Peter Knapp

#tenqueries 2: YA Contemporary. The first pages of this query failed to hook me. The writing is a bit disjointed and does more to tell me what’s happening than show me. Pass.

#tenqueries 1: Picture Book. Again, a reminder that I’m not taking on picture books at this time. That said, this query was much too short, even for a PB. Pass #tenqueries

#tenqueries 10: YA Fantasy. The plot sounds fun if somewhat familiar, but the pages were a little too surface level. I want an immediate sense of character, but it started with a fight scene w/o investing me in character in any way. Pass.

#tenqueries 9: YA Magical Realism. There are intriguing elements to the pitch but I did not find the plot sparked with me personally -- perhaps it is too quiet for me. I think this has potential for the right agent, though. Pass but forwarded to a colleague.

#tenqueries 8: MG Contemporary. The pitch here feels very didactic – more concerned with theme than story. Theme should emerge from story in a pitch, not the other way around. Pass.

#tenqueries 7: MG Adventure. The author does not sign his or her name to this query, and only spends three sentences actually pitching the book. The bulk of the query should focus getting an agent to want to read your pages, not your plans for the future. Pass

#tenqueries 6: Adult Fiction. There are no sample pages, no real query, and the author complains that no one will read their books. Pass.

#tenqueries 5: Adult Fiction. The plot of this story seems very quirky, but the query doesn’t really convey anything about the characters – just what happens to them, which may put the MC in a passive role. Pass.

#tenqueries 4: MG Fantasy. The first pages in this query are a bit overwritten, with too much unnecessary detail. As Stephen King wrote, “Description begins in the writer’s imagination, but should finish in the reader’s.” Pass.

#tenqueries 3: YA Fantasy. This query is mislabeled—it’s futuristic and feels like a dystopian (by both description and pages). I also wonder if it can be classified as YA given the protagonists ages (all twenties). Pass.

#tenqueries 2: YA Fantasy. This query doesn’t give enough specifics about what will happen in the story; it deals too much in generalities. Queries should be concise, so if you're using a phrase that could describe any number of books, rethink it. Pass.

#tenqueries 1: YA Contemporary. Though well-structured, the query is lacking in tension. I know what the characters want, but why does it matter? What is at stake for them? Pass.

#tenqueries 10: YA Contemporary. This story is a retelling that’s just a bit too familiar to really stand out amongst its counterparts. It was a close call though—it sounds very sweet, but I wasn’t pulled in by writing enough to overcome the familiarity. Pass.

#tenqueries 9: YA Fantasy. This story is seeking to profit off a successful, existing fantasy franchise without express consent from the author. I would not advise anyone to query a story like this. Pass.

#tenqueries 8: MG Contemporary Fantasy. Filled with intriguing mythology, adventure, and magic, this story is exactly the kind of MG I’m looking for. Request.

#tenqueries 7: Adult Non-Fiction. Upon reading the first pages, I found the writing style to be very jarring—large paragraphs of narrative and dialogue with no breaks—and there were quite a few distracting typos that stood out. Pass.

#tenqueries 6: YA Contemporary. This query had a bit of a thriller or mystery element to it, but I wasn’t drawn in enough by the pitch to want to know what secrets were hidden within the characters’ lives. Pass.

#tenqueries 5: YA Dystopian. This query is called a fantasy and a dystopian at different points (I'm pretty sure it's just dystopian), and the plot seemed like it was going to be a touch too thin. Pass.

#tenqueries 4: YA Contemporary Fantasy. This book had an awesome title, but the plot felt young as compared to the target audience and tone, which prevented me from feeling intrigued enough to request it. Pass.

#tenqueries 3: Adult Fiction. Three quarters of this query is filled with reasons that the book was written and why the author has begun to query. That’s not necessary at this stage—what book you’ve written should be at the forefront of the query. Pass.