Sarah N Fisk
@Sarah_Nicolas
Literary Agent
Agent @TheTobiasAgency as Sarah N. Fisk. YA Author as Sarah Nicolas. @qqqpodcast host, event planner, programs lead @disabilityinpub 💛🤍💜🖤
50 MSWL
99 AskAgent
2 Tips

Nancy Writes @nancywriteon

@Sarah_Nicolas I've written a coming-of-age novel that would appeal to teens and adults as well. The protagonist is a teen, so do I need to label it as YA? I wish there was just a coming of age category!
Replying to @nancywriteon

I'm going to be honest and say very, very few books fit in both ya or adult. It has to do with filter. Is it a teen telling their story directly or is their story filtered through an adult lens?

Sarah N Fisk
@Sarah_Nicolas
Literary Agent
Agent @TheTobiasAgency as Sarah N. Fisk. YA Author as Sarah Nicolas. @qqqpodcast host, event planner, programs lead @disabilityinpub 💛🤍💜🖤
50 MSWL
99 AskAgent
2 Tips

Amber is 🪷querying🪷 @amberswips

@Sarah_Nicolas why do the querymanager forms ask for phone number and address? is there a specific reason?
Replying to @amberswips

Phone number so we can call if we need to. Address maybe so we can put it on the agency agreement, which we like to prepare before the call. It's often optional tho

Sarah N Fisk
@Sarah_Nicolas
Literary Agent
Agent @TheTobiasAgency as Sarah N. Fisk. YA Author as Sarah Nicolas. @qqqpodcast host, event planner, programs lead @disabilityinpub 💛🤍💜🖤
50 MSWL
99 AskAgent
2 Tips
Sarah N Fisk
@Sarah_Nicolas
Literary Agent
Agent @TheTobiasAgency as Sarah N. Fisk. YA Author as Sarah Nicolas. @qqqpodcast host, event planner, programs lead @disabilityinpub 💛🤍💜🖤
50 MSWL
99 AskAgent
2 Tips
Sarah N Fisk
@Sarah_Nicolas
Literary Agent
Agent @TheTobiasAgency as Sarah N. Fisk. YA Author as Sarah Nicolas. @qqqpodcast host, event planner, programs lead @disabilityinpub 💛🤍💜🖤
50 MSWL
99 AskAgent
2 Tips

Susan Burdorf @sburdorf

@Sarah_Nicolas #askagent If you could teach a class on the one thing you would want people submitting you to do, what would the class be about?
Replying to @sburdorf

People submitting to me? Idk if it would cover a whole class but just a sentence: "read more books in your genre"

Writers in general: I really want to teach avoiding publishing scams more

Sarah N Fisk
@Sarah_Nicolas
Literary Agent
Agent @TheTobiasAgency as Sarah N. Fisk. YA Author as Sarah Nicolas. @qqqpodcast host, event planner, programs lead @disabilityinpub 💛🤍💜🖤
50 MSWL
99 AskAgent
2 Tips

Sophie Bradley @SophieBauthor

@Sarah_Nicolas Are there any trends in fantasy that you are noticing right now? It seems like there are very few agents open to fantasy at the moment.
Replying to @SophieBauthor

Upmarket lower/light touch of fantasy is in high demand, but the number of editors taking straight, classic fantasy seems to be really small

Sarah N Fisk
@Sarah_Nicolas
Literary Agent
Agent @TheTobiasAgency as Sarah N. Fisk. YA Author as Sarah Nicolas. @qqqpodcast host, event planner, programs lead @disabilityinpub 💛🤍💜🖤
50 MSWL
99 AskAgent
2 Tips
Sarah N Fisk
@Sarah_Nicolas
Literary Agent
Agent @TheTobiasAgency as Sarah N. Fisk. YA Author as Sarah Nicolas. @qqqpodcast host, event planner, programs lead @disabilityinpub 💛🤍💜🖤
50 MSWL
99 AskAgent
2 Tips
Sarah N Fisk
@Sarah_Nicolas
Literary Agent
Agent @TheTobiasAgency as Sarah N. Fisk. YA Author as Sarah Nicolas. @qqqpodcast host, event planner, programs lead @disabilityinpub 💛🤍💜🖤
50 MSWL
99 AskAgent
2 Tips

Zackary Dahlin @ZackDahlin

@Sarah_Nicolas If agents know a colleague would adore a manuscript that they themselves would not represent, would they/you ever refer the author to that respective agent as part of a rejection?
Replying to @ZackDahlin

At Tobias, we often share in house via querymanager. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't query other agents after a rejection because we don't always know what the others are looking for.

