Literary Agent
Nervous Pilgrimage @nervouspilgrim
@RedPenKaitlyn Thanks for having an #askagentThis might be an odd question
Do you think, in the current literary market, that there's a place for Literary Fantasy. (Even if the genre doesn't technically exist).
There's a place, but it's a hard sell. Assuming this is Adult? The main thing is to ensure the worldbuilding is there and we can still feel connected to your character #askagent
Literary Agent
Theogar Monkagon @FourWholeMoons
@RedPenKaitlyn one of the big pieces of query advice I hear is to explain why you're applying to this agent, what about them appeals to you professionally. what should that usually look like, and how long should that section of the query be? put another way, what are the do's and don't's?Try no more than 1-2 sentences and only if you have a specific thing (like an exact MSWL post or you met them in person/attended a webinar). Otherwise, it's fine to just state you're submitting this work #askagent
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
Emily horrified, but still is at 32K words! @writeonwagner
@RedPenKaitlyn If an agent is closed and they have had your query for more than 3 months can you nudge? And if they don't reply is that a no?You can definitely nudge politely. If they don't reply, try again in another 2 or 3 months but after that, they may be employing "no answer means no". #askagent
Literary Agent
Kaitlyn Johnson @RedPenKaitlyn
@hwjohnston7 Adult Fantasy is hard. It's worth it, but hard because it really needs to be a great story w/ great worldbuilding and characters. There are far fewer editors for A Fantasy so sometimes it's harder to find the right fit #askagentPersonally, I prefer not in medieval times? I think we're all looking for something more unique #askagent
Literary Agent
H.W. Johnston @hwjohnston7
@RedPenKaitlyn #askagentHow well is adult fantasy doing? Is there a market for fantasy not set in medieval times?
Adult Fantasy is hard. It's worth it, but hard because it really needs to be a great story w/ great worldbuilding and characters. There are far fewer editors for A Fantasy so sometimes it's harder to find the right fit #askagent
Literary Agent
Elizabeth Holden @LizHolden1981
@RedPenKaitlyn Ooo, another one: thoughts on chapter length? Ideal length in Upper MG and YA? Also, how much do you think chapter length can vary in one book?There's no real limit here. Often, MG is shorter than YA but it depends on voice/style. I see all the time the chapters jump back and forth b/w long and short #askagent
Literary Agent
Suzanne Grove @suzannegrove
@RedPenKaitlyn Any tips/thoughts on querying same agent/agency with a new manuscript years later? I read somewhere that the same email address popping up more than once might get flagged as spam.Query Manager tells us if you've queried us before. BUT, if it's years later or you've done a significant revision on the title, you should be ok querying that same agent again #askagent
Literary Agent
Ana Gardner🦔 @whataremetaphor
@RedPenKaitlyn tysm for doing this #askagent How much info do you feel an author should put in query bio re: why they're writing that particular story? (e.g. explicitly 'i'm writing about x and y from my experience of x and y','this MC is x and so am i'? or let bio just imply those connections)Bio should be short and sweet. If you have a connection to why you're writing the story (for instance, sharing identity or it's about a certain career that you share/studied) then say that instead of the usual "place I live, family, etc." #askagent
Literary Agent
Elizabeth Parman @e_parman
@RedPenKaitlyn Is it ok to address agents by their first name to avoid assuming gender? Dear Ann vs. Dear Ms. Smith?Should we say,"because of your interest in X, I am querying you with TITLE." Agents know what they are looking for, but we also want to show we did our research.
#askagent
Literary Agent
Elizabeth Holden @LizHolden1981
@RedPenKaitlyn Are there any topics in MG that you see all the time and are sick of? (Particularly, are there some that querying authors may not realize just how common they are?)I see a lot of bullying storylines where that's all there is to it. I want it to be a bit deeper than simply dealing with bullies. Also still seeing a bunch of "suddenly having powers awaken" in a kid #askagent
Literary Agent
Deborah Byington @ByingtonDeborah
@RedPenKaitlyn @JoleneHaley What is the key to a good query?Show what is unique. What sets your story apart from those on shelves? Give us a reason to really want to dig into those pages #askagent
Literary Agent
AlainTheAuthor @Alain_Medel
@RedPenKaitlyn I query quite a bit. I’ve noticed that more often than not, my Facebook page is viewed and then I receive a rejection letter soon after. I’m not as active on social media as the average person. How much does social media go into an agent’s decision not to pursue a manuscript?social media is not a huge deal for agents (fiction agents) unless they notice something problematic on it. Otherwise, we usually assume we'll help the writer build their platform after becoming our client #askagent
Literary Agent
Michelle Young @michelle13136
@RedPenKaitlyn 1) What is the recommended word count for a YA fantasy?2) Do you have any author pet peeves?
Try to stay b/w 100-110k right now.
Mine really are authors who either really fight on every edit or aren't good at keeping up communication. Makes it very hard to do my job #askagent
Literary Agent
Evan Dave @EvanDave8
@RedPenKaitlyn, I know you said you're looking for non-Western myths and legends, but aren't big on retellings. Do you mind retellings if they are lesser known non-Western stories?Great question! I'd love retellings that aren't the ones we keep seeing recycled. non-Western stories would be WONDERFUL for this #askagent
Literary Agent
Jamie Lee Tucker @500daysofjamie
@RedPenKaitlyn Thank you for doing this!1. What is the highest wc you’d find generally acceptable for YA Fantasy if you saw it in a query? I’m looking at coming in around 110k and nervous that will be too high.
2. Do you feel like YA publishing is moving away from fantasy right now?
Try not to go over 110k. Many editors are asking for nothing over that. It's hard and there are outliers, but shoot for b/w 100-110k
Fantasy is always a hard sell, but it's worth it for fantastic pieces. I don't think it's so much looking away as taking a harder look #askagent
Literary Agent
Laken Slate @LakenSlate
@RedPenKaitlyn Hello! Many agents say they allow a submission of another manuscript after a rejection, but is this actually off-putting? If not, should one mention that they recently queried with another ms, or just start the letter fresh, without referencing the last query? Thank you!!I don't think it is unless we see we've passed on multiple from the same author. We know writers grow with time and with each new work so we don't judge based off passing on a past title #askagent I would start the letter fresh, though, and not mention the past rejection
Literary Agent
Michelle Young @michelle13136
@RedPenKaitlyn How much say does an author have in the cover design for their novel? What can an author do if they don't like it?Depends on the publisher. In my experience, the editors have talked with the author to get a sense of their vision for character, color scheme, type of cover they've pictured. But end decision is usually in the hands of the editor #askagent
Literary Agent
Danniela 🧚🏻🕸 @writewitDanni
@RedPenKaitlyn Hi Kaitlyn! How much does previous work published and/or social media platform factor into whether you sign an author? Can some relative unknown still get representation? #askagentIt doesn't! It's great to see but, especially in fiction, not necessary. Most of my clients did not have publishing creds beforehand. #askagent
Literary Agent
Amalie/A.R. Frederiksen @ARFrederiksen
@RedPenKaitlyn Thank you for doing this! What's an overdone cliché/trope in SFF that you're tired of seeing, even when it's done with a fresh, twisty perspective?Hmmmm that's tough. I feel like I see a lot of "reluctant hero" lately or "person suddenly has powers awaken in them". I'd love to see things that have the hook built in more to world/character instead of forced in #askagent