Kaitlyn Johnson
Literary Agent
Belcastro Agency
Agent @belcastr . insta: kjbelcastro. Freelance Editor. Serial comma for life. She/her. Query at QueryManager.com/1147
Literary Agent
What am I NOT looking for?
- Thrillers, Suspense, Horror, Nonfiction, Essays, Poetry, lower MG (picture/chapter books)
- Not a big fan of heavy rape plots or physical abuse
- Also not huge into drug abuse books
- Please don't send blatant political agenda books
#askagent
Literary Agent
So, what am I looking for?
- upper MG, YA, NA, A
- Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Historical Fiction, select Contemporary & Romance
#askagent
Literary Agent
Hayden Snickerdoodle @HaydenTheSharpe
@kaitylynne13 Thanks! I do have one more: in your opinion, do trope-twists count as fairytale retellings, or just twists of traditional archetypes? pic.twitter.com/z3hhBx1BQtFrom that definition, I'd say twist of archetypes. Retelling should draw from or specifically identify with a real, old story #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Hayden Snickerdoodle @HaydenTheSharpe
@kaitylynne13 Opinion on fairy tale retellings? And what do you look for?I'm still looking for Peter Pan retelling from Lost Boy POV upon return to England. I'd love a f/f Hercules (w/ badass Meg) #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Hayden Snickerdoodle @HaydenTheSharpe
@kaitylynne13 Opinion on fairy tale retellings? And what do you look for?Love but only if the fairytale is DEEP DOWN. I need to super dig to find the original tale. And I want lesser known characters #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Chris Monson @cm_monson
@kaitylynne13 @PixieRants Should the manuscript be professionally edited before submitting?Not mandatory. But, if you can't clean the ms yourself or through beta readers, maybe so. If I see a bunch of errors, I pass #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Stevie Holloway @stevieh13
@kaitylynne13 Thanks for the tip! On the flip side, are there any tropes/genres that intrigue you right now?I love flips. The rivals turned friends/lovers. Rebellions toward rebellions. Superpowers but unique twists on the owners #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Stevie Holloway @stevieh13
@kaitylynne13 Are there any tropes/genres to avoid like the plague? #askagentHelpless girl next door. Insta-love. Bad boy parents disapprove of. Those are typical that are always seen. Mix them up somehow #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Chris Monson @cm_monson
Would you advise a new client to work on social media presence or write the next book/s ? #AskAgentmy opinion, clients should always be working on the next thing. Keeps the publishing/submission wheel turning #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Chris Monson @cm_monson
Would you advise a new client to work on social media presence or write the next book/s ? #AskAgentI would do both. Have an author platform, chat on twitter. But also be working on next titles #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Lisa Garvey @GarveyinVenice
@kaitylynne13 I've seen conflicting info re: MG vs YA age for MC. 13/14= upper MG? 15/16/17... YA? #askagent13-18 is technically YA. 13 can be stretched to upper MG, but not often. 11-12 Upper MG. Look to your themes to really decide #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Katherine McIntyre @PixieRants
@kaitylynne13 What are your manuscript pet peeves? #askagentAnd if I see one more explanation of character through a reflection, I'll throw my kindle! 😂 #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Katherine McIntyre @PixieRants
@kaitylynne13 What are your manuscript pet peeves? #askagentBad grammar/punctuation. Also, seeing all the tropes right there in the first chapter. Lack or originality is such a letdown #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Devon Harry @AuthorDevonH
@kaitylynne13 What advice do you have for an author who has gotten hardly any feedback on their MS but has reworked their query letter after rejections?you might need new/more beta readers. The pages may just not be connecting w/ agents, meaning something isn't a big enough hook #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Kirk Kraft @KAKraft
@kaitylynne13 @LizziePetrone That's been a tough one for me. I have a project that is a sort of memoirish-non fiction. Can that be pulled off? #AskAgentIt's definitely been done. I'm not a huge memoir person, though, so not the best authority #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Jacy Sellers 🐉☕️ @JacySellers
@kaitylynne13 What’s popular in YA fantasy right now and perhaps for publishing in 2018 or 2019? #AskAgentHard to say. Earlier, I mentioned witches and creatures making a comeback. I THINK dystopian will pop back up, too #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Liz Petrone @LizziePetrone
@kaitylynne13 Hi! Query memoir as proposal, finished manuscript, or both? #askagentI'd say both. Unlike strict nonfiction, memoirs need to be done so agent can immediately see potential, not the "maybe" of it #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Rachael A Edwards @RachaelAWrites
@kaitylynne13 What do you look for in a manuscript? Like do you have that one thing that gets you super excited? Annndd same about a potential client!Client. They're fun! They are passionate when talking about story and are open to bouncing ideas, not locked into one position #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Rachael A Edwards @RachaelAWrites
@kaitylynne13 What do you look for in a manuscript? Like do you have that one thing that gets you super excited? Annndd same about a potential client!I ❤️ great dialogue. Makes characters realistic. Even better when snarky voice makes me smirk #AskAgent Weave that in opening scene, got me
Literary Agent
Rebecca Treasure @RebeccaSchibler
@kaitylynne13 In the revising vein, if I made MS changes based on agent feedback, should I offer new MS to agents w/full or wait to hear back? #askagentNever hurts to email and ask those w/ your full. If they're reading, they may wait. If not, they may want new one #AskAgent