Patricia Nelson
@patricianels
Literary Agent
Literary Agent at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, representing YA & MG fiction (all genres), women's fiction & romance. She/her.
70 MSWL
2 Queries
94 Tips

I genuinely wish I could read/respond faster, but the universe keeps rudely refusing to give me extra hours in the day. #querytip

Jessica Faust
@BookEndsJessica
Literary Agent
President & founder of BookEnds Literary Agency, author advocate, optimist, & professional pain in the ass. Runs on coffee, wine, & kettlebells. She/Her
396 MSWL
574 AskAgent
191 Tips

Not being i"n the know" on celebrities comparing your protagonist to an actor isn't the best way to grab my attention #querytip

Carly Watters
@carlywatters
Literary Agent
SVP & Senior Lit Agent @PSLiterary MA in Publishing Studies @CityUniLondon Co-host of @TSNOTYAW VP of Professional Assoc. of Canadian Literary Agents
153 MSWL
229 AskAgent
334 Tips

So many amazing #pubtip notes here. 10, 34, 35 get gold stars: publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/in…

Kurestin Armada
@kurestinarmada
Literary Agent
Literary Agent at @RootLiterary . Specializes in science fiction, fantasy, & graphic novels for all ages.
57 MSWL
137 AskAgent
2 Queries
20 Tips

Just a reminder that I will not open any unsolicited attachments! So please don't ruin your query's chances by attaching it #querytip

Sara Megibow
@SaraMegibow
Literary Agent
she/her Literary Agent at KT Literary. Reading, parenting, table top gaming, baking challah, hiking and wine tasting. Always LGBTQIA+ friendly!
17 MSWL
13 AskAgent
298 Queries
525 Tips

#PubTip = example of excellent use of street team via Facebook = The Fearless Romantics by @RoniLoren here: facebook.com/groups/TeamRon…

Kate McKean
@kate_mckean
Literary Agent
Literary Agent at Morhaim Literary
79 MSWL
35 AskAgent
115 Tips

Guilt is not an effective tactic to get me to give you free editorial advice after I've passed on your work. #pubtip

Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Children’s literary agent with Mansion Street Literary (open to queries first 15 days each month) and mental health advocate. I also write craptastic books. She/her.
185 MSWL
18 Tips

+You have no idea how helpful it is to open a ms and remember which one it is immediately w/out having to search query inbox. #querytip

Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Children’s literary agent with Mansion Street Literary (open to queries first 15 days each month) and mental health advocate. I also write craptastic books. She/her.
185 MSWL
18 Tips

Another formatting #querytip (kinda): When I request ms (full or partial) I ask for author to include query letter as first page of ms. +

Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Children’s literary agent with Mansion Street Literary (open to queries first 15 days each month) and mental health advocate. I also write craptastic books. She/her.
185 MSWL
18 Tips

These might seem like obvious #querytip's that everyone already knows, but you'd be surprised by how many writers don't do these things.

Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Children’s literary agent with Mansion Street Literary (open to queries first 15 days each month) and mental health advocate. I also write craptastic books. She/her.
185 MSWL
18 Tips

And make sure to include your contact info in the manuscript document itself. Not just author name and book title. #querytip

Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Children’s literary agent with Mansion Street Literary (open to queries first 15 days each month) and mental health advocate. I also write craptastic books. She/her.
185 MSWL
18 Tips

Although I just upload a ms to my ereader instead of printing it out, I still need that info easily accessible. #querytip

Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Children’s literary agent with Mansion Street Literary (open to queries first 15 days each month) and mental health advocate. I also write craptastic books. She/her.
185 MSWL
18 Tips

Also, make sure to put page numbers, author name, manuscript title on every page (in header, footer, whatevs). #querytip

Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Children’s literary agent with Mansion Street Literary (open to queries first 15 days each month) and mental health advocate. I also write craptastic books. She/her.
185 MSWL
18 Tips

All of this is to say—make it easy for an agent to read your manuscript. Annoyances do not make for ideal submission reading. #querytip

Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Children’s literary agent with Mansion Street Literary (open to queries first 15 days each month) and mental health advocate. I also write craptastic books. She/her.
185 MSWL
18 Tips

More ms formatting fun: only ONE (1) space after a period. That's another holdover from typewriter/early word processor days. #querytip

Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Children’s literary agent with Mansion Street Literary (open to queries first 15 days each month) and mental health advocate. I also write craptastic books. She/her.
185 MSWL
18 Tips

Those formatting issues, btw, come from antiquated (i.e., pre-2000) advice, but word processing has evolved greatly since then. #querytip

Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Children’s literary agent with Mansion Street Literary (open to queries first 15 days each month) and mental health advocate. I also write craptastic books. She/her.
185 MSWL
18 Tips

For the love of commas, use italics instead of underlining. That's one I can't easily search & replace, and it drives me BATTY. #querytip

Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Children’s literary agent with Mansion Street Literary (open to queries first 15 days each month) and mental health advocate. I also write craptastic books. She/her.
185 MSWL
18 Tips

Standard manuscript formatting: 12-point Times New Roman, double-spaced. JUST SAY NO TO COURIER. (It's annoying to read.) #querytip

Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Children’s literary agent with Mansion Street Literary (open to queries first 15 days each month) and mental health advocate. I also write craptastic books. She/her.
185 MSWL
18 Tips

I like it when writers mention social media accounts and author websites in a query. Makes google-stalking easier. #notkidding #querytip

Sara Megibow
@SaraMegibow
Literary Agent
she/her Literary Agent at KT Literary. Reading, parenting, table top gaming, baking challah, hiking and wine tasting. Always LGBTQIA+ friendly!
17 MSWL
13 AskAgent
298 Queries
525 Tips

#PubTip = top three suggestions for debut #romance writers = 1) keep writing 2) keep reading 3) join @romancewriters rwa.org

Carly Watters
@carlywatters
Literary Agent
SVP & Senior Lit Agent @PSLiterary MA in Publishing Studies @CityUniLondon Co-host of @TSNOTYAW VP of Professional Assoc. of Canadian Literary Agents
153 MSWL
229 AskAgent
334 Tips

A bestselling book does not mean you're a millionaire. Getting a book published does not mean you're solvent. #pubtip