Cortney Radocaj

Literary Agent

Belcastro Agency

Cortney Radocaj
@CortneyRadocaj
Literary Agent
literary agent @belcastr • she/they • queer • neurodivergent • query me at QueryManager.com/CortneyRadocaj
111 MSWL
43 AskAgent
74 Tips

Cortney Radocaj 🏳️‍🌈💖💜💙 @CortneyRadocaj

@EvanDave8 oh man--this is a topic that is extremely nuanced and i can't address everything here. this is a very reduced and short version, but a lot of what it comes down to is what your story is actually about.

if you're writing a character that is simply from another culture, but that
Replying to @CortneyRadocaj

culture/marginalization isn't the center of your story, you're generally going to be okay (as long as you do research, sensitivity reads, etc.)

if you're writing ABOUT a group and their particular struggles/issues/etc., i would stick to letting authors who belong to that

Cortney Radocaj
@CortneyRadocaj
Literary Agent
literary agent @belcastr • she/they • queer • neurodivergent • query me at QueryManager.com/CortneyRadocaj
111 MSWL
43 AskAgent
74 Tips

Evan Dave @EvanDave8

@CortneyRadocaj #askagent what if you're writing about groups you're not necessarily a part of? For example, Cohinang's based on Southeast Asian cultures and history (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos), whereas I'm South Asian (3/4 Indian American, to be exact.
Replying to @EvanDave8

oh man--this is a topic that is extremely nuanced and i can't address everything here. this is a very reduced and short version, but a lot of what it comes down to is what your story is actually about.

if you're writing a character that is simply from another culture, but that

Cortney Radocaj
@CortneyRadocaj
Literary Agent
literary agent @belcastr • she/they • queer • neurodivergent • query me at QueryManager.com/CortneyRadocaj
111 MSWL
43 AskAgent
74 Tips

Elizabeth Anne @EAMeitzler

@CortneyRadocaj Do you recommend query letters have COMP titles?
Replying to @EAMeitzler

if you have solid ones yes! however, i personally think that no comp titles are better than bad/incorrect ones, so if you're struggling with them or feel they're off, leave them out!

Cortney Radocaj
@CortneyRadocaj
Literary Agent
literary agent @belcastr • she/they • queer • neurodivergent • query me at QueryManager.com/CortneyRadocaj
111 MSWL
43 AskAgent
74 Tips
Cortney Radocaj
@CortneyRadocaj
Literary Agent
literary agent @belcastr • she/they • queer • neurodivergent • query me at QueryManager.com/CortneyRadocaj
111 MSWL
43 AskAgent
74 Tips

Evan Dave @EvanDave8

@CortneyRadocaj #askagent, how long does the "buzz" around a book last? I'm working on a Vietnamese adult fantasy, which has similarities to "The Poppy War," which concluded recently. I was thinking if I bring up similarities to a bestseller from last year ago, is that old news or a smart play?
Replying to @EvanDave8

"buzz" and relevancy to the market are different things--buzz tends to swell around release time and fade, rising and falling as new readers find it

relevancy to the market is about 3-5 years and shows agents you're up to date on what's being published right now and are showing

Cortney Radocaj
@CortneyRadocaj
Literary Agent
literary agent @belcastr • she/they • queer • neurodivergent • query me at QueryManager.com/CortneyRadocaj
111 MSWL
43 AskAgent
74 Tips

Juliana Savia Clayton @kidlit_writer

@CortneyRadocaj Thanks for doing this! I'm considering writing a YA romcom that takes place in a ballet school. In your opinion, is this setting/ballet idea done to death? Or with the popularity of, for example, "Tiny Pretty Things" on Netflix, is it evergreen? #AskAgent
Replying to @kidlit_writer

ballet/ballet schools aren't something i /personally/ tend to look for so i'm not 100% certain, but i would just ensure your take on it is unique. so look at books/other media centered on ballet schools and see what your book would do to bring a new angle/aspect to that setting!

