Hello! Your friendly Saturday reminder that if a literary agent wants you to pay up front - a reading fee, editing fee, etc - run screaming to another literary agency!
We get paid when you get paid. Full stop. #querytip

#querytip Don't lead with how many agents have rejected you. #justsayin

How (And Whether) to List Your Publishing Credits bit.ly/2uNHlgm via @nathanbransford #querytip #amyquerying

Backstory is acceptable in a query. It just shouldn't dominate. #querytip

"20 years later Megan still hasn't recovered, but now she has a new focus...." This should be the bulk of your blurb. What is her new focus, what is this book about? #querytip

It's okay to tell the backstory, "as a child Megan was traumatized when she watched her mother kill a neighbor" but make it brief. That should be enough. #querytip

Your query should read like back cover copy, I want to know what this book is going to be about. By giving me a long 1-2 paragraphs about the protagonist's childhood & then one paragraph about the character now you leave me confused about the story #querytip

Lately, I've seen a lot of queries that seem heavily focused on backstory. Don't do this. #querytip

White writers including something they cite as an "African proverb" in their book pitch better have a specific, damn good reason for doing that
#querytip

Hot Tip: don’t lie about having an offer from another agent. We will find out, and you will end up with no agent and no credibility. #querytip

#Amquerying #authors, if you're sending a query letter to several #literaryagents in the subject line, rather than properly emailing ea. #literaryagent, at least think to email to yourself & Bcc everyone else. Otherwise it just looks careless & impersonal. #querytip #AskAgent

#querytip A lot of people try to break the fourth wall in their manuscripts, but the problem with that is that you, as a writer, are physically making your reader step back and realize they're not in your story. Part of the magic of books that you love is because you feel like

If you think your story needs another draft, write it before you query! We want to see the best possible version of your work because we WANT to represent you. #amquerying #amediting #querytip #writetip

Just saying, I very rarely see the need for explanation points in novels unless used in dialogue. It comes across childish or jumpy. My PSA for the day. #amediting #querytip

A thread on some overused opening page scenes that are usually considered a NO when going through our query boxes...

#querytip #amquerying #amagenting

Just a reminder that I'm open for queries for another 15 days before closing for 2 months. If you send me a query while I am closed, it will not be reviewed. Thanks! #querytip #amquerying

This thread! #querytip #subtip

Kate Brauning drops some really helpful truths here. #querytip #writetip

Querying writers, don't forget--I'm closing to queries in just over 2 weeks, on August 1, 2018! #querytip #subtip

Amidst all the terrible political news, I've been finding a lot of joy in queries. The dedication it took to tell a story, to write a query letter and send it out moves me. Ditto the imagination it took to come up with a set of characters and their story. #querytip #amquerying