Caitlin McDonald
Literary Agent
Donald Maass Literary Agency
literary agent @MaassLitAgency for SFF, YA, & GN β’ she/her β’ queer β’ ADHD β’ intensely editorial π #BLM #TransRightsAreHumanRights
Literary Agent
Paul Anthony @thatpaulanthony
@literallycait Full manuscript was requested by a publisher after a short open submissions window.I have no agent. If the publisher does want my writing, would it be best to seek representation before I proceed?
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.
Literary Agent
Romi @RomGuns
@literallycait With regard to a synopsis, I've had one editor tell me it should be a play-by-play, and another tell me it should not be a play-by-play. I'm rather confused. What is the agent perspective on this? #askagentIt 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-aβ¦
Literary Agent
Caitlin McDonald @literallycait
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. twitter.com/christinacua1/β¦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.
Literary Agent
christinecua @christinacua1
@literallycait If a book has series potential how does that factor into an offer of rep? Does it?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.
Literary Agent
Carol Gore @CarolGo40107621
@literallycait Do you do revisions with your clients before submitting to editors? If so, what does that look like? Do you communicate by email, phone, in person?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.
Literary Agent
Christopher DeBlois @ChrisDDeBlois
@literallycait Any advice on writing a query for a SFF book with two protagonists? The chapters alternate between them (like the first book in the Expanse series). Focus on one or describe both in the query?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.
Literary Agent
Chris Kerns @chriskerns
@literallycait How's the market for time travel and/or multiverse stories right now?Doing better, on the adult side at least. It's still not an easy subgenre but there've been some successes lately, which helps!
Literary Agent
Katie Mullen @KATIEFMULLEN
@literallycait Should you address queries to ms or mr so and so or use their first name?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
Literary Agent
mara @marastories
@literallycait How late is too late to send a MS that an agent or editor requested at a Twitter pitch event or con?For context, I had a few requests but then my health tanked. Planning to query from scratch if I can get back to it but curious if thereβs an understood limit. Thanks! #AskAgent
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!
Literary Agent
P.D. Loupee entered 2020 kicking and biting @pdloupee
@literallycait What if I can't find book comps on my genre? Better to lay off the comps altogether, or find comps in other media?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.
Literary Agent
Jo LadziΕski #UndeadPrinces 51K/120K @JoEatsFood
@literallycait If an agent has two fulls of your novels and you haven't heard back about either, is it appropriate to check in? If so, when?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.
Literary Agent
Francesca Tacchi [is editing] @jackdaw_writes
@literallycait I've heard people saying that the market is not interested in books set outside the US at the moment. Is this true? Asking because I have a contemporary fantasy set in Siena I intend to start querying soonπΆThis 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.
Literary Agent
Caitlin McDonald @literallycait
Instead, try starting with your character doing something they are good at. Showing a character in their element (whether they succeed or fail) gives readers so much more information about who they are, what matters to them, and their place in the world.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