Literary Agent
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Kaylen Wade @kaylen_wade
@msmariavicente Why might an agent not report all their sales to Publishers Marketplace, assuming enough time has passed that it’s not a secret anymore? #askagentThank you!
This is so specific to each agent, client, book. One reason might be that it’s a work-for-hire project, so while the agent may have negotiated an offer/contract, they didn’t technically “sell” the project. That’s just an example though!
Literary Agent
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Caitlin Cross @caitlincross
@msmariavicente @ericsmithrocks I’m getting close to the end of the first draft of my YA contemporary rock stars WIP and I’m wondering as I go into editing mode, how much swearing is too much for YA? Lol not sure if there’s a specific ~limit~ but if you have any insight, that’d be great! Thank you! 😊I wouldn’t use curse words unnecessarily, but teens definitely swear so I think it makes a ms pretty authentic. It’s something that can always be edited down later depending on the publisher.
Literary Agent
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SheGoesON @shegoeso
@msmariavicente @ericsmithrocks Any advice for someone interested in becoming an agent? Google searches have been very unhelpful.Internships at agencies are the way to go. You need to learn from someone actually in the role.
Literary Agent
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Elizabeth @EliMartinsBooks
@msmariavicente @ericsmithrocks How long would you like an author to wait to follow up to a query or full request, if at all?Agency websites typically have guidelines posted for response times, especially for queries. So wait until after that. I’d wait 4-6 months to ask on an update for a full ms request.
Literary Agent
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KRISTINE ESSER SLENTZ @KESLENTZ
@msmariavicente @ericsmithrocks Good morning! I'm a poet but write a lot of hybrid and cross-genre work. Is there a place for me in publishing/obtaining an agent? If so, is there a best strategy?Of course there is! Find books similar to what you’re writing and see where they were published, who represents those authors. Should be a good starting point.
Literary Agent
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Ian Roy @ian_roy
@msmariavicente Good morning. I've been seeing an increasing number of smaller presses acquiring titles via agents. Is this more common now? Or have I just been oblivious to this practice?It has always happened. Sometimes they’re the best fit for a book. And even though smaller pubs might accept unagented submissions, creators might want an agent to help negotiate offers, contracts, etc.
Literary Agent
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Ian Sandusky @IanSandusky
@msmariavicente Hi! Horror seems to be a seldom-listed category on most agent's lists - out of curiosity, is there a reason for it?No reason other than personal preference, I don’t think. Some peoplw just don’t like horror.
I’ve personally noticed an increasing interest in horror. Maybe search for agents looking for “speculative” fiction rather than horror specifically?
Literary Agent
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Colleen Hennessy @colleenhenness4
@msmariavicente Morning, is there any point in querying agents with essay collection or should I focus on trying to get individ essays published in lit journals first? Have previous freelance journ pubs but no literary. Thanks!Great question! If the overall concept for the collection is unique enough, it will intrigue agents. However, having essays in prominent publications will help sell the book to publishers.
Literary Agent
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S.P. Sabo @S_P_Sabo
@laurenspieller I’m late to the party, but I have a question.Does it give you red flags if a writer says their MS is a mixture of different genres? My MS doesn’t fit neatly into one category and my beta readers say they’ve never read anything like it. If it’s a good story, does genre matter?
I love things that blend genre but at the end of the day I need to know what shelf this book is going to sit on. #askagent
Literary Agent
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Lauren Spieller 📖 @laurenspieller
Honestly I am torn about this because on the one hand I do think revealing your age might color the agent’s perspective, but I also like to know when I am talking to someone underage because I am far more likely to give specific feedback should I pass. (1/2) twitter.com/MarlaTerry1/st…That being said: I have a client who was 17 when I signed her! Her writing was fantastic and when we moved forward I made sure to speak with her parents so that they would be involved. We also had them co-sign her agency agreement. (2/2) #askagent
Literary Agent
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LBurd is querying @LisaBurdige
@laurenspieller I heard you are not supposed to call your work "literary" aka a "literary contemporary fantasy" because it's not to you to decide if your work is "literary." Is that true? And thanks for doing thisNope! In publishing, literary refers to style and genre more than it does quality. If you are writing Literary Fantasy then you should absolutely call it that. #askagent
Literary Agent
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M. Barbier @queen_mab1
@laurenspieller If you’ve sent an agent additionally requested pages and not heard back after a while (months), is there a length of time later at which it is polite to email them to ask whether they’ve had a chance to review the pages? Or is that frowned upon? Thanks!You can absolutely nudge! This is your work and your career so you should always feel comfortable following up as long as a reasonable amount of time has passed. (Personally I think six weeks is reasonable but others might disagree). #askagent
Literary Agent
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Leslie Scott @leslieSwrites
@laurenspieller When you reject a manuscript you actually liked (but didn't fit right for you), do you ask for a resub of other projects? If so, do you remember those authors down the line when they do resub?Yes and yes (though it helps if they remind me in their query if I’ve read something of theirs before!) #askagent
Literary Agent
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Crystal Lamb @CrystalLambLit
@laurenspieller Hey there (and thanks). How soon after a MS is rejected by one agent in the same agency would it be acceptable to query another agent on a different MS? I've always wondered that. Thanks a bunch for taking questions!As long as there’s no official rule, you can query right away #askagent
Literary Agent
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Maureen O’Leary @Maureenow
@laurenspieller Do you have any thoughts about building a career writing adult and young adult fiction? Is this a difficult sort of career to manage?Tons of people do this. See: Heard, Schwab, Bardugo, Oliver. #askagent
Literary Agent
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annemarie @annemariepett
@laurenspieller Do you have any recs on a book that does one element of craft really well? Like, a book with great pacing, or unique voice?Ooo fun! Off the top of my head:
Voice: GIDEON or The Bartimaeus Trilogy
Pacing: Hunger Games or Six of Crows
Worldbuilding: SCORPIO RACES or COLDEST GIRL IN COLD TOWN
#askagent
Literary Agent
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Susan Johnston Taylor @UrbanMuseWriter
Do you prefer paginated or non-paginated PB MS from author-onlies? I’ve heard that some agents like to see how the author envisions the story unfolding/they’ve thought about pacing, while others find page #s distracting. #askgzlaLooks like we missed this one ... if you KNOW the page turns and they affect the story, AOK, but typically, non-paginated is fine. #askGZLA
Literary Agent
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Alice Arley 🍗🍁🥧 @AliceArley
What makes a MG manuscript "too dark"? I see some work getting this label (or at least very dark). Are there certain topics that lead to this label? Anything you strongly advise to avoid? Or is it just more the suspense/creep factor worked in regardless of topic?#askGZLALooks like we missed this one. Hmmmm. I wouldn't avoid anything, just know what you're writing and stick with it. If it's dark (creepy and gory), you'll know it, I think! #askGZLA
Literary Agent
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Anup 📝📚 @anuponthenet
#askgzla I have wondered what you are trying to look at when you ask, "How you came to write that story"Is there a deeper meaning?
I love knowing why a story is important to a writer! It’s something i usually ask when offering rep. I wanna know why they’re invested because i wanna be just as invested #askgzla
Literary Agent
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Alice Arley 🍗🍁🥧 @AliceArley
What makes a MG manuscript "too dark"? I see some work getting this label (or at least very dark). Are there certain topics that lead to this label? Anything you strongly advise to avoid? Or is it just more the suspense/creep factor worked in regardless of topic?#askGZLAI think it’s less about content and more about how it’s delivered #askgzla