Jen Chen Tran

I’m closed to queries, but a gentle reminder: do not pitch me on Twitter/ LinkedIn/ Facebook. Your message will be ignored. Thank you! #querytip 👍

Friendly reminder: do not pitch myself (or other agents) on social media. This includes Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter. Use the proper channels. You don’t want your first impression to be: this person can’t even follow simple directions. #querytip

You know what really impresses me? Writers that take the time to research me and what I’ve represented/ sold. Writers that customize their pitches grab my attention. It’s worth the extra time. #querytip #queries #publishing

Pardon the bad analogy, but you get like 200 automatic points when you spell your name right on the SAT. When you spell my name wrong on a query letter, I am sad. When you get it right, it counts lol. Since when did a letter “n” look like a “u” haha. #spellingcounts #querytip

Word to the wise: don’t pitch your book to agents on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or any social media, for that matter. You will be ignored if you ignore our query instructions. #querytip #publishing

But also always remember: even if it’s not right for me, there are other agents that it might be perfect for! Never ever give up! The industry is based on personal taste—it’s completely subjective. #querytip

For non-fiction it’s much simpler: have you written a stellar book proposal? It’s a sales document where you conceptualize your audience, define your platform, and explain your marketing & promotion plans. If you don’t have a sales proposal, you are not ready to query. #querytip

Writers always want to know what gets requested vs. rejected. Your MS/ proposal has to stand out and must fit my list. I received over 800 queries last year at Bradford (and joined in late Sep.) and my request rate is below 10%. Don’t query unless you are truly ready. #querytip

It’s true that I dislike prologues and yes, some agents hate them. I think the question to ask oneself is: is this really where the story needs to begin? #querytip

I was up late reading queries and kept seeing the same problem: “walls” of dialogue. It’s OK to start a story with dialogue but it better be purposeful. Otherwise after two plus pages of nothing but aimless conversation, I lose interest. #revisiontip #querytip

Please don’t pre-query. It’s not necessary to ask for permission to send a query. However, if an agent is closed to queries please wait patiently until the agent is open again instead of asking if you can send a query while s/he is closed. #querytip

The third thing I look for when reading fiction queries: pacing. This is hard to explain but there needs to be the right level of detail and structure/ organization to drive plot/ character development. Too much detail and you can get bogged down. #querytip #writing

The second thing I look for when reading fiction queries: a developed sense of place. Make me feel like I’m right there with your character. Like I can smell and see and touch the world she or he lives in. #querytip #writing

The number one thing I look for when reading fiction queries is voice. To me, voice is something distinct and rich, words only you can write, dialogue that clearly belongs to your character. A strong voice commands my attention. #querytip #writing

Always make sure to do a proper name search before you send your queries out. Apparently I’m Monica this week. #querytip

Although I’ve successfully sold a memoir on partial, it’s very difficult to do without a significant platform or wide media coverage. 99% of the time you need to finish writing the memoir to pitch it to agent/editor. Exceptions are just that. #memoir #querytip #publishing

And I love all you writers, but please please don’t ask for an initial phone call or in-person meeting to discuss your book/ query. I don’t have the time. Let’s stick to email for now. #etiquettefail #querytip

About titles: don’t be married to them, b/c titles will most likely change. Also: don’t put anything abt poop in the title. #querytip

For non-fiction, you must define the audiences for the book. If u don't know who yr potential reader is, how will publisher know? #querytip

Keep word counts in mind when you write and esp. when you query. Try to stay within the guidelines for your genre. #querytip