Laura Crockett
@LECrockett
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TriadaUS | Opinions my own | she/her
148 MSWL
24 AskAgent
322 Queries
88 Tips

Jabe Stafford @OculusWriter

Aside from, "Keep writing," what guidance would you have for a writer who's goal is to write for life and grow into a career author? #WFGCAskAnAgent

Keep reading.

Don't hole yourself up in a writing cave and throw pages out into the ether with hopes it'll be picked up. You have to read. Stay up to date with the market. #WFGCAskAnAgent

Laura Crockett
@LECrockett
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TriadaUS | Opinions my own | she/her
148 MSWL
24 AskAgent
322 Queries
88 Tips

April M Woodard 🍒 @April_M_Woodard

#WFGCAskAnAgent can an author query even after they have self published as long as they own ALL the rights to their work? example-if they are just using a platform to sell their books such as amazon ? Thanks!

You're welcome to query, but it can be difficult. Agents will look into sales numbers, and depending on the success they may or may not take it on. And once you're signed, you have to remove it from the platform. It's better to query an unpublished work. #WFGCAskAnAgent

Laura Crockett
@LECrockett
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TriadaUS | Opinions my own | she/her
148 MSWL
24 AskAgent
322 Queries
88 Tips

Write Fight GIF Club @WFGHeadquarters

How editorial of an agent are you? What can the writer expect in this regard once they have signed with you? #WFGCAskAnAgent

I can be pretty editorial, depending on the state of the manuscript. Sometimes I want more world-building and character development (broad edits), sometimes whole scenes/chapters need to be cut, and sometimes it just needs a few adjustments here and there. #WFGCAskAnAgent

Laura Crockett
@LECrockett
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TriadaUS | Opinions my own | she/her
148 MSWL
24 AskAgent
322 Queries
88 Tips

Miri C Golden @MaryCWallis

#WFGCAskAnAgent Do you see NA gaining a broader footing, or is it doomed to be pigeonholed as niche/erotica forever?

I do not rep NA so I cannot speak to the state of it. However, if you're defining your project as NA because of the age of the MC, consider querying agents that rep A *and* YA. If you're defining it NA based on romance/erotic content, query romance agents. #WFGCAskAnAgent

Laura Crockett
@LECrockett
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TriadaUS | Opinions my own | she/her
148 MSWL
24 AskAgent
322 Queries
88 Tips

Jabe Stafford @OculusWriter

@LECrockett Follow-up question - How would it look to you if the writer you're considering signing knew one subject in the book well, but not another? (As in, MC knows martial arts and sign language, but writer only knows martial arts and has not learned sign language yet?) #WFGCAskAnAgent

This is difficult territory. With things like ASL (typically used for the deaf), wherein you're featuring a marginalized group of people, please make sure you do your research and share the ms with someone who IS knowledgeable and get their feedback on accuracy. #WFGCAskAnAgent

Laura Crockett
@LECrockett
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TriadaUS | Opinions my own | she/her
148 MSWL
24 AskAgent
322 Queries
88 Tips
Laura Crockett
@LECrockett
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TriadaUS | Opinions my own | she/her
148 MSWL
24 AskAgent
322 Queries
88 Tips

Budgie Bigelow @BudgieBigelow

#WFGCAskAnAgent
I've been told to find an agent rather than self-publish. Should I?

Of course I think you should find an agent, but there are plenty of successful self-published authors out there. Traditional publishing helps broaden your audience/market, while self-p can be niche. There are pros/cons to both, tho I side on pro-traditional 😉 #WFGCAskAnAgent

Laura Crockett
@LECrockett
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TriadaUS | Opinions my own | she/her
148 MSWL
24 AskAgent
322 Queries
88 Tips

Radina Valova @RadinaValova

Hi Laura, thanks for taking our questions! Do you like to see comparisons to published books as an indication of tone/style? Is it necessary? Can a misapplied or inaccurate comparison hurt a writer’s chances? #WFGCAskAnAgent @LECrockett @WFGHeadquarters

Yes, yes, and no! Comparisons let us know your knowledge of the market & the tone/atmosphere/genre/writing style of your ms. A misapplied or inaccurate comparison won't hurt, but please refrain from saying "It's the next Potter/Patterson/Riordan/Maas!" Dig deeper. #WFGCAskAnAgent

Laura Crockett
@LECrockett
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TriadaUS | Opinions my own | she/her
148 MSWL
24 AskAgent
322 Queries
88 Tips

Jabe Stafford @OculusWriter

How much should a writer interested in querying you (or agents in general) read up on your background beforehand? In the past, I've heard short & professional with no personalization in the query is best. And I've heard deeply personalized is best. Thanks! #WFGCAskAnAgent

It's different for every agent. I don't mind personalization (I mean...don't be creepy about it, like knowing exactly where I live), but it's not like I favor it over short and prof. either. Follow submission guidelines, know what the agent is seeking, and send! #WFGCAskAnAgent

Laura Crockett
@LECrockett
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TriadaUS | Opinions my own | she/her
148 MSWL
24 AskAgent
322 Queries
88 Tips

Ashley Reisinger @Awritesinger

What are your thoughts regarding the use of humour in a query letter?

