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Stacy A. Alderman @StacyAnneWrites
@annmrose Is it ever okay for a synopsis to be more than one page? Like a page and a half? Page and a quarter? #strugglingI think 1-2 pages for a synopsis is the perfect length.
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C.W. Maurer @CWMaurerWrites
@annmrose @theWhitneyPearl I was looking over a synopsis for a writing group member, and they had included a line along the very-loosely-summarized lines of "A and B share a romantic moment (fade to black)"Is something like that helpful/encouraged to know what level of sexual content the book contains?
I don't see any issues with it. And it does just what you say here; shows the level of heat on the page.
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sandrayc @sycwrites
@annmrose How realistic is it to find an agent in the UK or US for an Asian writer whose debut is a novel heavily rooted in South-East Asian culture, including colloquial dialogue?I don't think it should be too hard at all. As long as they represent what you are offering, query them!
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Tara Santora (they/them) @Tara_Santora
@annmrose Is it annoying if I query at nights or on weekends? I don’t want to be annoying, but that’s when I’m most available. #askagentYou need to do you. It doesn't matter what time you query IMO.
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Jodene Weber @JodeneWeber
@annmrose I queried you but received an odd message after hitting send, and I saw on QueryTracker others have received the same, so it wasn’t clear if you received our query+pages or not. Do you send rejections? It’s hard to gauge if you received the query. Thank you for taking questions.I keep my DM's open for query issues and am happy to check if they have come through on my side. I know our site is funky. I'm sorry.
Unfortunately, Prospect's policy is we only reply if we want to see more, which is crappy I know, but since the site is so clunky...
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Debra Anton @The_DebraAnton
@annmrose Hello, and thank you for doing this. In a middle grade novel, do you feel that the main character having a strong fear of change is enough of an obstacle to reaching her goals?It would be really hard to say without seeing it or knowing more specifics. That is a good internal obstacle, but are there any external ones as well?
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Milo Lorien @MiloLorien
@annmrose How does a one w/a neurocognitive disorder & communication hurdles break through the req’s of agents? I always see how they want diverse voices, but sub req’s are designed for only one type of writer. I can get Mariel Hemingway’s review but not an agents time. Please explain.There is a group that is putting a list together of agents who are open to making accommodations for authors who need them. Is there something particular that you can share as a challenge? I know for myself we have a submission portal which isn't the friendliest...
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Justin McBride @panrec
@annmrose Is posting your novel on Substack a plus or a minus?If it's anything like Wattpad than it's basically published. I would caution posting complete work for public consumption if you are wanting to try to sell it.
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Kady Oliker Eshleman @KadyEshleman
@annmrose Thank you so much for doing this! Is it an automatic turn off if in the query if the word count is on the shorter side. Say 57k for a YA novel?YA contemporary I'm assuming? That isn't that far off 60K which is the low side of that age group/genre so I think you would be fine. I'm always more wary of things over than under.
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Shay Galloway @TheGallowCat
@annmrose 1) Could you query an agent for representation with a book already under a (small) publishing contract?1a-if you get representation for a 2nd manuscript, does the agent retroactively represent your other titles?
2) mentioning beta-reader/reviewer feedback in query letters?
1) Have you already signed the contract? If not, than yes it's possible to query with an "offer of publication." If the contract is already signed then it's best to query the next thing, and that does not mean book two of the series. I'm not sure I understand question 1a...
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Christie Peaslee @CupPeas
@annmrose I get much of the same response when querying, "This sounds like a great project, just not one I feel I'm right to bring to life." It's difficult because it seems polite but with nothing contructive. I'm not sure if I should be trying to change something. Is this response normal?It may mean something in those opening pages just aren't clicking. I would reevaluate them. Are you starting in the right place? This is a common error I find. Have you had other writers look at your work? Critique partners are the best!
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Ruth Owen @Brinestowen
@annmrose If my book is loosely inspired by an Agatha Christie novel, does that cause copyright problems? It's more of a reaction to the Christie novel than a retelling. I haven't been sure whether to mention the connection in a query.You can say it was inspired by, I don't see that as a problem. As long as you didn't copy it, which I feel confident you did not, I don't see any issues at all.
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Wayne Jones @podcastEW
@annmrose @authorjesspayne How much of your time is spent on current authors you represent, and how much is spent on queries? Do you handle the queries or does an assistant help?I give my authors my main focus at all times. I average 40 hours a month on queries which is broken up over the month. I look at all of my own queries. I do not have an assistant. I also read all requested materials on my own.
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Li’l Lisa is a busy 🐝 @lisabornegraves
@annmrose @authorjesspayne If an agent wanted to sign an author for a pen name, would they be entitled to represent author’s works under a different name? Is it likely they might represent other-named books for certain rights only like film or translation? Or is it more like all or nothing for rights?I personally sign authors the people and if they have a pen name great, but to me these aren't two separate things. How other agents do their business I can't say.
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V.L. Aziz is #querying @VLAzizwrites
@annmrose I’m a slow start writer, my question is when we send chapters to an agent, instead of the first three chapters can we send our favorite chapters?No. Unfortunately, that isn't how it works.
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Sofia Aves @AvesBooks
@annmrose @authorjesspayne I see a LOT of form rejections coming through in query groups. Does that line “we loved your characters and plot but it doesn’t fit ymy list” really mean they did like an aspect of it or is it just a nice way to send a rejection? I see this a come up a LOTI don't think agents say things they don't mean. So I would take it at face value. They liked it but it wasn't a good fit which could mean they have something similar already. Keep moving forward!
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Muminah is editing @m_x_manuel
@annmrose Hi! Thank you for this opportunityWhen it comes to the part of the query letter for the author bio, what should be included besides writing-related qualifications? Does the age or the country a writer lives in play a role in the decision for rep?
Nope age and location don't matter--unless it shows you know about the location the book is set then it could help. Just tell us what you want us to know about you. I love getting a little of the author's personality in the bio.
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D. Hawkins 🌈 @DHawkinsAuthor
@annmrose Thank you for this! It seems agents like when we specify when use our own voice, but there are pieces of me that I’m not necessarily comfortable broadcasting widely in a query letter, especially related to neurodiversity. Advice on how to reconcile this?You shouldn't share anything you aren't comfortable in sharing, and no one should make you. If you want to say what you just said here that would be fine (again only if you want)... there are pieces of me and my experiences in this story... and then you don't have to pinpoint