Literary Agent
Literary Agent
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Shaina Stacy @sstacy06
@UweStenderPhD Should you include your self-pubbed credentials in the query? How much does the success (or failure) of that prior work affect your decision, or do agents usually go solely by the pitch? (Pitching a new book, of course, not the title that is already self-published.)I don't think it matters that much either way. The focus is on thus current title.
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Michael De Groote @DeGroote
@UweStenderPhD @tnielsenhayden wrote in her famous "slushkiller" blogpost that about 75% of submissions can be eliminated because the author is "functionally illiterate," or worse. Another 24% or so are plagiarizing, etc. Only about 1% are remotely publishable. Is this your experience?No.
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Susan Gray Foster @susangrayfoster
@UweStenderPhD Would you call a novel in which there is just one fantasy element Magical Realism, or Low Fantasy, or something else? The setting is NOT contemporary real world. It’s a place that could exist in some time period, but doesn’t. Thank you!Tough question, probably magical realism. Maybe google it to find consensus.
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Vanessa Seijo @VanessaSeijo
@UweStenderPhD I’ve noticed a lot of recent YA Fantasy seems to jump right into the plot. Is there no space for stories that build up to the precipitating incident or is that classic fantasy and no longer a desirable thing?You need to hook people. Draw them in, then you can let them breathe a little.
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ElizabethWrites @ElizabethWrite4
@UweStenderPhD What's your ideal comp format in a query? Comps are eating me alive.A book or a movie or TV show. Preferably recent, but I don't necessarily care.
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Margot Kidder Gilmore @GrannyRocko
@UweStenderPhD Thanks for doing this! Is now a bad time to query? Should people who are ready wait until things have stabilized a bit with the pandemic or are agents eager to read right now?I would query. Yes, times are bad, but you can't stop living. And don't stop working on your dreams.
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Kari Veenstra @KariVeenstra_
@UweStenderPhD Any advice for an author who's debut has been affected by this virus? My boom launched 2 weeks before this happened and now all my author events at local bookstores and all my school visits have been cancelled. 😔#askagent
I am really sorry about that. "If you can't be out in the world on tour, tour online." <quoting AAR>
You can promote live streams via your email newsletters, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc , Facebook Events, Eventbrite. I am sure others have additional, even better ideas.
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Sarah Christine @sarahchristcua
@UweStenderPhD What’s the last query that made you laugh? In a good way or a bad way!In a bad way, it was the one who suffered from grandiosity. In a good way, it was a comic strip query.
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SabrinaCVienneau @sabrina38063062
@UweStenderPhD I’ve been waiting for the chance to ask this, so thanks! I have a fun MG mystery to query. Issue is, it is set on a cruise ship. Given Covid-19 environment, should I hold off querying? Or given that it is such a long tail to publication, go ahead and query?I would query. If you fear querying a story set on a cruise ship because of Covid-19, then nobody should query a book set in the USA.
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Kristi McManus 🛫 @kristimcmanus
@UweStenderPhD What is the average length of time it takes you to consider a full ms? Thanks for this! #askagentThat depends. I strive for 3 months at the longest, but sometimes I screw up...usually it is 6 weeks.
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J.D. Matthew @JDMatthew2
@UweStenderPhD Thanks for doing an #askagent !I know not to expect an answer from every agent (you guys are busy, too). If they don’t say anything about nudging, what’s a good rule of thumb for that? And—ballpark figure—how long without a response equals a no?
I always respond unless I don't rep a genre, or the guidelines are ignored, so I can't answer this. I'd follow up after 3 months & if I did not hear back after that, I'd either conclude they're not interested, or I messed up following guidelines, or they are an unsufferable jerk.
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Vanessa @vanessaepeay
@UweStenderPhD on a manuscript how should a potential client handle notifying other agents who have the full manuscript?I always assume you query many others. IF you have an offer of rep, let the others know.
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Vanessa @vanessaepeay
@UweStenderPhD If someone querying you recently parted with their agent or the agent left the business, should the agent be mentioned in the query to you?Why not? But if you don't want to say in your query, that is fine, but I will ask before I offer.
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Literary Agent
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Dori needs to be writing @youfounddori
@UweStenderPhD If a novel idea can work both as an upper YA book (17 year old teens) OR an adult fiction (just change the ages and tweak the plot a bit) would you tell the author you're representing which you think would sell better if they asked for advice?Yes, I would.
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Nancy Parish @nancyparish
@UweStenderPhD But sometimes you can start out as friends and then the relationship grows. Do you ever request b/c a manuscript intrigues you even though you may not love it?#askagentI would not know if I love a manuscript unless I read it. But I wouldn't read it, unless I am attracted to it in a query.
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Carl Mills @cmills9261
@UweStenderPhD @JasonHuebinger How many swears are allowed in a title?For me: none. I think they are unnecessary attention seekers.
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Anup 📝📚 @anuponthenet
@UweStenderPhD In these times, what are you reading? only if you wish to share. thanks.Anything in German written by German writers. It makes me feel at home and connected to my roots.
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Stephanie L. WARD 🦄💖 @StephaineWard
@UweStenderPhD How is COVID19 affecting the number of MS agents will take on this year?#askagent
I can't answer for others. Assuming I stay healthy, I keep doing what I do.