Kaitlyn Johnson

Getting a lot of queries dealing with faeries/Fae. Please remember I'm really not the greatest fit for these! #amquerying #querytip

Don't email my personal account to notify me you went a query.

Don't tag me to randomly pitch your book.

Don't send me links of your bio/work on LinkedIn.

FOLLOW GUIDELINES!!! #amagenting #querytip #amquerying

Query box update: I am caught up to March 1 UNLESS you are in my maybe pile or have already been requested #amagenting #querytip

SO MUCH THIS! #amagenting #querytip #amquerying

Same for voice, especially in MG. The lower the count, the more likely it's for a younger reader and has a lighter tone or subject. I often prefer upper MG to be no lower than 35k. #amagenting #querytip

Certain genres tend to skew higher in word count. Sci Fi and Fantasy for YA or Adult should really not be lower than 85k, and that's still a bit low. I'd shoot for 95k as a sweet spot. #amagenting #querytip

Here are some basic counts to keep in mind. Remember, these are averages, so some outliers do exist.

MG - 20,000 - 65,000
YA - 65,000 - 110,000 (I have seen a bit lower, but no lower than 55,000)
Adult - 65,000 - 120/130,000

#amagenting #querytip

Having an Adult Fantasy higher than 130k? For a debut, that's hard to sell. For someone with a long list of proven titles? Maybe less difficult. Same with YA over 110k #amagenting #querytip (2/?)

Word count, word count, word count!

Seriously, writers. Please research your genres and the word counts that accompany them. If you're a debut, these actually are very important #amagenting #querytip

#querytip #amquerying #amwriting

Year in review

Same here. I know it's the new year, but agents took off a lot of time to ensure we didn't send rejections on Xmas or other holidays. New year and we've got to jump back on the work train #amagenting #querytip #amquerying

I guess I need to post this once again. PLEASE do not try to pitch to me, tell me about your book, or give me your bio on social media. This means FB, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. Your message will 100% be deleted immediately. #amagenting #querytip

#19 Lastly, try to be part of the community. Conferences are WONDERFUL places to gain critique partners or writing groups. Success from your writing mates only gives those conferences better support, too, so share your steps forward! #amagenting #querytip

#18 Ask questions in sessions if there is Q&A! We love engaging w/ audience and clarifying confusing bits. And, if there's extra time, don't be scared to ask if questions can be on anything industry-related, not just the session topic. Some will say yes #amagenting #querytip

#17 Find places approved for socializing. Mixers/group dinners. Don't grab us in the hallway (or bathroom!) . Especially for some, this can be seen as a risky situation, pulled into a corner by a stranger. We love talking to you but judge the moment #amagenting #querytip

#16 If you query the agent following the conference, don't forget to mention you either met them or attended their session! That's a great personalization for your greeting. We love seeing connections from these events #amagenting #querytip

#15 You're allowed to network and be social. But we appreciate not being pitched to unless a) we ask what you write or b) you have scheduled time with us already. We're there to find authors, so we'll ask, but the timing needs to be right #amagenting #querytip

#14 Give the story first. That's what we'll fall for. Save the bio/inspiration/motivation for if we ask. We love you, but we need to love your story first. Plus, you want to get that in before time runs out, and bios take up a lot of time #amagenting #querytip

#13 Start the pitch with genre, age category, & word count. Then give character, conflict, and consequences/stakes. After that, the agent will usually ask questions and guide you into more explanation. This isn't a one-sided convo. We are involved to help! #amagenting #querytip

#12 See live pitching as a way to improve/gain feedback. Don't go in thinking it's your 1 chance to get representation. It's not. We may request, but we're there to give advice, sharpen your query/pitch, or point out areas of your story that aren't clear #amagenting #querytip