Caitlin McDonald

Q3: adult SF. The pitch isn't anything I haven't seen before, same from the prose. Pass. Writers, I want to be surprised! #tenqueries

Q2: YA fantasy. Premise is cute but not compelling, and the voice didn't grab me enough to overcome that. Pass. #tenqueries

Q1: Adult horror. I like the synopsis, but the writing moves too quickly. Also the emphasis is heavier on the romance than I prefer.

Q10: Literary. Didn't follow query guidelines, messy writing, & already objectifying women by the 2nd paragraph. Pass. #tenqueries

Q9: YA horror. Also close! I had high hopes from the query but the sample writing just didn't cut it. Disappointed pass. #tenqueries

Q8: YA SF. Overused premise, mediocre writing. Creating a proxy "issue" for racism is risky and must be handled with care. Pass. #tenqueries

Q7: YA fantasy. The pacing drags: long descriptions of every minute action and thought. Pass. #tenqueries

Q6: Adult literary. A tough call: I love the premise & the writing is decent, but ultimately not good enough to take on. Pass. #tenqueries

Q5: YA. Another cute pitch, but the sample pages aren't really what the query described. Not loving it, so pass. #tenqueries

Q4: YA fantasy. Cute pitch, but the writing's not quite there yet. Pass. #tenqueries

Q3: Fantasy. Another very cliche opening, plus the sexist undertones have me cringing. Pass. #tenqueries

Q2: YA dystopian. This genre is overdone & I'm not seeing a new angle here. Sample pages are full of exposition. Pass. #tenqueries

Q1: Thriller. So-so writing. Opens with one of my least-favorite cliches: protag picks fight w/ random stranger. Pass. #tenqueries

Happy #Snowmageddon2015, if that's what this really is. Clearly the best thing to do on a day like this is another #tenqueries!

Q10: YA. Premise has potential but the writing isn't strong enough to keep me reading. Pass. #tenqueries

Q9: Incomplete ms--you shouldn't be querying at this stage. Queries should have complete and polished manuscripts ready. Pass. #tenqueries

Q8: YA fantasy. Writing and premise didn't grip me. European folklore needs a really unique hook since it's so overdone. Pass. #tenqueries

Q7: YA SF. Somewhat generic premise, but it's the extremely generic opening scene that killed it for me. Pass. #tenqueries

Q6: Tech thriller. I'm not a fan of the classic thriller voice this has, so this probably isn't a good fit for me. Pass. #tenqueries

Q5: Fantasy. Good writing, but started in medias res without tension. Also didn't follow query guidelines. Pass. #tenqueries