A different kind of #tenqueries

"Series potential" - 5
Over 200K - 1
Starts w/ waking up - 1
Already published - 1
I don't rep - 1
No word count/genre - 2

What would be most helpful to those who are #amquerying
What is it that you most want to know?

Q10: Starts by calling me the wrong name (which happens more often than you’d think) then the query is just them asking me if I’m open to submissions and doesn’t tell me about the book - opening is abrupt with no chance to connect to the MC who is trust into action - Pass

Q9: Says it’s YA fantasy but the content isn’t YA which I find super disturbing so its a pass

Q8: It must be Fantasy day because here is another except the query which is addressed to me is just an excerpt from the book and doesn’t tell me what the book is about - word count is way out of range - opens with character waking up - pass

Q7: holy dear god this book is over 400k - pass

Q6: Is something I don’t represent - pass

Q5: Another fantasy that uses all the fantasy words they’ve made up for their world in the query so it’s hard to follow - reads like a first draft - pass

Q4: Adult Fantasy that uses 30 words to tell what the book is about - which actually tells me nothing - synopsis doesn’t indicate this book actually ends but that it’s just the start of a bigger story - pass

Q3: Starts by telling me they just completed the first draft and it reads like a first draft - pass

Q2: Uses an unpersonalized personalization 😳 gives me word count down to the exact number but doesn’t actually tell me anything about the book, just a really long bio - pass

Q:1 Adult Sci-fi - interesting premise - starts in the wrong place and the voice doesn’t grab me - synopsis doesn’t actually give me the story or how it’s supposed to end - pass

Q10: WF/Chick lit. I literally laughed out loud reading the query, and the writing sample continued the humorous, hot-mess-just-keep-swimming voice beloved in romcoms. Pitch has something unique to add to the chick lit table! Partial! #tenqueries #querywin

Q9: "I don't read stories similar to what I write. I think [x] audience would enjoy this, but I don't know -- I haven't actually read any of those books they like." Pass. #tenqueries

You need to be familiar with the market/genre/audience you're writing in/for. It's not optional.

Q8: Opens with questions, continued throughout. "Did you ever wonder..." "What would you do if..." Pass. #tenqueries

My teachers always said to never start an essay with "[Word] is defined as..." And now I'm telling you to never start/continue a query with pointless questions.

Q7: WF. Taps into all of my favorite aspects of WF as well as my MSWLs. Clearly did their research. Query reads like a book jacket, with hook and character. Writing in sample is polished. Partial! #querywin #tenqueries

Q6: F. "My manuscript is a 468,000-word..." Pass. #tenqueries

Honey, NOBODY is going to read that. That's nearly 2,000 pages. Cut 3/4 of it and you'll stand a better chance. Even The Greats in genre fiction don't have 2,000 pages.

Q5: Thriller (don't rep). Told me what the ms is (themes, plot structure, philosophy) and isn't (genre), but didn't share *the story*. Pass. #tenqueries

A query is like a book jacket. Set the stage with your MC, leave a hook, and let the reader discover what the MS is or isn't.

Q4: YA HF. Neat concept, certainly a different look at this period of history. However, sample writing provided = unappealing to a modern YA audience because it (1) reads like a textbook (dates, facts, figures) and (2) did not open with a scene/follow an MC. Pass. #tenqueries

Q3: HF / F. Dual POV with polar opposite MCs, each with clashing ideologies and values. Their predicament is truly a tough one. Sample writing shows distinctly different and sympathetic voices. Partial! #tenqueries #querywin

Q2: YA F. 5 paragraphs about why I should rep the writer, 1 paragraph about the world of the story. Pass. #tenqueries

SFF pitches are hard! But you need your reader to be interested in your *MC* first and foremost, and why we need/want to follow THEM on this fantastical journey.