Elana Roth Parker

News: Remote school has done me in. I'm closing to submissions for the remainder 2020. Please try me in January 2021! #querytip #pubtip

So I don't know if this is useful, or like "Why is she telling us?" but today I started editing a new client's manuscript (hi @actualgina!) and it made me think about the different ways I, as an agent, read material. Maybe it will be helpful? Or ignore me. It's cool. #pubtip

Agents have to learn somehow. But you don’t want someone who is actively making mistakes on you because no one is supervising them. Or if they are somewhere with not great business practices. #pubtip

Sigh. Okay. Slush pile update. Word counts. I’m starting to feel like I’m yelling into the void here. Just hit 2 MG queries, one for 100k words, one for 85k. Those are too long by nearly half! 70k is a hefty MG. Please, friends, please! #querytip #pubtip

SO MUCH THIS. YOU set the timeframe. YOU take your time to make the choice. The fastest is not always the best for you. The first is not always the best for you. #pubtip

And I’m totally not ragging on self-publishing. It’s a way to go. But it’s not everyone’s way to go if traditional publishing is actually where you want to be. Just be smart about what you want to do and in what order. That’s all. #pubtip

Random unasked for observation: I’ve left the door open for quite a few authors lately to revise and resubmit. Honestly a lot of close-but-not-there-yet submissions. I always read hoping it’ll be great—maybe a push will help one of these books make that leap. #pubtip #amagenting

I’ve loved this book since the first time I read it. Now you can take a peek at what snagged me from the first page. #pubtip

I’ve been thinking a lot about how and when I read submissions. Especially since having kids and being generally useless after they go to bed. Mostly I think I want to dispel the myth of a single-sitting-speed-read being the only sign of a win. #amagenting #pubtip

Writers, contrary to the shiny stories, the SPEED of your book deal has nothing to do with the strength and the health of your book deal, nor is it a predictor of long-term success. #pubtip

Stop DMing me links to your self-published books to pitch me. I report you as spam and block you. Find a better way. #pubtip #querytip

Just a reminder: I’m closed to queries starting TOMORROW. Everything sent in January will get read. Starting tomorrow, nope. I’ll reopen sometime this summer TBD. #pubtip #amagenting #querytip #mswl

100%. #pubtip

And Alexa nailed it. When in doubt, query. Don't get caught up in minutiae. Look at agents' whole profiles and client lists. #MSWL #pubtip

LOVE this. #pubtip

Please don’t be fancy. Times New Roman*, 12 pt., double-spaced, 1” margins. Just like college. #pubtip

*Or other bland serif font.

The longest book in #TheSelection series is 80k. The shortest is 61k. So there. #pubtip

I have a YA on submission that’s just at 60k words. I f’ing love it. It’s so economical. It can be done! #pubtip #querytip

Writing samples really are the make-or-break in requesting material. And PLEASE copyedit. Errant punctuation is also a red flag. #pubtip

You’d be surprised how many people don’t sign their name at the end of a query. Or have an obvious name in their email address. #pubtip