Genevieve Gagne-Hawes

something cropping up in recent queries is a whole slew of comp titles (like, 5-10 in some cases). A comp is so good and useful, but more than three (IMO) tends to muddy the waters and make it seem like the book is trying to be everything rather than what it is #querytip

#querytip for when an agent has your partial/full: unless you are making *really* substantive changes to an MS, we don't need to see multiple iterations/drafts while considering -- being sent constant updates is both overwhelming and hard to keep track of in terms of dates.

today's probably way too obvious #querytip -- it's worth googling your title before you query to see if any very (very) famous books share it, and changing if so

If you queried Amy Berkower, we are caught up on e-queries through April 6* and partials through March 6. If you haven't received a response, please re-send!

#querytip #amquerying

I think this one gets shouted a lot on Twitter, but it's so impt: if you have an offer on the table, take the time to explore your options (within a reasonable time frame) before jumping in. Pressure to rush the decision isn't great. #querytip #amquerying

If you've queried Amy Berkower, we are caught up on general queries through March 18, and partials through March 4. If you haven't received a reply (and queried before that date), please do follow up with me at ggagne at writershouse dot com.

#amquerying #querytip

Time to sound that ol' "if you're getting offers on your book, let agents who have partials/fulls know so we can accelerate for you!" gong. #querytip

when querying a complex novel (complicated plot; intricate world-building), work to ensure that your query doesn't get lost in the weeds & alienate the reader -- ideally, you should be able to boil that complexity down to a succinct and compelling paragraph. #querytip

If you're querying an agent you've previously interacted with in any depth (read a partial; read a full) w/a new project, acknowledging that history is a nice touch -- if they liked enough to request before, it's only a good thing. #querytip

Just want to re-up this because I think about this a lot and it's very very true (with necessary caveat that if the situation changes; you have an offer of rep; etc., that is totally 100 percent fine). #querytip

In queries, if you have *very* disparate comps (made-up ex: Shakespeare's Macbeth and "Where'd You Go, Bernadette?"), try to explain your reasoning. Otherwise it's a red flag for me, in that the book doesn't seem to know what genre it's in. #querytip #amquerying

Doing queries today, and noticed many synopses are a character sketch -- a history from birth to novel's end. While it's good to know the protags, even in novels that ARE character studies, that's just one piece. Try to give us a wider sense of your book. #querytip #amquerying

Monday querying PSA, in passive voice: if I don't formally request a MS, if the full is sent to me anyway, and then I am nudged for a reply before our usual consideration window is up, I will probably be less charitably inclined to speed my read. #querytip

#1 tear-my-hair-out pet peeve is working to craft and personalize a rejection letter only to receive a query for a new project within minutes ... and no acknowledgement of the first letter #querytip

Catching up on queries for year-end, and seeing lots of pitches use suicide as a plot point/motivating factor for the protagonist. This gives me pause. If you're weaving suicide into your narrative, it's something I want to see dealt with carefully, in depth. #querytip

As a rule, I don't mind nudging w/r/t partial or full requests -- I'm happy to tell you where we are in the process, especially after a month-plus. But a week is way, way too soon to nudge. #querytip

Good to be mindful of the difference between books and authors that inspire you and books to which your novel can clearly & logically be comped. #querytip

Been getting a lot of queries lately for books that sound like fascinating character studies, but don't have a clear story. #querytip #amquerying

1) Don't send nasty replies to rejection letters
2) See #1
3) But it's a FUNNY nasty reply!
4) See #1

#querytip

just popping in here with your regular Monday morning reminder that if your adult lit fic MS is clocking in at 200,000 words, that's going to be a major red flag for me when reviewing submissions. #querytip