If your work is ready, you shouldn't hold back on sending out queries until a Twitter pitch contest happens. Most agents tend to find their clients from the slush in their inboxes 99% of the time. #querytip

Happy August! 😎 Please note that @AlisonFargis, @EmMorgen, and @maddestofburts are now closed to submissions until September 1!

The rest of our agents are still open, and you can find all the info you need on how to query them here: bit.ly/2qSkq1b #querytip

When #amquerying, don't mention you researched an agent & chose her because of A, B, & C, unless A, B, & C are actually true. Kinda defeats the purpose otherwise. Just sayin'... Don't make stuff up to impress. Don't use form "personalized" queries. We see through them. #pubtip

Your work isn't done when you first type "The end". In fact, no one should see your first draft but you. Self-editing & revising before sending your ms to critique & submission is important. Put your book aside for a few days & then read. Flaws will jump out at you.

#pubtip

Well, it’s August 1st. I’m officially open to queries. Here comes the flood… #querytip #amagenting

Friendly reminder: do not pitch myself (or other agents) on social media. This includes Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter. Use the proper channels. You don’t want your first impression to be: this person can’t even follow simple directions. #querytip

How I Pitched Murder, She Reported by Peg Cochran #querytip #agentpitch bookendsliterary.com/2018/07/31/how…

Lessons from Rejections from our editor @AuthorLisaDunn anaiahpress.wordpress.com/2018/07/25/rej… #ACFW #AmQuerying #AmWriting #AmEditing #PubTip #Writerslife

It's 11pm where I am, and I've just put my 12 yr old to bed after a long and enthusiastic conversation about the books they are reading and loving. What I've learned is GOLD for those #amwriting #amediting #amquerying Middle Grade. #writetip #querytip A #thread of quotes:

After pages were read, agents said where/why they would have stopped reading.

Some patterns quickly emerged. The top 2:

1. Many pages started with way too much description. Clothes, curtains, weather. Nothing's happening. Agents wanted more action.

#writingtips #querytip 2/x

Out of most recent requests: 2 YA contemporary, 2 women's fiction, 1 suspense out of about 20 queries total, which is a higher rate of "yes" than usual for me! #querystats #keepemcoming #positivemondayvibes

#querystats I'm currently caught up on queries and have responded to all requested materials sent before June 1st. #amagenting

#querystats We have reached 0. All queries have been responded to you. If you have not received a response, check spam filter or junk email and if you still don't have one, let me know.

#querystats I have responded to all picture book queries.

Please don't reference clients' books you obviously haven't read in Qs. Not necessary and looks bad. #pubtip #allwewantisagoodstory

#pubtip Make sure to know if the size of your book matches the current market or your genre. Size does matter.

Such talented work is hitting my inbox lately, peeps. Keep up the good work! #querytip #edittip

Buford has some opinions in what makes a bad agent a bad agent. Visit our YouTube channel to see his (and Jessica Faust’s) advice on bad agents. #literaryagents #publishing #pubtip instagram.com/p/BlvLAfHFkaj/…

#QueryFail = "I've written the next big New York Times bestseller and I just need your help getting Random House to pay attention to me."

#ummmmmm
#queries

The query letter broken down in its simplest form:
Who is your MC
What do they want (goals)
What stands in their way (obstacles)
What happens if they fail (stakes)
That’s it. That’s what we need to know. #querytip #SlushInsight