Q180: MG that’s entirely unbelievable in its concept. Pass. #500queries

Q179: Sometimes I come across books in the slush that I would love to read, but don’t have a spot in my list. This is one of them. Pass. #500queries

Q178: I love books with queer characters. I don’t love books where the queer characters have to die. Pass. #500queries

Q177: Vague F with comps I don’t enjoy. Pass. #500queries

#tenqueries 10: Adult Psychological Fiction. I like what this story promises on an emotional level, but it’s very long and literary, and the pacing in the first chapter feels slow. I'm definitely a plot person. Pass.

#tenqueries 9: YA Contemporary. The pitch has BIG questions, but rather than letting the story touch on those questions the pitch just asks them of the reader (again, comes back to the evergreen advice of show don't tell). Pass.

#tenqueries 8: YA Fantasy. Though there are more reasons than this for passing, I feel I should remind authors not to use outliers as comp titles. HARRY POTTER as a comp for a YA fantasy is not particularly useful. Pass.

#tenqueries 7: YA Fantasy. While the premise kept me curious, the pages felt overwritten. Too much description will slow the pacing and keep the reader from getting invested as early as you want them to. Pass.

#tenqueries 6: YA Dark Fantasy. The concept of this story feels fresh and enticing, which can help it stand out in a pretty crowded YA fantasy market. I’m interested in taking a closer look at the manuscript. Request.

#tenqueries 5: Adult Thriller. This story includes a sinister plot, a deadly conspiracy, exploitation, a discovery, and masterminds—all words that feel a little boilerplate, but don't tell me enough about what actually happens. Pass.

#tenqueries 4: YA Fantasy. I would re-classify this as MG, not YA, due to the plot details pitched in the query & character age. I didn’t find the stakes too feel high quite or tense enough. Pass.

#tenqueries 3: Adult Historical. This might also be YA, it’s hard to tell from the query, but while it sounds rather intriguing, the writing felt stilted, with too many details told in a way that wasn't connected to character or action. Pass.

#tenqueries 2: Adult Fantasy. This pitch is very allegorical—perhaps too much so for my personal tastes. I don't mind allegory, but the characters seem lost in it here. Pass.

#tenqueries 1: YA Adventure. I worry that this story won’t be able to dive into its subject material strongly enough, based on the low word count (32K), which contrasts with the many plot details present in the query. Pass.

Q176: Queer witches. Yep. Request. #500queries

Q175: A less-exciting version of The Magicians. Pass. #500queries

Q174: I will enthusiastically rep BDSM romance novels, but I will not rep 50 Shades redux. Pass. #500queries

Q173: I don’t know what genre this is, but I know I don’t rep it. Pass. #500queries

#tenqueries 2: YA Contemporary. The writing in this one just didn’t hook me. It was a little overwritten with literary flourishes -- a lot of metaphors especially -- that slowed the pacing a touch too much. I like a lyrical voice but not at the expense of pacing. Pass.

#tenqueries 1: YA High Fantasy. This query is giving me a lot of info about what the focus of the story is and where the author got their influence, but not enough about the plot itself. Pass.