Hannah Fergesen

Writers, just a heads up that a referral isn't a referral if I've never heard of or spoken with the person who "referred" you. Get confirmation from this person that they have actually been in communication with me before you use their name in your query. #querytip

Writers, please let *all* the agents you've queried (that you haven't heard back from) know if you've received an offer of rep, not just the ones who have requested your manuscript; those who haven't had a chance to read yet need to know too. #querytip

Seeing a notable uptick in queries categorized as “new adult”, so this is a reminder that New Adult is not currently a thing in traditional publishing, and many agents may be auto-rejecting your queries based on this category listing in your query #querytip

Been hearing from writers that @ktliterary doesn't state that we require 3 pages along with your query on our website - but we do!
ktliterary.com/submissions/

Always a good idea to pay attention to submission guidelines on the agency website! #querytip

Queriers! Just an FYI that sometimes your fancy signatures and embedded illustrations/photos show up as attachments - and trigger deletion of said query. Best to simplify, and err on the side of caution! #querytip

Hey writers! You don’t need to hashtag key words in the subject line of your query (I.e #YA #SFF #WF, etc). MSWL or Ownvoices is fine but still not necessary. #querytip

I'm seeing a new trend in queries lately where a logline is placed at the top, even before a salutation. This makes it seem, initially, as if the querier has forgotten to include a salutation with my name, which is usually an auto-reject for me. Please don't do this! #querytip

The term "speculative" in reference to genre doesn't mean books that "cause one to think". It's meant for SFF/Horror or books containing elements of SFF/Horror. Seeing a lot of queries for straight lit fic, which I don't rep, using this word as a descriptor #querytip #writetip

So much this! #querytip

Queriers: an FYI that queries that don't include my name in the greeting generally get deleted/go to junk mail. #querytip

A #querytip for everyone who might be tempted to call YA a genre in their query:

If you share an email with your spouse, consider getting a personal one for sending queries - less confusing for me that way! #querytip

I answered some #querytip questions from @atrueblood5 over on her blog - check 'em out!

#Querytip: If your spamblocker isn't set to let emails from anyone at ktliterary.com thru, you won't receive my passes OR requests.

Happy #MSWL day! I wrote a #querytip sheet to help you use the hashtag in your query:

This is your reminder to always check an agency's website for submission guidelines before you click send on your query. #querytip

#querytip: Please don't put MSWL in your query if your book doesn't ACTUALLY fit what I've specifically asked for on my MSWL. It's shady.

I know there are some conflicting guidelines on various blogs - please always double check the website for sub guidelines! #querytip

When citing my #MSWL as a reason for querying, it's super helpful for me to know which part of it you're referencing! #querytip

Don't tell me that you JUST finished your novel. This makes me concerned you haven't properly workshopped it before querying. #querytip