Kelly is CLOSED to Queries @LitAgentKelly · 24 Aug 2019
Dylan Armstrong @astrongwriter
@LitAgentKelly How often do you get terrible query letters? What do you do when you get one?Everyday. š Did you see the mass email that went out to agents the other day asking for bidders for each word in the query?! And usually if the first page is no good, and the query is no good, itās an automatic rejection. :(
Kelly is CLOSED to Queries @LitAgentKelly · 24 Aug 2019
DL Timmermanš² @dltauthor
@LitAgentKelly About how long do you read a manuscript before deciding itās for you or not?Usually agents can and will know if itās not for us within the first 25-ish pages. But thereās also the manuscripts that are amazing until about the 100 page mark and then start falling apart. Those are the toughest. :(
Kelly is CLOSED to Queries @LitAgentKelly · 24 Aug 2019
Kelly š @LitAgentKelly
@75thandYeadon Is it fiction or nonfiction? The best way is to really dig deep into what your manuscript is and what type of person you work well with. Be honest about your strengths and weaknesses and what you would want in a working partnership! Then go and honestly google the crap out ofAgents and agencies. Find ones you get a good vibe from. Read their websites, their #MSWL pages and tweets, their āabout meā and what they stand for. Write all the ones down that appeal to you and who rep manuscripts and books similar to yours. :)
Kelly is CLOSED to Queries @LitAgentKelly · 24 Aug 2019
Bria Thompson @75thandYeadon
@LitAgentKelly How do you find a agent thatās best for you and your book? What Iām working on is a collection of essays with corresponding photographs and not only am I unsure how to format it in a manuscript but Iām unsure if thereās an agent who would even want it when itās doneIs it fiction or nonfiction? The best way is to really dig deep into what your manuscript is and what type of person you work well with. Be honest about your strengths and weaknesses and what you would want in a working partnership! Then go and honestly google the crap out of
Kelly is CLOSED to Queries @LitAgentKelly · 24 Aug 2019
Bethany Simonsen is querying again @Bethanyrambles
@LitAgentKelly @DMandzz Follow up question, if that's okay. How do you see sales for upper MG going lately? I know I've seen a lot of kids who want it, and authors who want to write it, but are publishers starting to invest in it?Trending UP! YA is super saturated right now and a lot of publishers have been asking for more MG projects. Positive side for MG authors. :)
Kelly is CLOSED to Queries @LitAgentKelly · 24 Aug 2019
ZeZe @0zezezz
@LitAgentKelly Hi! Should I query to multiple agents simultaneously? What happens if multiple agents give an offer? Do you turn some down?Yes, query simultaneously! Usually authors query in rounds (some 10-15 agents at a time, Iād assume?) and when they get enough rejections, move on to another round. If multiple agents offer, then yes, you will have to turn some down by the deadline given!
Kelly is CLOSED to Queries @LitAgentKelly · 24 Aug 2019
Bethany Simonsen is querying again @Bethanyrambles
@LitAgentKelly I know agents talk about MSs they like but don't love enough to rep. Do agents sign writers for a project they DO love, and then reconsider those other MSs?Meaning from the same person? Yes. @briston_brooks is my perfect example of this! She sent me 3 manuscripts before being signed, and weāre now going back over the other two and talking about revisions and how to best sell them in the market. :)
Kelly is CLOSED to Queries @LitAgentKelly · 24 Aug 2019
M.D. Parker is not really here @MDParkerwrites
@LitAgentKelly When querying how would you want it explained if a book has a "hidden" (but obvious) biblical element as a major piece of the story & characters but IS NOT a "christian" or "religious" book? The book is Sci-fi horror.Iād say donāt mention it, in all honesty. š¤·š¼āāļø Let the reader figure it out for themselves!
Kelly is CLOSED to Queries @LitAgentKelly · 24 Aug 2019
R.H. Berry š³ļøāš @AuthorRHBerry
@LitAgentKelly @Michelle4Laughs When (if ever) is it okay to resend a query to an agent who has previously rejected it?Usually if the manuscript has undergone large revisions, it can be requeried after a longer period of time with the statement that it has gone through major revisions. :)
Kelly is CLOSED to Queries @LitAgentKelly · 24 Aug 2019
Saimira Tola-Khouw @tolasaimira
@LitAgentKelly Any tips / advice for a new writer from outside the US?Join online writing groups and find friends, and build a community physically near you, too! Youāll need the friends in this industry!
