Please for the love of Leo fitting on that damn headboard. Stop. Saying. Fiction Novel. In. Your. Query. #querytip

Here's some important must-know stuff if you are writing a middle grade novel... writersdigestshop.com/writing-and-se… @WritersDigest @CariLamba @JDLitAgency #kidlit #amwriting #amquerying #querytip #middlegrade #webinar #pubtip

#PB #QueryTip Please send one query with your most polished picture book project. If I like it, I will ask to see other work, so there's no need to send multiple queries for different projects. #amquerying

When evaluating submissions it's a big red flag if you have acknowledgments, dedication & a copyright from 2 years ago. #querytip

Queriers--Pretty, pretty please be sure to withdraw your submission if you accept an offer of rep (ideally, once you get the offer, but at the very least, after you accept) 😐 #querytip

Authors: When submitting your manuscript (or sample chapters) there is no need to include acknowledgements or dedication. #querytip

Writers...this is a wonderful thread. Must read. #pubtip

#PubTip = be smarter about buy links on your author website!

"booksellers at the forum expressed frustration with authors and publishers who insist on featuring Amazon links first, even when they are trying to promote events at independent bookstores" = shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?iss…

Rejections feel personal, but they aren't. Not in this industry. Maybe when dating...
Agents CAN'T rep EVERYTHING. Just like you can't buy every book at the store. We ALL have to be selective. Keep writing. Keep querying. Don't give up. #querytip #pubtip #amquerying #writerslife

THIS! #querytip #amquerying #writerslife

Please don’t open your query with a comment about my appearance. Even if you have good intentions it ALWAYS comes across a bit creepy. It’s just not very professional. #pubtip

But also always remember: even if it’s not right for me, there are other agents that it might be perfect for! Never ever give up! The industry is based on personal taste—it’s completely subjective. #querytip

For non-fiction it’s much simpler: have you written a stellar book proposal? It’s a sales document where you conceptualize your audience, define your platform, and explain your marketing & promotion plans. If you don’t have a sales proposal, you are not ready to query. #querytip

#querytip If you're setting your YA/MG in the recent past, you need to have a really good plot reason & compelling worldbuilding. Kids/teens don't have any inherent nostalgia for the 1950s or even the 1990s -- they weren't even alive in the twentieth century (!).

Writers always want to know what gets requested vs. rejected. Your MS/ proposal has to stand out and must fit my list. I received over 800 queries last year at Bradford (and joined in late Sep.) and my request rate is below 10%. Don’t query unless you are truly ready. #querytip

And so, to recap, if your rejection feedback is

"too much telling"

and you're inclined to edit,
look for instances of explained motivation
as one way to tweak some telling into showing

#querytip
#amquerying
#amediting
#writerslife

Let's talk about explained character motivation & 1st drafts:

🗣️She lunged at the teetering statue to steady it.

This is telling. It distances the POV.
Edit out the telling (the explained motivation, "to steady it") & show action instead:
#Querytip
#writerslife
#amquerying

FYI, I don't represent middle grade fiction. If you query me with a MG project, it's a pass. If you want to know what I'm acquiring, please look at my pinned tweet or check our website: theseymouragency.com. #amquerying #querytip #amwriting

You need to know where you book would sit in the bookstore. Adult, YA, or Middle Grade. It cannot be all three. There is only one. #querytip

Query letters are important. Please don't blow them off. #querytip