SF. Full of typos and lots of different font sizes. Also super misogynistic--that’s three strikes. Pass. #500queries

Q1: Gonzo-y SF that does wonky stuff with time. A very hard sell, and this query didn’t quite manage it for me. Pass. #500queries

#5 - contemporary middle grade. The voice isn't right for MG readers - lots of fart jokes (not a deal-breaker, of course) and it feels like the narrator is talking down to the reader. PASS #5QueriesIn5Tweets

#4 = contemporary romance. Heroine goes back home and hero digs her out from financial troubles. I don't love this hook (yes! this answer is subjective) and no sense of chemistry. PASS #5QueriesIn5Tweets

#3 = YA fantasy. Some decent concepts in here - world feels unique and heroine has potential but the writing is poor (grammar, sentence structure, clarity, etc) PASS #5QueriesIn5Tweets

#2 = science fiction. Poorly crafted query that's a list of chapter titles and character names but no hook or story. PASS #5QueriesIn5Tweets

#1 = YA fantasy. I'm not a big fan of "heroine was shocked when the world changed" kind of hook. Too obvious. What's her relationship with the conflict and what's the choice she makes? PASS #5QueriesIn5Tweets

#tenqueries 10: YA. I'm not given a genre; I'm not addressed directly ("To Whom It May Concern"); there is no word count; and while I'm told that it has factors that I will find enticing, I'm not shown that at all. Pass.

#tenqueries 9: YA Contemporary. We're just not given a deep enough glance into the characters in the pitch, so it's feeling a touch superficial or flat. I want a sense of not just what happens but why it matters, which comes back to caring about characters for me. Pass

#tenqueries 8: YA Adventure. The main plotline is clear, but as an adventure story, I feel like we're lacking high stakes and drama. We're told X, X, and X happen, but what makes each of these plot points exciting or challenging? Pass

#tenqueries 7: YA Sci-Fi. The tone in this query doesn't match the content. It's too light, almost trying to be funny or positive, while describing intense, life-altering moments for the main characters. Pass

#tenqueries 6: YA Fantasy. This is definitely more of a dystopian than a fantasy, and it doesn't feel particularly stand-out. Dystopian remains difficult at the moment, so anything in this genre has to be different in some way. Pass

#tenqueries 5: YA Contemporary. There's some thriller, some mystery, and some secrets in this pitch. I worry the main plot is a little familiar, but there is something compelling in the edgy voice in the first pages. Request.

#tenqueries 4: YA Fantasy. The first few pages in this manuscript are atmospheric on the setting-level, but the writing is a bit too overdone. Too many descriptors will make your language feel flowery instead of purposeful. Pass

#tenqueries 3: Contemporary. This pitch is very quiet. There's romance and secrets, but I saw hardly any tension or stakes the characters would have to overcome. I can't tell what the climax of the story would be. Pass.

#tenqueries 2: YA Fantasy. There is so much going on in this story: magical abilities, time travel, secret societies, espionage, a … I worry that there won't be one main plotline, and the story trying to be told will get lost. Pass.

#tenqueries 1: YA Contemporary. This pitch is very vague. I wanted to know more details about what makes this novel stand out from others in its genre. Pass.

In good news - more than 90% of my clients come from the query slush pile so it *does* work. Good luck y'all and happy writing! #5queriesIn5Tweets

#5 = adult fantasy. Author self published to "see if readers would like it." PASS, I don't represent previously published novels. #5queriesIn5Tweets

#4 = fantasy young adult. Protagonist was "shocked" when the world ended. This is not a compelling hook. Tell me what she/he does - what's the conflict and stakes? PASS #5queriesIn5Tweets