Weronika Janczuk
Literary Agent
Janczuk Literary Agency
Lit. agent @ JLA, which I designed m'self. π΅π±. @NYUGallatin alumna. Lover of persons, saints, β₯s, intelligentsias, impact, + books. A mini Lisbeth Salander.

Literary Agent
Don't tell an agent that your manuscript has been professionally edited. I'd probably remove 50%+ of editors from their positions -- oft, "edited" manuscripts don't read well, + the editor has taken advantage of a writer who needs to learn craft versus write. #querytips #askagent

Literary Agent
j.essey @silverspheres
@WeronikaJanczuk this feels like a silly question, but is contemporary fantasy romance a genre?...the opposite way: as a fantasy, with romantic elements. (2/2) #askagent

Literary Agent
j.essey @silverspheres
@WeronikaJanczuk this feels like a silly question, but is contemporary fantasy romance a genre?This is a good question. #askagent Most romances follow a sort of outline/type: bit.ly/3bxrztT. If your story fits this as its core, then you want to pitch it as a contemporary romance with fantastical elements. If it doesn't, and is more fantastical, pitch it... (1/2)

Literary Agent
Joanne Machin is querying! @heyjomachin
@WeronikaJanczuk I would love to know what a writer should expect when they get "the call." :)Beyond this, I think you need to expect a supremely honest, professional, self-possessed account of the agent's history, capacity, and love of your book! Agents differ, but for many, it is a blend of professional + existential life, + should be recognized as such. (2/2) #askagent

Literary Agent
Joanne Machin is querying! @heyjomachin
@WeronikaJanczuk I would love to know what a writer should expect when they get "the call." :)This is a great question; a very broad one. #askagent You should be prepared to ask the right questions (bit.ly/2yaTm4P, one great summary), to maintain a sort of 'authority' over the call (to the extent that you can ask your agent all the hard questions!), etc. (1/2)

Literary Agent
Carmen Norris @ADreamersWriter
@WeronikaJanczuk How many queries is it good to send out at once to multiple agents and how many total per manuscript?Oops, here! (3/3) #askagent Query until your list is done--I know writers who scored agents after 10 queries, + others who scored agents after 350 queries. Weigh the feedback, + learn as you write. @DonMaass has terrific books on craft, for example.

Literary Agent
Carmen Norris @ADreamersWriter
@WeronikaJanczuk How many queries is it good to send out at once to multiple agents and how many total per manuscript?(2/2) It's good to explore agents' reactions; as you get full requests + solid feedback, query further + more widely. Always debatable, but I think this is a solid starting place for writers. As for total queries: I would be writing a second novel. #askagent.

Literary Agent
Carmen Norris @ADreamersWriter
@WeronikaJanczuk How many queries is it good to send out at once to multiple agents and how many total per manuscript?Great #askagent question! I would say that you want to query in tiers, and per tier, query something like 7-15 agents a time, depending on your genre and the size of your list; in each tier, as you start, mix favorite, second-favorite, and third-favorite agents. (1/2)

Literary Agent
Morgan Watchorn @mwatchornbooks
@WeronikaJanczuk Thank you for the detailed response! To make sure I understand correctly, would you say these similar typographies display a pattern of "playing it safe," as in they aren't risky to bring to market because their content is similar to proven sellers? (Sorry if that's convoluted!)No, it's often the opposite, while the market runs on this form of internal melding; in my experience, publishers like to rely on internal modules in books that are re-created, even as they feel familiar, which is how trends develop and persist over time. (3/3) #askagent

Literary Agent
Morgan Watchorn @mwatchornbooks
@WeronikaJanczuk Thank you for the detailed response! To make sure I understand correctly, would you say these similar typographies display a pattern of "playing it safe," as in they aren't risky to bring to market because their content is similar to proven sellers? (Sorry if that's convoluted!)...have a sort of "internal typography," the way in which writers imagine their own narrative from the inside out; the way in which they arrange the logical pieces, for external effect, a sort of "internal design." Hard to articulate. As for the "playing it safe": (2/3) #askagent

