Hmm... stories that deal with relationships whether that is romantic, or siblings, or friendships. Stories that don’t back away from dealing with difficult topics but do it in an appropriate and nuanced way. Voice!

Using bestsellers are difficult because you are setting the bar really high for yourself and no one really knows if a book will become a bestseller or not. It’s usually best to use mid list books and/or explain why they make a good comp

There are so many paths into this industry. I’m was a Communication major. Some people study Creative Writing or Publishing or English or even Law. Another way is to get an internship

For me, voice is very important. I want to feel like I'm reading a novel, not a school text book. The concept of the story should be grabbing too, but it's voice that will ultimately have me keep reading or not

Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it. Just right a damn good book we can't say no to (and of course a good query to go with it)

Brainstorming new book ideas with my clients.

We look at one book at a time

For me it doesn’t really matter. If they jump right in and I’m lost immediately, I’ll look for the bookkeeping info, but a good query is a good query so order doesn’t matter

I can’t speak for anyone else, but I always look up authors before I even ask for pages. Not to see if they can market themselves, but to make sure they aren’t an asshole

The majority of querying authors are unpublished! Post-apocalyptic is difficult rn, but keep at it. Meanwhile get yourself a good critique partner (or several) and make sure your ms and query are as polished as you can make them.

Ideally you want one agent who reps all the things you write & can handle your whole career, so first step is researching to find agents who cover that range. Then query with your best ms & a short bio of pub credentials. Don't try to pitch 3 ms at once; that convo is for later.

TBH there's no one answer for this, it's different for every manuscript. I read as long as it holds my interest, I stop when I know it's not a good fit for me or my list. I do try to read at least 50 pages of each manuscript.

Ideally you query before the offer comes in from a publisher; otherwise you're dealing with a very tight turnaround. If you do have an offer already in hand, be upfront in queries that you have an offer from a publisher but would like an agent to advocate for you and your career.

You can mention it; just a line at the end that it was requested and is under consideration by X publisher is sufficient.

IMO, yes. Agents know industry standard terms & practices & have the experience to spot potential problems or red flags well before a novice author might. If you do not have publishing experience, then it's extremely valuable to get an advocate who does.

It shouldn't be a "he said she said" play-by-play, but it should cover each scene as it describes what happens, how characters react, and how this propels the story forward. It should include motivations, twists, and the ending. Here's a good resource: janefriedman.com/how-to-write-a…

Series potential is nice if the first book is a hit, but the agent will want to know what other ideas you have in case it isn't, They may even have insight that the book is better off as a standalone. It all depends, but it's important to discuss before accepting an offer.

Yes and no. An agent should be interested in your future works, not just the ms they're offering on, & what those future works should look like will be part of the initial conversation.

Always! Minimum 1 round of structural and 1 round of line edits, but we'll do as many rounds as necessary to get it into shape. I primarily use email but my clients know I'm always available for a call if needed.

I usually give each of them one short paragraph to intro their opening situation/goals/inciting incident, and then a third paragraph that ties their stories together.