at the same time, you have to tell the story with the words you need. It's just that in picture books, *every* word has to be the *right* word.

I'm not hating on PLP specifically, but if you submitted that as a debut picture book today, it would be rejected. Today's picture book fiction sweet spot is around 300 - 500 words. There's always exceptions, but they are rare. (CHICKEN WANTS A NAP is 165, over 24 pages)

But yes - the trend in publishing has been towards shorter picture books. If you read some of our classics - like Poky Little Puppy - there's so much about that book that wouldn't be published today. It's too long, the arc isn't layered, the puppy doesn't solve their own problem.

Publishers are *not* making a shift towards primarily author-illos. They just want the best picture book projects they can find, be it from an author or an author-illustrator. As an agent, I'm open to authors, illustrators and author-illustrators.

So - agents looking *only* for picture book author/illustrators is just the personal preference of the agent. It's a different process and a different set of contacts to shop an illustrator's portfolio vs. a completed book dummy, and some agents prefer to do one over the other.

I'm going to break this down into a few replies, because I don't think these two questions are that closely related: #askagent #picturebooks #amwriting

You should definitely check out Query Shark for query advice, samples, and formats. #querytip You can also check out the @bookendslit blog for these things as well. #askagent

Don’t give away the ending. Focus on the set up & central conflict and make sure we know what is at stake for the character. #askagent