Caitlin McDonald

IMO, yes. Agents know industry standard terms & practices & have the experience to spot potential problems or red flags well before a novice author might. If you do not have publishing experience, then it's extremely valuable to get an advocate who does.

It shouldn't be a "he said she said" play-by-play, but it should cover each scene as it describes what happens, how characters react, and how this propels the story forward. It should include motivations, twists, and the ending. Here's a good resource: janefriedman.com/how-to-write-a…

Series potential is nice if the first book is a hit, but the agent will want to know what other ideas you have in case it isn't, They may even have insight that the book is better off as a standalone. It all depends, but it's important to discuss before accepting an offer.

Yes and no. An agent should be interested in your future works, not just the ms they're offering on, & what those future works should look like will be part of the initial conversation.

Always! Minimum 1 round of structural and 1 round of line edits, but we'll do as many rounds as necessary to get it into shape. I primarily use email but my clients know I'm always available for a call if needed.

I usually give each of them one short paragraph to intro their opening situation/goals/inciting incident, and then a third paragraph that ties their stories together.

Doing better, on the adult side at least. It's still not an easy subgenre but there've been some successes lately, which helps!

TBH I think most agents don't care either way as long as correct pronouns are being used. Don't forget about Mx if it's their preferred. Always research and double-check for correct pronouns! #querytip

Never too late! Agents know these things happen & if they were genuinely excited about it then odds are they'll still be excited now. While it's possible the market or their list may have changed and it's no longer a fit, you won't know until you try!

Read widely in your genre--I bet they exist! Remember that comps shouldn't be a perfect 1:1 match for your book; they should illustrate the success of a few facets such as voice, theme, setting, etc.

Different agents are going to have different opinions about this, but I'd say to nudge at six months. Are you actively querying both titles equally? If you've pulled back on the older one and feel the new one is stronger, it's ok to say so/push the newer one first.

This will vary by genre. Contemporary fantasy in general is a hard sell right now, but I don't think one set in Siena would be specifically harder than one set in NYC.

And remember that this is just one suggestion! There are a million places you can start your story! What's important is that you pick the one that works best for your story, and not just because Writing Advice said it was the place to start. #writingtips #askagent