Ali Herring

Just remember your query is the place to give us a short plot summary, but you must ALSO include the STAKES of your story. If I'm curious about your "hook," but you don't tell me what's at stake for your characters, I don't have time to read 90,000 words+/- to find out. #querytip

#querytip querying authors, in your bio if you don't have writing accolades, I still love knowing your day job and some tidbit about you. I read samples first and if I go back to your query, that's often missing (probably to keep things short). I mean, give me a sentence or two!

Hey I don't know what's up, but someone's published my email address as a place to query me. I ONLY CONSIDER QUERIES SENT TO QUERY MANAGER. Emailed queries get deleted, unresponded to. This is why it's important to follow query instructions, usually on agents websites #querytip.

First blog post in a long time, inspired by @EmilyRodmell's recent tweet about two-sentence pitching. The Art of the "Quick Pitch" aliherringwrites.wordpress.com/2021/07/29/the… via @HerringAli #querytip

I believe good stories sometimes hide behind slow starts. So ask your CPs when they finally “fall into the story,” where they can’t stop reading. Figure out how to start there. Agents don’t have⏰to find that spot when reading samples! Don’t miss opportunity #writetip #querytip

FYI, if you're pitching YA fantasy, be sure to include the time period (YA historical or YA contemporary). Sometimes we're looking for one but not the other, sometimes both. #querytip

Subbing to editors AND querying agents is a lot like fishing! Fishing with the right kind of bait is key (the high-quality stuff, ie great writing) and of course making sure you have lots of good hooks (in your writing)! Next, you have to learn how to cast (or query) #querytip #1

While you’re querying one project, write something different. Write something new. Keep learning and practicing your craft. Don’t ever become satisfied. Stay hungry. You want to be a writer? That’s what writers do. Even published ones.
#WritersLife #querytip

1st sentences matter! I can tell A LOT from the 1st few sentences of a manuscript. I love analogies, so for me it’s like meeting someone for the first time. Do I get a firm or soft handshake, a coy look, a confident stare, work-worn or soft hands, somewhere in between. #querytip

Always include plot & stakes in your query letter. You can be the nicest person on earth in your intro, but I still have to know 1-what your novel’s basic hook & plot are & 2-what’s at stake for your characters & their world. I don’t have time to search for it! Auto no. #querytip

The longer I agent, the longer I realize the query is a promise. When you make a promise to someone, it’s usually important, there’s something behind it that matters. When you FULFILL that promise, good things happen. #querytip #writetip

I have to say this about attempting to read 300+ queries in a row: The people who boil down their plot to 'book jacket' status are currently my favs. #querytip Remember, agents are usually sitting down to read lots of queries, not just your one so stand out being short & sweet.

Important #querytip. When the agent you queried has 100s of queries to answer, & your query doesn't state what the plot is or what the stakes are, it's an auto pass from me. That's kind of difficult to swallow & I hate to do it, but I don't have time to dig for it at that point.

This is true of the agents you will query too. With hundreds of queries to read through, and hundreds of samples to dive into, the opening line speaks volumes about you and what you’re capable of in the next 60 (give or take a few!) thousand words #querytip. So make those count!

#querytip. Clarifying an earlier tweet: When you query an agent, it’s best to only submit one manuscript for consideration in that email. Don’t query every manuscript you’ve ever written or even just two. Pick ONE manuscript to focus on in that submission.

This is a fantastic #querytip. Read lots of book jackets—especially from sales comparables that could be on the same shelf as your MS. Your query is as much a sales pitch as that book jacket copy. Googling Goodreads + keywords is a great way to find comps. Put comps on query too!

#WriteTip #QueryTip Be sure to balance your dialog with sufficient narration & action beats. Dialog & action beats without narration is like someone serving me dry toast without butter. Narration brings forward the internal part of the story, the part most of us gravitate toward.

#querytip Please in query ONE project at a time.

Biggest issue I see in my queries today: Lots of stories on sub that just follow the meandering path of a typical person's life. Sure, there may be some moral lesson there, but I'm looking for a conflict or story problem to drive the plot. #querytip #writetip

#querytip The act of CHOOSING to ask for a full from the query pile is a big deal. It's an investment in time & a lot of hope on the agent's part for a match. We often LIKE more than we ask for. Our lists can only be so big. So make sure those 1st pages sing, & your query rocks!