Sarah N Fisk
@Sarah_Nicolas
Literary Agent
Agent @TheTobiasAgency as Sarah N. Fisk. YA Author as Sarah Nicolas. @qqqpodcast host, event planner, programs lead @disabilityinpub 💛🤍💜🖤
50 MSWL
99 AskAgent
2 Tips
Sarah N Fisk
@Sarah_Nicolas
Literary Agent
Agent @TheTobiasAgency as Sarah N. Fisk. YA Author as Sarah Nicolas. @qqqpodcast host, event planner, programs lead @disabilityinpub 💛🤍💜🖤
50 MSWL
99 AskAgent
2 Tips

JRPyle-Carter is doing NaNoWriMo @JrpyleC

@Sarah_Nicolas Is there a big difference between novels and novellas when it comes to pitching/selling them?
Replying to @JrpyleC

for the actual pitching process? no. there are just a lot fewer places that actually publish novellas, so the market is very small

Sarah N Fisk
@Sarah_Nicolas
Literary Agent
Agent @TheTobiasAgency as Sarah N. Fisk. YA Author as Sarah Nicolas. @qqqpodcast host, event planner, programs lead @disabilityinpub 💛🤍💜🖤
50 MSWL
99 AskAgent
2 Tips

Ana Mae Wright @anamaewright

@Sarah_Nicolas Hi Sarah! Thank you for doing this! Hope you feel better soon!
1. Romance: open door/closed door sells better?
2. Thoughts on acceptability of profanity in YA? (A recurrent topic of discussion among some of us writers.)
Replying to @anamaewright

1) i can't say one or the other sells better. editors have their preferences. there's a market for both (i like them sexier, personally)
2) cursing in ya is fine. HOWEVER, if it's the kind of book that will go on state library/school lists, cursing can keep it off of them.

Sarah N Fisk
@Sarah_Nicolas
Literary Agent
Agent @TheTobiasAgency as Sarah N. Fisk. YA Author as Sarah Nicolas. @qqqpodcast host, event planner, programs lead @disabilityinpub 💛🤍💜🖤
50 MSWL
99 AskAgent
2 Tips

Erika Romero, PhD @evereducating

@Sarah_Nicolas Any must-dos or never-dos when it comes to nudging an agent? I’m coming up on 3 months since sending the queries, but have never nudged before.
Replying to @evereducating

just make sure you see what they say about nudging. for example, my guidelines say not to nudge me unless i announce i'm past the date you submitted. use the info available to you. you can often see on querytracker (even the free one) where agents are in their inbox

Sarah N Fisk
@Sarah_Nicolas
Literary Agent
Agent @TheTobiasAgency as Sarah N. Fisk. YA Author as Sarah Nicolas. @qqqpodcast host, event planner, programs lead @disabilityinpub 💛🤍💜🖤
50 MSWL
99 AskAgent
2 Tips

Kristi McManus 📚 @kristimcmanus

@Sarah_Nicolas What is the best way for a debut, unknown writer to promote their book and their brand?
Replying to @kristimcmanus

there is no one best way. it's what works for you and works with your skillset. i always recommend learning from a lot of different people about promo, take what works for you, and leaving the rest behind.

Sarah N Fisk
@Sarah_Nicolas
Literary Agent
Agent @TheTobiasAgency as Sarah N. Fisk. YA Author as Sarah Nicolas. @qqqpodcast host, event planner, programs lead @disabilityinpub 💛🤍💜🖤
50 MSWL
99 AskAgent
2 Tips
Sarah N Fisk
@Sarah_Nicolas
Literary Agent
Agent @TheTobiasAgency as Sarah N. Fisk. YA Author as Sarah Nicolas. @qqqpodcast host, event planner, programs lead @disabilityinpub 💛🤍💜🖤
50 MSWL
99 AskAgent
2 Tips

caspar “writing winner” breadloaves @fivebreadloaves

@Sarah_Nicolas What sort of things would you suggest be put in the bio section of a query letter when one has no publishing credits?
Replying to @fivebreadloaves

for a novel, the bio portion isn't that important. if you have a personal connection to something in the book, you can mention that. if you're a member of a writing group, you can mention that.

Sarah N Fisk
@Sarah_Nicolas
Literary Agent
Agent @TheTobiasAgency as Sarah N. Fisk. YA Author as Sarah Nicolas. @qqqpodcast host, event planner, programs lead @disabilityinpub 💛🤍💜🖤
50 MSWL
99 AskAgent
2 Tips
Sarah N Fisk
@Sarah_Nicolas
Literary Agent
Agent @TheTobiasAgency as Sarah N. Fisk. YA Author as Sarah Nicolas. @qqqpodcast host, event planner, programs lead @disabilityinpub 💛🤍💜🖤
50 MSWL
99 AskAgent
2 Tips

Amy Lange Kawamura @AmyLangeKawmura

@Sarah_Nicolas Hi, and thank you! Do most agents (in your opinion) shut down to queries from late December to early January for the holidays? Or do some prefer to get queries during that time?
I def. pay attn. to whether an agent is "open" or not, but I am just wondering...
Thank you!
Replying to @AmyLangeKawmura

A lot do, but if they haven't said they're closed, go ahead and send if you have the time. They'll just go into the queue of they're not reading right now.

I have seen one agent get mad because authors queried them during holidays when they weren't closed and ... (cont)

Sarah N Fisk
@Sarah_Nicolas
Literary Agent
Agent @TheTobiasAgency as Sarah N. Fisk. YA Author as Sarah Nicolas. @qqqpodcast host, event planner, programs lead @disabilityinpub 💛🤍💜🖤
50 MSWL
99 AskAgent
2 Tips