Emmy Nordstrom Higdon

#QueryTip: A synopsis should ideally (for me, anyway) be 2-3 pages long, and it should contain ALL THE SPOILERS, including the ending! When agents ask to see a synopsis, we want to see the beats and the structure of your whole story. #AmQuerying #WritingCommunity

#QueryTip: Unfortunately, "new adult" isn't really a marketing category that currently exists in traditional publishing. When you're querying, make sure that you are able to identify whether you wrote your book for a young adult audience, or and adult audience! #AmQuerying

#QueryTip: Most agents don't consider fiction projects until they're completely written, and have been polished to be the best they can possibly be. Querying with an unfinished project or one that's not ready yet can lead to disappointment on all sides. #AmQuerying

#QueryTip: Know the genre of your book! Hint: LGBTQ2S+ is not a genre, and I get this answer ALL the time! Even books featuring queer and trans people have genres, I promise. #AmQuerying

#QueryTip: Even if you love the idea of working with an agent, make sure to check and see what kinds of projects they're open to before you submit. Agents have to balance their lists, and it's better to wait until we're open to projects in your genre than send something unwanted!

#QueryTip: Make sure to check the name, salutation, and gender of the person who you're querying, to be sure that you've spelled everything correctly and used proper pronouns and terms to address them! It's not a dealbreaker, but it helps (at least for me). #AmQuerying

#QueryTip: If you have multiple projects, it is best to focus your energy on one at a time. Select your strongest, work with CPs and beta readers to fine tune it, and take it out to agents. This is important is because it's also how the submission process works! #AmQuerying

#QueryTip: Check out an agent's client list before querying, if possible. If you know their clients, they can be a great resource on whether or not you'd be a good fit. You should also consider if it's a group you would feel good to be part of. #WritingCommunity #AmQuerying

#QueryTip: Make sure to provide correct contact info in your query and make sure it’s working! Today I’ve screened queries with no Email address, and had one of my replies bounce. #WritingCommunity #AmQuerying

#QueryTip: please fill out ALL the fields on an agent's query form! If you don't know what something means (comps, #OwnVoices, etc.), do some research rather than leaving a field blank! #AmAgenting

#QueryTip for those who are seeking representation with me: please be sure your MS is an appropriate length before you submit! #AmAgenting

My preferences:
MG: 30-60K words
YA: 50-80K words
Adult: 70-100K words