Literary Agent
Literary Agent
M. James Murray @mikeywrites14
Is my 63 000 word thriller too short to be considered by agents? #askagent #askanagentThis is on the shorter end, but I'd not decline a query simply on WC. IMO, a good thriller is usually 75k+. #askagent
Literary Agent
Not Eric Fowler @ericfowler215
for submissions, how important is formatting within a manuscript (i.e. using italics or fonts for different characters/voices) #askagentWhat are you asking about, specifically? Most dialogue happens in quotation marks, per standard dialogue format. Italics = emphasis, thoughts, etc. Any specific examples? I would make sure to format well in your submissions process. #askagent
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
Danielle Simonelli @dmsimone99
#askbookends #askagent @NaomisLitPix There are many documented sources / opinions on word count, but I'd like to know your thoughts - what is the upper bound for word count for a debut YA fantasy? Thanks again! And sorry I'm late to the discussion...I think 100k is your upper limit, and some agents will say even that is too high. Aim for 85k if you can. #askagent
Literary Agent
Tamara Rittershaus @TRittershaus
@bookendslit #askagent As a PB writer, most guidelines ask for the full manuscript, so I never get a "request for full" or any other indicator that I'm on the right track. Is it ever appropriate to respond to a form rejection and ask, "Was my MS even close?"Unfortunately, agents just don't have time to give individualized feedback. (I receive about 3,000 queries a year, other agents receive more.) The best people to ask if your manuscript is marketable is your critique group, a writing class, or a crit partner, etc. #askagent
Literary Agent
Tamara Rittershaus @TRittershaus
@bookendslit #askagent As a PB writer, most guidelines ask for the full manuscript, so I never get a "request for full" or any other indicator that I'm on the right track. Is it ever appropriate to respond to a form rejection and ask, "Was my MS even close?"Unfortunately, no, this isn't a good idea. We read so many queries we cannot possibly provide personal feedback to everyone who wants it. @TracyMarchini I think has a Tweet about her query stats for the last year.
#askbookends #askagent
Literary Agent
Stacy Burch @pen_and_crayon
For a text-only PB, do agents prefer the author paginate the MS? #AskBookEndsJrI like to see natural page breaks (generally using returns), but I don't need numbers. #askagent #askbookendsjr
Literary Agent
Kristin Kumm Connon @kristinconnon
#AskAgent @bookendslit How important is "correct" formatting of the MS in a query? I would assume its pretty important for requested materials.I don't think you'll get rejected for, like, having different indentations, etc - that would be silly - but as a general rule, we read a LOT, so having easy fonts and double spacing is really important so our eyes don't bleed. #askbookends #askagent
Literary Agency
Kristin Kumm Connon @kristinconnon
#AskAgent @bookendslit How important is "correct" formatting of the MS in a query? I would assume its pretty important for requested materials.It's not the end of the world, but please try to have it formatted correctly. Definitely important for RMs. #AskAgent
Literary Agent
MrsFriedman @MrsFriedman2013
#askagent #askbookends w the over saturated markets of some genres (i.e. paranormal with vampires and shifters) what advice do u give a 1st time writer looking into representation in the market? Would seeking a smaller online only publisher ever be a recommendation from an agent?I think it's important to remember that trends shift, swing, and surge over the years. What's oversaturated now might make another appearance in popularity at some point. What about writing something new in the genre you love, that breaks the tropes?#askbookends #askagent
Literary Agent
NosferSCOTTu @scorho
Last night's #mglitchat was about short stories. What's the market like for MG short story collections? #askagentHonestly, it's tough unless you already have a significant following/previously pub'ed books/etc. #askagent #askbookendsjr
Literary Agency
Tamara Rittershaus @TRittershaus
After Jeff Bezos' $2bil pledge for new Montessori preschools, are agents/publishers looking for what books Montessorians want in their classrooms? Would mentioning my Montessori background and this recent headline benefit my query letter? @bookendslit #askagentI don't know that this would benefit you in the query, unfortunately. #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Tamara Rittershaus @TRittershaus
After Jeff Bezos' $2bil pledge for new Montessori preschools, are agents/publishers looking for what books Montessorians want in their classrooms? Would mentioning my Montessori background and this recent headline benefit my query letter? @bookendslit #askagentIf you're writing for children, it's always a benefit to mention in your query if you are a teacher, children's librarian, etc. So yes to your background, but I don't know that the news item would really change anything. #askbookendsjr #askagent
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
MJ @MJWheelerNU
#AskAgent if someone had custom concept art for a MS pinned to their twitter or other social media, do you enjoy looking at it? Does it add anything to your experience when considering a MS?Honestly, I'm probably not going to go looking for this, because I'm not considering the artist that was hired - I'm considering the manuscript that you wrote. #askagent #askbookends
Literary Agent
MJ @MJWheelerNU
#AskAgent if someone had custom concept art for a MS pinned to their twitter or other social media, do you enjoy looking at it? Does it add anything to your experience when considering a MS?This doesn't influence my decision - the writing should paint the picture for me. That said, it doesn't harm anything, either, and when I sign a client I love seeing their Pinterest boards. #askbookends #askagent
Literary Agent
Ava Lock π³οΈβπππ€ @avaunlocked
Is there an advantage to pitching agents face to face at conferences vs. query letters?From a writer's POV, conference time and travel gets quite expensive, but email can seem spammy. I'm wondering if you have a suggestion for breaking the ice.
#askagent
@bookendslit
I genuinely donβt think conferences give you an advantage. Yeah, thereβs the personal connection, but a conference pitch tells me nothing about your writing. I MUCH prefer getting queries to conference pitches. #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Angie Hawkins @th_littlebirdie
#AskAgent I have seen announcement deals that say things like "acquired...in a 3 book deal." Are these follow-up books already written? Are they pitched to publishers together? Just wondering how these multiple book deals come about. *This question pertains to pb'sThese books are not usually written in advance, and with picture books they might be completely unrelated to the 1st. The additional books are negotiated/offered with the initial offer as a way for pub to commit to that author over more than one book. #askagent #askbookendsjr