Literary Agent
Morgan Watchorn @mwatchornbooks
@WeronikaJanczuk Thank you for the detailed response! To make sure I understand correctly, would you say these similar typographies display a pattern of "playing it safe," as in they aren't risky to bring to market because their content is similar to proven sellers? (Sorry if that's convoluted!)Just thinking out loud: I'm not sure that "typography" is the best wordβI'm thinking sort of types of plots (plot structures can be broken into different theoretical categories; different book structures can be categorized in different ways). Novels, thus... (1/3) #askagent

Literary Agent
T.J. @browncreative95
@WeronikaJanczuk I have one as I am waiting to query you., In your crime fiction, do you want social justice themes a la Attica Locke, or mysteries more psychological in the vein of Lippman?Either, and both. It, honestly, depends entirely on the voice with which the novel is executed, but I do, generally, have a sort of existential preference for the psychological thriller. #askagent

Literary Agent
T.J. @browncreative95
@WeronikaJanczuk And when you reopen are you going to consider graphic novels?I won't be considering graphic novels, for the moment; I generally find them less stimulating + interesting than full-length novels, with some exceptions. #askagent

Literary Agent
Tesse Struve @StruveTesse
@WeronikaJanczuk Do you see a big need for MG in the industry? I feel like I keep seeing agents wanting it on their MSWL. Thanks so much! πYes, there's a huge MG demand. It sells well, + there's an ever-growing market for it. #askagent I'm considering also representing MG--to be determined, in the weeks to come.

Literary Agent
Melissa Guida-Richards @GuidaRichards
@WeronikaJanczuk Thatβs so helpful! Thank you.Follow up: do u think memoir writers can have their stories TOO covered by essays/interviews? Is that really a detriment to getting a publisher ?
I was told that in a rejection, it confused me bc I thought nonfic shld have a platform.
#askagent
This depends entirely on the concept in the book. I'd evaluate more whether the concept has book-length potential; a different question than whether it has been overly-publicized. A lot of treatment in already-printed spaces may mean that there's no need for a book. #askagent

Literary Agent
Ace Bowers @RealAceBowers
@WeronikaJanczuk If a self-published author has sold 5,000+ non-fiction books in their first 1 year on amazon, do you think a publisher would have an interest in their next book?There's so much that goes into the evaluation of a non-fiction project--the ease with which an author-publisher-marketing team can place the book on the market is first and foremost worthwhile, within this evaluation. #askagent

Literary Agent
Ace Bowers @RealAceBowers
@WeronikaJanczuk If a self-published author has sold 5,000+ non-fiction books in their first 1 year on amazon, do you think a publisher would have an interest in their next book?This depends entirely on the book, but 5k+ on the self-published end is distinct + worthwhile noticing, to start, though there are authors that break-out on the self-publishing market with distinctly more sales. As an agent, I'd be looking at platform + sale potential. #askagent

Literary Agent
Melissa Guida-Richards @GuidaRichards
@WeronikaJanczuk What do you look for in a memoir submission? #askagentIt can be the nerdiest or geekest or trivial kind of angle, + some of the best memoirs are "quiet" in that way, relative to others, but I'm hungry for the story that I've never seen before. I should want to be able to share your story, given that it's a real story. #askagent

Literary Agent
Melissa Guida-Richards @GuidaRichards
@WeronikaJanczuk What do you look for in a memoir submission? #askagentIf I want to tell my friends over dinner about you, then we've got a conversation to be had. It's not memoir territory, but, for example, I stumbled upon this research (amzn.to/2NDNpl8), + given that I'm writing a novel about martyrs, talked about it for weeks. #askagent

Literary Agent
Melissa Guida-Richards @GuidaRichards
@WeronikaJanczuk What do you look for in a memoir submission? #askagentI think, to some extent, this answer will depend on the agent--but I always look for high-quality writing as well as a high-concept, or a memorable pitch; something that fascinates the mind-heart link in me, + makes me want to talk about it. (1/2) #askagent