And please PLEASE look me up on #MSWL &keep me in mind for your next queries if you are newly agent-less. I promise transparency in everything in our working relationship, I promise integrity, & dedication to you&your career. #querytip #askagent #writetip
youtu.be/oF52BxpbztQ

#pubtip Don't immediately accept an offer of rep, even if it's your dream agent. You'll do yourself a disservice. Take a week to contact other agents. See if there's more interest, even if just to put first offer into context. Don't give up the opportunity to weigh all options.

#pubtip Don't give an agent or editor a reason to reject you. Here's a hint...follow the submission guidelines and do what we ask. There is a reason we ask for the material a certain way.

#querytip #askagent "Does it look bad in my query if I've been previously repped but we parted ways?"
NO it does not. Someone before me saw your talent. This is a good thing.
Sometimes agent/client relationships break down. This is sometimes no fault, or fault of one party. 1/

I think you misunderstand. Sometimes we receive pages -- just pages. No other info. It's like - guess the genre, the conflict, etc. You need a solid Q to set up the pages for a read. #pubtip

Successful Querying Requires Doing Your Homework #amquerying #pubtip bookendsliterary.com/2018/07/25/suc…

☕Coffee Time With Kara☕ Five Query Essentials. I've heard authors say that writing the novel is the easy part. It's the query letter that's the most difficult part of the process. #QueryTip #AmQuerying #AmWriting #EditorTip #PubTip #GetPublished #ACFW ow.ly/xmxi30kzoa1

When reading queries & submissions the best agents never read in order of when the material arrives. Just because your friends heard back doesn't mean yours was lost, it just means something about that query enticed the agent to read it first. #querytip #askagent

In my inbox I'm seeing a lot of queries for superheroes and noir. That's not good or bad one way or the other = I'm just making an observation.

#QueryStats
#agenting

#querytip The act of CHOOSING to ask for a full from the query pile is a big deal. It's an investment in time & a lot of hope on the agent's part for a match. We often LIKE more than we ask for. Our lists can only be so big. So make sure those 1st pages sing, & your query rocks!

Also, I do NOT take on new clients for novellas. #MSWL #querytip

All women's fiction & single-title romance--80,000-100,000 words #querytip #wordcount

All mysteries should be between 80,000-100,000 words #querytip #wordcount Cozy mysteries might be the exception in that they can be as low as 70,000 words

Any suspense/thriller, including psychological, series, domestic.... should be in the range of 80,000-100,000 words #querytip #wordcount

I mentioned this a few weeks ago, but I'm seeing a consistent problem with word count in queries. For every fiction genre I represent (I ONLY represent adult) 50,000 words is too short. #querytip #wordcount #tuesdaythoughts

#querytip if you write MG, 80K words is very much on the long side, especially for a debut. Know your word counts.

Acquiring, writing, editing, or agenting in one genre doesn't mean you can't acquire, write, edit, or agent in another genre. Your skills are transferable; it's unfair to be pigeonholed. So many editors, agents, etc. work across genres - you should be able to, too. #pubtip

You guys, my guidelines can't be any clearer : No attachments with queries. If you query me with attachments, it will be deleted. Just deleted a ton of queries from writers who just aren't reading my guidelines. Frustrating. Guidelines here: jdlit.com/marie-lamba #querytip

#querystats 47 queries and 10 fulls. The oldest query is from April 26th.

Hello! Your friendly Saturday reminder that if a literary agent wants you to pay up front - a reading fee, editing fee, etc - run screaming to another literary agency!
We get paid when you get paid. Full stop. #querytip