Naomi Davis

I'll hesitate on comparing any other authors because remember, the market is a different place for an author w/established fanbase than it is for debut. Famous names w/ followers who have certain expectations of their work have fewer-&somewhat also more-limitations. #askagent /2

Yes to medieval Europe and D&D style creatures. Moralism and allegory are less what I'm talking about with this, as they fit into such a wide range of stories, but I'll stress that it must be done wildly differently than seen before. #askagent 1/

It truly is hard to sell kidlit with adult MCs. It can be done successfully, true, but this is the exception not the rule. #askagent

Use comps that are most accurate. Yes, too many can clutter a query. There's no real rule, but I'd say give 3 comps tops. #askagent

A good query is concise and tells us the basics, while following our query procedure guidelines.
An irritating query is one that doesn't follow guidelines, or is pretentious/condescending in its delivery. #askagent

We always assume other agents are reading. It's challenging to get too many updates on a project we are considering - let us know when you get an offer, and when you need to respond to that offer. #askagent

Not a faux pas as long as we know what's going on - be up front in your query that the book has been revised from the previous version the agent rejected. It may still get rejected, but at least the agents know what's on the table. #askagent

"I've had an offer of representation for another project in this/another genre and hope to answer by X date. I'm happy to send along this other manuscript if you'd like to look at it as you make your decision on this one." Or something works :-) #askagent

Oh anytime I'm sure! Tho it will vary between requesting parties, I can't personally imagine an agent or editor being angry if it took you a while to send for whatever reason. #askagent #dvpit

Epic can still sell, but the industry wants to see new, unexplored fantasy landscapes/systems. Tolkien-esque structures have had their spotlight already. #askagent

Utilize everything! Twitter, agency websites, querytracker, MSWL, etc to find your matches. Read up on each agent before querying so you know they are interested in at least your genre and target age range. #askagent

Yes - it isn't a black mark on a query to mention previously repped - in fact it validates our interest. Knowing the split was amicable does help, but mostly, let us know this MS has not been shopped to publishers (or be honest if it has been!). #askagent

Depends on the agent! I try to use my personal time for family. Some weeks are so busy with other priorities that I have no choice but to read during personal time.
But having a pile of shiny new manuscripts is wonderful in Dr office waiting rooms etc. :-) #askagent

I doubt you would fit all the world building required for Adult Epic Fantasy into less than 100,000 words. Generally, 100,000-140,000 is reasonable, but make sure all those words are used wisely, especially on the higher end. #askagent

It's easiest to have one agent for a number of reasons, but many authors have more than one due to branching out into a genre their agent doesn't rep after signing. Really it's up to you, but seeking one who does both would be simplest. #askagent

After finishing a book I always recommend critique partners or beta readers! :-) #askagent

Other agents may weigh in differently, but I do turn those down 99% of the time. #askagent

I don't mind that - I'm glad to know when I have helped!
What I mind is when authors reply to a rejection with an argument. #askagent

Comp titles help us imagine how we would position something in the market. I think that comp is fine - it tells me clues about style, pacing, content. But are there YA books that are better comps? That would be stronger - always go for stronger if you can! #askagent

Some agents are really picky about formatting issues (because we e-read so much that things like single spacing really aggravates the eyes) but for me, something like a title page wouldn't trigger rejection. I can skip it if I don't want to read it. #askagent