Saba Sulaiman
Literary Agent
Talcott Notch Literary
Senior agent at Talcott Notch Literary. Eternally recovering from maternity leave. Probably hiding somewhere eating cake. Closed to unsolicited queries. @pocpub
Literary Agent
Soup. 🌹 @dumbesttimeline
@agentsaba @SIRyder2 If you're struggling for comps, do agents ever take it as arrogance ("this is unique") or ignorance (doesn't read enough)?great question -- i wouldn't mention it either way b/c yes, saying something like "my project is too unique for a comp" will come across poorly. but having good comps > not having them, so you'd be at a disadvantage, but i wouldn't make the jump that you're ignorant. #askDVpit
Literary Agent
S.I. Ryder @SIRyder2
#askDVpit is it important to include comparable titles in the query letter? Can you skip it or is that a bad idea?good comps are great + bad comps are worse than no comps (imho) no comps are totally fine if you're genuinely struggling to position it b/c a bad comp -> a poor impression. also feel free to use tv shows/movies if they can speak effectively to an aspect of your project #askDVpit
Literary Agent
Katrina🍜 / Bambi 🍡 @bambiATwork
What's the usual time table and process (workflow) to expect after a writer signs with an agent? #askDVpitevery agent's process/timeline is different -- to get the best sense, ask a wide range of pubbed authors what their timelines were like! not a satisfying answer, i'm afraid, but this is an industry dependent on a lot of free labor and creative productivity so it varies #askDVpit
Literary Agent
JaQuette Gilbert @mrsjpgilbert
When pitching a children's PB, is there a particular format that editors prefer? I currently have it organized by pages that I'd like to have side-by-side. #askDVpiti just send PB manuscript as straight narratives, unpaginated, with the words meant to go on each page separated by paragraphs -- i'm curious to hear what others think though since i'm fairly new at this #askDVpit
Literary Agent
Mahtab Rohan🌧 @WriterRohan
How are we supposed to write authentic #ownvoices stories while still appealing to the sensibilities of an overwhelming white industry?If we don't succeed, how do we know if it's bc of our writing or bc ppl truly couldn't "connect" to it?
#askdvpit
you can't really know when the "did not connect" feedback you get is genuine, esp. from someone who doesn't share your marginalized ID, that's why it's so tough to parse rejections. keep sharing your work with people who you trust, and just hang in there, we need you to #askDVpit
Literary Agent
Daphne Dador @daphnedador
Hello! For a story to be considered #ownvoices in addition to having an author coming from same marginalized community as the protagonist, does the story also need to center around cultural or identity issues? Seen it discussed both ways... #askDVpit Thanks!i personally don't think it does -- as long as you personally share your protagonist's marginalized identity in some way, you can use the #ownvoices hashtag but i'm curious to hear what others think #askDVpit
Literary Agent
Ramses @goldendrella
Might sound a dumb question, but what are some topics you would consider strictly MG or YA? Sometimes the line is really thin isn't it? #askDVpitpersonally, i think any topic can be handled in both genres -- it's a matter of execution, sensibility, and focus, and knowing how to connect with your target readers in the most effective way. #askDVpit