Literary Agent
Catherine Ogston 💙 @CatherineOgston
#askagent Are you taking on YA at present? I have a complete manuscript, with positive feedback so far. TYWe do take on some YA, but not a huge amount. #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Christine Howie @fused_femme
@katenashagent Should you have your manuscript professionally edited before submitting to an agent? #askagentI wouldn't expect this, no, since agents generally like to help shape manuscripts ready for submission to publishers. #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Christine Howie @fused_femme
@katenashagent Should you have your manuscript professionally edited before submitting to an agent? #askagentAbsolutely not - we have taken authors on from all walks of life and for a number of reasons people don't have the money to be able to spend on an editor. But it is a good idea to get teh manuscript in as good a shape as you can before submitting. #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
Anne M Martin @AnneMMartinIrl
What is the best time of year to submit? I'm planning to query this year as am currently almost finished draft three of my novel #AskAgentWe're usually open for submissions all year round. I don't think that there is a good time, but I'd avoid the weeks around London Book Fair, Frankfurt Book Fair and Christmas, as we're pretty busy then! #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Anne M Martin @AnneMMartinIrl
What is the best time of year to submit? I'm planning to query this year as am currently almost finished draft three of my novel #AskAgentAgents are busy all the time so there really isn't good or bad times of year to submit. #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Alex Wholey @alex_wholey
In terms of rom coms, are you looking for a particular theme or setting? #AskAgentI'm looking for well rounded, great characters with a real problem in front of them in a story rather than particular themes and settings. Having said that settings are important in romcom, quirky is good and familiar settings equally good. #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
Richard @RichYorks
#AskAgent - On mixing genres: I am finishing off, second rewrite, a near future thriller and have concerns about mixing up genres. Any advice on how best to query and pitch this?I'd totally agree with Kate here - don't be worried about mixing genres, but do be clear what you are mixing and what the main thrust of the story is. #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
Richard @RichYorks
#AskAgent - On mixing genres: I am finishing off, second rewrite, a near future thriller and have concerns about mixing up genres. Any advice on how best to query and pitch this?My advice would be to decide which is the "lead" genre and which is the secondary "genre", i.e. is it a futuristic thriller or a thrilling SF. But at the same time don't be afraid to say it is a crossover in your submission if it really is. #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Natalie Valishvili @NValishvili
#AskAgent if you requested a full MS, what would be the main reasons to reject it and would you offer the opportunity to edit if you saw promise?There is always the chance that the writing doesn't grab us the way that the sample suggested, or that the plot doesn't go the way we were thinking from the synopsis. If there is enough promise, then I'm always up for an edit!
#AskAgent
Literary Agent
Alex Hawley @HawleyReviews
I'm currently writing a memoir; what would you say are the key things I need to do when providing a cover letter to an agent around this topic? #AskAgentMost important for me is: why should someone else care about what you are writing. Memoir can be intensely personal, but it is when that experience resonates with other people that is key.
#AskAgent
Literary Agent
Robbie Guillory @RobbieGuillory
@LauraGomezBooks Our submissions have been closed for a few months but are now open again! We'd love to see more psychological thrillers, more fantastic crime (I'd love some gangland), more romcoms!#AskAgent
Certainly we're always on the look out for crime and thrillers. It's the UK's biggest genre and so we can never have enough submissions here. #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Alex Hawley @HawleyReviews
Thanks to @katenashagent, @RobbieGuillory,@JustinNashLit and @NickChapLit my first question to the panel is as an aspiring writer what would you say are the important elements an agent can add? #AskAgent
Great question! I think that first and foremost we're here to help our authors have sustained and worthwhile careers. We look for the right editors at the right publishing houses for their writing, and then negotiate the best possible contracts. #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Helen Ward @writtenbyhelen
#AskAgent Is there a specific way you like to see cover letters written out? Do you prefer to have the author bio at the top or further down?We have some suggestions of what we would like to see in your covering letter (see link below). In terms of the order, my only "wish" is to see that one line elevator pitch at the start. #AskAgent katenashlit.co.uk/submissions/
Literary Agent
Laura Gomez @LauraGomezBooks
#AskAgent Are there any surprisingly common things in your subs at the moment? Or things you would love to see but aren't getting?Our submissions have been closed for a few months but are now open again! We'd love to see more psychological thrillers, more fantastic crime (I'd love some gangland), more romcoms!
#AskAgent
Literary Agent
Tim Bisset @timbisset
#askagent Hi, will you be doing another trends survey in 2021, and what do you think the key genres/trends will be in fiction in 2021?We likely will, but no firm plans as yet. I'm really interested in what happens to genres in 2021 - we're seeing a lot of interest in crossover fiction that can appeal to multiple reader types. Will this continue? #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Shell @thesparklyshell
@RobbieGuillory Does memoir count as non-fiction or should it be a complete ms for submission?Memoir would be nonfiction, I'd say!
#AskAgent
Literary Agent
Tim Bisset @timbisset
#askagent Hi, will you be doing another trends survey in 2021, and what do you think the key genres/trends will be in fiction in 2021?Good question. Yes, I really hope we'll be able to update our trends survey. A huge range of fiction is booming in popularity at the moment across all the main genres. I am wondering - with Bridgerton on Netflix - will the Regency romance make a comeback? #AskAgent