Laura Crockett

Q10: WF. Chick-lit vibes, made me laugh and connect to the character immediately in the query, and the writing sample reflected that same voice & humor. Partial. #tenqueries #querywin

Q9: YA Contemp. The labels and representation in this project made me cringe. The sensitivity to cultural, racial, and ethnic identity was completely tossed aside. Oof. Pass. #tenqueries

Q8: The writer wanted to form their own genre. No plot or characters or themes/tropes. Required a huge disclaimer for the "story" in order for me to "get it." I guess I don't get it. Pass. #tenqueries

Q7: YA Contemp. If I spend more time thinking of how I'd edit the query & sample pages to make it more commercially appealing and marketable, then it's not ready. Pass. #tenqueries

Q6: YA F. A fairy-tale retelling through a villain's perspective, though connections to the original are loose and the ms sounds like it could stand on its own legs, no retelling disclaimer necessary. Intrigued. Partial. #tenqueries #querywin

Q5: An email briefly stating the writer got their rights back and wanted to know if I'd be interested in representing them. Nothing about the project, no pitch, nada. Pass. #tenqueries

Q4: HF. Incredible endeavor, includes time travel. The HF concept was neat, the time travel justification weak. HF can be just as compelling without a modern-day time traveling character. Pass. #tenqueries

Q3: YA HF/F. Super awesome concept and well-written query, but the writing in the query's sample pages needs extensive editorial work. Not quite ready. Pass. #tenqueries

Q2: HF. The query was clean, read like a book jacket, shared just enough for me to be intrigued. Bonus points for badass women in history doing awesome things. Partial. #tenqueries #querywin

Q1: Writer queried me 3 diff projects (in genres/formats I do not rep) within 5 minutes of each other. Best to query one project, wait for response, and wait a good time frame (typically months) before querying another. Pass. #tenqueries

Q10: YA contemp. Family dynamics at the center of obstacles and MC's concerns, super voice-y a la Matson, Mills, Lord. Partial. #tenqueries #querywin

Q9: YA thriller. Has "Taken" vibes. I'm simply not a thriller person whatsoever -- best to query another agent at Triada. Pass. #tenqueries

Q8: "You're such a cute, young agent! You'll totally love [MS] because you'll relate to those perky, young kids I want to write for!" 😐 Pass. #tenqueries

I really shouldn't have to say why.

Q7: Responded to my rejection of MS1 by pitching MS2, but instead of detailing the ms, it was a business plan of what to do with the royalties from it. Both no-nos. Pass. #tenqueries

Q6: YA contemp. Geeky, quirky, fun; awesome voice in sample. Yes please. Partial. #tenqueries #querywin

Q5: Initially pitched as SF, then YA SF, then later claims YA thriller. All characters are 30+ years old. Lacks understanding of target audience/genre. Pass. #tenqueries

Q4: Literary? Magical realism? Fantasy? Be clear and concise: what is the ms about? What are the obstacles? Why should we care? Don't wax poetic just yet. Pass. #tenqueries

Q3: Fantasy. Massive in scope, but focused on two central characters in this epic. Huge word count, but writing is exquisite. Taking a shot! Partial. #tenqueries #querywin

Q2: WF. Neat concept, but sample nearly all dialogue/white space, he said she said, then then then. Needs more creative development. Pass. #tenqueries

Q1: 3 unsolicited "follow-ups" on a project in a mass email, with blurbs, quotes, character descriptions, and "important" thematic elements of plot turns. Hard pass. Big no-nos all around. #tenqueries