Weronika Janczuk

I'd list these as a triage: WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL, THE FIRE IN FICTION, and THE EMOTIONAL CRAFT OF WRITING FICTION. amzn.to/2pC6eNt There'll be some overlap, but this theory, well-understood + practiced, can change a writer's writing + career overnight. #askagent

Generally, less is more--when a writer has nailed down his/her capacity to summarize the story being told in a compact manner, all is well. #askagent [@ericsmithrocks--you had a formula in Vancouver for queries. I forgot the language... Can you re-share?]

I have never passed on something over a missed period or comma, or a poor query letter, or even poor writing on its own--there's a sense of "package" for which most of us are reading, and a general "miss" on these things would be reason to pause, but no small mistake. #askagent

A query letter and the style of the writing behind it are huge reflections of the writer, + I always look for those characteristics--which you can read for quickly, with practice--that reveal quality: intentionality, ownership, maturity in voice and craft, sensitivity. #askagent

Leeway for small mistakes? Totally. Do you know how you can see someone in their entirety, and love them unconditionally, even if they make a small mistake? Or even a big one? Reading manuscripts is sort of like this--I think agents develop a keen sense for persons. #askagent

I don't have, at my fingertips, a great example of a query that does this well; you could also do something like this: "Character #1 status quo, in a sentence. Character #2 sq, in a sentence. Sentence #3--conflict between the 2 of them, either interpersonal or outward." #askagent

Here's one example of a pitch letter that I sent out for a novel with characters in dual-POV (bit.ly/33kbFis). Perhaps the two POVs come into conflict with one another, in some way; you want to highlight the plot + conflict there, as part of your general arc. #askagent

The particular form of the execution of the story is less important in the query than the story itself. This is piece of advice #1--your query is essentially focused on communicating the plot arc. What's the status quo? What happens to shift it? What's at stake, then? #askagent

I would query after 1/15. I think most agents won't be paying attention to their #queries and manuscripts over the holidays--and/or will be catching up on backlogs. (That said, I don't think querying beforehand will hurt.) #askagent

This is also independent of more objective, independent categories for evaluation--personal taste, not the right genre/fit, the nature of the writing/voice isn't of my intuition/love, etc. #askagent

I read for craft, + I can often discern the quality of the crafting before me within 5-10 sentences or so, so I'll often read through the first few pages, rarely all, pass when the writing d/n hold, + will confirm that the storyline isn't whole/full with the query. #askagent

This is a great question. I think it depends on the agent. Some agents choose to start with the pages, which I do after a brief scan for key info--title, word count, genre. The aesthetic/structure/tightness of the query itself is an indicator of what's to come. #askagent

I would use a hyphen (-) before the texts. One easy way to do it. #askagent

I would say 100% yes. I look for proof that there is a clear plot arc--a clear beginning, middle, & end/resolution to the key plot/tension questions. If I read a synopsis, it's to evaluate/pre-empt reading a ms in entirety, in order to gauge writer's capacity to finish. #askagent

To a v. small extent--depends on the agent. It will need to be copyedited at some point! #askagent

was lacking. This is my experience with the vast majority of things I pass on, to different degrees. It's ultimately v. hard to integrate everything from start to finish; takes much practice, a gut/intuitive talent, & great intentionality. (2) #askagent

Yeah, this is a good ?. This will depend, on some extent, on the agent. For me, what this means is that there are specific pieces to the writer's capacity that resonated--say, good voice, or characterization, or world-building, but that magical spark that gels an entire ms (1)

Ooh. V. good question. I'm not doing graphic novels for the moment, but genuinely hope to in the near future. In addition to story arc content, the query must describe something of the nature of the art & need for it. It's a dual pitch: story & artistic need/capacity. #askagent

It's not a terrible idea, but I would do it ONLY with agents who are also repping YA, and will be familiar. It will be a hard comp to use in a pitch to editors, where editors (on the most part) specialize v. heavily in the adult niche they edit. (Send a query!!!) #askagent

I would say 100% yes, and to give them the opportunity to review either/both full manuscripts. #askagent