Megan Manzano

My biggest tip for nailing stakes in a query letter is to make the stakes as specific as possible to your main character and what they're going through.

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An amazing #querytip right here.

When I mention wanting a query to end on stakes, I mean the stakes for YOUR character.

How does whatever is happening directly impact them? What do they have to choose between or risk losing? The more specific, the better.

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Hey writers! If you thought you saw the last of me on Meg's channel, you certainly have not! 😂

Check out this video on when to know you're ready to query.

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Check out this fun interview I did with Cat! You can learn more about me as an agent and some common querying mistakes I see.

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I've seen an uptick of adult queries in my inbox.

Please don't send these to me! I only accept middle grade and young adult stories!

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You want to feel, not only like this agent is the best for your work and your career, but that you can come to them whenever you're unsure or anxious about something.

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I know it can feel scary to ask, but if you get an agent, there are going to be a lot of questions in the process and a good agent will be ready with answers or ready with ways of finding them.

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If you get an offer of representation, I can't stress enough to ask any and all questions you have - even if it's an email after the call itself.

You want to be informed and any agent who refuses to answer your questions raises a red flag.

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I get wanting your book to reach ALL audiences, but first you must target the CORRECT audience. If your book surpasses that reach, then that's great!

But if you don't target an audience at all, there's no readership.

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Correct audience categories matter for:

- Expectations of that market/readership
- Placement in bookstores
- How an agent will pitch and sell your book

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So when I get queries where the protagonists are 25+ but it's classified as young adult or middle grade, it tells me you're not targeting the right audience and aware of what the different audience categories include.

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If you're writing young adult you're ideally writing from the perspective of a character under 19. Adults can also be present here but we should still be getting a younger voice.

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If you're writing middle grade, you're ideally writing from the perspective of a character under 13. Adults can be present, of course, but we should be getting a younger voice.

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I've seen a handful of queries lately where a story is classified as MG or YA despite having a cast of adult characters.

And this highlights a distinction between expectations of an audience category versus who you think your book is for.

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This thread is 100% required reading for any writer and any writer on sub.

Keep going❤️

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So when querying, put the MAIN audience for your book. If the book sells and it reaches an audience outside of the primary one, amazing!

But you want to go in knowing the readers your story is trying to reach.

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Agents use that to place the book in the market and it also yields to expectations of books for that audience.

In the bigger scheme of things, audience will determine placement in libraries and bookstores.

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I see tons of queries that say, this book will appeal to tweens, adults, and readers of all kind.

That's great if it does, but you need to pick the PRIMARY audience, ie the audience that the book would be marketed towards.

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Audience is the target readership of your book.

If your protagonist is 8, that's a younger middle grade audience.

If your protagonist is 17, that's an upper young adult audience.

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Reminder: it's okay if you don't have professional experience or previous writing credentials in your bio when you query.

Telling agents your career/a fun fact is totally valid.

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