Anne Tibbets

Having friends in publishing is helpful for social marketing and getting blurbs but it won't get you a book deal. And not all published books are magnificent, no.

Try and find one who does both. It's very helpful during the submissions process if they're familiar with both markets. Usually, your agent will shop your mss even if it's not their typical bag, but it serves YOU better if you find one who does both.

I hate comps. What if you wrote something wholly unique? There wouldn't BE a comp! But I know pub houses count on them, however, so they're rather important in that regard. I know it sucks but have at least 1 comp from the last 5 years. It helps.

Not really? I notice a lot of YA is in 1st too. I think 3rd omniscient is currently out of fashion, and difficult to pull off, but everything in publishing is cyclical, so wait a few years and it'll be back.

I know writers who have queried all their complete novels at once, all over the place, and I can't say whether or not it was effective or not...?
Just don't send more than one to each agent at a time and you should be fine.

Not very important if the book is magnificent.

I worked for a UK publisher as a writer and when the check got to me, it was in US dollars, so I believe - and I'm not sure it works this way for everyone - they convert and send in the writer's country of origin...? But this could depend on the press.

I tell ya, it's been rough. Time, family, stress, illness. Also, the number of queries I got in quarantine doubled, & I felt a lot of the stuff I was getting was still in the early stages of draft. As in, people throwing their 1st drafts out there to see what would happen.

Concept flaws. Like inherent racism or sexism within the premise. That's a fatal flaw. The rest can be fixed in editing if it's identifiable

Absolutely! I have 3 clients from Canada.
None from the elsewhere yet, but it's not a deal breaker.

Racism & Sexism are the two biggies. Sexual assault used as character "development."

Summer seems to be fairly quiet. I personalize about 25% of the time because when I'm open to subs there are literally thousands and I just don't have time to do each one. Grammar is fixable. I don't have a personal pet peeve there.

You have a bookish, adventurous, smart, and gorgeous woman who saves a roguish, swashbuckling, brave soldier and you add a gorgeous historical setting and a well defined and almost sympathetic enemy...? Besides the perfectly plotted script? It's the PERFECT movie, well, almost

The worst part = the near-misses. The ones where the editor loved it but for some reason or another the book didn't make it thru acquisitions.
Those burn worse than when the ed just didn't dig it.
The best part = finding a mss I love & contract negotiations which I strangely love

I have the policy that unless I invite you to requery, don't.

I'm always one for full disclosure.
I've self pubbed books which flopped.
I'm not going to hold it against you unless you pitch me that same book from 13 yrs ago. :)

Yes, as long as you also have a recent one in there too. ala: [classic author/novel] x [my manuscript] + [setting/plot device/atmosphere/voice of recent release]

Depends on the type of manuscript. A slow plot build works if the voice is compelling.

Yes

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