10. Adult UF. Caught my attention but didn't keep it. Good opening scene, but the subsequent scenes seemed incomplete and haphazard. More detail in the query letter would also have helped. Pass. #tenqueries

9. YA F. Weirdly, exact same situation as the previous one. I actually think this one is a stronger story, but also more concretely a romance novel. I don't work much in the romance genre, so this is a pass for me. #tenqueries

8. YA F. There's a lot I like, but I'm having trouble seeing it fit within categories--there are elements that would make this a hard sell as YA; structurally, I think it might be better pitched as a romance. Sadly I don't love it enough to work through this; pass. #tenqueries

These #500queries spanned from Jan 1 through Feb 24, 2019. I passed on 394 of them (78.8%). I’m getting soft in my old age!

Out of those I rejected, I had 10 queries not addressed to me, 5 that were attachments I didn’t open, and 10 excerpts or synopses in lieu of a query.

58 queries (almost 12% of my entire slush pile) are for books in genres and categories I don't represent. #500queries

7. Adult F. Strong writing, timely themes, and two comps I LOVE? Request! #tenqueries

Zats all, folks! Thanks for tuning in to this round of #500queries. If you want more, check out @printrunpodcast!

Q500: Email was not in the shape of a query, and the MS is too long by half. Pass. #500queries

6. Adult UF. Both the writing and the pitch are very good, but it's just not the type of story that grabs my attention, personally. But I feel sure another agent will pick this one up at some point! Pass. #tenqueries

5. YA F. Repeat query, but makes no mention of revision--in fact, the query doesn't even acknowledge that this is a repeat submission. I only consider repeats if they have been substantially revised, and you must mention that in the query! Pass. #tenqueries

4. YA contemporary. Query letter only contains author bio--no description of the book. This is also just not at all the type of book I represent. Pass. #tenqueries

3. YA SF. Skeevy language regarding women--hard pass. #tenqueries

2. YA F. Writing is just not there yet. Query has a weird oversimplification of the human condition & morality that feels very old-school Good Vs Evil. I prefer to see more nuance. Pass. #tenqueries

1. MG F. I liked the premise but I'm concerned about the implications of the ending, and the writing just wasn't working for me. Pass. #tenqueries

Q499: This query doesn’t follow conventions and doesn’t sound like a fun F at all. Pass. #500queries

Q498: WF. Do not rep. Pass. #500queries

10. MG F. Again, the voice is too simplistic, and the plot outline is too closely similar to existing stories. Pass. #tenqueries

9. MG F. Closer to the writing style I'm looking for, but the story just didn't grab me. The opening needs a unique twist, or to start in a different place--currently it reads like many books I've seen before. Pass. #tenqueries

Q497: Oh good, another person promising me sales like the bible. Pass. #500queries

8. YA F. Every sentence in the sample pages is of the same length and structure, making for a very monotonous read! Good prose requires varying your sentence structure. Pass. #tenqueries