Cortney Radocaj
@CortneyRadocaj
Literary Agent
literary agent @belcastr • she/they • queer • neurodivergent • query me at QueryManager.com/CortneyRadocaj
111 MSWL
43 AskAgent
74 Tips

Mckenna @mdgallag

@CortneyRadocaj #askagent I have seen a lot of conflicting advice regarding comp titles-- some people say only books published in the past 3 years, others say popular movies are okay, and most PitMad I have seen use books & movies for comps. Is there a right way to go about it?
Replying to @mdgallag

personally i love seeing other media in comps, but i'd say one of the comps SHOULD be a recent book release (last 5 years). the other can be whatever else! older title, song, movie, TV show, GN, comic, mythology, etc.

Cortney Radocaj
@CortneyRadocaj
Literary Agent
literary agent @belcastr • she/they • queer • neurodivergent • query me at QueryManager.com/CortneyRadocaj
111 MSWL
43 AskAgent
74 Tips
Cortney Radocaj
@CortneyRadocaj
Literary Agent
literary agent @belcastr • she/they • queer • neurodivergent • query me at QueryManager.com/CortneyRadocaj
111 MSWL
43 AskAgent
74 Tips

Cortney Winn @CortneyWinn11

@CortneyRadocaj Would a query that was rewritten to better explain the unique premise of the manuscript, be acceptable to re-submit? Or, is it a one shot and thats all? I am brand new to all of this so please forgive my naive self.😂
Replying to @CortneyWinn11

No worries, don’t feel embarrassed!! That’s why we do these #askagent sessions 😊

And it really, really depends. I would err on the side of NOT submitting again—agents reject for a slew of reasons—but if the rejection was specifically “the query didn’t grab me”... then maybe?

Cortney Radocaj
@CortneyRadocaj
Literary Agent
literary agent @belcastr • she/they • queer • neurodivergent • query me at QueryManager.com/CortneyRadocaj
111 MSWL
43 AskAgent
74 Tips

Kristi McManus 🛫 @kristimcmanus

@CortneyRadocaj How long should a writer wait to nudge an agent on a full?
Replying to @kristimcmanus

Three months is a general rule of thumb. Fulls can take a while to get to—they’re a lot more energy and time-intensive than queries or partials. Like, for me, I can go through queries or read a partial on my lunch break—but fulls I have set aside several nights at LEAST to read

Cortney Radocaj
@CortneyRadocaj
Literary Agent
literary agent @belcastr • she/they • queer • neurodivergent • query me at QueryManager.com/CortneyRadocaj
111 MSWL
43 AskAgent
74 Tips
Cortney Radocaj
@CortneyRadocaj
Literary Agent
literary agent @belcastr • she/they • queer • neurodivergent • query me at QueryManager.com/CortneyRadocaj
111 MSWL
43 AskAgent
74 Tips

Jim Lamb @Jcl5150

@CortneyRadocaj How important are comps in a query letter?
Replying to @Jcl5150

For me they’re not necessary. I’m not going to ding you for NOT having comp titles listed in your query.

HOWEVER, if they’re bad or overdone (like using Twilight, Hunger Games, Harry Potter, LOTR, etc) it immediately makes me question if you know where your book would be shelved

Cortney Radocaj
@CortneyRadocaj
Literary Agent
literary agent @belcastr • she/they • queer • neurodivergent • query me at QueryManager.com/CortneyRadocaj
111 MSWL
43 AskAgent
74 Tips

Cortney Radocaj 🏳️‍🌈💖💜💙 @CortneyRadocaj

@CodyDeBos OHHHHHH. Hmmm. I’m ALWAYS a sucker for enemies-to-lovers—I can never get enough angst. Hades & Persephone retellings always draw me in. Mixing tech and flesh, or anything magic and flesh. Gun-slinging girls in gritty underworld settings ALWAYS.
Replying to @CortneyRadocaj

I am COMPLETELY not into vampires. Royalty stories are generally a no-go for me right now. Anything glorifying suicide or rape culture. Love triangles (unless they’re done RIGHT—the two love interests shouldn’t be interchangeable 🙃).

Cortney Radocaj
@CortneyRadocaj
Literary Agent
literary agent @belcastr • she/they • queer • neurodivergent • query me at QueryManager.com/CortneyRadocaj
111 MSWL
43 AskAgent
74 Tips

Cody DeBos - Writing 🧙🏻‍♂️ @CodyDeBos

@CortneyRadocaj What YA tropes are you a sucker for and which are you over? pic.twitter.com/V9k71UjHIj
Replying to @CodyDeBos

OHHHHHH. Hmmm. I’m ALWAYS a sucker for enemies-to-lovers—I can never get enough angst. Hades & Persephone retellings always draw me in. Mixing tech and flesh, or anything magic and flesh. Gun-slinging girls in gritty underworld settings ALWAYS.

