Caitlin McDonald

10. YA F. The query pitch is all vague pat phrases that sound appropriately dramatic but tell me nothing concrete about the story. Opening paragraphs are very confusing to follow--see Wednesday's thread about not starting in the middle of The Action. Pass. #tenqueries

9. YA F. This one was close for me--the voice was strong, but there was a lack of clarity about what the big picture was for the story, both in the query and the pages. Sadly a pass. #tenqueries

8. MG F. I actually really like this MG voice, but I'm struggling to connect with the characters. Synopsis ultimately determined this one--a pass. #tenqueries

7. MG F. Seems fun, but features a number of elements I think are tired, and the voice is too campy for me, personally. Pass. #tenqueries

6. YA F. I like the premise, but similar to one from the other day, the dialogue can't seem to settle on time period or voice. The tonal whiplash is jarring. Pass. #tenqueries

5. YA F. I was so-so on the pitch, but the voice is fantastic! Authors, take note: it's hard for a good query letter to save so-so prose, but great prose can absolutely save a so-so pitch. Request. #tenqueries

4. YA F. The writing isn't quiiiite where I'd like, but the premise is really compelling and I'm taken with the characters. I'll give this one a shot. Request. #tenqueries

3. YA F. Another intriguing premise, but sadly the writing just doesn't grab me. The narrative style is heavy on dramatics but nothing unique or compelling about the voice. This is a frequent issue in first-person POV YA queries for me. Pass. #tenqueries

2. YA F. This premise is SO cool, I really wanted to love it. But there were a few elements of the plot that I was not a fan of, and the prose just wasn't connecting me to the MC. Pass. #tenqueries

1. Adult F. The plot is awfully dark for me personally, and I'm not following the logic of the protag's established motivation to her actions--it seems nonsensical. Pass for me. #tenqueries

10. Adult UF. Caught my attention but didn't keep it. Good opening scene, but the subsequent scenes seemed incomplete and haphazard. More detail in the query letter would also have helped. Pass. #tenqueries

9. YA F. Weirdly, exact same situation as the previous one. I actually think this one is a stronger story, but also more concretely a romance novel. I don't work much in the romance genre, so this is a pass for me. #tenqueries

8. YA F. There's a lot I like, but I'm having trouble seeing it fit within categories--there are elements that would make this a hard sell as YA; structurally, I think it might be better pitched as a romance. Sadly I don't love it enough to work through this; pass. #tenqueries

7. Adult F. Strong writing, timely themes, and two comps I LOVE? Request! #tenqueries

6. Adult UF. Both the writing and the pitch are very good, but it's just not the type of story that grabs my attention, personally. But I feel sure another agent will pick this one up at some point! Pass. #tenqueries

5. YA F. Repeat query, but makes no mention of revision--in fact, the query doesn't even acknowledge that this is a repeat submission. I only consider repeats if they have been substantially revised, and you must mention that in the query! Pass. #tenqueries

4. YA contemporary. Query letter only contains author bio--no description of the book. This is also just not at all the type of book I represent. Pass. #tenqueries

3. YA SF. Skeevy language regarding women--hard pass. #tenqueries

2. YA F. Writing is just not there yet. Query has a weird oversimplification of the human condition & morality that feels very old-school Good Vs Evil. I prefer to see more nuance. Pass. #tenqueries

1. MG F. I liked the premise but I'm concerned about the implications of the ending, and the writing just wasn't working for me. Pass. #tenqueries