Literary Agent
Amber A. Logan @AmberAnnLogan
@UweStenderPhD What criteria do you use for deciding which small publishers are worth submitting to? Thanks for doing this.If they are legitimate in terms of contracts.
Literary Agent
Ari Augustine @SouffleLumiere
@UweStenderPhD How would you (based on your experience) define “quiet” stories, and do you enjoy them?I guess it means not a lot of action...and yes. I love narrative voice over drama.
Literary Agent
A.A.ALEJO @aaalejo1
@UweStenderPhD Would you rep a latinx writer?Of course, why wouldn't I?
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
Chelsea Covington Maass @chelseasfiction
@UweStenderPhD Thanks for doing these #askagent sessions! They are helpful.In your experience, is a more literary voice harder to sell in YA?
Not necessarily. There are imprints who cater to more commercial content, and others who do to more literary content.
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
Danica Redfern (They/She) @Philosapphica
@UweStenderPhD Do you prefer a query to cover only first act, or the entire scope? And if you prefer the former, any tips for getting it across that there is much more to come after the initial conflict of a first act?Entire scope, please. But more in short form.
Literary Agent
Tesse Struve @StruveTesse
@UweStenderPhD Happy birthday to your nephew! If an agent wants to make an offer of rep on a full, do they need to run it by the head of the agency or are they able to offer rep on their own? Thank you! 😄I will tell him. I can only speak for Triada US. They can offer to anyone.
Literary Agent
Nenia | Author & Speaker @NeniaCorcoran
@UweStenderPhD Happy birthday to your nephew! 🥳Will you still look at first chapters if the query is just okay? Or does the query completely determine whether you’re going to read further?
Thank you, I will tell him. I am only judging by the query. BUT all the other 5 agents at Triada US will judge after 10 pages, so ignore me.
Literary Agent
Dr. Sara Kapadia @sarakapadia
@UweStenderPhD If an agent already has a client from the same culture as the querying author does that affect the agent's decision? #askagentI can't speak for others, but for me it makes zero difference. I have to deal with so many Americans, and I still sign them.
Literary Agent
Crystal J. Bell @WritingLEOW
@UweStenderPhD For querying writers/debut submissions do you believe that MS's with a slower build/beginning pace is acceptable (dependent on the story) or is quick-paced and grabby a requirement now?I like slower build, but sadly much of the deciding industry does not. HOWEVER, the slower build has to have EXCEPTIONAL voice, even for me.
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
FayeC @Siennafrst
@FlanneryLitera1 For full requests, is it a guarantee that we would eventually get a response at some point? I don’t want to bug agents unnecessarily, or should I? How far do you read on average before you reject a full? What’s the percentage of a full rejection?I can only speak for myself here. I will respond to every full MS request, typically in 3-6 months. It's dependent on how much other work I get. I do have to pass on far more than I request. We're a small agency so there is only so much I can take on.
Literary Agent
D.S. Allen @keepersoftalamh
@FlanneryLitera1 I've heard opposite advice on this--should I specify "upper" MG in my query if that's the intended audience? I've gotten feedback that the narrative voice might not be MG, but there's a broad range and my ms is definitely not intended for the lower rangeI use upper and lower when I pitch my clients' books for pb, mg, and ya. Kids reading level isn't dependent on age.
Literary Agent
Nicole Boik @nikkiboik
@FlanneryLitera1 Thank you for offering to answer questions!I have 2 manuscripts for PBs that are specifically for children with relapsed cancer. I have years of experience working with this population, but no writing experience. Is this likely too narrow for an agent or publisher to accept?
Children who are experiencing a relapse in cancer won't be the only kids reading. We read to learn, develop empathy, and understand the world outside our own experiences. Focus more on the quality of your writing.
Literary Agent
Deborah Williams @Chamamama2000
@FlanneryLitera1 Are PB biographies on hold til the school and library market gets back to normal?The market was saturated with PB bio - however markets change and I'm seeing PB bios on editor MSWL. If you have a polished MS ready, query.
Literary Agent
Jeannette Lee @jnetalee
@FlanneryLitera1 Will an agent be interested in representing an author who has only one completed/polished PB ms? Or are agents only looking for PB authors who have a handful of polished manuscripts?For me it's not about quantity of MS, but the quality of the MS.
Literary Agent
Malia Maunakea Writes @MaliaMaunakea
@FlanneryLitera1 Thanks for this! If you pay for a critique from an editor at a publisher your (future) agent is still able to sub to them, right? Paying them for a critique that they offer at conference doesn't ruin your chances of subbing to them in the future when your MS is polished, correct?Correct. Let your agent know this info. Could be helpful in the pitch letter.
Literary Agent
Kathryn Faye @KathrynFaye007
@FlanneryLitera1 How long do you think an author should wait until nudging agents on fulls and partials? Not all agencies list time ranges on their websites.If a full MS is requested, when you send it ask when you can follow up. If no answer is given, follow up in 3-6 months. I try to let writers know when they can expect to hear from me and, if they don't, to follow up.
Literary Agent
Joel Chalmers 📚🌲 #amquerying @PBWriterJoel
@FlanneryLitera1 Thanks for taking a few questions!📚What has drawn you to represent #kidlit?
What is your favorite part of being an agent?
If a PB query checks all your boxes in a good way, do you ask for more PB manuscripts? If so, do you like to see a range of stories or more of the same? pic.twitter.com/uSYl00yENM
I love kidlit because it is fearless and sparks the love of reading for many. I love watching a story go through a metamorphosis, getting better with each draft. I don't ask for more PB if I like one. I will usually set up a meeting to have a discussion 1st about the original MS.