Alec Shane

There's nothing wrong with wanting to improve your work...but once a query is out, it's out. If you want to send the improved version to an agent, wait until s/he passes, let some time go by, then ask to re-submit the improved pages. #querytip

You say: "I have made significant revisions since I queried you. Please swap out my original query with this one."

I read: "I didn't send you my best work. I queried when I shouldn't have. Now sift through your emails, delete my crappy old MS, and read this one."
#querytip

#querytip I've been getting a lot of queries for novellas recently. I've had no luck whatsoever with novellas/short stories, so I'm really not looking for them right now.

#querytip some of the best conference pitches I have ever gotten have taken place at the bar. It’s more relaxed and feels more like a friendly conversation than an interview. Look for an agent/editor at the bar and pitch away!

#querytip checking in constantly on the status of your manuscript will only hurt, not help.

#querytip it's never going to make or break your manuscript for me...but I always question why an author chooses to use some ridiculous font in a submission email. My advice is to just keep it classic, Times New Roman or something very similar.

#querytip I'd advise waiting until after the New Year to query at this point. You can definitely still submit if you feel this burning need to send it out, but just know that your MS will become part of the massive logjam that is 10 days' worth of unread emails.

#querytip a number of agents/agencies close to submissions around this time every year, reopening in January. If you're going to submit, make sure you do some research to see who is still accepting at the moment.

#querytip authors, don't be surprised/disappointed if you get a higher concentration of passes over the coming weeks. We're entering into the time of year where things start shutting down, and agents will be trying to clear their desks as much as possible.

#querytip if you're going to email an agent to ask him/her questions about submission guidelines, make sure the answers to those questions aren't readily available online. Odds are, they are.

#querytip when an agent passes on your manuscript, don't just up and send pages anyway with a note asking him/her to reconsider. I appreciate the hustle, I guess, but it ain't gonna work.

#querytip know your Word Counts and what length is appropriate for which genre/demographic. Been getting a lot of sub-40K MG submissions as of late, which is a bit on the short side

#querytip Don't respond to a rejection with a query for another manuscript. Querying something new is fine, but do it the right way.

#querytip the more submissions I read, the more I realize that alternate history stories aren't quite my cup of tea.

#querytip if you mention in your author bio you're an English teacher, you better damn well make sure your 1st 10 pages use proper grammar

#querytip asking me to swap out your original query with a newer, tighter version immediately tells me you didn't submit your best work.

#querytip the only time I'd ever expect an exclusive on a MS is if I offered a R&R - and even then, there would be a time limit on it.

#querytip RLT when you pitch an agent, pitch a specific book. You should do your homework present the project you think is the best fit.

#querytip This is a good thread for any writers getting ready to pitch an agent/editor at an upcoming conference. Some great tips here.

#querytip "Query one agent with multiple manuscripts" is not a clever way to skirt the "don't query multiple agents at the same agency" rule