Courtney Miller-Callihan

Literary Agent

Handspun Literary

Literary agent at Handspun Literary Agency. HEA, HFN, or GTFO. Everything's better with washi tape. She/her.

Courtney Miller-Callihan
@millercallihan
Literary Agent
Literary agent at Handspun Literary Agency. HEA, HFN, or GTFO. Everything's better with washi tape. She/her.
12 MSWL
40 Tips

Just a thought: maybe don't badmouth a genre the agent specializes in when you query them? #querytip

Courtney Miller-Callihan
@millercallihan
Literary Agent
Literary agent at Handspun Literary Agency. HEA, HFN, or GTFO. Everything's better with washi tape. She/her.
12 MSWL
40 Tips

Fridays are usually query days, but that seems cruel today, whether it's a yes or a no. I'll also be side-eyeing anything new, so. #querytip

Courtney Miller-Callihan
@millercallihan
Literary Agent
Literary agent at Handspun Literary Agency. HEA, HFN, or GTFO. Everything's better with washi tape. She/her.
12 MSWL
40 Tips

#querytip: You don't need credentials to write fiction. If you stretch to include, it tends to look amateurish. Just write a good story!

Courtney Miller-Callihan
@millercallihan
Literary Agent
Literary agent at Handspun Literary Agency. HEA, HFN, or GTFO. Everything's better with washi tape. She/her.
12 MSWL
40 Tips

#querytip: a great q letter tends 2 read like the back cover descrip of the novel. Model yr q after yr faves. What gives them their appeal?

Courtney Miller-Callihan
@millercallihan
Literary Agent
Literary agent at Handspun Literary Agency. HEA, HFN, or GTFO. Everything's better with washi tape. She/her.
12 MSWL
40 Tips
Courtney Miller-Callihan
@millercallihan
Literary Agent
Literary agent at Handspun Literary Agency. HEA, HFN, or GTFO. Everything's better with washi tape. She/her.
12 MSWL
40 Tips

Regular #querytip reminder: don't try to sell copies of your self-published book to the agents that turned it down.

Courtney Miller-Callihan
@millercallihan
Literary Agent
Literary agent at Handspun Literary Agency. HEA, HFN, or GTFO. Everything's better with washi tape. She/her.
12 MSWL
40 Tips

#querytip that is really a pet peeve: if I pass on your manuscript, please do not try to sell me a copy when you self-pub it later.

Courtney Miller-Callihan
@millercallihan
Literary Agent
Literary agent at Handspun Literary Agency. HEA, HFN, or GTFO. Everything's better with washi tape. She/her.
12 MSWL
40 Tips

#querytip: pick ONE genre for your work. What shelf does it best fit on @ yr local bookstore? ("Defies classification" is a bad thing, fyi.)

Courtney Miller-Callihan
@millercallihan
Literary Agent
Literary agent at Handspun Literary Agency. HEA, HFN, or GTFO. Everything's better with washi tape. She/her.
12 MSWL
40 Tips

#querytip: I'm looking for books I can't stop reading. Query should make me want to dive in ASAP.

Courtney Miller-Callihan
@millercallihan
Literary Agent
Literary agent at Handspun Literary Agency. HEA, HFN, or GTFO. Everything's better with washi tape. She/her.
12 MSWL
40 Tips

#querytip: don't explain why you're looking for an agent. I know what I bring to the process, & if you're in my inbox, I assume you do too!

Courtney Miller-Callihan
@millercallihan
Literary Agent
Literary agent at Handspun Literary Agency. HEA, HFN, or GTFO. Everything's better with washi tape. She/her.
12 MSWL
40 Tips

#querytip: SP may be a great option for you, but it's not a stepping stone! More difficult to sell to a trad pub than unpublished work. 2/2

Courtney Miller-Callihan
@millercallihan
Literary Agent
Literary agent at Handspun Literary Agency. HEA, HFN, or GTFO. Everything's better with washi tape. She/her.
12 MSWL
40 Tips

#querytip: Here's your regular reminder that self-publishing a book is not the first step to getting the work traditionally published. 1/2

Courtney Miller-Callihan
@millercallihan
Literary Agent
Literary agent at Handspun Literary Agency. HEA, HFN, or GTFO. Everything's better with washi tape. She/her.
12 MSWL
40 Tips

#querytip: citing only MAJOR bestsellers (Twilight, 50SOG, Gone Girl) may send message that you don't read much/don't know category well.

Courtney Miller-Callihan
@millercallihan
Literary Agent
Literary agent at Handspun Literary Agency. HEA, HFN, or GTFO. Everything's better with washi tape. She/her.
12 MSWL
40 Tips

#querytip: if you choose to compare yr work to others', make sure examples are recently pubbed (no more than 5 years old). Trends do change!

Courtney Miller-Callihan
@millercallihan
Literary Agent
Literary agent at Handspun Literary Agency. HEA, HFN, or GTFO. Everything's better with washi tape. She/her.
12 MSWL
40 Tips

#querytip: things I won't do before reviewing your proposal (which came in via the query inbox): sign a non-disclosure agreement. *headdesk*

Courtney Miller-Callihan
@millercallihan
Literary Agent
Literary agent at Handspun Literary Agency. HEA, HFN, or GTFO. Everything's better with washi tape. She/her.
12 MSWL
40 Tips

#querytip: don't get meta. You're right: I HAVE seen it all...except your book. Tell me about your book, not about how boring queries are!

Courtney Miller-Callihan
@millercallihan
Literary Agent
Literary agent at Handspun Literary Agency. HEA, HFN, or GTFO. Everything's better with washi tape. She/her.
12 MSWL
40 Tips

Make the font bigger. At least 12 point. My eyes are not getting any younger. #querytip

Courtney Miller-Callihan
@millercallihan
Literary Agent
Literary agent at Handspun Literary Agency. HEA, HFN, or GTFO. Everything's better with washi tape. She/her.
12 MSWL
40 Tips

Same goes for word count, interestingly; if a novel is unusually long or short vs. others in genre, it's usually a story problem. #querytip

Courtney Miller-Callihan
@millercallihan
Literary Agent
Literary agent at Handspun Literary Agency. HEA, HFN, or GTFO. Everything's better with washi tape. She/her.
12 MSWL
40 Tips

I ask for a synopsis not just b/c it's quicker to read; it's also a great indication of whether author grasps genre expectations. #querytip

Courtney Miller-Callihan
@millercallihan
Literary Agent
Literary agent at Handspun Literary Agency. HEA, HFN, or GTFO. Everything's better with washi tape. She/her.
12 MSWL
40 Tips

Goal of a query: to put yourself and your work in the best possible light. Don't ever apologize for your writing or your bio! #querytip