Beth Phelan

DONT BE AFRAID TO MENTION IT!!! It’s nothing to be ashamed of. That agent that said that is weird! #askgzla

i wanna see all sorts of hero journeys. they need to have motivations for me to care but doesn't mean they have to start off with it tho. #askGZLA

i mean, if it works it works lol. #askGZLA

i would say "normal" YA, well within the typical age range #askGZLA

speaking for myself, i wish we could normalize trigger warnings in queries and conference submissions etc. agents/editors are people with trauma sometimes and we think about our own safety too. #askGZLA

ignore. i can feel dystopian coming back. it just looks different. #askGZLA

nope lol embrace the NO and remember to value yourself and your work and your vision. it's a subjective biz as we always say, so if you don't agree with an edit, say no and find an agent whose vision lines up with yours. #askGZLA

i always prefer to be the one sending things out so i can secure the author's career from the start. but i also know authors need money. ultimately i would just want them to do their due diligence researched and vetting a contract so they don't sign away anything big #askGZLA

SET YOURSELF FREE #askGZLA

for trad pub most of the time the next step is getting an agent. but you should also look at critique partners and beta readers so you're in the best position possible to approach agents. #askGZLA

ew, no! kids experience a *lot* of things and they are restricted access to books that they NEED because they're deemed "too mature" so i say bring it. #askGZLA

i love this question. PM sales are a piece of it but not the whole pie. sometimes it takes a long time to have permission to announce a deal. the quantity of deals also isn't important--it's the quality. also look at the overall *agency*'s sales. #askGZLA

it's a piece of the puzzle but not the whole thing. sometimes it takes a long time to have permission to announce a deal. the quantity of deals also isn't important; it's the quality. also look at the overall agency's sales. #askGZLA

if they're writing something different i might want a full ms. #askGZLA

alternatively, i have submitted mss without a prologue and then the acquiring editor had the author ADD ONE 😂 #askGZLA

"character-driven" #askGZLA

both can be tricky. first person is very intimate and third gives you so more room and narrative distance but emotional access is built up a different way. so with first, being so close to the POV can be both an advantage and disadvantage. #askGZLA

i would say put your best foot forward but be ready to talk about the other. i would also suggest thinking about how you want your agent relationship to look like--do you want separate agents? or someone who would rep both? #askGZLA

not necessarily. voice can be subjective and sometimes more about THE WAY you are telling the story and whether they are into that. and sometimes it's just a gut thing. or something altogether. i think it means different things to different agents. #askGZLA

if it's another agent at GZLA yes! we wouldn't want to miss out. however, i don't typically share with agents outside my agency #askGZLA