Eva Scalzo

This all comes back to point #2, which is KNOW YOUR GENRE. #querytip 3d/10

First & foremost publishing is a business. On the craft side, if your Adult SFF is clocking in at 50K, that alerts me that not enough work has been put into worldbuilding. Your YA romcom at 150K says to me that not enough has been done to address pacing. (cont.) #querytip 3c/10

Usually, exceptions happen for ESTABLISHED authors. The thing about word count (outside of craft) is that you must consider the ECONOMICS of publishing. The higher the word count the more $$$ is costs to produce your work and the less $ everyone earns. (cont.) #querytip 3b/10

WORD COUNT. There are so many resources out there for writers that offer guidance on appropriate ranges for debut authors in different genres. One response I see a lot is x publisher printed a 400K work, so why can't I? That is the EXCEPTION. (cont.) #querytip 3a/10

Number one thing is know your genre & also know what genres I REPRESENT. Your literary fiction has elements of romance, that's great, still not a good fit for me as I do not represent literary fiction. Don't try to pretend your work is something other than it is. #querytip 2/10

Just realized that February 1st is in ONE WEEK and I'm re-opening to queries. I wanted to do a quick #querytip thread to avoid seeing some common mistakes/pet peeves/problems in the queries I get. #amagenting 1/10

Apparently this needs boosting. #evergreen #querytip

So much this....but also don’t write your book about 20 year olds and tell me it’s young adult, know what makes a book YA or adult, have reasons for your protagonists being the age they are, know your genres and age groups. #querytip

This is an excellent #querytip. I see this all the time in sample pages and rarely does it work. #amagenting

6. Remember that this is a very subjective business. Even if you do everything right in a query it's possible that your work might not be right for me. That doesn't mean your writing is bad or your work will never sell. It just means that I'm not the right agent for it. #querytip

5b. Most common bit of feedback I have for authors outside of word count/genre is: I don't think you are starting this story in the right place. #querytip

5a. Also don't send me 3 random chapters from the manuscript. if the first 3 chapters have nothing to do with your blurb, consider whether the blurb needs to change or if you actually need those chapters. #querytip

5. Pay attention to what agents ask for as a sample. I request first 3 chapters. If you start with a prologue (why?) then send prologue, ch 1 and ch 2. If you question whether sending the prologue is a good idea then consider if it's necessary or if you should scrap it. #querytip

4. Things that should be in your query: title, genre, word count, comps if you know them, a brief blurb & a bio that includes any publishing credits/awards. (That may seem formulaic, but there are ways to tailor a standard query to make your voice shine through.) #querytip

3. When querying don't self-reject! Follow submission guidelines and don't start off your query telling me how you know you aren't a very good writer! If you don't believe in yourself, how can I believe in you? #querytip

2. I represent romance, young adult and science fiction/fantasy. My #MSWL can be found here: manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/eva-…

The categories are broad, but as a general rule I do not represent nonfiction, middle grade, picture books, literary fiction, poetry or screenplays. #querytip

Hi writer friends! I'm opening back up to queries tomorrow: OCTOBER 1ST and I wanted to do a quick #querytip thread to remind and help you through the process.

1. Follow my submission guidelines! Query + first 3 chapters may be submitted here: QueryMe.Online/evascalzo