Genevieve Gagne-Hawes

Amidst all the terrible political news, I've been finding a lot of joy in queries. The dedication it took to tell a story, to write a query letter and send it out moves me. Ditto the imagination it took to come up with a set of characters and their story. #querytip #amquerying

Do: Send us sample pages when you query; I love to get a sense of your writing.

Don't: Send said sample pages (or query letter) via GoogleDoc or file we have to download. I am paranoid about spam/phishing and this makes me not want to read. #querytip

If you've sent an electronic query to Amy Berkower, we are caught up (less requested partial & full MS's) through May 2, 2018. If you didn't get a reply, please re-query us, as something has gone wrong! #querytip #amquerying

Strive to back up your claims in your query. If you say, "My book will appeal to women" or "My story is sure to be a hit with millennials," explain your reasoning & tell us why -- especially if it's not obvious from the synopsis. #querytip

As a rule, if we're open to considering a revision of your MS, we'll note that in our initial rejection letter -- it doesn't hurt to ask, but don't be hurt if we decline to take another look. #querytip

Don't try to contort your book into something it's not to woo an agent (ex: calling a commercial thriller literary fiction). Instead, use tools like #MSWL, Pub Marketplace, and @poetswritersinc to find folks who want exactly what you're writing. #querytip

Because it seems to come up over and over again: female characters don't have to be secret martial arts masters / street fighters / any good at punching things at all to be strong. #querytip

Happy Friday! Don't open your query with SUPER AGGRESSIVE negging; it's like I just went on a terrible date with a book pitch that frequented red pill sites. Oy. #querytip

I *love* queries where it's clear the query-er has read books from Amy's list, and really thought about how their project is similar to other works Amy represents. If the comparison is a good, of-the-moment one, it's almost always a request for me. #querytip

If we ask for a revise & resubmit, don't rush the revisions! We're here; we'll remember you; we can't wait to reread. Often I see authors scramble to finish w/n 4-6 weeks, and that can honestly do a disservice to the book. The edits often feel way too raw. #querytip

A query line that never works for me is some variant of: "I'd be happy to come into the city to meet you." I like the idea -- conveying enthusiasm -- but it comes off as creepy & kind of presumptuous. #querytip

And more: we've been getting lots queries lately that reference #MeToo, which is great. But if your novel is using sexual assault/harassment/abuse as a plot point or for vicarious thrills -- that's not #MeToo. That's part of the problem the movement is addressing. #querytip

If you're resubmitting a MS to us after a long period of time (say 3-5 years), own up to it! Tell us what you've changed; why you've stuck with the project; if you've gotten it edited, and how.* That's useful information. #querytip #amquerying

This is a good way to make literary fiction work: give it a hook around which to build a plot (a chase, a hunt, a mystery), and ensure that said hook plays into the themes you want to explore. #amquerying #querytip

Novellas are hard. Often when I'm reading queries, I latch onto an idea ("I love this!") -- then see a length of 35K words or less and falter. If you've got a great concept, it's always worth exploring whether or not there's a full novel there. #amquerying #querytip

It's been said before, but bears repeating: starting your query letter by bashing other writers (even, nay, ESPECIALLY unpublished ones who are also querying) just doesn't work. #amquerying #querytip

If you're using an element in your story that's strongly linked to another author (fight clubs, for instance), work hard to show how you're reinventing it / making it yours. #querytip