Dear Authors,

Please don’t use italics for your query letter.

Signed,
An agent who probably needs glasses

#querytip #SlushInsight

One common mistake I’m seeing in some of my adult SFF submissions is main characters lacking a concrete personal connection to the plot #writetip #querytip

One more #querytip: "start with the action" is popular writing advice & as a result I receive many queries that start in the middle of a fight (or flight) scene.

-looking for other people's clients. And never getting paid. I love you all, I really do, but consider when you're asking for a professional's free labor, please. This is the etiquette part. #subtip #querytip

-about something we very likely can't help you with and which adds to our submissions workload in a way that... uh... won't make us money. Consider submissions is important bc we're looking for clients, but if I regularly do this back & forth, at some pt #subtip #querytip I end-

-people we know, AND we want you to succeed. When you email back to ask us this, you're adding to our submissions inbox. Mine currently has about 3,000 emails in it. Sometimes I get it below 1,000 & two days later it's back over. #subtip #querytip you're asking us to dialogue -

-in addition to our own tastes. If it made sense to recommend you query another agent (or agency, which is what you're really asking us on some level, to send you to our competition), we probably would have done so. We actually do think about our friends #subtip #querytip and-

A baby bit more inbox etiquette! If someone sends a pass on your work, please don't respond asking to recommend you to someone else. This seems rude of me to say, on its face, but imagine an agent already is usually thinking about the market & who would buy it -#subtip #querytip

Aside from that, it’s very frustrating to read a query carefully and reply thoughtfully only to have someone say they already accepted an offer. And that’s just me being really honest with you.

#amquerying #querytip

Please be kind. #querytip

#QueryTip for you. If you reply to your own query to nudge a literary agent, you will move your query to the later date in the queue.

Y’ALL.

If you’re told your query needs to focus on your MC, on their wants and needs, on THEIR conflict and tension (esp if it’s SFF)...

LOOK👏AT👏THIS👏QUERY

#querytip

TL;DR: Don’t throw chances down the drain bc you didn’t do your research, or bc you think industry standards don’t apply to you.

You have to EARN the fans and the reputation that will allow you to break standards.

#querytip

All the established authors you see breaking norms and industry standards?

Most of the time, they’re only able to do that BECAUSE they followed industry standards when they started out. They established a fanbase, a reputation, sales, before they could break standards

#querytip

“But [insert established author here] has a book at [insert high/low word count here] so OBVIOUSLY I can too!!”

No. There’s a HUGE difference between a house taking that risk on an established author with a fan base, than taking on a debut author w/no sales or fanbase

#querytip

There is a REASON those standards exist (shockingly enough, they’re not just there to torture authors I PROMISE). It’s bc those ranges are gauged from what has sold best in the past.

#querytip

Today I’ve gotten two queries at 160,000+ words, one at 180,000+ words, and one at a whopping 385,000+ (!!!!) words.

DO YOUR RESEARCH. Learn what the industry standards for word count for your genre and age category are, or auto rejections WILL happen.

#querytip

If anyone was wondering how to write a query for a really complex fantasy novel, check this out—focus on the character and let everything unfold around them!
#querytip

Everyone has different rules - our guidelines say if we haven't gotten back to you in 6 weeks consider it a pass, but we're often behind & I'm looking at older queries. After the 6-8 week mark, it's perfectly acceptable to follow up. Feel free! #querytip #subtip

If a submissions acct unsubscribes from your newsletter, please don't resubscribe them. Most folks at that point will block your email or send to spam, & then no one will read your query. Serve your work, please. Respect people's time. #subtip #querytip