Elana Roth Parker

I am trying SO hard to catch up on queries today, but the queue is laughing at me. LAUGHING AT ME. #querytip #amagenting

Minor miracle: I’m caught up on queries through 8/13/20. If I didn’t answer it, I didn’t get it. #querytip #amagenting

Save your word count! You don’t need to tell me what categories I’m looking for in your query letter. Just tell me about your book. Use your limited number of words for YOUR stuff, not mine! #querytip

July queries have now all been answered. If you didn’t hear from me, I didn’t get your query. This is a major victory! Now onto August! #amagenting #querytip

You can also try to think of these items as opportunities for small wins that can add up to the big one. A good query leads me to read the pages. Good pages lead me to request the book. Then each chapter makes me want to read the next...etc. You get the idea.

Also if a query describes a main character at a certain age or stage in their life, but the first 10 pages introduce me to someone entirely different or the MC at a different stage in life, I won't know what I'm looking at. Make them work together organically.

You don't need to give me every plot detail or world-building element in the query, but you need to set the scene. You're inviting a reader to open the book. Just enough grounding to know where the journey starts. The 10 pages take over and have more space for detail.

A query and your sample pages should work together symbiotically. The query should have enough context and detail and intrigue to lead me to those first 10 pages. Those 10 pages should start in a place I recognize from the setup in the query.

I realized I've been giving out some of the same advice during the #kidlit writing consultations I've been doing lately, so I figure I'll share it here: a thread!

#querytip #pubtip

Our work email is on Google. Google pulls a little avatar for each email sender if there’s one available. I still can't get over what shows up for some people in my queries. Maybe check yours before querying? Shirts highly recommended. #querytip

Pro-querying-tip: if you get an offer of rep, send a fresh follow up email with “offer of rep” in the subject line. Stands a better shot of being seen in case we haven’t seen the original query yet. #querytip

And I am sure there’s good stuff in there that I’m just going to have to say no to because of time. Which always makes me feel terrible. #querytip #amagenting

Things I’d ask:
- How many clients do you have so far? (Too many is a bad sign.)
- Who is guiding you? What does that mentorship look like? #querytip

I fully support signing with a newer agent who has GOOD mentorship. We all started somewhere. But if you have gotten an offer from a fresh agent, you need to ask questions to make sure that person is supported. #querytip #pubtip

I know getting a form rejection (or no answer) can suck, but it doesn’t mean you’re lost. It just puts the onus on you to learn the craft of writing both a novel AND a good letter. You’re up against volume, for sure. But money won’t help you. On this particular point. #querytip

I think it’s interesting that after all these years people still don’t trust the querying process. I just got a form submission off my website the other day asking how not to get lost in the queries. You DON’T get lost in them. I read everything. #querytip

Update: All 2019 queries** have been answered. Here we go 2020!

**Provided you followed instructions correctly and ended up in my inbox.

#amagenting #querytip

Also, ah…mmm…um…there’s no such thing as “true sci-fi”…cuz it’s…fiction…and fiction isn’t…well…real. #querytip

Too soon in the new year to start whining about word counts in queries? Yes/no/never? #querytip

Man, a lot of queries came in yesterday. I hate rejecting over the holidays, so I take a pause in reading. You guys have my full permission to just wait until January to query. #querytip