Alex Slater
Literary Agent
Sanford J. Greenburger Associates
Literary agent @GreenburgerLit @GreenburgerKids . Black Lives Matter. he/him.
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
#QueryTip: Don't lead with "I have not been published." Don't get me wrong, debuts are very attractive! But if you're going to start with bio, make it relevant. However, I always like queries that jump right into the story.
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
Saba Sulaiman @agentsaba
i’m seeing a lot of previously unpublished authors comp their books to incredibly written books that were not debuts, which is perfectly fine but it also misses a key thing about debuts: they need to outshine their peers just to get a seat at the table.👇Take Saba's advice and show agents how well you know TODAY'S publishing market. Excite them with your debut by comping to other exciting (recent) debuts. #querytip
Literary Agent
I would prefer not to read query letters written in the voice of your novel's main character. I would prefer not to. #querytip
Literary Agent
Eric Smith @ericsmithrocks
A quick querying tip, writer friends.Make sure you have comp titles in your pitches.
Not just because it helps an agent or editor grasp the story. But because it shows them you're well read in your category or genre.
I don't want to read YA, by someone who doesn't read it.
💯 what @ericsmithrocks says. There is a conversation already going on - what you contribute to it relies upon your appreciation of it. #querytip
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
Sometimes I get a voicemail like, "Hello Alex, my name is [ ], call me back." Please query me instead. I'm not going to call you. #querytip
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
Stephanie Stein @stephlystein
And the agent, then the editor, then the marketing team, will all be forever grateful. Love it when I see a line I can't wait to use! twitter.com/kurestinarmada…This is why it's important to be familiar with back-cover copy. Model your query after these economic, punchy lines! #querytip
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
Published before? Nice! But if you're querying a new project, put the old titles at the end. Hook me with your new story first. #querytip
Literary Agent
Go to the bookstore. Vast majority of backcover copy, esp YA, is 5-7 sentences long, or shorter. Can your query work at that size? #querytip
Literary Agent
Lydia Davis, on love/publishing... #querytip https://t.co/ZUyDmA40Mc
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
Alex Slater @abuckslater
I read a lot of queries, and I think some new writers would be shocked if they knew about the communities social media can offer. #querytipNew writers: do your research. Not just on agents, but on the conversations your work is seeking to contribute to. #querytip
Literary Agent
I read a lot of queries, and I think some new writers would be shocked if they knew about the communities social media can offer. #querytip
Literary Agent
For some reason I just love queries that start off in the 2nd person. I guess it makes it feel more immediate. #querytip