Cortney Radocaj
@CortneyRadocaj
Literary Agent
literary agent @belcastr • she/they • queer • neurodivergent • query me at QueryManager.com/CortneyRadocaj
111 MSWL
43 AskAgent
74 Tips

Cortney Winn @CortneyWinn11

@CortneyRadocaj What was the most impressive query that you ever received? What made it so?
Replying to @CortneyWinn11

I MEAN I’m slightly biased and I always think of @Atomic_Pixie’s query for her YA cyberpunk—it was sharp, & showed me several unique pieces of her story without confusing me. It had descriptors that piqued my interest, and most of all just had me EXCITED to dive into her pages 😍

Cortney Radocaj
@CortneyRadocaj
Literary Agent
literary agent @belcastr • she/they • queer • neurodivergent • query me at QueryManager.com/CortneyRadocaj
111 MSWL
43 AskAgent
74 Tips

Cortney Radocaj 🏳️‍🌈💖💜💙 @CortneyRadocaj

@AuthorStrop For me it’s detail —way too many queries are vague. They give the basic ideas but not what’s in THAT particular story.

i.e. “MC must save the world” vs “x, y, and z lead MC into having a personal stake in saving the world and will do it in this way”
Replying to @CortneyRadocaj

It’s a fine balance between so much detail the reader gets confused, and so little detail nothing stands out as different or unique.

Make sure you showcase the unique aspects—don’t hide the stuff that will hook under vague, this-could-be-applied-to-twenty-other-books statements!

Cortney Radocaj
@CortneyRadocaj
Literary Agent
literary agent @belcastr • she/they • queer • neurodivergent • query me at QueryManager.com/CortneyRadocaj
111 MSWL
43 AskAgent
74 Tips

Kahlan Strop, Author @AuthorStrop

@CortneyRadocaj What’s the best advice you can give for writing a query letter? What makes one stand out to you?
Replying to @AuthorStrop

For me it’s detail —way too many queries are vague. They give the basic ideas but not what’s in THAT particular story.

i.e. “MC must save the world” vs “x, y, and z lead MC into having a personal stake in saving the world and will do it in this way”

Cortney Radocaj
@CortneyRadocaj
Literary Agent
literary agent @belcastr • she/they • queer • neurodivergent • query me at QueryManager.com/CortneyRadocaj
111 MSWL
43 AskAgent
74 Tips

Mister Hand @MisterHand1

@CortneyRadocaj @thekatsmews Thank you for taking the time to do this. Is a query letter better off with accurate but dated comps, or no comps at all?
Replying to @MisterHand1

If you can have a new comp with an old comp, that’s good! Two or more old comps make me wonder if you’re not up to date on where the market is at 😊

Cortney Radocaj
@CortneyRadocaj
Literary Agent
literary agent @belcastr • she/they • queer • neurodivergent • query me at QueryManager.com/CortneyRadocaj
111 MSWL
43 AskAgent
74 Tips

Sonora Reyes @SonoraReyes

@CortneyRadocaj @thekatsmews do you recommend putting major trigger warnings in a query? does this answer change if the warning is a spoiler?
Replying to @SonoraReyes

I would say yes. No twist/spoiler is worth potentially blindsiding someone with a major trigger, in my opinion!

You don’t have to give everything away mind you, but just warning for content can potentially save someone a lot of pain ❤️

Cortney Radocaj
@CortneyRadocaj
Literary Agent
literary agent @belcastr • she/they • queer • neurodivergent • query me at QueryManager.com/CortneyRadocaj
111 MSWL
43 AskAgent
74 Tips

P. Andrew Floyd @pandrewfloyd

@CortneyRadocaj @thekatsmews I've read enough agents say they're not editors, but also how you help get books in better shape to sell. Is the line for "revise & resub" & "let's work on this together" something clear or does it change depending on how much the manuscript, forgive the expression, sparks joy?
Replying to @pandrewfloyd

It should be very, very clear which they’re talking about. Any time I’ve offered an R&R, I’ve used those specific words. It’s very unlikely an agent would say “let’s work on this together” unless they were making an offer on the MS.