Caitlin McDonald

Look, I don't have a lot of automatic pass rules for queries, but male characters bragging about their penis in the very first paragraph is definitely one of them. #querytip

Quick reminder that Sunday is the last day to send me your queries! On Monday I'll be closing submissions until July or August. #querytip

Yo guys quick #querytip: when querying, don't forget to include, you know, YOUR NAME. I see this omission surprisingly often!

#querytip: implying I'm stupid for not seeing the potential in your query will not make me reevaluate. Try revising & resubmitting instead.

If your query or synopsis specifies "beautiful" before your female characters' job titles, I'm probably not interested. #querytip

If your synopsis doesn't explain how your prologue sample pages tie into the novel, maybe you don't need a prologue. #querytip

And, as a general rule, dissing other books or entire genres in query letters is frowned upon. #querytip

Also I really recommend NOT telling me that your book has zero commercial appeal. #querytip

Describing your writing skills instead of your story is not a good use of your query letter. #querytip

#querytip I'm not saying don't name your protagonist after yourself, but.

But.

Also for some reason the sample text is interspersed with pics that appear to be pulled from Google Image Search? Don't do that. #querytip

I mean I'm happy to see characters w/ extraordinary abilities but please don't label them as "diversity"!!! #querytip #diversebooks

Nothing grabs me less than a prologue featuring Nameless Shadowy Council Members doing Vague Shadowy Things. #querytip

Adding a single Token Female to your all-male cast is a problem, not something good to highlight in your query letter. #querytip

Telling me your bodyswap story does NOT have anything to do with gender identity is a great way to make me lose interest. #querytip

#querytip: If your protagonist is 9 years old, it's not a YA.

Recurring issue in queries: "No one has ever seen a ___"--In that case how do people know about it? Especially if it has a name! #querytip

I'm now completely caught up on queries! If you haven't heard back from me, I didn't receive it. #querytip

I don't care how vital it is to your character backstory: if your query opens with a rape scene, 99.9% I will reject immediately. #querytip