Literary Agent
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Laura Danks @auradanks
@mushenska @LouiseWalters12 On that topic, do you see an author who intentionally wrote/published commercial fiction to learn/raise her profile and prove she can navigate the publishing industry as a plus when reading their queries? (this in regards to new projects only) Thank you. #askagentIt won’t harm your chances! But I’m generally mostly interested in the novel you’re submitting #askagent
Literary Agent
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Alexandra Wilson @amwilson_opera
#askagent How common is it for an agent to recommend an author change their proposed novel title? Do you have very strong feelings about titles that work/don't work and/or any tips?I probably chat with most debut authors about a possible change of title. I think it's quite important. My top tip is to try and get conflict in the title. #AskAgent
Literary Agent
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Daphne @daphlt
Do things like shortlisting in contests/awards for unagented writers help distinguish someone when they submit to an agent? #askagentYes certainly mention this in your submission letter. #AskAgent
Literary Agent
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Mark, The Forever Struggling Writer @StrugglingMJ
I always like to look for master works to learn from. You may not be able/want to answer this, but what's your favourite opening scene from a book you rep or have read? 😁 #askagent"I write this sitting in the kitchen sink" - Dodie Smith, I Capture the Castle. #AskAgent
Literary Agent
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Kate Nash @katenashagent
@AlexClarkes At our agency submissions have always been open and we get huge volumes of submissions. Our agency supports diversity / low income bursaries with RNA and CWA and I make effort to attend events around UK to promote how accessible literary agents are. #AskAgentPS It's a myth that you need connections to get a literary agent. Agencies invest huge resource in reading unsolicited work writers send in. We can do more to educate that submissions are open but the fact is they are open. #AskAgent
Literary Agent
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Daphne @daphlt
Do things like shortlisting in contests/awards for unagented writers help distinguish someone when they submit to an agent? #askagentFor me it is something that will get your submission read sooner. #AskAgent
Literary Agent
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K.T. Stewart @writerteakits
If agents ask for a cover letter and pages to be pasted in the body of the e-mail, do they expect a synopsis along with this, or should I only include a synopsis if they explicitly ask for it? #askagentI’d only include if they specifically ask #askagent
Literary Agent
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Kathleen Small @KLSmall_Author
@mushenska @julietpickering I’m selecting agents to query and found one that sounds like my dream agent but she’s “temporarily closed to submissions.” Any advice? Keep looking? Check back regularly?Contact another agent at her agency who is open? #askagentI would sub to everyone else on your list and check back in a month or so #askagent
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
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Andrew Crowther @AndrewJCrowther
#askagent I've seen it suggested that most agents are not interested in representing novellas. Is that true?Yes, largely because it’s a hard market to crack even if you’re a successful novelist - much like short story collections in the U.K. #askagent
Literary Agent
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suzan collins @suzancollins
Thank you for doing this. Is it important to say in the query letter that you are active on social media? And if it is how many of one’s links should the writer include? #askagentI think it is interesting to see, but doesn't really come into my decision making process tbh #askagent
Literary Agent
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🌺🌸Alex Clarke🌸🌺 @AlexClarkes
Without open submissions, can agencies really be seen to be doing enough to attract writers from marginalised backgrounds who don’t have (and can’t always make) the connections needed to recommend them? If so, what does this say about the industry and writing today? #askagentAt our agency submissions have always been open and we get huge volumes of submissions. Our agency supports diversity / low income bursaries with RNA and CWA and I make effort to attend events around UK to promote how accessible literary agents are. #AskAgent
Literary Agent
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Dr Beatrice Anobah MBBS @anobah_beatrice
Hullo! Thnx again for taking time out to answer our Qs. Do you have any advice for writers who are going to have "the call" with a prospective agent? (I'm way off from being in that position, but v. grateful for the opportunity to ask agents this Q!) #askagentI would enjoy it! Ask their editorial vision, who they would submit to, and how they handle foreign and US rights #askagent
Literary Agent
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Samya Mitra @MrSamyaMitra
Do agents normally prefer writers belonging nearby to one living far, say, in India (especially debutants approaching them with submissions) because at least initially, long distance wouldn't work what with lunch meetings and contract negotiations and/or other thing? #askagentSome of my authors live on the other side of the world - the joy of the internet and Skype/zoom and email! #askagent
Literary Agent
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D. V. Bishop @davidbishop
Been seeing a lot of stories with animal, bird or inanimate object narrators.How hard a sell is a novel with such a narrator? #askagent
This is a very annoying answer but it depends on the book! #askagent
Literary Agent
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Alexandra Wilson @amwilson_opera
#askagent How common is it for an agent to recommend an author change their proposed novel title? Do you have very strong feelings about titles that work/don't work and/or any tips?This does happen on occasion, and often publishers will want to change a title. It depends on so many factors - genre being one of the more common ones. #AskAgent
Literary Agent
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Austin Donnelly Writes 🐾 @austin_writes
@julietpickering Hi can I ask - when it comes to querying, for a previously self published author, I understand that book sales will be considered. For one book -what sort of sales constitute ‘fairly solid’ and what statistics would be required - is it the Amazon sales charts etc #askagentI wouldn’t need a chart or anything just broad brushstroke eg ‘it sold 10k copies’ #askagent
Literary Agent
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Feargus Woods Dunlop @thisactorslife
@mushenska @julietpickering #AskAgent How do you weigh current mood/outside factors when reading submissions? Are you able to disappear completely inside the created world in just three chapters?Sometimes I’m just not in the right mood for reading so I tend to stop and give up for the day and try again the next #askagent
Literary Agent
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Mark, The Forever Struggling Writer @StrugglingMJ
How commercial is literary fiction and is it a popular genre taken up by agents?#askagentIt is a pretty popular genre, but very competitive. @KNLitAgency has some bestseller stats pinned. #AskAgent
Literary Agent
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Mark, The Forever Struggling Writer @StrugglingMJ
How commercial is literary fiction and is it a popular genre taken up by agents?#askagentLots of agents do represent literary fiction. I don't. You can easily check but looking up what individual agents represent, on their websites etc. #AskAgent