Amelia Appel
Literary Agent
Triada US Literary Agency
Literary Agent @triadaus . Always learning. Love all things sports. When not reading, likely running. Or downing a dozen donuts in one sitting. She/Her

Literary Agent
#querytip: Keep to one email thread! Whether it be correcting a mistake in your query, providing materials an agent replied to request, or updating with an offer, you can change the subject line if necessary, but keep the thread so we have everything in one place đ

Literary Agent
Querying writers! If you receive an offer of rep (yay!) it is standard to let every agent still considering know and give them 2 weeks to make a decision on your work. You increase your chances of finding the best fit! It might be the first agent; it might not! #querytip

Literary Agent
#querytip: Be specific! So many queries are too vague and focus more on comps/tone/experience than the actual story. If I read your query and still donât know what your project is about, I have no basis to request more. Not a bad idea to see if a cp can help before querying đ

Literary Agent
I love some piping hot audacity in the morning! By which I mean I donât; please donât flout submission guidelines. #querytip

Literary Agent
First pages are crucial. Your story must have a reason for starting where/when/with whom it does. In a query, the content of your first pages should clearly be in line with your pitch - donât mislead your audience! #querytip

Literary Agent
Querying writers! Be sure to check your records when querying. I get so many of the exact same query that Iâve already responded to. Save yourself (and us! Agents are swamped!) time by keeping track of who youâre querying and what they say! #querytip

Literary Agent
#querytip: Donât be self-deprecating in or nervous about your author bio! Yes, I ask for a bio to learn about your writing credentials (if you have any) but also about YOU. Itâs not a red flag to me if you havenât been published anywhere before or if you donât have an MFA.

Literary Agent
Normalize not opening your manuscript with the protagonist waking up đ #querytip

Literary Agent
#querytip: Agents donât reject on a whim. Donât re-query an agent whoâs already passed with the exact same material. Their reason for passing will still be there and youâre wasting their time. Try someone else, revise, or try a different project.

Literary Agent
Donât forget to include your signature in your query! Itâs important, period, but I also prefer to personalize my responses, which is hard to do if your name is nowhere in your query. #querytip

Literary Agent
Iâm going to be bold and speak for every single agent/editor in existence when I say: Please do NOT pitch us on LinkedIn. #querytip

Literary Agent
Quarantine #querytip: Donât leave your synopsis open-ended. If we ask for a synopsis, we want to know how the story ends! Your *pitch* gets our attention, your synopsis tells us the plot - donât use it to add drama. A synopsis should have spoilers!

Literary Agent
Quarantine #querytip: Iâm seeing a lot of ârecently completedâ manuscripts in my inbox, which sounds like âunrevised first draftâ and therefore not ready for agents. Whether thatâs the case or not, I donât need to know when you finished it, I just need to know what itâs about!

Literary Agent
Iâm seeing a lot of synopses that leave out key info. Leave me eager to learn more with your pitch - give me the details in your synopsis. For example, if finding a murderer is key to your plot, the synopsis better tell me whodunnit! #querytip

Literary Agent
Writers, be conscious of font in your query. You want it to be easy for agents to read! You will NEVER ever ever go wrong with 12 pt Times New Roman. No need to try to stand out this way - let your writing shine on its own! #querytip #amwriting #amquerying

Literary Agent
Tailoring your queries to each agent is great! Just make sure you proofread and always update your placeholders - âblah blah blahâ works as represented title fillers in draft, but fill that in properly before you send đłđ #querytip

Literary Agent
#querytip Be wary of overly describing your manuscript. Donât spend a lot of time saying itâs this or that or this adjective other thing. Jump right in. SHOW me. Whatâs it really about? Long, vague, adjective-riddled sentences pull agents out. We want to be as excited as you!

Literary Agent
I just read several queries in a row where the first sentence was about the mc waking up. Your opening is super important! If you have an original story but the first sentence isnât, itâs harder to pull a reader in. #querytip

Literary Agent
Writers, be aware of your word count. Iâm seeing a lot of 100-160k word manuscripts that really shouldnât be that long. Research the appropriate word count for your genre and trim accordingly. I know itâs tough, but it often greatly helps your pacing! #querytip

Literary Agent
#querytip: Use your pitch to intrigue, not impress. Flowery language wonât make me any more interested in your story than simply getting your point across will (especially when you misuse a fancy adjective as a noun).