Lane Heymont

Authors, don't email an agent/editor to ask random questions about writing. It's unprofessional. Do the research yourself. #querytip #Online

Know. Your. Genres. Authors! #querytip #writetip twitter.com/writersdigest/…

Write your truth. But do it well. #querytip #writetip

Rhetorical questions often don't work in queries. Never with me. They're a pet peeve. #querytip

Instead of "she felt faint" SHOW us HOW she felt faint (i.e "The world spun around her, earth became sky and sky earth") #querytip #writetip

"Dear Agent"...wait, my name's not Agent. It's Lane, or Mr. Heymont. I'll even accept Ms. Heymont. At least it's my name lol. #querytip

Commenting on how "attractive" I am is not appropriate in a query. Just so you know, it's not appropriate to do with ANYONE. #querytip

Also, ragging on other authors or genres is a big DON'T DO IT. We're adults. You need to shine without dulling someone else. #querytip

"Problems arise that challenge the MC". Okay? That literally says nothing. Show Goal, Motivation, Conflict. That says something. #querytip

@maseditor Yep! It can become apparent quickly. It's a pet peeve of mine. #querytip #writetip

I'm not sure who said I represent thrillers, but I do not. Romantic suspense? Yes. Urban fantasy? Yes. Straight thrillers? No. #querytip

2/2 There are no *true* consequences. The MC is already dead. Game over. The end. OR the story isn't real. NONE of it happened! #querytip

I *HATE* films and novels where the MC is already dead o the story takes place in virtual reality, dreams, or afterlife. Why, you ask? 1/2

50,000 words is barely a novel. 250,000 words is a mind-numbing epic. Know the generally accepted word counts 4 your genre. Okay? #querytip

Don't tell us what we'll get from your book. Don't presume you understand the way we think. Or how we see your world. Or our own. #querytip

If your MC is stuck sweeping chimneys there better be a damn good reason. People don't do things they don't want to "just becuz". #querytip

"She encounters something scary..." Okay...what? A talking toaster? A debt collector? Be specific. A query shouldn't be a mystery. #querytip

Telling me your book will change the world is a big DON'T DO. At best, you're lying to yourself. At worst, you're delusional. #querytip

"Through a series of events.." has no place in a query. It tells us nothing except you cannot write an effective query. #querytip #queryfail

@KidLitKimi PLENTY of sites. @Janet_Reid's @QueryShark is probably the best! #querytip