Anne Tibbets

I expect pitch para, author bio, category/genre, word count, & any inclusions req'd, like sample pages and/or synopsis. Can't speak for all agents but to me the query is secondary to the sample, so if it's not "perfect" = not a deal breaker. Better too much info than not enough.

Not totally true. Good agent buddy of mine sells shiz ALL THE TIME and doesn't put them in PM unless the pub requests it, so while it's an excellent source, I'd also check Writers Beware, QueryTracker, and DuoTrope

If any of them do they have not said so to me so I can't say whether it's helpful or not.
I CAN say that I once had one of my manuscripts put thru a program by a former agent and I had to go thru and re-edit the damned thing b/c the program (not sure which one?) messed stuff up.

It's true that the forms act as filters for us, which is becoming increasingly helpful as our inboxes can get into the thousands, but I don't think there's more likelihood of you being signed off one query over the other.
We still have to read them all, so either way...go forth.

As long as you execute it well and it fits within the reader expectations of that category/genre, it doesn't really matter.

Not WF. That's gen fic.

Don't give away ebook copies to questionable blog tours (only use ones the publicist recommends), and if you do, watermark that shiz.
And every time you see one pop up send it to the publisher. If they don't send a C&D then you should.
Not much else you can do, I'm afraid.

Keep it one to two pages (single spaced) and give the major plot points and character developments, and leave the details out.

I don't think there's a definitive way to pitch stories like these, but the way *I* pitch them is to describe each story line and MC in one to two lines and then note how they intersect.

I'm going to admit to the world I don't actually know the statistics on this.
I DO know that military SF is a fairly small niche (in publishing) so either lean into it hard to satisfy die hard fans, or soften it to appeal to a broader audience. That's my advice.

Normally, I'd say about 3 months but ::gestures around:: now? I'd recommend 6.
It's crappy, I know.

A pitch paragraph should be under 500 words. A synopsis is 2 - 5 pages long, depending on book length.

The market is cyclical, so what's "out" now will be in demand again in 5 to 10 years, and there are always exceptions.
I'd also say, publishing is realizing just how skewed white it's been in the past & is attempting to rebalance. /cont'd

Step 2: always be professional

Depends on the publisher. It's USUALLY hard cover and ebook (and maybe audio) at the same time. Paperback and (if not earlier) audio a season or so later.

Number 1 Tip: Don't query agents who aren't looking for what you're pitching. I'd say about HALF of the queries I get are for stuff I don't rep. I always feel bad, like this rejection could have been avoided, dude, if you'd just gone to my profile on the agency website.

I'm fine with a dry run down as long as all the major plot points are hit. But a voicey synopsis is more fun to read.

Harsh truth, maybe the book you're querying isn't hitting the market at the right time, or your writing just isn't quite there yet.
Write the next thing. Keep striving. Keep working to improve.
Most successful writers aren't necessarily the most gifted, but the most determined.

It's helpful, if used properly. It's great for networking with other writers which helps when asking for blurbs. Can't say if it helps with sales, really. Sometimes?
I've also seen it backfire. You've got to be careful.
Tread carefully & treat your tweets like mini-press releases

Mention your self published work by title and how many copies it has sold. Especially if it's sold over 5k copies. (The 1st thing I'm gonna do is go check it out on Amazon).
If you don't mention sales I'm going to assume it was around 500 copies or so, which is the SP average.