Word count matters. Sure, a fantasy novel or a historical sagas get dispensation from the 100,000 average. But your YA thriller’s just got to be under 100,000 words. 200,000 does not a YA thriller make. #pubtip

Authors, DO NOT CALL EDITORS AT WORK. Most of the big 5 publishers, maybe all, do not take unsolicited manuscripts. #querytip

#querytip A referral from a name I don't know actually hurts you more than it helps because it feels like someone's trying to run a scam. Only mention a referral if it's someone you're sure I know and trust.

Examples of reasons for rejection: voice, lack of craft, word count, derivative storyline, similarity to project already repping, unsaleable project in current market. 2/2 #pubtip

Just because an agent represents your genre, it doesn't mean your project is right for them for any number of reasons. 1/2 #pubtip

Dudes! If you are querying an agent you need to write a professional business letter to them. I seriously do not want to see a single other query that tells me about someone's adorable pet (unless it is the story). #querytip #agentrant #pubtip #amquerying

Reminder that if you choose comps that are all wildly different, 20+ y/o mega-bestsellers (and give no justification!), agents are going to doubt your knowledge of the current market you are writing in #querytip

The bio section of your query is an important supporting role to your pitch. Give us a snapshot of who you are as a writer. Doesn’t need to be full of pub credits, but if it’s vague or non-related, that indicates you’re unsure about your brand as an author. #querytip #askagent

#PubTip:
If you are cold calling an agent to ask for their submission requirements, have a pen & paper. Don't be driving a car. Don't call & demand that the agent email you, because you can't be bothered. This does not inspire confidence in a potential future relationship. 🧐

I have seen this so many times, I need to offer an impt #pubtip. If querying an agent who uses query manager.com, don't ignore their open categories.

People keep querying me for fiction, selecting unrelated nonfiction topics. Do NOT do this. Here's why THREAD

From my intern, Amber: #QueryTip – Seven tips from the slush pile for those #amquerying well-storied.com/blog/seven-sub…

Wondering if hiring an editor is right for you? This post might help.

#AmWriting #WritingTip #AmQuerying #QueryTip

hollowayliteraryagency.com/2019/02/18/sho…

Lead with your best work that’s market-ready and right for *me*! We’ll talk about your other projects when I love your MS and call to find out more about you. #querytip

but never knowing about the story that makes it wonderful. I don't like being told the book is good. Let me judge it for myself. Instead, convince me it's good with how you paint the query and the story itself. It's like the whole don't tell but show when writing. Just show me.

They're saying their work will be as big and amazing as *insert popular title here* and sometimes they even put how it's movie worthy. The other is when the query has absolutely nothing on what the story is actually about. It's tiring reading a query about how wonderful a book is

#querytip I've come to realize that two things always alert me of when I might not like a story before I've even read it. The first is when the query compares the story to popular works. And I don't mean that they're saying their story is similar to these popular works.

Opening your pitch with a rhetorical question can be risky, particularly the "have you ever wondered" type. Because most of the time, I haven't ever wondered. So it won't lure me in the way a pitch should. #querytip

#pubtip

A royalty statement reports units paid for by retailer* to publisher (not from consumer to author)

*retailer defined as bookstore, library, Amazon.com, Target/Walmart/Costco, grocery stores, airports, book clubs, etc.

There's usually an exception to every rule, but don't TRY to be the exception. It's usually obvious. #querytip

Likewise, I'm seeing MG at astronomically high levels, like 80k+. This also scares me. High word counts tell me either a) you can't self-edit b) something is very overblown. (Don't ask me what a good word count is. Many people have written about it. Google it.) #querytip