#WFGCAskAnAgent

If the novel itself is humorous / has a comedic bend to it, it's okay because it's expressing the voice of the narrative. However, if the novel isn't humorous, don't use humor in the query. #WFGCAskAnAgent

Laura Crockett
@LECrockett
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TriadaUS | Opinions my own | she/her
148 MSWL
24 AskAgent
322 Queries
88 Tips

Write Fight GIF Club @WFGHeadquarters

If someone queries you with a project that is better suited to one of the other agents at Triada, will you pass it along to them instead? And is a no from you a no from Triada as a whole, or can someone query another agent there if you reject a query? #WFGCAskAnAgent

Usually if it's a no from one agent at Triada it's a no from all, but we have a few clients that queried one of us and ended up finding rep with another! Sometimes I see queries that are strong, not meant for me, so I fwd to another agent here, too. #WFGCAskAnAgent Flexible!

Laura Crockett
@LECrockett
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TriadaUS | Opinions my own | she/her
148 MSWL
24 AskAgent
322 Queries
88 Tips

RyenLesli... @RyenLesli

If my book for YAF sits at 169,000, in all honesty, is that too big? For the first book in a series? When do you break it up? #wfgcaskanagent

It's borderline too long for a first in an *adult* fantasy. Try cutting it down to 130K (still a bit long, but an agent can work with that). What are the most important/key scenes for the plot? What's necessary for character development? Be brutal. #WFGCAskAnAgent

Laura Crockett
@LECrockett
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TriadaUS | Opinions my own | she/her
148 MSWL
24 AskAgent
322 Queries
88 Tips

Rebecca Klay @RebeccaKlay

#WFGCAskAnAgent I have another one, if that's ok?

What happens after signing?
And what happens after the 1st book is sold?
(From both agent & author side).

Only answering to make a blanket statement: Everyone's publishing journey is different.

After signing, the ms is revised and submitted to editors (same for all). After that it's dependent on sale or no sale, contract terms, etc (different for every writer). #WFGCAskAnAgent

Laura Crockett
@LECrockett
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TriadaUS | Opinions my own | she/her
148 MSWL
24 AskAgent
322 Queries
88 Tips

Abigail Harris @absthegal

Hey @LECrockette An agent's MSWL suggests she would be interested in my novel. Her comps do not. Query or not? Thanks! #WFGCAskAnAgent

Comp titles demonstrate tone, atmosphere, writing style, voice, etc within a genre/category/market. It never hurts to query, especially if the agent's MSWL includes a genre they are interested in. #WFGCAskAnAgent

Laura Crockett
@LECrockett
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TriadaUS | Opinions my own | she/her
148 MSWL
24 AskAgent
322 Queries
88 Tips
Laura Crockett
@LECrockett
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TriadaUS | Opinions my own | she/her
148 MSWL
24 AskAgent
322 Queries
88 Tips
Laura Crockett
@LECrockett
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TriadaUS | Opinions my own | she/her
148 MSWL
24 AskAgent
322 Queries
88 Tips

Ashley Reisinger @Awritesinger

Hi Laura,

When reading a query letter, what is it that makes you decide THIS is the one? You want to read THIS manuscript and see if it's worth taking a chance on?

#WFGCAskAnAgent

It's the voice, for me. It's the same process every reader uses when they go to the bookstore/library. When you pull a book off the shelf and read the jacket, what makes you open the book and read some pages? Use that same process/mindset to write your query #WFGCAskAnAgent

Laura Crockett
@LECrockett
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TriadaUS | Opinions my own | she/her
148 MSWL
24 AskAgent
322 Queries
88 Tips

Savannah Flowers @savflowers

#wfgcaskanagent I've read competing articles about appropriate word counts for MG and YA novels. How much do you care about word count when you receive a query?

Word counts are dependent on audience (MG/YA/A) and genre. Fantasy and historical tends to be longer than contemporary by about 20-40K. I care only when it's wildly off the mark (100K MG contemporary is a no) because it shows the writer doesn't know the market. #WFGCAskAnAgent

Laura Crockett
@LECrockett
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TriadaUS | Opinions my own | she/her
148 MSWL
24 AskAgent
322 Queries
88 Tips

Write Fight GIF Club @WFGHeadquarters

What do you find to be the most common mistake people make when they query you? #WFGCAskAnAgent

They haven't done their research. I'm sent projects that either (1) I am not seeking/representing whatsoever OR (2) no one at our agency seeks/reps it. Plenty of resources online and in books about agencies and what they're looking for. #WFGCAskAnAgent

Laura Crockett
@LECrockett
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TriadaUS | Opinions my own | she/her
148 MSWL
24 AskAgent
322 Queries
88 Tips

Loie @loiedunn

Hi @LECrockett I was wondering when one is writing a dual POV fantasy or a multiple POV fantasy, do you include those in a query? I've received feedback where some folks mention to focus solely on the MC. #WFGCAskAnAgent

Your query should focus on the key players w obstacles/goals/growth of the ms, so if that's two MCs, share the two. If it's multi-POV with one primary MC, focus on that one. Do mention, however, that it is a "multi/dual-POV fantasy" when you describe the ms. #WFGCAskAnAgent