I actually do take referrals, but in general I get what you mean. I would say just gently tell them they need to query as normal; stress it's policy. But if it's someone you actually want to recommend, then they should note you as a referral! #AskFuse twitter.com/KillerMartinis…

Definitely not! Just your pitch + genre/age category :) #askDVpit

The most effective "X meets Y" is always one where the combo is surprising! So agents/editors are desperate to know how on earth you pulled it off. Which, I am not one of the lucky folks who've already read REVERIE but I've been WAITING. 🤩 #askDVpit

Well, Twitter, y'all know how I feel about THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR. Also finally read THE POET X which is an absolute tour de force. #askDVpit

In a case like this, I would suggest being specific about what you are comparing. "The strong friendships of X and the rich fantasy world of Y," perhaps. Or "TITLE with a fantasy spin." You want to make sure the ms delivers what your pitch promises. #askDVpit

I suggest sticking to genre. But you can always indicate what it is about the comp that is similar. So “The voice of X” or “the friendship story of Y” #askDVpit

So something that is common to do is "[Comp #1] meets [Comp #2]," which means you'll then have something for the friendship and something for the fantasy to comp to, using your sample below #askDVpit

yep! you might get hearts from editors too, if they are the kind that can consider un-agented materials. just be ready to send your query and sample pages to the agents/editors who like your pitch. they are instructed to tweet submission instructions before particpating #askdvpit

editors who retweet are signaling to agents and you should keep a list of those editors to give to your eventual agent. they're not requesting unless they LIKE the pitch #askdvpit

Oooh, except in the case of "X meets Y"--if your X and Y are too similar, what's the middle ground where they're meeting? An "X meets Y" piques my interest when the combination feels unexpected. #askDVpit

You're friends can definitely retweet, but not heart, your pitch. But if an editor retweets your pitch, keep a list. When you have an agent, give your agent that list and tell them that these editors were interested. It helps your agent tailor who they'll sub to. #askDVpit

focus on what's in front of you. ideally you'll land an agent that can cover all your work, but if not, pursue a second agent when the time comes. it wouldnt stop me, if i really loved the book #askdvpit

Yep! Tweet your pitch, mention the age category + genre, and include the hashtag! You can also look at old pitches for inspiration #askDVpit

ask yourself who is the reader and that should be your answer #askdvpit

This is a good point! And @Ryality mentioned THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END earlier, which is an example of a killer illustrative title that also punches home the hook #askDVpit

yes and yes! #askdvpit

i say just paste the link so we can refer back and if they liked multiple then just choose randomly. put it in the opening...

the hashtags are shorthand to what should be in the query, so no need to include them

:)

#askdvpit

And I love a good reflective voice in adult fiction! It's absolutely not a problem with the work, but the default isn't "teen character = teen book." #askDVpit

If we could predict this, we'd be printing money! 😉 Certain categories, esp. in YA, are crowded, but that doesn't mean inventive new stuff won't sell. Rom-coms are in, but there are a lot in the queue at pubs already. You can't write to trends; you'll never catch them! #askDVpit

we've been doing april and october but that is subject to change at any time #askdvpit