Naomi Davis
Literary Agent
BookEnds Literary Agency
Eternally optimistic Literary Agent at @Bookendslit Genderqueer π³οΈβπ ND; I laugh & love relentlessly. Repped by the phenomenal @4triciaskinner

Literary Agent
aobooksπ³π¬β¦οΈπΊπΈ @aobooks__
@NaomisLitPix #askagent is #dvpit a thing for you that you think is a good idea for authors??I think all pitching contests are great. I don't always participate in every single one, because there are a lot! I do participate in #dvpit when I can! That said, I get way more clients from queries than pitch contests. #askagent

Literary Agent
Joanne Machin is querying! @heyjomachin
I *think* I have a basic understanding of it as a writerβbut Iβd love additional input. βVoiceβ has been so huge in everything I read re:pub. What is your best answer to what exactly is βvoice?β #AskAgentIt's your writing style. It can vary from genre to genre or character from character, but there will always be little quirks to your writing that readers fall in love with. Kind of like how no one has your handwriting but you. #askagent

Literary Agent
aobooksπ³π¬β¦οΈπΊπΈ @aobooks__
#askagent #pb manuscript done and actually illustrated as well...can I submit this to an agent?You absolutely can. It is not necessary, however, for an author to be an illustrator as well. You can be either an author OR an illustrator, OR an author/illustrator who does both. #askagent

Literary Agent
Jason Franz @TheBadgrProject
Happy quarantine #AskAgent I was wondering what the general consensus was for query letters...do you like it when we jump right in to the story and pitch and leave personalization for later in the query, or do you like us to lead with why we chose to sub to you?I like a bit of personalization, but what matters is the blurb. The meat of the story. I need to know what the story is about way more than I need to know why you chose me... I'll know right away if it's right for me. But it's def nice to get a polite, personal greeting.#askagent

Literary Agent
aobooksπ³π¬β¦οΈπΊπΈ @aobooks__
@bookendslit #askagent working on#scifi how can I get an agent? Also #pb and #ya #teenThe best way is to query agents when you have complete and polished manuscript! Each agent has submission guidelines on their website. Be sure to follow guidelines for each agent you query. The Bookends YouTube channel has some great videos with advice on how to query. #askagent

Literary Agent
Mattie Noall @MattieNoall
Do you like it if a writer tells you of other projects they have in the works too? #AskAgentI do like to know if a querying author has the intention to write other books in the same or a different genre, but it's also a conversation we can have when I offer representation, too. #askagent

Literary Agent
Jael R. Bakari @jaelrbakari
What are some of the biggest hiccups encountered with agented authors? What advice do you give them to keep them pushing through the next book(s) at a sustainable rate? #askagentI think the most important thing is to make sure that you continue to communicate with your agent when you need help, even once you're well on your way to publication or already published. We're here to help after the book deal is signed, too. #askagent

Literary Agent

Literary Agent

Literary Agent
Tiana Torres @tiananicole15
@NaomisLitPix Hi Naomi. When youβre world building and introducing your mc in a ms, how soon should info like name, age, setting, etc. be revealed? Is there any sort of golden rule (e.g. name + age by page 10)? This is for ya contemporary if that helps!Name matters early on, but make sure it is introduced organically. Age can often be subtle and implied by showing activities, setting, or family config. Nothing "told" to the reader in a way that is not organic in the scene. Organic is challenging, but important! #askagent

Literary Agent
MattiOGreenπ @mattiOgreen
@NaomisLitPix I've been seeing the term "upmarket horror" a lot lately, & if it means what I think it means, it should fit the manuscript I'm working on. I'm wondering if you could talk about how you're seeing it defined, and if it's a genre that's sales are on the rise?In general, "upmarket" refers to things with a stronger literary feel vs commercial. Horror itself does seem to be climbing, but I'm not sure I'm qualified to differentiate between upmarket and commercial with respect to that. #askagent

Literary Agent
M.R. Kistler @MRKistlerWrites
@NaomisLitPix Is there any hope for Heroic Fantasy in the market? Iβm getting a lot of love for a manuscript, but nobody seems keen on adding the genre to their list right now. Whatβs the outlook?Absolutely there is. The market wants a FRESH take on fantasy stories without relying on Tolkien-esque tropes and worlds that feel generic based on previous saturation in fantasy. Also fresh, never seen before POVs #askagent

Literary Agent
Stacy A. Alderman @StacyAnneWrites
@NaomisLitPix Why do so many agents (and readers and writers) discourage prologues? So many books I read have them! Whatβs the difference if itβs called a prologue or chapter one?Prologues are often a way of telling rather than showing. I'm not personally averse to them, but if the story functions just fine without it, sometimes it's best to get right into the rhythm the reader can expect from the whole book. #askagent

Literary Agent
The Bi Shoulder Angel @Jonah_C_Byers
@NaomisLitPix How often is a longer-than-normal word count a dealbreaker, not just for you but other agents you know?I can only speak for myself.
If you're a debut, a long word count = more expensive book to print = greater financial risk for publisher. If something is 20-50k over word count guides for genre, I might hesitate, but I never rej on that alone. #askagent

Literary Agent
Dan Fitzgerald @DanFitzWrites
@NaomisLitPix Is it okay to re-query the same agent (or another agentin the agency) after a substantial revision (of both query letter and first 50 pages)?Varies agency to agency! In our agency, you may always query multiple agents, but only one at a time. #askagent

Literary Agent
Allison Lane @AllisonLane
@NaomisLitPix Howdy Naomi! Hereβs my ? Assuming you like the nf query, when you request more, how much of the proposal and manuscript do you want to see? What elements make it easier for you to absorb the content? Do you prefer a pretty graphic-designed pdf? Or a simple doc with text?I really prefer a text document, double spaced. The content itself matters more than the presentation, to me. #askagent

Literary Agent
When I'm reading queries, I encounter a few common barriers in SFF. #querytip #amquerying #askagent
- A mythological twist goes in a very predictable direction. I know you're inspired by other things you've read, but YOUR original twists are what will make your book stand out.

Literary Agent
Iris Greene @WIP_IrisG
@NaomisLitPix @bookendslit Situation: I've done my query research and there are 2 agents I like, but they're from the same agency. Do I query them both separately or just 1 of them? I've heard that if you query 1 agent at an agency then you're querying them all. T or F? How would I handle this? #askagentEach agency has it's own policy. At Bookends, we ask you to query one agent at a time but if that agent passes you may query others. Check with each specific agency's website for their query policy! #askagent

Literary Agent

Literary Agent
JB McNeil @JBMcNeil15
@NaomisLitPix @bookendslit So, #askagent, how often do agents go through queries on cell phones? Just realized that some formatting on my ms pages shows up really screwy on cell phones! Yikes!I read a bunch of queries on my phone last night lol. Querymanager eliminates many of these issues for me. #askagent