Alec Shane

#querytip I'm going to read "I have included the third chapter with this submission, as that's where the action starts to pick up" as "I have included the third chapter because the first two are boring."

Always send your opening pages with your query

#querytip Tweeting at me to ask what my email address is so you can send me a query isn't the best look. My email address is literally right there on my Twitter profile.

#querytip checking in constantly on the status of your submission is a great way to get an agent to respond to you faster, as they'll go right to your query, reject it, and move along with their day

#querytip There is absolutely zero reason to write "Dear Agent" when sending a query. It's lazy and unprofessional.

Not only are agents' names and interests widely available online, but agents' email addresses are often literally their name @ their agency dot com.

#querytip if you're a previously agented author looking for new representation for a MS that was already out on submission, there likely isn't much a new agent will be able to do with it. We all submit to the same editors, and there are only so many places to send a project.

#querytip I'm open to fantasy...but if your fantasy has dragons, mages, kingdoms, realms, or anything along those lines, it's probably not for me.

Authors, PLEASE let agents know if/when you received/accepted another offer of rep or publication. It's very hard to find free time to read in this current climate, and to spend hours reading a MS that's no longer available is very frustrating. #querytip #pubtip

#querytip Word Count matters. Was reading a query that sounded intriguing, then learned that the MS is 176K words. That means that even if I LOVE it, it needs to be cut in half before I can submit it. That’s an incredibly tall order

#querytip Historical Fiction and Historical Fantasy are not the same thing. An agent who reps Historical Fiction may not rep Historical Fantasy and vice versa.

I'm very, very finicky about the fantasy I'm drawn to...but a good general rule is that if it makes perfect sense for anyone in your manuscript to wear a tunic, it's probably not for me. #querytip

#querytip Authors, please - PLEASE - let agents know if you've accepted an offer of rep and withdraw your MS from consideration. Our reading time for submissions is very limited, and spending a weekend falling in love with a MS that's no longer available is a real double whammy.

To all authors getting ready to pitch at #ThrillerFest19 today, remember: agents go into every pitch session excited to hear about your work. We WANT to love your stuff and sign a bunch of new clients. Absolutely nothing to be nervous about - we're all on the same team. #querytip

#querytip I always have difficulty getting into opening pages that are very dialogue-heavy. I don't know the characters all that well yet, and eavesdropping on a conversation isn't nearly as fun as watching something crazy go down.

#querytip checking in constantly on the status of your MS will very likely speed up the response process, but you also aren't likely to like the response you get. You don't want to come across as overly demanding or difficult to work with. Publishing is a glacially slow business.

This whole thread is amazingly great, but I think this one in particular is something all authors would do well to follow. #querytip

#querytip no short story collections or novella submissions for me, please. I love to read them, but they're almost impossible to sell, especially from debut authors.

#querytip it's that time of year when a lot of agents/agencies start closing to new queries as they try to wrap things up before the break; make sure you check websites and guidelines accordingly.

#querytip A lot of the time, agents sit in very close proximity to each other. If you query multiple agents at the same agency, they're going to find out, and it isn't a good look for you.

#querytip only query an agent with one MS at a time. Waking up to four consecutive emails from the same author pitching four different manuscripts is a lousy way to start the day.

#querytip if you write MG, 80K words is very much on the long side, especially for a debut. Know your word counts.