Emmy Nordstrom Higdon

This week alone, Westwood received 12 queries for agents who aren't open. Save yourself, and the agency, the effort of sending a query that has to be read and responded to and filed, and double-check the status of an agent who you are querying before you hit send. #QueryTip

This includes Kindle Unlimited, and sometimes even platforms like Wattpad. You can't acquire a book FOR publication if the book IS published, my pals. #QueryTip

Evergreen tweet, ESPECIALLY for hopeful debut authors. #QueryTip #WritingCommunity

If I could give one tip to any writer who's querying or writing for submission right now, it would be START IN THE ACTION. Every scene. I feel like I cannot emphasize this enough. #QueryTip #WritingCommunity

One of the #SpineSquad authors passed on this tool today, which is going to be GREAT for comps research! It provides word count, reading level, synopsis - all kinds of really useful info on loads of books. Thanks, @mayabidaya!! #WritingCommunity #QueryTip

arbookfind.com/default.aspx

#QueryTip - in your writing sample, make sure that you are using those pages EFFICIENTLY. One way you can do that is to keep your dialogue super cleanly written, and use speaker tags to indicate tone, rather than stylizing using punctuation or special formatting.

#QueryTip: New adult isn't a trade publishing category, and imprints need books categorized as either adult or YA when submitted. If you're querying an agent, please be aware of this, and that it's more work if we have to navigate the revisions to re-categorize a book pre-sub!

I received one query tonight that 1, was over 100K words, 2, was previously published, and 3, it was sent to myself and one of my Westwood colleagues simultaneously.
Please, just read the submission guidelines. Do a little research. That's all I ask.
#WritingCommunity #QueryTip

PS, please avoid comping to Stephen King and Dan Brown and James Patterson, just in general. There are so many reasons, and so many other comps out there. #QueryTip

#QueryTip: some agents are very hands on with editorial work, and others see themselves largely as salespeople. We all have our own approach. Make sure to ask what approach the agent you're querying takes, because it's SO important that it aligns with your needs!

Spoiler alert: if I request a full manuscript from you, I'm going to send you an immediate follow up asking for your goals and what you're looking for in an agent. You should REALLY know the answers to these questions before you start querying! #QueryTip #WritingCommunity

#WritingCommunity, the average length of time from acquisition of a book to pub is 18 months. Most agents take a few months to consider queries. If your concept is time-sensitive, you need to bear in mind that trad pub is a 2 year+ process for a new author. #QueryTip

Almost every time I edit a MS for an emerging author, I have to address problems in the balance of narrative, action, and dialogue. This isn't a dealbreaker for me, since it's an easy lesson to learn for most authors - but something to revise for! #QueryTip

...and that's all I have time for today! I hope that this insight is helpful to some of you as you prepare your queries for 2022! #QueryTip - a lot of folks are SWAMPED from now until the end of the year - hold off on sending your new queries until January!!

Time to share this thread again. #QueryTip: demanding more information about response times than an agent is able to offer will not speed up the process. If you have a deadline on your end, let the agent considering know, and we do our best to accommodate!

Accolades and accomplishments relevant to publishing DO strengthen a query. If you have some, include them! If you don't, consider working on short stories and articles before and while you're querying, so that you have some bylines to share and show off! #QueryTip

#QueryTip: something I often see in our slush pile is, "I have been told that my MS is too long for a debut novel, BUT..." - followed by a MS that is categorically too long. What this translates into for me? "I cannot work with constructive editorial feedback." 🚩🚩🚩

#QueryTip:
Do not say: "I am known for...", "People tell me...", etc.
DO say: "(Reputable source) had this to say about my book: (quote)," "You can read a review of my work here (include source)."
#WritingCommunity

#QueryTip: If you provide a website or author page link in your query, make sure it works, and that the page is up to date!

Is everyone in the #WritingCommunity familiar with @KMWeiland's Most Common Writing Mistakes blog series? It's a solid resource that I point folks to ALL the time. I would recommend everyone read it. #QueryTip