Alec Shane

Q2: Opens with a fairly violent action scene. Opening with action is good, and violence can be a powerful tool when done well, but this just feels gratuitous and a bit unnecessary. Pass. #tenqueries

Q1: Russian spy thriller. Maybe it's just me, but I still don't have any interest in Russian espionage and the strained US/Russian relationship. Pass. #tenqueries

OK, that's my #tenqueries. Got a few hits this time, which is nice.

I have now responded to all queries through 12/31/20, not including partial/full requests.

Q10: Phew! For a minute I thought I'd break the streak and read 10 whole queries without getting a submission that was completely out of my wheelhouse.

Remember: Historical Fiction = yes.

Historical Romance = no thank you.

#tenqueries

Q9: Literary fiction. I read to the end of the 1st 10 pages, and will be requesting the full, albeit a bit warily, if that makes sense. Sometimes I can't wait to read the full, other times I see enough to want to see more with expectations tempered. This is the latter #tenqueries

Q8: I'm 100% open to fantasy in 2021 and beyond - trying hard to expand my list - but there's just something about princes, kingdoms, and warlocks that don't do it for me. But I do hope to see more fantasy this year. #tenqueries

Q7: MG as told from the ghost's perspective. I'd love to know exactly what went down over the past six months or so that triggered this influx of books told from the ghost's POV. Maybe all this being stuck inside makes you feel like you're haunting your own house? #tenqueries

Q6: MG about a game show with magical secrets. I worry it's already been done before, but apparently the novel is based on that Nickelodeon show "Legends of the Hidden Temple," which I loved as a kid. Will take a look. #tenqueries

Q5: Very well written letter, in line with my personal tastes...but the writing just didn't suck me in. This type of reaction represents the large majority of why I pass on manuscripts. No fatal flaw per se...just didn't do it for me. This is a subjective business. #tenqueries

Q4: Pandemic thriller. Been seeing a lot of these, obviously.

I personally feel like when real life is a pandemic thriller, folks aren't going to turn to a pandemic thriller for escapism. Pass. #tenqueries

Q3: I've now read this query twice and couldn't for the life of me tell you what this MS is about. The opening pages did little to solve the mystery as well.

So maybe it's a mystery novel. I guess I'll never know. Pass. #tenqueries

Q2. Memoir about fulfilling a dying relative's final wish through travel. Travel memoirs really aren't my thing, and I also feel like there are similar books out there. Pass. #tenqueries

Q1: Thriller, already self-published. With very (very, very) few exceptions, there really isn't much I can do with a self-pubbed book. It's better to just query with the next novel. Pass. #tenqueries

Q10: This one sounds cool...but I don't think I'm the right agent for it. It seems to require a perspective that I don't quite have, so I'm going to recommend that the author try a colleague of mine instead. #tenqueries

Q9: Author is querying me with the seventh in a series of thrillers. The first six have all been self-pubbed - but it's OK because he can get the rights back at any time. There's very little I can do with book 7 of a series when 1-6 are already out. #tenqueries

Q8: MG, opens up with the protagonist blowing the winning shot in the basketball game. You could start an entire 32 team sports league populated solely with kids who lost their team the game in the opening pages of MG novels. #tenqueries

Q7A: NF proposal that actually sounds pretty interesting...but did a quick Google search on the author and found virtually no online presence or platform. Platform is a huge part of selling nonfiction, and it's sorely lacking here. Pass. #tenqueries

Q7: The real Q7 was 157K words, which is an easy pass. So as a bonus:
#tenqueries

Q6: Historical fiction set in ancient Mesopotamia. Not my personal cup of HF tea; I'm more drawn to either American history or from about the 1600s on, in general. #tenqueries

Q5: International spy thriller. These are virtually impossible to break out in a new way and need to absolutely blow my mind in order for me to take on. Not the case here. Pass #tenqueries