Alec Shane

Q2: Pitched as historical fiction, but there is still a romance at the center of it. Love historical, but romance isn't for me. #tenqueries

Q1: MG, opened w/ two full pages of dialogue. Didn't give me a chance to meet the characters and settle into the story. Pass #tenqueries

Q10: MG superhero story "with series potential." I always advise authors to worry about a book "with selling potential" first. #tenqueries

Q9: Pages contain many MBs of photos and are attached as a .zip file. Don't make it complicated for agents to get to your stuff. #tenqueries

Q8: Thriller, former military specialist sucked into a government plot. An oft-used plotline in a highly oversaturated market. #tenqueries

Q7: Sports book about great MLB coaches. Survey books are a very hard sell, as they are now best done as an internet slide show. #tenqueries

Q6: Called me Alex; happens all the time and isn't enough to condemn a MS, but no query should have 3 exclamation points. Pass #tenqueries

Q5: No introductory paragraph, just a synopsis and signature; clearly a C+P email blast. This happens way more than it should #tenqueries

Q4: MG sports mystery. RIGHT up my alley, but the writing isn't quite there. #tenqueries

Q3: Vampire query. Not for me. I've just had my fill of vampires. And angels, demons, etc. #tenqueries

Q2: YA romance set in WWI. Historical-yes. Romance:no.Just because your MS fits one category, that doesn't mean it fits them all #tenqueries

Q1: Picture book query. I don't do picture books, and state so very clearly on my agent profile. Make sure you do your research. #tenqueries

Q9: Just because I'm looking for historical fiction doesn't mean I'll overlook the fact that this is a romance. Just not for me #tenqueries

Q8: Unbelievable dialogue to open the story, had a lot of trouble getting into it. Effective dialogue is very hard to do well #tenqueries

Q7: YA about a high-stakes tournament where kids are forced to enter. I feel like I maybe read this somewhere else before... #tenqueries

Q6: YA, word count is 37,000 words. That's even short for a middle grade. #tenqueries

Q5: Adult noir thriller; nothing that really intrigued me. It's good, but in a saturated genre, your ms has to be GREAT #tenqueries

Q4: Boy MG adventure, opened with protagonist getting woken up by mom - the MG equivalent of "it was a dark and stormy night" #tenqueries

Q3: YA paranormal thriller about demons. If your MS is about demons, consider finding another word for "demon." Its a red flag #tenqueries

Q2: Picture book. I don't do picture books. Make sure you do your research before submitting. #tenqueries