Literary Agent
View Post
Elizabeth MacKinney @Elizabe62668090
@julietpickering @mushenska Thank you both for doing this. Does a YA Fantasy novel have to be over 80,000 words, would between 60 - 70 be alright? I've seen so many opinions on this, I thought I'd ask for yours. Also, should a YA novel's chapters be roughly the same length thoughout?#askagent
It doesn't HAVE to be - I'm not a stickler for a padded word count if it feels unnecessary, but 60k would be considered on the short side and might mean some strands could be developed more #AskAgent
Literary Agent
View Post
Kathryn Sharman @SharmanKathryn
@julietpickering @mushenska Hi! If a novel is partly inspired by a real person / historical figure but is a totally fictionalised version of events, how much of this background would you wish to know about in the submission? #AskAgentI would mention it, just a brief line or two. #AskAgent
Literary Agent
View Post
There are some WILD questions on the #AskAgent Tumblr today and I live for it.
By the way I have a fair backlog of questions, but it's always fine to ask. I'm much more likely to answer questions that haven't been asked 300 times before! :-)
literaticat.tumblr.com
Literary Agent
View Post
Happy Mother’s Day everyone! 💐
I’m low-key doing an #AskAgent on my Instagram story, so check it out if you have any Qs. I’ll do my best to answer based on my knowledge/experiences so far. (instagram.com/thebibliopage_)
Literary Agent
View Post
R.H. Berry @AuthorRHBerry
@UweStenderPhD Are low wordcounts a dealbreaker? #askagentNot a dealbreaker, but they likely decrease the odds. Depends on the genre and the plot.
Literary Agent
View Post
CoriMeka @CoriMeka
@UweStenderPhD There's a lot of information out here about the ins and outs of publishing. Sometimes too much info can be either confusing or sometimes contradictory. What is the best source for diverse writers today? #askagentI would observe, consider, vet. In the age of social media there IS a lot of real and false info out there. Take your time, research, and draw your OWN conclusions.
Literary Agent
View Post
Lauri Kerns @KernsLauri
@UweStenderPhD How many agents should you query before deciding your WIP just isn’t working?I would not give up until I ran out of all LEGITIMATE agents.
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
View Post
whitney d. grandison writes 👨🏾💻 @whitney_DG
@UweStenderPhD Do literary agents rep scripts too, or a different agent does that?You mean screenplays? They are usually repped by talent agents.
Literary Agent
View Post
Vanessa E. @vanessaepeay
@UweStenderPhD Recently there was a lot going around about a new agent signing too many clients at once with very little experience. How does someone become a literary agent? It takes 4-6 years right? #askagentBecoming a literary agent is different from making a living. Realistically, yes, it takes about 5 years to make a living.
Literary Agent
View Post
Vanessa E. @vanessaepeay
@UweStenderPhD If you take on a new client, do you work on revisions with the author or do you get the book ready to submit #askagentI always work on revisions. No book is perfect.
Literary Agent
View Post
Kayla McGrath 📚 @KaylaMcGrath_
@UweStenderPhD How many clients do you sign each year on average? And how many full manuscripts do you normally request? ☺️Not that many. In 2019, I signed 7. But it all depends, could be more or less. I get a lot of queries. I probably request 12-15 a month.
Literary Agent
View Post
Amy Lange Kawamura @AmyLangeKawmura
@UweStenderPhD Hi, Thank you for doing this.Like many writers, the project I'd been working on is contemporary fiction..but I've been working on it for past two years..characters touch each other, no six foot rules. With COVID-19, are these manuscripts still wanted? 2019 era living. Thank you!
I would want it. This won't last forever.
Literary Agent
View Post
E R Hoffer (@🏠) @erhoffer
@UweStenderPhD What gives you hope nowadays? Asking for a friend.How relatively well Germany handles Covid-19. So, it is possible to be ok (ish). We'll get a treatment, a vaccine. This too shall pass.
Literary Agent
View Post
Andy Roe @AndyRoe_
@mushenska #askagent when an agent asks for comparitive novels, how much explanation of the similarities would you expect to see?Not much - could just be 'it would sit alongside novels like X and Y' #askagent
Literary Agent
View Post
Juliet Mushens @mushenska
@TheGolfWidows Definitely finish and polish the whole thing before sending off. I typically respond within 2 weeks, and it's not great to email asking to see a full book and it not be ready! also, I tend to believe that the ending of the book will inform the beginning too #AskAgente.g. you might finish the book and realise that the main character actually hasn't ended up being the main character, or that it should be third person not first person, or you've written yourself into a corner and need to get out. All things which would impact opening #AskAgent
Literary Agent
View Post
Ian C Jones @TheGolfWidows
#askagentAt what point should someone send their first 3 chapters to an agent. As it normally takes 6 to 12 weeks for a response then is it right the book does not need to be finished as long as finished within the agents timeframe?
Definitely finish and polish the whole thing before sending off. I typically respond within 2 weeks, and it's not great to email asking to see a full book and it not be ready! also, I tend to believe that the ending of the book will inform the beginning too #AskAgent
Literary Agent
View Post
L M Coker @Lola81701535
#AskAgent Importance of genre: do you have to adhere to the rules of particuar genres or can they be bent (ever so slightly)? For example, an element of Fantasy in an otherwise absolutely normal world. Thank you.I would say it's easier to pitch and sell a book which is mainly X, but elements of Y, than a true mash-up of X and Y #AskAgent
Literary Agent
View Post
Wendy Pratt @wondykitten
Stupid question: are writers always expected to fully complete a manuscript before approaching an agent? And do the same rules apply for both fiction and non fiction? #AskAgentYes, for fiction you need to finish the novel #AskAgent
Literary Agent
View Post
Alex Thornber @nucosi
A few years ago I received positive feedback from a few agents about my short story collection but they ultimately passed due to publishers not really buying collections, has that changed much recently? As a bookseller I see more and more collections being published. #askagentI love short stories but their sales in the UK are always modest - even collections by established authors tend to see lower sales than their novels. In the US there's a much bigger market #AskAgent