Q82: A few years ago this SF would have been dope. Now it’s WAAAAY too close to current events. Pass. #500queries

Q81: Romance that wouldn’t do well in the current market. Pass. #500queries

Q80: Not the kind of romance I usually request, but I’m intrigued by the gendre-flipped tropes. Request! #500queries

Q79: On the fence about this one, but I’ll give it a try. YA F. Request. #500queries

#tenqueries 10: YA Fantasy. While it’s clear that this story is set in a different world, the pitch reads as though it’s written for someone already familiar with that world, instead of for readers who’ve never been introduced to it, causing it to come off as confusing. Pass

#tenqueries 9: Adult Psychological Thriller. The thriller aspect of this query is not focused on in the way it should be. It’s not the forefront of the pitch, making it feel like a subplot instead of the crux of the tension. Pass.

#tenqueries 8: Adult Fantasy Thriller. This story centers around a series of trials/games—this gives me pause, as this can often take the reader out of the story, and can feel formulaic rather than unique. Pass.

#tenqueries 7:  Spooky MG. While this isn’t an exact genre per se, I do love a good Halloween adventure, and I quite liked the voice in the attached pages, so I’m looking forward to spending some time with these characters. Request!

#tenqueries 6: YA contemp. This query is pitching a book that was self-published 10 years ago. While the writing is good, many of the references feel dated and the previous publication is a hurdle. Pass with expression of interest to see any new manuscripts from the author.

#tenqueries 5: YA Fantasy. This pitch brings in so many competing fantastical elements, all of which are cool on their own but together are feeling disjointed and not part of a single, cohesive story. Pass.

#tenqueries 4: YA Magical Realism. The opening here moved too quickly; we raced through locations and beats without staying in and fleshing out any one scene, so it was hard as a reader to get my bearings. Pass.

#tenqueries 3: This query dropped me into the middle of a story I didn't quite understand, and didn't include genre/category, so I had trouble pinning down what it was. Pass.

#tenqueries 2: YA Contemporary. The first pages of this query failed to hook me. The writing is a bit disjointed and does more to tell me what’s happening than show me. Pass.

#tenqueries 1: Picture Book. Again, a reminder that I’m not taking on picture books at this time. That said, this query was much too short, even for a PB. Pass #tenqueries

Q78: The teen-is-grieving book is very popular now. This one didn’t have a hook to make it feel fresh. Pass. #500queries

Q77: This SF query answered the question of who the MC is and what they’re doing, but didn;’t tell me why. Pass. #500queries

Q76: Sometimes, you can tell that a writer for kids just won’t be able to avoid talking down to their audience. Those books get a pass. #500queries

#tenqueries Q10 Make sure your word count falls within guidelines. Kudos for noting it in the query.

#tenqueries Q9 love to read (at the end of the query of course) how active an author is in the writing industry. Shows great commit to honing their craft and a level of confidence what they've submitted will most likely be quality work.

#tenqueries Q8 I personally wish dystopian would make a comeback. I still like to read it but it's too hard to sell right now. Pains me to pass.