Happy August! 😎 Please note that @AlisonFargis, @EmMorgen, and @maddestofburts are now closed to submissions until September 1!

The rest of our agents are still open, and you can find all the info you need on how to query them here: bit.ly/2qSkq1b #querytip

Well, it’s August 1st. I’m officially open to queries. Here comes the flood… #querytip #amagenting

Friendly reminder: do not pitch myself (or other agents) on social media. This includes Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter. Use the proper channels. You don’t want your first impression to be: this person can’t even follow simple directions. #querytip

How I Pitched Murder, She Reported by Peg Cochran #querytip #agentpitch bookendsliterary.com/2018/07/31/how…

It's 11pm where I am, and I've just put my 12 yr old to bed after a long and enthusiastic conversation about the books they are reading and loving. What I've learned is GOLD for those #amwriting #amediting #amquerying Middle Grade. #writetip #querytip A #thread of quotes:

After pages were read, agents said where/why they would have stopped reading.

Some patterns quickly emerged. The top 2:

1. Many pages started with way too much description. Clothes, curtains, weather. Nothing's happening. Agents wanted more action.

#writingtips #querytip 2/x

Such talented work is hitting my inbox lately, peeps. Keep up the good work! #querytip #edittip

The query letter broken down in its simplest form:
Who is your MC
What do they want (goals)
What stands in their way (obstacles)
What happens if they fail (stakes)
That’s it. That’s what we need to know. #querytip #SlushInsight

And please PLEASE look me up on #MSWL &keep me in mind for your next queries if you are newly agent-less. I promise transparency in everything in our working relationship, I promise integrity, & dedication to you&your career. #querytip #askagent #writetip
youtu.be/oF52BxpbztQ

#querytip #askagent "Does it look bad in my query if I've been previously repped but we parted ways?"
NO it does not. Someone before me saw your talent. This is a good thing.
Sometimes agent/client relationships break down. This is sometimes no fault, or fault of one party. 1/

☕Coffee Time With Kara☕ Five Query Essentials. I've heard authors say that writing the novel is the easy part. It's the query letter that's the most difficult part of the process. #QueryTip #AmQuerying #AmWriting #EditorTip #PubTip #GetPublished #ACFW ow.ly/xmxi30kzoa1

When reading queries & submissions the best agents never read in order of when the material arrives. Just because your friends heard back doesn't mean yours was lost, it just means something about that query enticed the agent to read it first. #querytip #askagent

#querytip The act of CHOOSING to ask for a full from the query pile is a big deal. It's an investment in time & a lot of hope on the agent's part for a match. We often LIKE more than we ask for. Our lists can only be so big. So make sure those 1st pages sing, & your query rocks!

Also, I do NOT take on new clients for novellas. #MSWL #querytip

All women's fiction & single-title romance--80,000-100,000 words #querytip #wordcount

All mysteries should be between 80,000-100,000 words #querytip #wordcount Cozy mysteries might be the exception in that they can be as low as 70,000 words

Any suspense/thriller, including psychological, series, domestic.... should be in the range of 80,000-100,000 words #querytip #wordcount

I mentioned this a few weeks ago, but I'm seeing a consistent problem with word count in queries. For every fiction genre I represent (I ONLY represent adult) 50,000 words is too short. #querytip #wordcount #tuesdaythoughts

#querytip if you write MG, 80K words is very much on the long side, especially for a debut. Know your word counts.

You guys, my guidelines can't be any clearer : No attachments with queries. If you query me with attachments, it will be deleted. Just deleted a ton of queries from writers who just aren't reading my guidelines. Frustrating. Guidelines here: jdlit.com/marie-lamba #querytip