Sarah N Fisk
Literary Agent
Tobias Literary Agency
Agent @TheTobiasAgency as Sarah N. Fisk. YA Author as Sarah Nicolas. @qqqpodcast host, event planner, programs lead @disabilityinpub 💛🤍💜🖤
Literary Agent
Christine Forner @assoc1counsell
@Sarah_Nicolas What should a writer do if you have both a fiction and non-fiction to query? Tell the agent you have both or query separate agents for the separate books?I would only query one project at a time. You may want to prioritize agents who rep both genres, if possible. Once you have an offer, bring it up on that initial call. It gets super confusing I'd you end up getting an offer for different projects at the same time
Literary Agent
DavidB1995 @B1995David
@Sarah_Nicolas Hello, is it better to have a front cover designed before querying an agent? Or, does that get done afterwards?Yes, this gets done much later and the publisher does it
Literary Agent
Kate Downton @kate_downton
@Sarah_Nicolas If a publisher offers you a contract based on an open submission or contest, how would one go about getting an agent? Would you query as usual or write a different kind of email?Yeah, you would query but put in the subject line or first sentence that you have an offer of pub. My @QQQpodcast episode with @RoyalineSing and @SaraMegibow discusses this
Literary Agent
elise scott (she/they) 🏳️🌈 @buttonjar1
@Sarah_Nicolas I have multiple marginalized identities in my story and my bio—my MC is queer, fat, & mentally ill. Is that overwhelming to agents? Should I just choose one to highlight in the query?It will not be overwhelming to the right agent. If an agent will be overwhelmed by that, you don't want to work with them IMO!
Literary Agent
Tanager 🔨Lee 📚🤖🦄 @DreamOfFire
@Sarah_Nicolas Do people who write in more than one age category / genre ever have more than one agent (if they can't find someone who reps all the things they write)?Thanks for this. :)
Sometimes! Many will often try to keep it inside the agency though. Definitely something to ask about on an offer call
Literary Agent
KiXMom/kimonomomo @kimonomomo
@Sarah_Nicolas How long do most agents remain “open” and how long “closed”? I’m almost ready to query but worry I’ll miss opportunities if I take too long.There is no standard. They basically close when they are overwhelmed with their inbox or know they need to spend time focused on clients (or to take some kind of leave). If you have one or two you *really* want, query when they are open so you don't miss them if you get an offer
Literary Agent
(dil)emma dhanda @a_petite_writer
@Sarah_Nicolas Do you prefer people send prologues in their query sample pages? I’ve seen a lot of conflicting accounts from different sources so I never know whether to include mine.Prologues are hard because they often don't give a good idea of what reading the whole book is going to be like. They're often in a different pov or even style from the rest of the book and we're not being introduced to the character we're going to spend most of our time with
Literary Agent
Nicholas Perez @ZephonSacriel
@Sarah_Nicolas If someone wrote an Adult book but the protagonist was a child (like Book of Koli or Mordew) how should they address that in their query letter?Just say it! "This is an adult [genre] featuring a xx-year-old protagonist." Maybe use a comp as you did there to help solidify that you are aware of what you're doing
Literary Agent
Shannon Hawkins @sionnanigans
@Sarah_Nicolas I had a Pitmad request last month, and I’m still taking forever to get the agent my query packet, because I’ve been moving and I’m fried. Does this gap in the timeframe of the request up to now normally burn chances with agents (or not look good) when materials get sent out?Agents will vary on this. Some will think you maybe pitched when you weren't ready and rushed to finish. Many will have compassion because they know everyone is overwhelmed and exhausted. However, it probably doesn't matter even if they raise an eyebrow at timing. (Cont)
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
Deidra @DeidraLoo
@Sarah_Nicolas Thanks! I'd like to know what you recommend for first-time novelists - should we wait to hear back from queried agents once we've gotten an offer from a small publisher or should we jump on the opportunity to publish?I would definitely try to get an agent if you can. They can help you protect your rights! Let them know you have an offer from a publisher.
Literary Agent
Aide is in the Otherworld @aiden_png
@Sarah_Nicolas Any advice on when form rejections necessitate a manuscript rewrite vs. a submission package edit? And at what point a book should be shelved?That is nearly impossible to answer in general terms! I would say if you're getting form rejections, get some beta readers on it and see what they say
Literary Agent
CJ Dotson @cj_dots
@Sarah_Nicolas If an agent has had my full MS for 10 or 11 months and I'm now querying a new project, and I want to query a different agent at that same agency with my new book, I plan to let the new agent know the situation, but should I notify the agent who still has my old full, too? Or not?Send a follow up to the agent who has your full and just let them know the situation. Everyone's going to handle this a bit differently. But a year with a full definitely warrants a nudge
Literary Agent
Kristi McManus 📚 @kristimcmanus
@Sarah_Nicolas What have been your query stats since you opened?I'm only in mobile so I can't do stats but I've received about 400 queries since I opened
Literary Agent
Kristi McManus 📚 @kristimcmanus
@Sarah_Nicolas What are you most excited about with becoming an agent?Working with authors to launch and manage their careers!
Literary Agent
Shahnaz Ahmed @DrShahnazAhmed
@Sarah_Nicolas Do agents edit also? And if so, do they charge?Agents edit to a variety of degrees. An agent who is representing you should never ever charge you for edits. An agent makes 15% commission on your book sales
Literary Agent
Aaron J. Cole @aaron_j_cole
@Sarah_Nicolas Do agents read synopses (when asked for) even if the query doesn’t necessarily hook? Or is it query -> synopsis -> first pages?Everyone is different. I think most agents will read at least the first paragraph of pages if the query doesn't hook. (Unless it's like a totally not interested in the idea situation) A lot don't read synopsis unless they're hooked by query and pages.
Literary Agent
Zach Humphrey @Blueslushie92
@Sarah_Nicolas Hi! Any advice on how to decide which agents to query per batch? Also, how much industry knowledge should we have before we start querying?Everyone's a little bit different so it's hard to answer that question for someone. For me, I'd do a mix of the ones I think would be a perfect match and the ones that are more of a maybe if that makes sense?
Literary Agent
Christiana Doucette @doucette515
@Sarah_Nicolas How do you feel about Novel-in-verse?BLOOD WATER PAINT is one of my top books of the past ten years!