Friendly reminder that if you are querying, wait at least 6 months before deciding to self-publish… and if you do, follow up with the agents or publishers you queried with to withdraw your application before you self-publish in case one of them is interested. #querytip

Things that will stop me from offering on even the best novel:
1. It's NOT in the genres I acquire.
2. The author seems unopen and unwilling to revise.
3. The author is not interested in continuing to write in this genre
4. Hostile social media posts.
#querytip #askthe editor

Getting 0 requests?
1. Check your query. Not sure how to write one? There are tons of articles. I've even tweeted about it. Take time to learn.
2. Sample pages. How's your opening? Did you edit? Get critique? Pull us in, make us care. #querytip #asktheeditor#querytrenches

If any of your previous work has been published, let us know in your query letter! We would love to check it out! #QueryTip

Can't sleep so here's a #writetip #querytip
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Something that often slows me down in reading is a tendency to overwrite movement, blow-by-blow. It may feel monotonous/flat in the writing itself.
Example + a potential fix (imagine a character wakes up after night out drinking):

These questions translate into the following sections
Readership
Comp Books
Platform/Marketing

Create separate sections, combine them, or integrate them into your overview. It's up to you as long as you address the Qs somewhere. #amwriting #pubtip

nonfiction #querytip: if you mention your substack/newsletter, the number of subscribers is an extremely helpful metric to include

The synopsis is arguably the most important element when querying (with me) #querytip

I know the constant rejection can feel demoralizing, but please don't insult agents who reject you. I often request new MSs from people whose previous queries I rejected. But if you call me nasty names or insult me, I'm just going to ask you not contact me again. #QueryTip

"How do I know a publisher/agent is right for me and my books before I query with them?"

Read the "about us" page and look at their current catalogue. Do they publish books you would compare to yours? Same genre and target audience? Are they active on social media? #querytip

Tip to write a great synopsis: write a couple of sentences for each chapter, don’t worry about writing big paragraphs for your entire book; it’s easier to break it down per chapter and then merge it. #writingtip #querytip

For those following along at home, I'm at 730 queries so far in the month of March. I've answered everything through March 16th (over 600). About 100 or so are unread—the influx has slowed to a more normal pace, thankfully. #WritingCommunity #querytip

Query tip: Economy of words in a small space. Remove unnecessary passive voice from your query summary so that every word contributes to relaying your story & your sentences have a nice, tight flow. #WritingCommnunity #writingadvice #writers #amquerying #amediting #querytip

Vagueness is the enemy in a query letter. If you bring up obstacles, tell us what they are, if you make bold statements, clarify them with details. We have to read letters so swiftly, and it's easier to comprehend if you are specific. #querytip

Quick #querytip: When sending requested materials, save the file name similar to LastName_DOCUMENTNAME_Full so I can find it in my files. Names like 10pgs.doc may get shuffled in the mix and overlooked if I can't find your last name on my ereader. Kthxbai

So this question deserves an entire workshop. I have one on this LOL, but the biggest thing I can say in a tweet is to make sure you've edited, had other eyes on it, and it's well written and relevant/necessary to the story. It's a promise to the reader #querytip #asktheeditor

Many factors contribute: They like it but don't love it. It's too similar to something else they publish. Someone on the team isn't into it. My point is, you're going to get rejections. Lots of them. Prepare yourself. Ultimately you only need ONE. #pubtip

I frequently get queries in which the author doesn't understand genres, especially the romance genre. Reedsy does a good job explaining many genres. Anyone wanting to pitch their book should check it out. #getpublished #PubTip
blog.reedsy.com/book-genres/

Perhaps start thinking of querying as "query and pages" instead of just query letter. I'm seeing some writers only referring to the query and acting like it's the end all be all and, for many agents, it's not
#amquerying #querytip

Noticing some interesting writer thoughts today so to clarify a couple things:

Querying works. End of day, it's the most dependable

Querying isn't always just a query. Many ask for some sample pgs and/or synopsis

#amquerying #querytip