Kaitlyn Johnson
@RedPenKaitlyn
Literary Agent
Agent @belcastr . insta: kjbelcastro. Freelance Editor. Serial comma for life. She/her. Query at QueryManager.com/1147
279 MSWL
345 AskAgent
55 Queries
385 Tips

PEOPLE! Some agents want endings revealed in the synopsis. Some don't.

THIS IS WHY YOU RESEARCH AND TAILOR SUBMISSIONS ACCORDINGLY!

Stop acting like publishing is one size fits all. #amwriting #amediting #amquerying #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

#QueryTip = yes, it's 100% ok to say, "I don't have any books published yet" in your query letter to me!

Don't be shy about being new - the vast majority of my clients are debut writers.
#debut
#agenting

Jen Chen Tran
@jenchentran
Literary Agent
Literary Agent at Glass Literary Management. Former art major, publishing attorney, cheese lover, aspiring humorist. @aalitagents and @AuthorsGuild member.
21 MSWL
38 AskAgent
38 Tips

What is a platform? I have a broad definition. It’s anything that makes you more visible as a writer, evidencing an engaged audience. It’s critically important for non-fiction writers to establish and expand their platform prior to pitching an agent. #pubtip #publishing

Carlisle Webber
@carliebeth
Literary Agent
Literary agent at @FuseLiterary 📚 Princess on the outside, villain on the inside 🖤 She/her, Ms. 👸🏼
113 MSWL
10 Tips

When #amquerying fiction, you don’t need to talk about marketing, platform, etc. Describe the characters and plot, add a short bio, and you’re done. #querytip

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…
149 MSWL
124 Queries
88 Tips

Fast way to get rejected? Tell me you need a response asap because you want to submit to someone else. #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
Kaitlyn Johnson
@RedPenKaitlyn
Literary Agent
Agent @belcastr . insta: kjbelcastro. Freelance Editor. Serial comma for life. She/her. Query at QueryManager.com/1147
279 MSWL
345 AskAgent
55 Queries
385 Tips

A couple things I'm noticing in the query box that I am NOT the right agent for:
1) graphic rape
2) agency dependent on pregnancy/marriage (includes loss of pregnancy)
3) drug/physical/sexual abuse main plots (light touches okay)
4) thriller or suspense
#querytip #amquerying

Kaitlyn Johnson
@RedPenKaitlyn
Literary Agent
Agent @belcastr . insta: kjbelcastro. Freelance Editor. Serial comma for life. She/her. Query at QueryManager.com/1147
279 MSWL
345 AskAgent
55 Queries
385 Tips

Query Box update: I am officially caught up to June! If you didn't get a response, maybe check spam? I answer all queries, so no one should be left unanswered before June. #querytip #amquerying

Greyhaus Literary Agency
@greyhausagency
Literary Agency
Literary Agent with the Greyhaus Literary Agency in the Puget Sound Area. Representing exlusively romance and women's fiction!
65 MSWL
83 Tips

#pubtip Although meeting authors face to face in a pitch session is great, reading a well put together query, synopsis and partial gives us a better insight without the pressure.

Susan Graham
@Grahamophones
Literary Agent
would love to be stabbed by Jim, professional hype man (agent at @Einstein_Lit opinions my own) #friendship #teamwork art by @anuanew , pn they/them (agender)
122 MSWL
14 AskAgent
128 Tips

I've now gotten six submissions from different folks in the past few days addressed to David - there is no David at ELM. If somebody named David is telling people he's an agent at @Einstein_Lit, he... is not. Small PSA. #subtip #querytip

Naomi Davis
@NaomisLitPix
Literary Agent
Eternally optimistic Literary Agent at @Bookendslit Genderqueer 🏳️‍🌈 ND; I laugh & love relentlessly. Repped by the phenomenal @4triciaskinner
208 MSWL
214 AskAgent
183 Tips

Aaaand @RaeLoverde brings up another point: language! How many? Who speaks what and why? Are any forbidden? You don't need to write out a Tolkien Elf language itself, but understand how language influences culture & vice versa. Are there accents? Language barriers? Translators?

Naomi Davis
@NaomisLitPix
Literary Agent
Eternally optimistic Literary Agent at @Bookendslit Genderqueer 🏳️‍🌈 ND; I laugh & love relentlessly. Repped by the phenomenal @4triciaskinner
208 MSWL
214 AskAgent
183 Tips

By no means is this list exhaustive. And as always these are just my own opinions. But if you need a jumping off point for how to develop a thorough, immersive SFF world, I hope this helps open your mind and expand your worldbuilding beyond what you’ve already read and watched.

