Laura Zats
Literary Agent
Headwater Literary Management
Founder & Agent @HeadwaterLit . Host of the award-winning @printrunpodcast . Publishers Weekly industry MVP. She/her & Ms/Mx. Open to queries!
- #mswl (213)
- #tenqueries (92)
- #100Queries (1)
- #100partials (20)
- #500queries (3011)
- #querytip (22)
- #pubtip (140)
- #askagent (149)
- #askprintrun (27)
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Literary Agent
Also: no agent/editor considers themselves too above you to answer. Writers are how we make money. We're just swamped. Always. #pubtip
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Literary Agent
#pubtip #query EXAMPLE:
C YA Query: THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN ME IS YOU by @ms_lilyanderson
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Literary Agent
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Literary Agent
#pubtip pet peeve: hiding the MC in the opening pages. Does it really help to withhold names/use vague pronouns? No. No, it does not.
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Literary Agent
Erotica is a specific type of book, with a particular type of structure. Not a book with sexytimes. #pubtip #publishing
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Literary Agent
We're all in this together. Please understand that we work 70 hrs/wk to get you responses as fast as we can, for freeāDon't be dicks #pubtip
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Literary Agent
Agents are people, not nameless beasts who only care about keeping you from being published. we get 150 subs/wk, and HAVE to say no #pubtip
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Literary Agent
Authors, give #teamredsofa agent @ALRutter some love. She's had some particularly nasty emails from writers lately. #pubtip: be kind!
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Literary Agent
I love interacting with querying writers on Twitter. I really do. But please, please don't friend/connect w/ me on FB or LinkedIn. #pubtip
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Literary Agent
Track all the details in your series by writing a book bible for yourself. #pubtip
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Literary Agent
Just like you wouldn't bake bread without flour, you should get the mechanics down before you write a book #pubtip
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Literary Agent
You can't copyright titles. @MNBookPub #pubtip
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Literary Agent
#pubtip: getting an editorial agent doesn't mean they're will edit your book, nor does it mean you can query a unedited MS
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Literary Agent
#pubtip quiz: the proper response to a form rejection is:
A) Ranting and raging
B) Nothing
C) Troll me online
D) Re-querying inline
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Literary Agent
Every week I have from 5-10 people who query me try and connect on LinkedIn. Don't do this. #pubtip
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Literary Agent
You know how in Craigslist ads, people ask for a specific phrase to show you're not a robot? Don't do that in a query letter. #pubtip
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Literary Agent
Your biggest secret weapon to getting a full request: a first page that begins with ACTION #pubtip
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Literary Agent
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Literary Agent
#pubtip: hooks are your best friend. Tell an agent about your MC's quirks and odd plot points. Typical is the enemy
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Literary Agent
Just like ignorance of the law doesnt mean you can break it, ignorance of the query process doesnt mean you get to ignore guidelines #pubtip