Samantha Wekstein
@SWekstein
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TL_Agency . She/Her, Terp🐢, ENFJ, dog lover. Illustrators: wekstein-illustrators.weebly.com. Pitch to QueryManager.com/SamanthaWekste…
140 MSWL
124 Queries
88 Tips

Q6: Another rhetorical question in the first paragraph. Don't ask what would happen if...instead, just tell me what actually happens in your story.Not sure of the genre, though I think MG fantasy? Plot is too confusing. Pass. #tenqueries

Samantha Wekstein
@SWekstein
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TL_Agency . She/Her, Terp🐢, ENFJ, dog lover. Illustrators: wekstein-illustrators.weebly.com. Pitch to QueryManager.com/SamanthaWekste…
140 MSWL
124 Queries
88 Tips

Q5: Starts with a rhetorical question (don't do this! It only takes up unnecessary space since you'll need to answer your own question anyways). Not sure what format this is, though the age group (7-11) is stated. Pass. #tenqueries

Samantha Wekstein
@SWekstein
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TL_Agency . She/Her, Terp🐢, ENFJ, dog lover. Illustrators: wekstein-illustrators.weebly.com. Pitch to QueryManager.com/SamanthaWekste…
140 MSWL
124 Queries
88 Tips

Q4: MG Fantasy. Needs a bit more grounding in the world, but it reminds me of 2 favorites, Harry Potter and Sarah J. Maas in plot and tone (but for MG). The voice feels right too! Request! #tenqueries

Samantha Wekstein
@SWekstein
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TL_Agency . She/Her, Terp🐢, ENFJ, dog lover. Illustrators: wekstein-illustrators.weebly.com. Pitch to QueryManager.com/SamanthaWekste…
140 MSWL
124 Queries
88 Tips

Q3: MG Fantasy. Word count is too short and though it's an original idea, I'm not connecting with the plot which feels too young. Pass. #tenqueries

Samantha Wekstein
@SWekstein
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TL_Agency . She/Her, Terp🐢, ENFJ, dog lover. Illustrators: wekstein-illustrators.weebly.com. Pitch to QueryManager.com/SamanthaWekste…
140 MSWL
124 Queries
88 Tips

Q2: #DvPit YA. Really cool premise. The letter focuses too much on the author and has barely any summary. Still, I'm intrigued. Request! #tenqueries

Samantha Wekstein
@SWekstein
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TL_Agency . She/Her, Terp🐢, ENFJ, dog lover. Illustrators: wekstein-illustrators.weebly.com. Pitch to QueryManager.com/SamanthaWekste…
140 MSWL
124 Queries
88 Tips

Q1: MG Fantasy. Really original concept and clear stakes. Has researched me well. Word count is a little long, but still, request! #tenqueries

Samantha Wekstein
@SWekstein
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TL_Agency . She/Her, Terp🐢, ENFJ, dog lover. Illustrators: wekstein-illustrators.weebly.com. Pitch to QueryManager.com/SamanthaWekste…
140 MSWL
124 Queries
88 Tips
Replying to @SWekstein

Q10: YA fantasy. This letter was well-written, but I struggled to understand how and why the characters got themselves into the situation in the first place when it seemed easily avoidable. Pass. #tenqueries

Samantha Wekstein
@SWekstein
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TL_Agency . She/Her, Terp🐢, ENFJ, dog lover. Illustrators: wekstein-illustrators.weebly.com. Pitch to QueryManager.com/SamanthaWekste…
140 MSWL
124 Queries
88 Tips
Replying to @SWekstein

Q9: Chapter book. This is a genre with which I am less familiar. The summary was difficult to understand and I find it difficult to judge a project without the accompanying illustrations. Pass. #tenqueries

Samantha Wekstein
@SWekstein
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TL_Agency . She/Her, Terp🐢, ENFJ, dog lover. Illustrators: wekstein-illustrators.weebly.com. Pitch to QueryManager.com/SamanthaWekste…
140 MSWL
124 Queries
88 Tips
Replying to @SWekstein

Q8: Adult sci-fi with an interesting premise, though one that feels too familiar. The writing in the letter is clunky. Pass. #tenqueries

Samantha Wekstein
@SWekstein
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TL_Agency . She/Her, Terp🐢, ENFJ, dog lover. Illustrators: wekstein-illustrators.weebly.com. Pitch to QueryManager.com/SamanthaWekste…
140 MSWL
124 Queries
88 Tips
Replying to @SWekstein

