i'm still as behind on queries as always LOL

but really also, still peeking in looking for that spark :)

trends are so impossible (at least for the skeptic in me who always thinks "you never know") but i do wonder if we as a society will want even more happy things or perhaps even virtual-centered stories... but i think it always depends on the book itself. we break trends

i say website if you consider it an either/or situation

personally, i think this is fine!

the wishlist is only a snippet! it's SOME of what we're looking for in that one moment of time, but not the ONLY stuff we're looking for. we still want to be surprised, so go for it! (as long as it's in the categories/genres we actually rep)

yes!

i feel like it's different for everyone depending on their unique situations.. :/

there are! we have lots of plans in the coming years to expand what dvpit does and what we offer. just not sure the timeline yet!

i think it's safe to wait before getting into all those complex designs

oh this is a tough one bc i am so removed from that part of the industry but i am pretty sure pw.org has a lit agents database that you can sort by poetry? and then query per their specific submission guidelines (typically sending an email)

i don't have an opinion bc it depends on the writer's situation EXCEPT to say that it is not a mandatory thing to do before querying. if you have the means and it makes sense to you, then go for it. if you feel like you're "supposed to" or else can't query until you do -- nope

Querying in the Time of Covid-19--should authors be querying now. #askagent bookendsliterary.com/2020/03/20/que…

I have seen both--beside it w/a colon and under it in italics--and both looked ok to me. I think under it looks slightly tidier, and you can use italics or no formatting other than normal title capitalizations. #askagent

I would look at the agent's website to see if it says what the normal turnaround time is, and then give the agent 3-4 weeks beyond that. If it doesn't say, then maybe 3 months? #askagent

A good way to get me uninterested is to use a distant POV that describes a setting w/o giving me a character. Also telling writing (as opposed to showing). And action sequences w/ no sense of character or why something's happening. #askagent

Show me something different. Maybe a simile that expresses an emotion in way I've never seen before yet immediately understand. Anchor me in the character's POV and infuse the POV in the way you describe everything. And make sure there's some action. #askagent

Yes. There are books I passed on years ago that I still think about from time to time. But I passed on them because I couldn't figure out how to position them in the market (no publishers were looking for that kind of book), so I wouldn't change anything. #askagent

For your last question, each agent wants something different upfront, so you should check their website to see what they want. Sometimes it's just a query, sometimes it's a query & 3 sample chapters. I've never seen an agent who wants a complete manuscript upfront. #askagent

For your second question, I have never seen a MG or YA short story collection (apart from anthologies w/ multiple authors), so I don't think they're really a thing. Publishers are looking for MG and YA novels. #askagent

Hi Devon. To answer your first question, no, the vast majority of agents don't represent poetry, because it's very difficult to sell a collection of poetry. It's usually only if the poet is already well known from being published in prestigious literary magazines. #askagent