An author needs to feel like *I* am the right match for them as much as I do. When I lose one, it does hurt (VERY much so!), but I'm glad they are confident in the direction they've chosen. I want the best for them+book, even if that best is not me. #askagent #querystats

#amquerying #querytip I really can’t sell a debut novel longer than 120k, even in adult SFF

Also, #querystats - I SIGNED 12 of these. I OFFERED representation on 14. Agents get rejections too!

I will be off on Christmas/New Year vacation Dec 14 5pm EST through Jan 6. Queries received in that time will receive a response by Jan 11 only if I want to read more. Details in my OOO message. #amquerying #querytip

Have a wonderful holiday season!

#querystats All queries have been answered. Check your junk mail or spam if you are missing a response

I am getting some inquiries as to why I'm a touch behind my #querystats goal of answering all q's w/in 6 weeks!
Rest assured I answer EVERY query in my querymanager.

I am currently working on queries from Oct.19th.

I got a query surge in Oct (YAY) But that's why I'm behind.

#PubTip

#querytip #subtip - don't subscribe people to your newsletter or blog unless they ask you to - it's really presumptuous, and don't do this in submissions. It's not the same as a query.

#querytip #subtip - I've talked before about not gendering folks when you don't have to, but if you assume I'm married because I seem like a woman & you Mrs. me, you look Really Bad. Be remotely thoughtful, it's super easy, the bar is low & I believe in you.

TW:Suicide
Authors if you are going to write about suicide please educate yourself on the proper terms
#subtip #querytip
speakingofsuicide.com/2017/09/21/sui…

I would never pass on a query because it included a reference to something I said, but that's a moment that could be about your book or about your comps or experience. It's a moment that can be about you-- not me! Because I want to hear about your work. #querytip

That said, most of the time, this information doesn't need to (and arguably shouldn't be) referenced in a query. Especially when it's a bit of a deep dive. I appreciate that you want to connect in a personal way and we're giving you the ammunition to do so. #querytip

I just read several queries in a row where the first sentence was about the mc waking up. Your opening is super important! If you have an original story but the first sentence isn’t, it’s harder to pull a reader in. #querytip

There's a query habit that I don't quite understand: listing the well-known people who said they'd accept a review copy if the book is ever published. This outcome is so far from the query that it's not really useful. I just care about the story at this point. #querytip

#querytip it's that time of year when a lot of agents/agencies start closing to new queries as they try to wrap things up before the break; make sure you check websites and guidelines accordingly.

While we're at it, here's a thread on writing opening scenes in fiction, inspired by an agent panel I spoke on earlier this year.

Guess this is a #pubtip #metathread now!
twitter.com/DaraKaye/statu…

Just got another promising submission that needs a big restructure/rewrite, so it's time to re-up this #pubtip thread on #nonfiction book proposals.

#amediting

The query inbox will be staying open over the upcoming holidays but I won't be checking it very frequently. So if you query me now, look for a response in January! (As always, I respond to every query I receive - no response means I haven't seen it yet!) #querytip

Internationally bestselling author @jodipicoult shares the story of how she found her agent. "You have to plug ahead and believe in yourself" #pubtip #amquerying #litseeker
litseeker.com/2018/12/05/an-…

I think Thursday will be the first #PitMad this year where I'll be participating--I'm excited to see all the new pitches! Don't forget to use genre subtags; they're helpful to us agents. #mswl #querytip