Peter Knapp
@petejknapp
Literary Agent
Lit agent with @parkandfine representing kid lit with enthusiasm! petejknapp.com
290 MSWL
118 AskAgent
228 Queries
5 Tips

#tenqueries 9: YA Contemporary. While reading this query, I felt like I was being pitched two very different stories, neither of which was compelling enough on its own, but which also did not seem to work together cohesively. Pass.

Peter Knapp
@petejknapp
Literary Agent
Lit agent with @parkandfine representing kid lit with enthusiasm! petejknapp.com
290 MSWL
118 AskAgent
228 Queries
5 Tips

#tenqueries 7: Adult Non-Fiction. I'm not currently seeking nonfiction. This query also didn't have any pages attached, and focused too heavily on the authors’ bios, but not enough on the content of the proposal. Pass.

Peter Knapp
@petejknapp
Literary Agent
Lit agent with @parkandfine representing kid lit with enthusiasm! petejknapp.com
290 MSWL
118 AskAgent
228 Queries
5 Tips

#tenqueries 6: Adult Speculative. This is definitely more dystopian, and familiar in such a way that I don't think I can make it work in today's market. Pass.

Peter Knapp
@petejknapp
Literary Agent
Lit agent with @parkandfine representing kid lit with enthusiasm! petejknapp.com
290 MSWL
118 AskAgent
228 Queries
5 Tips

#tenqueries 5: Adult Fiction. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of plot here, and what is there doesn’t give enough specifics to allow the reader to infer what’s happening clearly enough. Pass.

Peter Knapp
@petejknapp
Literary Agent
Lit agent with @parkandfine representing kid lit with enthusiasm! petejknapp.com
290 MSWL
118 AskAgent
228 Queries
5 Tips

#tenqueries 4: MG Mystery. I love a good MG detective story, but the story and personal stakes here felt too small -- as far as I can tell, if he were to quit pursuing the investigation, his life would go on just the same. Pass.

Peter Knapp
@petejknapp
Literary Agent
Lit agent with @parkandfine representing kid lit with enthusiasm! petejknapp.com
290 MSWL
118 AskAgent
228 Queries
5 Tips

#tenqueries 3: MG Magical Realism. This story is too short for a MG novel, and the pitch unfolded in a way that made it difficult to parse through what the main plot line really was. Pass.

Peter Knapp
@petejknapp
Literary Agent
Lit agent with @parkandfine representing kid lit with enthusiasm! petejknapp.com
290 MSWL
118 AskAgent
228 Queries
5 Tips

#tenqueries 2: YA Speculative. There was no genre given, so I inferred speculative based off the pitch, which I found to be a bit too long-winded, and a little confusing. Pass.

Peter Knapp
@petejknapp
Literary Agent
Lit agent with @parkandfine representing kid lit with enthusiasm! petejknapp.com
290 MSWL
118 AskAgent
228 Queries
5 Tips

#tenqueries 1: Upmarket Women’s Fiction. Be careful of rhetorical questions or questions that your reader can immediately and decisively answer “no” to, effectively stopping their interest in their tracks. This query began with several such questions. Pass.

Peter Knapp
@petejknapp
Literary Agent
Lit agent with @parkandfine representing kid lit with enthusiasm! petejknapp.com
290 MSWL
118 AskAgent
228 Queries
5 Tips

#tenqueries 10: YA Fantasy. While it’s clear that this story is set in a different world, the pitch reads as though it’s written for someone already familiar with that world, instead of for readers who’ve never been introduced to it, causing it to come off as confusing. Pass

Peter Knapp
@petejknapp
Literary Agent
Lit agent with @parkandfine representing kid lit with enthusiasm! petejknapp.com
290 MSWL
118 AskAgent
228 Queries
5 Tips

#tenqueries 9: Adult Psychological Thriller. The thriller aspect of this query is not focused on in the way it should be. It’s not the forefront of the pitch, making it feel like a subplot instead of the crux of the tension. Pass.

Peter Knapp
@petejknapp
Literary Agent
Lit agent with @parkandfine representing kid lit with enthusiasm! petejknapp.com
290 MSWL
118 AskAgent
228 Queries
5 Tips

#tenqueries 8: Adult Fantasy Thriller. This story centers around a series of trials/games—this gives me pause, as this can often take the reader out of the story, and can feel formulaic rather than unique. Pass.

Peter Knapp
@petejknapp
Literary Agent
Lit agent with @parkandfine representing kid lit with enthusiasm! petejknapp.com
290 MSWL
118 AskAgent
228 Queries
5 Tips

#tenqueries 6: YA contemp. This query is pitching a book that was self-published 10 years ago. While the writing is good, many of the references feel dated and the previous publication is a hurdle. Pass with expression of interest to see any new manuscripts from the author.

Peter Knapp
@petejknapp
Literary Agent
Lit agent with @parkandfine representing kid lit with enthusiasm! petejknapp.com
290 MSWL
118 AskAgent
228 Queries
5 Tips

#tenqueries 5: YA Fantasy. This pitch brings in so many competing fantastical elements, all of which are cool on their own but together are feeling disjointed and not part of a single, cohesive story. Pass.

Peter Knapp
@petejknapp
Literary Agent
Lit agent with @parkandfine representing kid lit with enthusiasm! petejknapp.com
290 MSWL
118 AskAgent
228 Queries
5 Tips

#tenqueries 4: YA Magical Realism. The opening here moved too quickly; we raced through locations and beats without staying in and fleshing out any one scene, so it was hard as a reader to get my bearings. Pass.

Peter Knapp
@petejknapp
Literary Agent
Lit agent with @parkandfine representing kid lit with enthusiasm! petejknapp.com
290 MSWL
118 AskAgent
228 Queries
5 Tips

#tenqueries 3: This query dropped me into the middle of a story I didn't quite understand, and didn't include genre/category, so I had trouble pinning down what it was. Pass.

Peter Knapp
@petejknapp
Literary Agent
Lit agent with @parkandfine representing kid lit with enthusiasm! petejknapp.com
290 MSWL
118 AskAgent
228 Queries
5 Tips

#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.

Peter Knapp
@petejknapp
Literary Agent
Lit agent with @parkandfine representing kid lit with enthusiasm! petejknapp.com
290 MSWL
118 AskAgent
228 Queries
5 Tips

#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

Peter Knapp
@petejknapp
Literary Agent
Lit agent with @parkandfine representing kid lit with enthusiasm! petejknapp.com
290 MSWL
118 AskAgent
228 Queries
5 Tips

#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.

Peter Knapp
@petejknapp
Literary Agent
Lit agent with @parkandfine representing kid lit with enthusiasm! petejknapp.com
290 MSWL
118 AskAgent
228 Queries
5 Tips

#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.

Peter Knapp
@petejknapp
Literary Agent
Lit agent with @parkandfine representing kid lit with enthusiasm! petejknapp.com
290 MSWL
118 AskAgent
228 Queries
5 Tips

#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.