Alyssa Jennette
Literary Agent
Stonesong
I ask a lot of questions. Painfully earnest. Art school grad (MICA '10). Literary agent at @StonesongNYC . Silence is not peace.
Literary Agent
Alyssa Jennette @AlyssaJennette
Q9. YA. Unusual plot and voice for YA, so I see crossover potential here. I definitely want to see more pages. #10QAJQ10. YA. Definitely too long, and I'm really not interested in a clumsy-perfect protagonist. Pass. #10QAJ
Literary Agent
Alyssa Jennette @AlyssaJennette
Q6. YA. Private school, superpowers, murder, and puzzles? I'M DOWN. #10QAJQ7. PB. Cool concept in theory, but the execution could be snappier. Pass. #10QAJ
Literary Agent
Alyssa Jennette @AlyssaJennette
Q1. MG/YA? Gotta get squarely into one demo! Magical, empowering, and a mystery? Definitely worth a closer look! #10QAJ2. MG. Seems very similar to another hit, and a bit on the short side. The writing is good, but I don't feel that pull. Pass. #10QAJ
Literary Agent
Alyssa Jennette @AlyssaJennette
Q9. YA. Eh, just not really an interesting premise to me. Pass. #10QAJQ10. YA. On the short side. Great concept, but the execution isn't there. Pass. #10QAJ
Literary Agent
Alyssa Jennette @AlyssaJennette
Q8. YA. The premise is kickass, but the writing is thick with tropes/filler. Maybe salvageable? #10QAJQ9. YA. Eh, just not really an interesting premise to me. Pass. #10QAJ
Literary Agent
Alyssa Jennette @AlyssaJennette
Q5. MG. Giving me Fforde's SHADES OF GREY vibes, with a dash of MATILDA. Interesting! I think I may request. #10QAJQ6. MG. I've never really seen an MG thriller before, and I'm not sure the grit is working for me. Pass. #10QAJ
Literary Agent
Alyssa Jennette @AlyssaJennette
Q3. Thriller. Great query, but I'm not really in love with the writing. Pass. #10QAJQ4. SF/Urban Fantasy/Steampunk--that's a lot of genres. The writing is very roundabout; get to the point, please! #10QAJ
Literary Agent
Alyssa Jennette @AlyssaJennette
Q2. PB. REALLY similar to Q1, actually, but more successful. There's tension, there's humor, and some educational bits. I'm into it! #10QAJQ3. Thriller. Great query, but I'm not really in love with the writing. Pass. #10QAJ
Literary Agent
Alyssa Jennette @AlyssaJennette
Lunch and coffee break means #10QAJ!Q1. PB. Quiet, cute, and educational, but lacking some punch. I'll send a little feedback, but for now, it's a pass. #10QAJ
Literary Agent
Alyssa Jennette @AlyssaJennette
Q7. PB. There are some good bones here, but it needs a lot more development, and I can't be the one to guide it. #10QAJQ8. PB. Just not that charmed by this one. Pass. #10QAJ
Literary Agent
Alyssa Jennette @AlyssaJennette
Q4. MG. Good comps, but I'm not feeling the writing. Pass. #10QAJQ5. MG. I already have a similar book on my list, plus we have that white-people-writing-POC-experiences thing happening again. Pass. #10QAJ
Literary Agent
Alyssa Jennette @AlyssaJennette
Q3. Animal sounds are classic...and they've been done. #10QAJQ4. MG. Good comps, but I'm not feeling the writing. Pass. #10QAJ
Literary Agent
Alyssa Jennette @AlyssaJennette
Q1. YA. Fun hook, but unsure abt the writing--it's tricky when white people write abt nonwhite cultures from an outsider perspective. #10QAJQ2. PB. A dummy attached in the worst possible format that makes the text impossible to read. Pass. #10QAJ
Literary Agent
Alyssa Jennette @AlyssaJennette
Q9. Horror. Needlessly grotesque at the expense of women. No thank you. #10QAJQ10. MG. I can't detect a conflict or stakes here; I can't tell what the main character cares about/prioritizes. #10QAJ
Literary Agent
Alyssa Jennette @AlyssaJennette
Q8. PB. No rhyming couplets EVER! #10QAJ pic.twitter.com/syknqqsul5Q9. Horror. Needlessly grotesque at the expense of women. No thank you. #10QAJ
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
Alyssa Jennette @AlyssaJennette
Q6. PB. Please, please, please, please stop using rhyming couplets. It is boring. #10QAJQ7. Memoir. I don't think we need a book about why a dude doesn't want to be monogamous. It doesn't offer anything especially new. #10QAJ
Literary Agent
Alyssa Jennette @AlyssaJennette
Q4. MG. If you've created a mythology the plot relies on, you need to be very clear about it in the query. I need the info! #10QAJQ5. YA. This query presents a three to four different potential villains, and I have no idea where the stakes lie. Pass. #10QAJ
Literary Agent
Alyssa Jennette @AlyssaJennette
Q8. PB. Not to discourage you loving grandparents, but the stories that star your grandkids are for them, not a wide audience. #10QAJQ9. Mainstream fiction. This is the kind of book a retired white dude would read, which is fine, but def not for me. #10QAJ
Literary Agent
Alyssa Jennette @AlyssaJennette
Q7. PBs are typically pretty quick to eval because they're short, and if writing isn't marrying well w/ concept, it's clear up front. #10QAJQ8. PB. Not to discourage you loving grandparents, but the stories that star your grandkids are for them, not a wide audience. #10QAJ