Stephany Evans
@firerooster
Literary Agent
Lit agent on the run. Love good food, good wine, good books, and good roads.
2 MSWL
8 AskAgent
Pande Literary
@agent_ayesha
Literary Agency
Mission-driven literary agency with an antiracist focus, two dogs and a cat. Harlem-based. Tweets are from all of us. #BLM . #StopAAPIHate !
18 MSWL
17 AskAgent
Stephany Evans
@firerooster
Literary Agent
Lit agent on the run. Love good food, good wine, good books, and good roads.
2 MSWL
8 AskAgent
Pande Literary
@agent_ayesha
Literary Agency
Mission-driven literary agency with an antiracist focus, two dogs and a cat. Harlem-based. Tweets are from all of us. #BLM . #StopAAPIHate !
18 MSWL
17 AskAgent

Chuck Dalldorf @ChuckDalldorf

Any advice for first time authors writing pitch/ query letters? It's been the toughest thing I have tried to write. Tricky balance between honesty and advocacy for my book.

#Cheers and #Thanks for the #Twitter event @agent_ayesha -

#AskAPL

#askAPL They really are the hardest thing to write! Rather than trying to advocate, try to summarize the plot in a line or two and then focus on the themes and spend time finding the perfect comps, to let the agent know where on the bookshelf the book would fit.

Pande Literary
@agent_ayesha
Literary Agency
Mission-driven literary agency with an antiracist focus, two dogs and a cat. Harlem-based. Tweets are from all of us. #BLM . #StopAAPIHate !
18 MSWL
17 AskAgent
Stephany Evans
@firerooster
Literary Agent
Lit agent on the run. Love good food, good wine, good books, and good roads.
2 MSWL
8 AskAgent
Pande Literary
@agent_ayesha
Literary Agency
Mission-driven literary agency with an antiracist focus, two dogs and a cat. Harlem-based. Tweets are from all of us. #BLM . #StopAAPIHate !
18 MSWL
17 AskAgent
Stephany Evans
@firerooster
Literary Agent
Lit agent on the run. Love good food, good wine, good books, and good roads.
2 MSWL
8 AskAgent
Pande Literary
@agent_ayesha
Literary Agency
Mission-driven literary agency with an antiracist focus, two dogs and a cat. Harlem-based. Tweets are from all of us. #BLM . #StopAAPIHate !
18 MSWL
17 AskAgent

Gabriella Caballero @GabriellaCabal6

#AskAPL When applying for a job in publishing, is it helpful to mention your marginalized identities in your cover letter? Or is that exploitative of the self?

#askAPL You should mention it if it is relevant to the project you're working on. Having experience with a particular culture or identity that you're writing about provides credibility.

Pande Literary
@agent_ayesha
Literary Agency
Mission-driven literary agency with an antiracist focus, two dogs and a cat. Harlem-based. Tweets are from all of us. #BLM . #StopAAPIHate !
18 MSWL
17 AskAgent

Gaby @gaby_reads

#AskAPL If you're a writer in the process of querying, then you see someone just got a book deal with a story that sounds very similar to your own... is that a good or a bad thing?

#askapl Unfortunately the writer who gets there first probably has the advantage. If you're in the early stages might be worth pivoting to change some elements of your story, or use a different perspective.

Serene Hakim
@serenemaria
Literary Agent
reader, coffee addict, city dweller, agent at Ayesha Pande Literary @agent_ayesha , mama to two very cute kids, she/her, 🇱🇧
15 MSWL
14 AskAgent
4 Tips

carolyn wang @commabund

@foldandgathers What advice would you give to people applying for publishing internships/jobs? 😬 #AskAPL

Definitely be familiar with the books of the place you’re applying at. You have to make it clear you want to work there and not anywhere else (even though we all know you’re applying lots of places!) #askAPL

Serene Hakim
@serenemaria
Literary Agent
reader, coffee addict, city dweller, agent at Ayesha Pande Literary @agent_ayesha , mama to two very cute kids, she/her, 🇱🇧
15 MSWL
14 AskAgent
4 Tips

Gaby @gaby_reads

Rejection is a large part of the publishing industry. Any advice for authors who have been querying a while or who have been out on submission a long time? #AskAPL

Try to stay positive! But also take it as an opportunity to review what’s going on. No requests for fulls? Maybe you need to tweak your query letter. Listen to the feedback and revise your project as necessary. And keep writing other things. It could just be timing #askAPL

Serene Hakim
@serenemaria
Literary Agent
reader, coffee addict, city dweller, agent at Ayesha Pande Literary @agent_ayesha , mama to two very cute kids, she/her, 🇱🇧
15 MSWL
14 AskAgent
4 Tips

Kehinde @RandKallday

@serenemaria @agent_ayesha Hello! I’ve always wanted to know what the relationship is between the agency owner and an agent. For example, when an agent offers rep to a writer, is the owner involved in that? Do they review the MS or approve anything before the offer is extended? Thanks so much!