Kelly is CLOSED to Queries @LitAgentKelly · 24 Aug 2019
Sahar Rahimi @Dawnfulness
@LitAgentKelly Hi!! Thanks for this! Would you recommend writing and trying to get your "best book" represented first? Or to focus on other books to build skill and a platform before you work on the book you think will be most successful? #askagentWork on the books you want to work on. There is something to be said about practicing and getting skill behind you first, but many people canāt force themselves to write something theyāre not feeling then and there. Plus, you could always go back and revise!
Kelly is CLOSED to Queries @LitAgentKelly · 24 Aug 2019
Nancy Lumgair @NancyLumgair
@LitAgentKelly Should someone working towards their debut novel work on a standalone novel vs a series that they're unsure they could make the 1st work as a standalone?Work on what you want to work on, and the rest will fall into place. :) Both cycle in and out of popularity, so thereās a time for both and people differ on these decisions, too!
Kelly is CLOSED to Queries @LitAgentKelly · 24 Aug 2019
āØ Elayna Mae Darcy š @elaynamae
@LitAgentKelly I see a lot of agents say they specifically don't rep poetry, but my YA SFF novel has poetry as an element (one at the start of each chapter) Should I let that deter me from querying those agents, or give it a try anyway since poetry is not the bulk of the book? #AskAgentIf itās just a short poem at the beginning of each chapter, I donāt think it will necessarily deter an agent from repping you if they like your story otherwise. When they say they donāt rep poetry (most donāt) weāre saying full books of poems/poetry.
Kelly is CLOSED to Queries @LitAgentKelly · 24 Aug 2019
Emily Beecher @The_EmilyB
@LitAgentKelly @CooksUpAStory What's the best way to not awkwardly nudge an agent to get back to you (when their submissions say you'll hear back within xx)?You can just respond to the email and say that their submissions say to check back within this time and you were wondering if they had gotten to it yet. But you understand theyāre busy and if they havenāt gotten to it yet, no biggie. Just checking in. Itās pretty normal!
Kelly is CLOSED to Queries @LitAgentKelly · 24 Aug 2019
Kiana Harris @Kiana_Tamarie
@LitAgentKelly Hi Kelly! Thank you so much for doing this! šHow do you feel about softer-hearted and quieter heroines in an MS? Do you find them more difficult to connect to or does it really just depend on the voice and overall story?
It depends on the voice and overall story! It also depends on the stakes and agency, because if itās quieter in voice as well as stakes and agency, it will be a tough sell to most publishers.
Kelly is CLOSED to Queries @LitAgentKelly · 24 Aug 2019
Kate_Robertson šØš¦ @K8rs_gonna_Kate
@LitAgentKelly Do agents keep their clients when they switch agencies? What happens if they take a maternity/paternity or any other type of leave?Sometimes! It depends on the agency contracts and who/what they sign with. Thereās many stipulations for this matter in the contract itself, so read them carefully. And usually theyāll either still work, or theyāll have a trusted colleague or assistant help while theyāre in leave
Kelly is CLOSED to Queries @LitAgentKelly · 24 Aug 2019
GL Francis @merelecroix
@LitAgentKelly Separate question: how much does a publication resume weigh in on an agent's decision whether to ask for more on a query?In my experience, we look for authors who have experience in the industry and who can market themselves, so seeing this background is always nice. However, if the story or voice doesnāt fit us, thereās not much a huge bio will do to fix that.
Kelly is CLOSED to Queries @LitAgentKelly · 24 Aug 2019
Jacob Ryckman @JTRyckman
@LitAgentKelly @CortneyRadocaj Is there any chance of getting published without going to conferences? As a full-time teacher, my time during the school year is suuuuuper limited.Of course! I have actually not signed any authors from conferences yet, and all of my current clients have been from Twitter pitch events, writing events (like @PitchWars), and the slush pile!
Kelly is CLOSED to Queries @LitAgentKelly · 24 Aug 2019
Corey McCafferty @coreywrites
@LitAgentKelly Is it annoying, bad form to send revisions of a MS after receiving agent feedback to agents who still have your full out? #askagentYou can send an email explaining the situation to the agents who have your manuscript if youād like. I donāt really see it as annoying, as I feel like it happens quite often.
Kelly is CLOSED to Queries @LitAgentKelly · 24 Aug 2019
Kahlan Strop, Author {is on hiatus} @AuthorStrop
@LitAgentKelly What do you look for in the first page of a novel? What grabs you?Voice, character goals, and drive!