Naomi Davis
@NaomisLitPix
Literary Agent
Eternally optimistic Literary Agent at @Bookendslit Genderqueer 🏳️‍🌈 ND; I laugh & love relentlessly. Repped by the phenomenal @4triciaskinner
208 MSWL
214 AskAgent
183 Tips

Once you’ve developed many of these elements, developing your magical system/plot/monsters becomes easier because you can clearly see where your MC sits in society and history, and WHAT THEY FEAR OR NEED, which is what drives your plot. This is motivation. This is stakes.

Naomi Davis
@NaomisLitPix
Literary Agent
Eternally optimistic Literary Agent at @Bookendslit Genderqueer 🏳️‍🌈 ND; I laugh & love relentlessly. Repped by the phenomenal @4triciaskinner
208 MSWL
214 AskAgent
183 Tips

Is travel permitted/forbidden? Why? Fear shapes societies in powerful ways. If you doubt that, look at atrocities happening in the real world today. Fear, used to manipulate those who are vulnerable to it, particularly levied with false promises of prosperity, is a powerful tool.

Naomi Davis
@NaomisLitPix
Literary Agent
Eternally optimistic Literary Agent at @Bookendslit Genderqueer 🏳️‍🌈 ND; I laugh & love relentlessly. Repped by the phenomenal @4triciaskinner
208 MSWL
214 AskAgent
183 Tips

Medicine: How is it accessed? How does it work? Is any of it extinct? Is it viewed as a useful tool or a form of witchcraft? Or reserved for the elite? Oral/topical/suppository? (Maybe avoid that last one.)

Naomi Davis
@NaomisLitPix
Literary Agent
Eternally optimistic Literary Agent at @Bookendslit Genderqueer 🏳️‍🌈 ND; I laugh & love relentlessly. Repped by the phenomenal @4triciaskinner
208 MSWL
214 AskAgent
183 Tips

Is education encouraged/required/forbidden? What forms of education are available&to whom? Consider social/financial class structures in this. Consider what things are available to higher classes&where your MC sits in this structure.

Naomi Davis
@NaomisLitPix
Literary Agent
Eternally optimistic Literary Agent at @Bookendslit Genderqueer 🏳️‍🌈 ND; I laugh & love relentlessly. Repped by the phenomenal @4triciaskinner
208 MSWL
214 AskAgent
183 Tips

Getting closer to your character lens, what in your MC’s history shapes the way they interpret the landscape? Did they lose family once&develop cynical/fearful attitude to one or more culture/system/structure/location? Is there racism? How is this navigated?

Naomi Davis
@NaomisLitPix
Literary Agent
Eternally optimistic Literary Agent at @Bookendslit Genderqueer 🏳️‍🌈 ND; I laugh & love relentlessly. Repped by the phenomenal @4triciaskinner
208 MSWL
214 AskAgent
183 Tips

Backstory is part of worldbuilding. Why do characters live/scatter the way they do? Was there a war? A fire? A drought? A disease? Did it impact all locations or just one? How does this history influence attitudes&religions&power dynamics? Fear of recurrence?

Naomi Davis
@NaomisLitPix
Literary Agent
Eternally optimistic Literary Agent at @Bookendslit Genderqueer 🏳️‍🌈 ND; I laugh & love relentlessly. Repped by the phenomenal @4triciaskinner
208 MSWL
214 AskAgent
183 Tips

Also consider political/authority structure. I see so. Many. Monarchies. In SFF queries. Does there need to be a King? What about democracy? What about anarchy? Who controls whom? Why? What do others think of the authority structure? Play with these things.

Naomi Davis
@NaomisLitPix
Literary Agent
Eternally optimistic Literary Agent at @Bookendslit Genderqueer 🏳️‍🌈 ND; I laugh & love relentlessly. Repped by the phenomenal @4triciaskinner
208 MSWL
214 AskAgent
183 Tips

Consider material. Is the belt made of woven fronds? Leather? Cord? Hair? Does the shirt clasp or tie closed? What is armor? Why is it effective in this world? Is there only one place to get a certain replacement? Great way to drive your MC to new location.