Juliet Mushens

I just signed a clever thriller about consent and abuse which turns every trope on its head - and great writing too #askagent

I think this is so subjective! I would say I am not always a fan BUT my fave book of all time is entirely told in dialect (the book of night women) #askagent

Yes lots of success has been had with rewrites whether gender-flipped or otherwise updated eg the Deathless Girls and The Restless Girls #askagent

Yes and no - most tend to be journalists so proven writing track record. The big name ghosts with a good track record of bestselling books are often v in demand #askagent

V annoying answer I know but I know it when I see it! I love a clever high concept pitch, pageturning plot and strong writing #askagent

I don’t #askagent

Hard to know without reading it to be honest but sometimes complex structures CAN be difficult to follow (not always!) #askagent

Some agents are dealing with illness or family or childcare BUT we are all trying to carry on as normal as much as possible #askagent

I think a judgement call! If the agent is specially calling out for own voices or diverse rep then no harm pointing it out explicitly #askagent

Having an author on hand for events and tours is certainly easier logistically #askagent

I rep 2 ghost writers but that is their specific job ie they ghost write manuscripts for celebs/brands etc - it doesn’t necessarily translate to writing original work and some have no desire to write original work! #askagent

Not a good publisher. I have stepped in to negotiate a couple of times - sometimes makes process easier on the publisher too having a middle man to deal with #askagent

Fundamentally has to be your decision as to whether you change your voice or not - but be prepared for some agents to have response your early readers have had #askagent

I would say it doesn’t really matter as long as you feel the submission is as strong and polished as you can get it #askagent

You saying it veers in an SF direction sometimes makes me think it is mostly fantasy so I would describe it as that #askagent

Yes it does mean I will respond - time taken normally means I am busy and haven’t had a chance to read it yet #askagent

I could write an essay on this subject. Some publishers are very proactive and experimental with pricing whereas others tend to be much more sluggish - but eg selling 100 books at 99p might not be as effective as 10 at £12.99 so depends on author and genre #askagent

Normally one primary agent but for example I then work with an agent in America who sells books there on my behalf #askagent

Well done for getting this far! I always think of it in terms of what questions will the reader have and how and when will you answer them? #askagent

Literally just ‘I live in Middlesex and work as a beekeeper. This is my first novel’ is fine #askagent