Peter Knapp

#tenqueries 5: MG Contemporary. A character-driven pitch about bullying, secrets, friendship, and acceptance. Intriguing sample pages with immediate emotional hook. If the writing holds up, I could see this being wonderfully thought-provoking. REQUEST! #tenqueries

#tenqueries 4: MG Magical Realism. The first half of this pitch had potential, but as I kept reading, it almost felt like two separate stories were going to unfold, rather than one cohesive story with multiple subplots. Defining the heart of the story is key in a query. Pass.

#tenqueries 3: MG Contemporary. The pitch was intriguing, but the first few pages of the manuscript felt like we needed to be in the author’s head—it felt like staging details were missing & so it was difficult to orient myself/envision the scene. Pass

#tenqueries 2: MG Fantasy. I would’ve liked to see this query focus more heavily on the pitch. We’re given an idea that isn’t developed enough, so I’m not sure what to expect from the plot or how it stands out from other fantasies. Pass

#tenqueries 1: MG Fantasy. Author uses a YA comp & an adult TV series comp for a middle grade title, neither of which give me a sense of the tone. Comps alone rarely result in a pass for me, but then the query itself did little to clarify the premise. Pass. (See thread for 2-10!)

Time for a MG-specific #tenqueries! Keep in mind that when I pass, it usually isn't one thing but how everything comes together, so there is usually more to it than fits in a single tweet! I'm going to try posting all 10 at once with the thread feature. Stand by...

A thing to note about #tenqueries -- I point to 1 or 2 reasons here b/c space is limited, but the reality is that for almost all queries it isn't how 1 or 2 things do or don't work, but about how everything does or doesn't come together on whole.

#tenqueries 10: YA Speculative. I don’t think this is classified under the right category, but more than that, I don’t entirely understand how the speculative/fantasy elements are actually going to work. Pass

#tenqueries 9: MG Fantasy: Based on this pitch, I worry that this story might have too much going on, with too many different fantasy-world details and ideas (though they are very cool) packed in to the point where the central narrative gets a little lost beneath it all. Pass

#tenqueries 8: Adult Upmarket Fiction. This pitch has lots of dramatic details, but does not explain clearly enough what the story is actually going to be about. How do these details coalesce into a greater whole? Pass.

#tenqueries 7: YA Contemporary. The query is well-written and concise, but I just didn’t connect to the plot or first page of this one. It feels familiar, not in a bad way but I'm personally not sure I have the vision to position it to stand out. Pass.

#tenqueries 6: MG Mystery // the comp title and the pitch seem very, very close so I would worry about its uniqueness and ability to stand out in the market. The writing is good, but I don't feel quite strongly enough to overcome this concern. Pass.

#tenqueries 5: YA Contemporary: I had difficulty placing this book in a specific era—it’s called contemporary, but also dystopian, and I couldn’t tell which was more accurate based on the pitch. Pass

#tenqueries 4: YA Fantasy // too much happens in the pitch, making it difficult to find what the main plot line is actually going to be, and giving so much information that it actually comes off as confusing rather than compelling. Pass.

#tenqueries 3: Adult Fiction. The plot is thin, leading me to believe this will be a character-driven novel, but for that to work for me the emotional hook still has to be strong, and I don't quite see it in the query. Pass #tenqueries

#tenqueries 2: MG Fantasy/Horror: The pitch is twisty, but I can’t tell what is going to motivate the main characters. What are the stakes? What are the character's goals? Plot and character must work together. Pass.

#tenqueries 1: MG Fantasy. The query is interesting and cinematic, if a little long, but the writing and voice in the first few pages didn’t grab me. Pass

#tenqueries 10: MG Adventure / this query gave the reader interesting details about the story, but it felt like I was supposed to somehow know more about the world than I did, so I felt a step behind and a little confused. Pass.

#tenqueries 9: MG Magical Realism / the query is incredibly enticing, with fantastic characters and a plot that I’m dying to dive into. Then...the sample pages! The pages are immediately tense, with a story in motion and some great descriptions. Request!

#tenqueries 8: YA Fantasy / The query is much too short, as is the word count for the manuscript itself (under 15K words). Pass