Bibi Lewis
Literary Agent
Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency
Agent at the Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency. Lifelong New Yorker and forever bookworm. she/her
Literary Agent
Bibi Lewis @Bibi_Lewis
Seeing a huge number of queries lately that aren't following guidelines. I know you want to get your work out there, but do so carefully and with attention to what the agent has requested! #querytipYou have all worked incredibly hard to write a book, give that book the best chance it has by prepping it correctly instead of rushing it out! #querytip
Literary Agent
See also: "my book is like nothing else ever written" will not entice me, it will make me very wary #querytip
Literary Agent
Only comping yourself to mega-bestsellers doesn't mean I will stop reading your query, but it will raise my eyebrows to the fact that you might not know the genre well enough to write effectively in it #querytip
Literary Agent
I've been seeing a lot of queries that list multiple genres in the subj line or pitch--this is often a red flag for me that the project isn't ready. When pitching your book make sure you're being specific and accurate with your genre! #querytip
Literary Agent
Bibi Lewis @Bibi_Lewis
The comp title I'm seeing most frequently (in queries and in pub announcements) is RIVERDALE--which I stopped watching after season 2. Is it still popular or are we obsessed with the aesthetics? Did it stop working for other people or just me?Relatedly, I've seen an uptick of comp titles that are only TV or Movies. While these can be helpful, I do still want to know where your book fits in the current Book Market! Pop culture comps are most helpful when paired with a thoughtful and recent novel comp! #querytip
Literary Agent
Reminder that if you choose comps that are all wildly different, 20+ y/o mega-bestsellers (and give no justification!), agents are going to doubt your knowledge of the current market you are writing in #querytip
Literary Agent
#querytip 350K words is too long
Literary Agent
If your query includes the phrase "this is a rough draft" it is not ready to be put out on submission #querytip
Literary Agent
Bibi Lewis @Bibi_Lewis
I (personally, not sure about other agents) love when a ms I've requested comes w/ the query as the first page of the document #querytipIt's not a requirement. But it's helpful when I'm reading a few in a row and want to remember why I req'd in the first place #querytip
Literary Agent
#querytip Your synopsis should not be one line, that's a pitch. Synopsis should tell all major plot points, not just the starting off point