Susan Litman

· 17 Apr 2021

Emily Rodmell @EmilyRodmell

I've acquired books that I've had in house 2 weeks and books that I've had in house a year. The time you wait to hear back on a submission isn't indicative of the chances a book has of acceptance. It's a product of an editor or agent's workload and/or company needs and processes.

THIS. #pubtip

· 16 Jan 2019

Emily Rodmell @EmilyRodmell

What can slow the pace of a book?

*Long conversations
*Lack of action
*Too much time spent in characters' heads
*Too much explanation/back story
*Filler scenes that don't advance plot

So if an editor/agent/critique says pace of your book is too slow, look for these things.

Great #pubtip here! 👇

· 12 Dec 2018

Emily Rodmell @EmilyRodmell

Ideal length of a query letter: 3 to 4 paragraphs that all fit on one page.

1 paragraph to introduce yourself.
1 to share why you think your book is a good fit.
1 to share a short blurb.
1 to offer qualifications (if applicable) and/or closing statement.

Great #pubtip

· 10 Oct 2018

New York Times Books @nytimesbooks

Stephen King says that Tana French's "extraordinary" new novel, "The Witch Elm," lands in the twilight zone between mystery/suspense and literature nyti.ms/2ILN2BS

I just have to say that as an editor who often writes or revises copy, I really appreciate what @StephenKing says here about copy. Keep it simple, please! It's a teaser--not a synopsis! #engagethereader #pubtip

· 2 Feb 2018

Brit Elisabet Hvide Busse @bhvide

For #Fridayreads I'm settling down with some submissions, but before I do, I wanted to talk a little bit about how I evaluate submissions that come in to me and how I choose what to buy.

Really informative thread re: how editors read/eval submissions. It's like I always tell authors--we *do* look to buy; there are multiple factors in play. #pubtip #process

· 19 Jan 2018

Emily Rodmell @EmilyRodmell

Query letter must haves:

Name and contact info

Short pitch line(s)

Word count

Status (i.e. is it finished or in progress)

Genre

Author qualifications (past publishing history, major contest wins, ect).

Why you think your book would be a good match with publisher/agent

Excellent #pubtip from @EmilyRodmell. Even though queries are electronic these days, authors should still make sure they've included all of this very relevant information for editors.