Your friendly reminder that your story likely does NOT need to start with your character waking up.
Consider finding a more interesting dropping in point.
#querytip #amwriting #writingadvice

Note to #NaNoWriMo21 writers: please don't query it yet. EDIT AND GET BETA READERS AND EDIT AGAIN!

I'd really love to not have first drafts in my inbox tomorrow ❤️
#WritingCommunity #amquerying #querytip

A #pubtip that's getting increasingly relevant in the work-from-home era: if agents do not clearly welcome submissions by mail or list an address on their website, *absolutely do not go to creepy lengths to look up their home address and send them a physical sub that way.*

I'm closed to submissions until early Jan as are many other agents. #Pubtip it's a good habit to check agency websites/SM before querying but esp over the holidays. In the meantime, here's what you can do while waiting:

The challenge is to stand out. You don't have to present totally new ground BUT you do have to present a fresh take. Do you have a new way to tell the story? Is your conclusion counterintuitive? Highlight the freshest, most unexpected aspects. #pubtip

something cropping up in recent queries is a whole slew of comp titles (like, 5-10 in some cases). A comp is so good and useful, but more than three (IMO) tends to muddy the waters and make it seem like the book is trying to be everything rather than what it is #querytip

#querytip 1) Please don’t send me an email without the proper submission materials that are listed on my agency’s guidelines (query, synopsis, chapters in email’s body, etc). It shows me you actually did your research & that tells me so much about your character with just that.

A felow agent recently tweeted about an agent's job: It's straight-commission self-employment, with no union or benefits. Well, the same goes for book authors: You only eat what you kill, and no one owes you anything. Get used to it. #pubtip

Writers, if you contact me saying you've got an offer and then give me ten days to review your manuscript, I am passing.

Even WITHOUT a holiday smack dab in the midst of those ten days, it's not enough time to completely redo my schedule to fit you in
#querytip #amquerying

In case I haven't screamed it lately, #amwriting family:

• The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi
• Craft In The Real World by Matthew Salesses
• Story Genius by Lisa Cron

Are all powerful writing tools for your toolkit!
#writetip #querytip #NaNoWriMo21

"OK but what's the hook?" is something you should ask yourself with every single manuscript. A summary is not a hook. Emotions are not a hook. #querytip #writetip #WritingCommunity

PSA: Dears, You don't need to tell me your protagonist's first and last name in the very first paragraph. You have no idea how many submissions start like that. #writetip #querytip #WritingCommunity

A query letter shouldn't tell me things I already know, like that you're seeking representation (I know, lol), or quote lines from my wishlist. Instead, tell me what's intriguing about your project. Show your enthusiasm. Explain what will resonate with readers and me. #querytip

Meaning my submission was a non starter there. The lesson is a good seller hurts no one & as a comp, paves the way for similar books, whereas a poor seller can wreck the category for everyone. TLDR: Wish other authors well. #pubtip

...and that's all I have time for today! I hope that this insight is helpful to some of you as you prepare your queries for 2022! #QueryTip - a lot of folks are SWAMPED from now until the end of the year - hold off on sending your new queries until January!!

Please don't think professional editing is mandatory! If you can afford it, great. If not, we DO NOT expect you to go broke for it! Being able to hire a freelance editor is a privilege not a necessity
#amquerying #querytip

I know everyone is excited about nanowrimo and stuff, but it’s really not a good time to query with any agent. It’s the end of the year, most agents are triple busy and don’t have time to read any submissions. #querytip

#querytip checking in constantly on the status of your submission is a great way to get an agent to respond to you faster, as they'll go right to your query, reject it, and move along with their day

Be defensive and suspicious toward agents that discourage you from protecting yourself, your work, your dreams, and your career. Educating yourself on what’s “good” applies to vetting your advocates and publisher. #pubtip

#AboutEditor: Present tense just isn't my jam. If you submit a ms written in present tense to me, your chances of an offer are about 5%. Some of my other editors love it, though, so don't despair! #MysticOwlBooks #querytip