Sarah N Fisk

1) yes! haha. you can even indicate that in the query like "the style of x meets the world building of y"
2) some agents hate it, some agents love it. it's never going to result in auto rejection though

100% especially if the author has a strong brand

? from DM: do you need to have a connection to the person querying before you check out their query? (i answered your first ? earlier; someone else asked).

Ans: nope! everyone I've offered to except for one, I had never been aware of their existence before they queried

it's tough but not impossible! i would just make sure the query reflects what the book actually is. if you downplay the dystopian elements in the query but the book reads like a dystopian, that's not a good thing.

there's no hard and fast rule. I personally like "will appeal to fans of [one title]" and x meets y for two titles. Three can work, but it's best to indicate what element the comp is for, something like "the atmosphere of x, the found family of y, and the pacing of z"

since a one-page synopsis should be single-spaced and a two-page synopsis should be double spaced, these should actually be the same length! (i know this is not what you asked). go with whichever one helps the agent understand the story and character arcs best

no, but it's nice to combine them with a book in the genre you write. so you could say like "This is a YA Circe which will appeal to fans of [ya author/title]." BUT if you're torn between a comp in your genre and comp outside your genre, choose the one in your genre.

conflict, stakes, and anything that makes the book sound different from any given 15 other books in its genre.

nope! all books should be finished and polished before querying. the only exception is an author with a solid trad publication history.

most won't get involved in this -- the outlets usually prefer to work with the author directly anyway! but if there's a connection the agent has or if the outlet prefers agent pitches, they often will

? from DM: I’m curious what makes you offer an R&R vs an offer / bc I keep getting R&Rs

Ans: I offer if I'm confident the writer can nail the revisions I want. I R&R if I'm not sure they can nail them.

taglines are optional. you can put book details at beginning or end, agents prefer different things so if you see that adjust, but it will never be make or break. queries are pretty much the same as 5 years ago

Ans: this is a tough one. Publishers do look at past sales when deciding on whether or not to make an offer, so it can make it a bit harder for you if you have a history of low sales. BUT, as I always say, a great book is a great book

for some agents it's literally the most important thing. most agents will give you at least a good quarter page at the very least though :-)

i think a lot of agents are turned off by it right now, but you still want to mention it in the query. i remember hearing about how literature after the 1918 pandemic basically ignored it and i wonder if that will happen here too? IDK. there's not a clear answer on this

umm, "do you have any questions for me?" haha. i usually give a little pitch about myself and then most of the time is spent answering their questions. if they don't tell me, i sometimes ask what they're working on next and what all genres they want to write

@FineAngeline had a great tip for writers on @QQQpodcast; she said to ask "what was the sit up and take notice moment when you read my book?" I also think it's most important to ask about communication style and probe for if the agent is open to adjusting their com to your needs

30 minutes until the video #askagent session! I hope to see you there!

youtube.com/watch?v=aOzimz…

yes, it is perfectly okay and, no, you don't mention it in the query. you only notify when you have an offer of representation.

if you have a new book to query, it would be far less complicated. a lot of people's definitions of "completely overhauled" are very different, in my experience, so it's hard to say. you definitely need to mention it.