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J.L. Cole @jlcole1331
Thank-you for doing this! My first question is; would having minor grammar or punctuation mistakes in my MS be enough for an agent to turn it down? Wondering if I can get away with not hiring a professional editor as it's very pricey. #askPSLAAbsolutely not! You should carefully proofread it yourself, of course, but a handful of mistakes won't make me turn down something that otherwise flows well. And minor mistakes like that are definitely not what you would want to pay a professional editor for. #askPSLA
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Fe @Fictionalera
do you rep writers from other countries? (e.g. out of america) #askPSLAWe sure do! Our clients live all across the world. #askPSLA
Literary Agent
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J.L. Cole @jlcole1331
Thank-you for doing this! My first question is; would having minor grammar or punctuation mistakes in my MS be enough for an agent to turn it down? Wondering if I can get away with not hiring a professional editor as it's very pricey. #askPSLAMost writers don't need to hire a professional editor, as long as they're proficient at self-editing. A few grammar mistakes or typos aren't a big deal! #askPSLA
Literary Agent
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Alisha Gabriel @alishagabriel
#askPSLA Is there a demand for MG expository NF like Sarah Albee's Bugged: How Insects Changed History or Poison: Deadly Deeds, Perilous Professions, and Murderous Medicines?I think so! I'd love to see more of these type of projects in MG. #askPSLA
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Sassy Cat Chat @LisaLDriscoll
#askPSLA what are the top things toy want to see in a query letter. What makes you accept or reject something instantly?I expect a query letter to include three things: necessary details (title, word count, category/genre), a compelling pitch, and an author bio. I will "instantly" reject categories/genres I don't represent and previously self-published books. #askPSLA
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Debra Daugherty @dmddeb
#askPSLA When agents list their wish list, is it what publishers are asking to see or something the agent wants to read and promote? What I'm asking is, Are agents calling the shots on what is being published? Some requests on # MSWL seem too specific or far-fetched.I think most agents' wish lists are specific to their taste—not about what publishers say they want. That said, agents aren't going to take on a project they don't think they can sell. That's how they make money! #askPSLA
Literary Agent
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Michael V. Colianna @guildlibrary
#askPSLA #querytip #pubtip #writetip Getting my Q to @kurestinarmada and @msmariavicente early since my drive is 4-5pm 🤞🏽Q: In response to a req, if you sent older material than you meant to because your life's a mess, is that a kiss of death?
Haha no, just re-send the right material. Also, sorry to hear your life's a mess! #askPSLA
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K. A. Nolan @kanolanwrites
@UweStenderPhD I’m writing a time travel adv that involves a few key women that made an enormous impact in history. The 3 involved all died a long time ago (pre-1960’s). Is there a potential issue w/ using these figures even if it’s longer than 70 years since death?It depends on the novel and the specifics. But if Lincoln can hunt vampires, you are ok, at least contentwise.
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Drew Miller @WickedTalesCH
@UweStenderPhD I revised a YA MS from the 90's to contemp. based on agent feedback. Should I mention this in new twitter pitch contests? Had 5 fulls from past contests but all sent a detailed pass letter bc it wasn't a modern setting for YA. A few asked for R/R.I would not mention it.
Literary Agent
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🌻Cassie Miller @Cmiller61408
@UweStenderPhD Good evening! 🙂 Is there a time of year where it’s a bit more difficult to go on sub, and if so, why? Also, do authors ever have more than one book on sub at a time? Thank you!#askagent
In general, my advice would be to focus on one book. Bad times: well, I shut down between December 16- January 3 usually. July/August are tougher due to vacations, but one never knows.
Literary Agent
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Anaïs-Anaïs @RealAnaisAnais
@UweStenderPhD How long is your "way behind pile" in terms of reading time? #JustCurious 🌈😎It shifts, but right now about 6-12 weeks, sigh.
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Melissa Charles @2TheImp
@UweStenderPhD Which would you recommend, querying, or trying to participate in something like Pitch Wars? I'm wrapping up my MG, and debating with myself which route to try.Both. One does not exclude the other. Unless your query and book works via query, then you have an agent and don't need competitions.
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Audra McElyea @AudraMcElyea
@UweStenderPhD #askagent do most agents ask for r&rs these days before signing a client? Also, when it comes to r&rs—does this usually signify high interest, or not?I cannot speak for others, but I don't. Yes, if *I* ask for an R&R it means WAY more interest.
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Sahar @Dawnfulness
@UweStenderPhD Hi again! If a writer gets an offer, what's the appropriate time period to give other agents a chance to review previously sent queries and respond? Thanks!!Oh boy, you will get me in trouble. The current "standard" is 2 weeks, but I PERSONALLY will drop EVERYTHING to read if I am in competition. So, frankly, if someone cannot prioritize you within a week, I'd say bye bye, but I violate the pretend DOGMA. So whatevs.
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Allison Miller @AllisonDamMillr
@UweStenderPhD #askagent My current WIP is over 100k words and still not finished, but close. Is there a word limit preference for first time science fiction writers. Those books tend to have a higher word and page count, at least that I've noticed.I don't really know about adult scifi, but from what I think I know, you should be ok.
Literary Agent
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Samantha Lienhard @SamLienhard
@UweStenderPhD #askagent If the conflict/stakes shift as the story goes on, should the query focus on the immediate conflict/stakes at the start of the book, or more important ones later on? (Or both?)I would say both, but ,as I always say, I cannot speak for others.
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Brian Hathaway @B_RockNYC
@UweStenderPhD How can you tell if you should keep querying or do (yet another) polish? Without much feedback, it’s hard to tell. Thanks Uwe! 🙏🏼✨If your first ten queries are rejections, you may want to tweak it.
Literary Agent
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Rebecca Fryar @rebecca_fryar
@UweStenderPhD @Maria_Tureaud An agency I submitted to six months ago has a pass from one is a pass from all policy. Now a new agent is with the agency and I would like to query. But I have a pass from an agent there before this new agent joined. Query new agent or not?I don't know their policy specifically, but I am a VERY literal person, so I would not query them, but I don't know their structure.
Literary Agent
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Audra McElyea @AudraMcElyea
@UweStenderPhD #askagent do agents alway go in order for queries in the slush pile or do they get excited about Twitter pitch events/ conference materials requested/r&rs etc. and read those right away? Do y’all read referrals from clients/other agents sooner as well?I go in order...clients' manuscripts first and in order of appearance. Sometimes deadlines are attached, then I prioritize by deadlines. As far as submissions go, it depends on the hype some projects have/get. If there is a lot of hype, I start there first.