Robbie Guillory
Literary Agent
Underline Literary Agency
Agent at Underline Literary Agency 'Really knows his onions. Pretty clued up on books and stuff too.' Neil Lancaster
Literary Agent
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Lilith Antoinette (not related to Mary) @justlilytbh
#askagent How important is exact description? I've read ms's that felt suffocated by the level of description in character body language, items and settings. Other ms's that set a scene and the odd character movement/action in a convo feel more natural to read. Which is better?I think that a lot of books can be improved with more show, less tell, and more dialogue! #AskAgent
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Marcelle Perks @Marcelleperks
#askagent When agents set up mentor programme, is this for writers who have finished their novels and want representation, or for writers who haven't finished their MS's yet? I feel stupid even asking this...Ours is for writers who have an unfinished manuscript. #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
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†hε ωεψmαη @WeymanWrites
#askagentWhat do you think is the easiest genre to get an agent in?
(Just interested - not going to change my genre for this reason 😊)
There are so many agents covering all the genres... I just don't know if there is any one genre doing better than others! #AskAgent
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Pamela G. Hobbs @pamelaghobbs
#askagent I have a contract for 5 books with a publisher - just finishing 1st draft of bk 4 - 3 already published. I don't have an agent but would like to in future -wait till bk 5 is done & start looking with new project or start now? Can I get an agent based on body of work?You absolutely can start looking for an agent now! We'd be interested in knowing what you were planning to write next, though, so I'd suggest having some sort of outline pencilled in. #AskAgent
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E.S. Alexander @ESAlexander4
#askagent Are the days of Max Perkins working with Tom Wolfe (and F. Scott Fitzgerald etc.) long gone? Just how involved are today's agents (YOU :-)) in helping shape books that show potential, if not immediately publishable?I like to work quite closely with my authors, especially hashing out new book ideas. If a book shows serious potential, I'd work with the author to make it happen. #AskAgent
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Nuala Woulfe @NWoulfeWriter
If you get an agent will they generally chase up anything you’ve written & published previously or only new stuff that they might sign you for? #askagentA tricky one. If there are rights that can be exploited (eg translation) in your previously published work, that might be something that they would do. But we only get a cut of money from work that we are on the contract for, so there is a priority-hierarchy at work. #AskAgent
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Nuala Woulfe @NWoulfeWriter
I’m finishing something modern atm that is set at a specific time but concerned about it dating, recently read Dark Vanessa set against #metoo but thought doing that risks dating as things can move on if takes 18mths to publish. Advice? #AskAgentI wouldn't worry too much about something dating. The emotions and experiences of the characters will be universal, and that's what matters. A few years isn't going to hurt. #AskAgent
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Elaine Fearnley @laineyf1
#AskAgent as a newbie to the writing world (I was awarded a bursary for the RNA New Writers Scheme) - I’m totally overwhelmed by the whole Agent/Publishing thing!! How do I know which (if any) agents would be interested please? Thank you for any advice.Congratulations! Start following agents on Twitter, use @Writers_Artists for guidance and help, and scour agency websites to find out if you'd be a good fit. There are a fair few of us, but we're a nice bunch! #AskAgent
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Christa Larwood @clarwood
@julietpickering @mushenska @katenashagent @RobbieGuillory You've mentioned knowing where to place your book in the market, but what if your work involves quite a big crossover, for instance 'American Gods meets the Da Vinci Code' or something like that? I'm not sure exactly where that goes in the bookshop! #askagentCrossover novels are doing well at the moment - I wouldn't sweat it. 'American Gods meets the Da Vinci Code' tells me exactly what to expect. (sounds really interesting!) #AskAgent
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Asjad Nazir @asjadnazir
@julietpickering @mushenska @katenashagent @RobbieGuillory I mentor a lot of talented writers and many are completing their novels, short story collections & screenplays. What is the best way for them to find the right agent for their work? (also feel brave enough to put their work out there) #askagentThere are a lot of lists of agents out there, as well as the @Writers_Artists yearbook. But the best way to find the right agent for each author is solid research into different agents and what they like. #AskAgent
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Intoxicatink @intoxicatink
@julietpickering @mushenska @katenashagent @RobbieGuillory Thank you all for taking the time to do this!1) Spikey, flawed heroines: yay or nay?
2) Which do you each read first: a pitch, a sample, or a synopsis?
#AskAgent
1 - Yay!
2 - I start with the sample.
#AskAgent
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Mire Marke @FatmireMarke
@julietpickering @mushenska @katenashagent @RobbieGuillory #askagent I have a selfpub novella that I am NOT nor have ever tried to query. But I am proud of it and it sold well and still does. But - when I query my new WIP, should I not have that out in the world? Will it hurt my chances?I don't think it would hurt your chances! #AskAgent
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Amanda Barton @amandabook2
@julietpickering @mushenska @katenashagent @RobbieGuillory Is a book - commercial women's/reading group fiction - written in present tense more likely to get a favourable response than one written in past tense? How important is tense? #AskAgentIt depends on the story. I don't think that one is any more popular than the other! #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
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Cassie 💖 | I love Taylor @tipsyswift13
@julietpickering @mushenska @katenashagent @RobbieGuillory What does 'I didn't connect with the voice strongly enough' actually mean? #AskAgentA bit of a tricky one, but I think that it generally means that the reader didn't get swept away by the story, and that it might need a few tweaks to be a bit more engaging. #AskAgent
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E.S. Alexander @ESAlexander4
#askagent What's one thing that most first-time (or even experienced) novelists don't understand about the publishing industry?I think that there is a lot of confusion over advances and royalty rates, and how much of book sale ends up going to them. #AskAgent
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Laura Gomez @LauraGomezBooks
@mushenska #AskAgent Can I set a book in a real UK town but add in some fictional details (ie, a church that doesn't exist and historical events that never happened), or should I just make up a fake town name and be done with it?It's your book - you can set it where and how you like! #AskAgent
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Liz Kessick @lizkessick
Hola #askagent crew! I’m about to start querying a new MS. I had a few full requests from my last project (but alas no offers of rep). Should I remind those agents that they’ve read a full from me before? Or blank slate?I think it is worth reminding them. I'd like to be reminded, at least! #AskAgent
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Gemma @GemIsWriting
With most of the industry working from home during lockdown, do you think agencies/publishers may be more open to permanent remote workers (where possible) in the future? #AskAgentOur agency was already ahead of the curve! We all work from our homes, so were well-used to video meetings and the like. I think it should be the future. #AskAgent