Amy Giuffrida
Literary Agent
Belcastro Agency
Justin Rishel #amwriting @justin_rishel
@kissedbyink I’ve heard only use comps in queries that have come out in the past five years but what if the comp title is very well known? If no obvious comps from the last five years come to mind, is it best to leave them out of a query letter?Newer comps are best, even if they are popular, but remember that you can use a mix of books with TV shows or movies. Plus, comps don’t have to be perfect matches—use them to show writing style, themes, world building, etc.
Deborah Wong 黄咏婷 @PetiteDeborah
@kissedbyink Hi Amy, I’m currently revising my all-Asian casts contemporary romance novel. And have a crucial question here. Would you recommend flashbacks to be in italics or to have a scene break? TQVM 😊✨Formatting question…ahhhh! Scene breaks are good—just make sure that the you transition into it with a sentence or two.
Dani Frank @Dani_is_Frank
@kissedbyink Your wish list says you are not open to angels, demons, zombies, mermaids, or pirates. Are you still open to vampires? And more specifically a vampire romcom?Just took the old vampires off my "no" list! So, sure!
CP Hertzog @HertzogCp
@kissedbyink Hi Amy.How would you feel about a YA novel set in dystopian version of Brooklyn that has been overrun by a demagogue and his right-wing troops.
An imperfect pairing of teenage girls have information that can save their friend and city.
'Six of Crows' with BLM themes.
Is it fantasy? Sounds like it's fantasy. Because a dystopian Brooklyn sounds amazing, but the rest sounds like it could be on my "no" list for now.
Cathy Hopkins @Cathyjhopkins
@kissedbyink Thank you for your time. If I self-published a novel on Amazon and working on the second book in a three book series can I query the second book to publishers?Let me ask this...does it stand on its own? I ask because publishers probably won't be interested in book #1 (since you've already pubbed it) and may not be interested in a series.
Anjali Mitter Duva @AnjaliMDuva
@kissedbyink Thanks for this! How do you define a “contemporary feel” for historical fiction?It's flowy (I know this isn't a technical term) and less formal writing.
PC Nottingham @nottingham_pc
@kissedbyink Thank you for doing this! In your opinion, are MG stories with animal protagonists too hard of a sell? I’ve seen quite a few agents with that on their no-no lists.I think there are less editors seeking these types of stories than others, but for me (and probably others) it is just a question of preference.
Katie @lilk8tob
@kissedbyink If a manuscript was briefly on sub with a different agent, should the author include that in the query letter or mention it later? Thank you!If you mean a different agent at the same agency, then it's not a bad idea. Some agencies ask that you mention this in your query as part of their guidelines.
A. L. Truell @a_truell
@kissedbyink Hi and Happy New Year! I read you said no war stories. How about a story about a young woman growing up during a war, with more focus on the personal journey than the theater of war?That works for me. Technically I don't want military-based stories, so if war is happening in the background I am fine.
AN @Paper_Fleurs
@kissedbyink Are you particular on word count, tone, complexity? You may be a good fit for my YA mystery. I'm a BIPOC author; book is diverse/neurodiverse; has philosophical and poetic leanings with some complex prose, characters slightly out of left field; story could be from the headlines.I am a little particular, but if you stick inbetween the wordcount guidelines for genre and age category, you are fine.
Adam Knight @OverdriveAuthor
@kissedbyink Just a general question (apologies if already asked)What would an Indie Author with SelfPublished works out need in order to attract an agents rye for future representation in your eyes? :)
Amazing writing? A story that meets my wishlist? Jokes aside, I do look at previous self-pub sales and we would discuss these, but it wouldn't be everything.
Anna Maria Ball @AnnaMBwrites
@kissedbyink Thanks Amy for doing a Q and A. Trying to manage expectations before querying in 2022, I hear a lot about agents declining because a manuscript is ‘not a good fit’, is this a genuine issue or a response to cover many sins?Lots of possible reasons for this, but I'd go with a general response.
Ralph F. Halse @RalphHalse
@kissedbyink What makes a good query letter?The story is the best part of the query letter. If you can relay that in short order, add in some comps, and give your bio...you're good.
2 of the best resources: janefriedman.com/query-letters/
nathanbransford.com/how-to-write-a…
SheridanSharptheWriter @CheetoSharp
@kissedbyink @NovelistsCorner I’m getting either forum rejections or query responses stating “this sounds good but I don’t think I can champion it.” Thoughts on if this indicates something missing in the query? Thank you!In 2021, I used form rejections because my inbox was overflowing. IMHO I will say is that they were probably just form rejections. If you get feedback, then look deeply into that.
Cheyenne Bennett @LitAUCheyenne
@kissedbyink Thank you for doing this! If agents say it’s not the right time for their list, even though it’s on their wishlist, is it time to shelve the manuscript or rework it/the query?If I say this, it means that it's too close to something one of my clients is either working on or I am currently subbing. So it depends--it could also be close to something recently sold. It may just mean that you need to query someone else or put it away for a bit.
Andrew Cusick @acusick7
@kissedbyink It may seem like a bad question:Do you respond more to a perfect manuscript or a perfectly imperfect manuscript that you feel you could push across the finish line?
Not a bad question at all. It's not a matter of perfect or imperfect. If I love something AND have a vision for a story, I will offer.
Carolyn D. Cowen @cdcowen
@kissedbyink Still a no on adult hist. fict? Mine is women’s hist fict (Irish-Amer fam saga) w/ hint of paranormal spanning mid 19th-20th centuries. Kinda This is Us x Roots x Outlander. Still on ur NOT-looking-for list?.
Thanks so much for taking these questions! 🙏🏻
Historical fiction is on my list for 2022🙌 As long as it reads contemporary (language, flow, voice) I'm good! I'm still updating websites, so you have the latest info here:)