Q7: Says it’s a YA fantasy, but seems to feature an adult main character. I’m also not connecting with the plot as there’s not really a clear goal for the MC aside from something super selfish. Pass. #tenqueries

Samantha Wekstein
@SWekstein
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TL_Agency . She/Her, Terp🐢, ENFJ, dog lover. Illustrators: wekstein-illustrators.weebly.com. Pitch to QueryManager.com/SamanthaWekste…
140 MSWL
124 Queries
88 Tips
Replying to @SWekstein

Q6: New adult fantasy. The entire letter describes the writing process and I know nothing about the characters or plot. Don’t do this!!! Pass. #tenqueries

Samantha Wekstein
@SWekstein
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TL_Agency . She/Her, Terp🐢, ENFJ, dog lover. Illustrators: wekstein-illustrators.weebly.com. Pitch to QueryManager.com/SamanthaWekste…
140 MSWL
124 Queries
88 Tips

Q5: PB. Cute idea, but I am not currently looking for rhyming. The illustrations also look too computerized. I like more of a paint, freehand kind of style. For reference see @korrieleer. #tenqueries

Samantha Wekstein
@SWekstein
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TL_Agency . She/Her, Terp🐢, ENFJ, dog lover. Illustrators: wekstein-illustrators.weebly.com. Pitch to QueryManager.com/SamanthaWekste…
140 MSWL
124 Queries
88 Tips

Q4: Maybe I’m crazy, but it felt like this letter was put through Google Translate. I have absolutely no idea what this is. Seems like it could vaguely be adult fantasy, but I’ll never know. Pass. #tenqueries

Samantha Wekstein
@SWekstein
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TL_Agency . She/Her, Terp🐢, ENFJ, dog lover. Illustrators: wekstein-illustrators.weebly.com. Pitch to QueryManager.com/SamanthaWekste…
140 MSWL
124 Queries
88 Tips

Q3: Adult fantasy with Demons. Automatic pass for me. Aside from the demons, the letter is also super confusing. It references characters and creatures without grounding us in plot or world. #tenqueries

Samantha Wekstein
@SWekstein
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TL_Agency . She/Her, Terp🐢, ENFJ, dog lover. Illustrators: wekstein-illustrators.weebly.com. Pitch to QueryManager.com/SamanthaWekste…
140 MSWL
124 Queries
88 Tips

Q2: YA Horror. Love the opening few sentences, and it’s very hooky. But the writing in the letter feels awkward. Pass.

Samantha Wekstein
@SWekstein
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @TL_Agency . She/Her, Terp🐢, ENFJ, dog lover. Illustrators: wekstein-illustrators.weebly.com. Pitch to QueryManager.com/SamanthaWekste…
140 MSWL
124 Queries
88 Tips

Q1: YA fantasy. Query letter doesn’t set up the goals or the stakes for the MC. We learn a bit about magic, but not enough to be intrigued. Pass #tenqueries

Alec Shane
@alecdshane
Literary Agent
Literary Agent at Writers House, LLC. Wannabe Patriots sportswriter. ashane@writershouse.com
100 MSWL
1 AskAgent
346 Queries
122 Tips

Q10: 165K words. That's an easy pass. #tenqueries

Alec Shane
@alecdshane
Literary Agent
Literary Agent at Writers House, LLC. Wannabe Patriots sportswriter. ashane@writershouse.com
100 MSWL
1 AskAgent
346 Queries
122 Tips

Q9: MG fantasy. Really not my thing. I recently posted about wanting to get more into fantasy books, but I'm still having trouble garnering enthusiasm. Pass. #tenqueries

Alec Shane
@alecdshane
Literary Agent
Literary Agent at Writers House, LLC. Wannabe Patriots sportswriter. ashane@writershouse.com
100 MSWL
1 AskAgent
346 Queries
122 Tips

Q8: This author might be too talented for his own good. Read the first 10 pages, which were BEAUTIFULLY written...but I have absolutely no idea what I just read. Pass. #tenqueries

Alec Shane
@alecdshane
Literary Agent
Literary Agent at Writers House, LLC. Wannabe Patriots sportswriter. ashane@writershouse.com
100 MSWL
1 AskAgent
346 Queries
122 Tips

Q7: Mystery novel that's already out on Amazon, but author is able to pull the book at any time. Once a book is published, in any capacity it's published; not much else to be done there, with very, very few exceptions. #tenqueries