Depends! We usually discuss potential projects & others offer their opinion. We’re collaborative & I value my colleagues’ input but ultimately the agent offering is the one to decide. (This could be different if the agent is starting out & others might do it differently) #askAPL

Serene Hakim
@serenemaria
Literary Agent
reader, coffee addict, city dweller, agent at Ayesha Pande Literary @agent_ayesha , mama to two very cute kids, she/her, 🇱🇧
15 MSWL
14 AskAgent
4 Tips

L. Ryan Storms @LRyan_Storms

@serenemaria @agent_ayesha #askapl when are you opening to queries again, Serene? (I.e. when will the mini-people in your life allow this?) Dying to submit YA fantasy your way.

The mini people in my life are adorable and wonderful but so demanding!! I really want to open again soon, hopefully next month. I’ll announce it on here! I’m hungry to read something new and exciting #askAPL

Serene Hakim
@serenemaria
Literary Agent
reader, coffee addict, city dweller, agent at Ayesha Pande Literary @agent_ayesha , mama to two very cute kids, she/her, 🇱🇧
15 MSWL
14 AskAgent
4 Tips

carolyn wang @commabund

What advice would you give emerging writers who haven't been published yet? Alternatively, what gets you excited about working with a writer? #AskAPL

Read widely in the genre you’re writing! Be patient, play the long game, and try not to take rejection personally. I love working with writers who have lots of book ideas. I like knowing I’m investing in the writer, not just one project #askAPL

Serene Hakim
@serenemaria
Literary Agent
reader, coffee addict, city dweller, agent at Ayesha Pande Literary @agent_ayesha , mama to two very cute kids, she/her, 🇱🇧
15 MSWL
14 AskAgent
4 Tips

Fisherman Git @fishermansdaily

At what stage in the process do you involve an agent?
1.) Write
2.) Self-edit round 1
3.) Self-edit round 2
4.) Find an editor
5.) Send to agent
6.) Agent sends out to publishers

Is this correct?
#AskAPL

More or less! You don’t necessarily need an editor before querying but I definitely recommend having a trusted friend or writing partner take a look. And I’ll add that you’ll probably do even more revision with your agent before they send it out #askAPL

Serene Hakim
@serenemaria
Literary Agent
reader, coffee addict, city dweller, agent at Ayesha Pande Literary @agent_ayesha , mama to two very cute kids, she/her, 🇱🇧
15 MSWL
14 AskAgent
4 Tips

Gabriella Caballero @GabriellaCabal6

If I'm a bb author, and I have a book idea, how do I start looking for a lit agent? How much of my book should I have written before looking? #AskAPL

For fiction, have the whole ms done and as polished as you can get it. Nonfiction you only need a proposal (w/ sample chapters). Start by looking online for agents, seek ppl out here & get a sense for what they’re looking for. Do your research before you start querying. #askAPL

Serene Hakim
@serenemaria
Literary Agent
reader, coffee addict, city dweller, agent at Ayesha Pande Literary @agent_ayesha , mama to two very cute kids, she/her, 🇱🇧
15 MSWL
14 AskAgent
4 Tips
Serene Hakim
@serenemaria
Literary Agent
reader, coffee addict, city dweller, agent at Ayesha Pande Literary @agent_ayesha , mama to two very cute kids, she/her, 🇱🇧
15 MSWL
14 AskAgent
4 Tips

Gabriella Caballero @GabriellaCabal6

I'm a writer with multiple book ideas! I want to write contemporary YA and Adult Fantasy and also horror stories. Do I find one agent to represent them all? Or do I find different agents for my different stories? #AskAPL

You can do either! It’s great to find one agent with range who you can really develop with but that’s not always easy to do. It’s not unheard of to find one agent for your adult projects and one for your kids books for example #askAPL