Kaitlyn Johnson

I was just going to say Outlander 😂 Yes, I do see a lot of them. Especially in Romance or Historical Romance. It's popular. It's a mystical or romantic setting. But yes, it starts becoming repetitive #askagent

That would be ok. I'm not anti-dark lit (I prefer it, actually). I understand the need for some killing/slicing/gashing lol It's just Horror itself, the genre, that isn't always for me. I save that for movies on Netflix 😂 #askagent

ALSO! I don't take previously published (or self-published) titles. Each query should be for a new, not currently available for purchase, novel. #askagent

It depends on the twist. High fantasy is fun and exciting, and MG mystery stories can be engaging (especially jew heists!). It's a matter of blending those two worlds seamlessly so it holds the reader. #askagent

There are always many retellings on the most popular fairytales (cinderella, peter pan, etc). I only like retellings if they're subtle. A completely different story idea, but then you dig in and realize the ties. #askagent

It's hard to merge world building with hook in a query. It's best not to bog down the query w/ world details. Try to convey these aspects through the character & their conflict rather than giving a passage strictly on it. #askagent

Yup, if MC is almost 13, that's MG. If writing is on the more mature side, that sounds like upper MG. Just because a story may have introspective aspect, that doesn't determine it's category. #askagent Some kids read up, some don't. As a teen, I liked reading my own age.

This is an example. Sometimes, paragraphs 2&3 or 3&4 are joined. But it should be short. A query is single spaced and no longer than 1 page. Also, never have a bio longer than your story info. The story is what makes me read, after all. #askagent

Not all agents are the same, but here is the query format I love:

1st para: metadata; word count/title/genre, etc.

2nd para: Hook/1st MC intro

3rd para: Love interest/2nd MC or villain intro

4th para: Stakes & potential union of characters

5th para: Author Bio

#askagent

#askagent Also, I hate seeing rhetorical questions in queries. I just want to immediately read about your book, not be quizzed on unnecessary potential themes.

I think you can leave this out. If it was something you'd immediately picture when hearing of OZ, like yellow road or w/e, I would say it reflects elements of Wizard of Oz. But the mirroring of life, I'd leave that for discovery on the pages. #askagent

NA is still a hard category. Publishers don't want to touch it yet. Often, it means the work gets categorized as YA or Adult, depending on themes. I would stay away from saying "fiction agents". Anything that isn't nonfiction, is fiction. #askagent

Upper MG is fantastic and never limits your audience! Many adults & kids read MG. But this category is based on age of character and tone/themes of manuscript, not necessarily target audience. Don't forget that. #askagent

I think (I HOPE!) dystopian is coming back before long. Robots could be great for that or sci-fi. However, I don't want to see another iRobot or something along those lines. I would love new robo-viewpoints! #askagent

These are very overdone. I think there's still hope, but the plot/use of these myths has to be really unique to grab enough attention. It could be like retellings, I want to dig to see the connection b/w current story and root myth. Don't make it obvious #askagent

Fiction is not an age category, so can't be compared to YA. If you're writing a YA, the character should be between 14-18. MAYBE 13, but I'd hesitate. The most popular YA character ages are 15-17. #askagent

Depends on the story. If they're plopped in there, it's not a great look. If it's woven into the world building/culture of your fantasy, that could be awesome. I've seen great literary fantasy tones as well as commercial. #askagent I do like more mature voices, though.

Word count is definitely significant. This still sounds a bit too high. I normally like my upper MG hovering around 50-55k, but I've seen around 60k still be interesting. 70-75, though, is not MG territory. #askagent

It doesn't hurt too much. Some agents put more value on comps, others don't. It's better to give none, though, than just plop two of the most popular current books into the query. #askagent

I'd love to see lesser-used supernatural legends (YES, I do want to see paranormal still). New locations. Super craving Indonesia or Philippines - both in contemporary, hist fic, or urban fantasy. Fantasy worlds inspired by this, too! #askagent