Agents are human too. They have feelings. They have finite time. They want to support good, kind authors. When a book is exciting but not publishable, they’re upset. When sending a rejection, they know it hurts because they get rejections from editors. If an agent rejects you, remember they’re human too. Don’t react out of… Continue reading Don’t say this to an agent
The query process frustrates many authors. They do their research, write the best book they can, and check off every box on the query checklist. And then they wait. And wait. And wait. They receive a form rejection. Another, another. They know this is how the industry works, but it doesn’t make it any less disappointing. They did everything they could, and… Continue reading Helpless against frustration
When I send a rejection, some authors reply asking if I can recommend other agents for them to query. I don’t reply to those emails. First, the book may not be good and my honest recommendation is revision. I can’t say that because an agent’s suggestion can feel like an executive order. I don’t have the right… Continue reading Why I won’t recommend other agents
After the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, I could not write. I spent a week in shock and mourning, figuring out my feelings and how best to honor the victims. As I say in my bio, I’m a queer woman. It hit close to home. This week, I’m on vacation. I’m getting a… Continue reading Mourning, Vacationing, and Writing
When an agent requests a full manuscript, they will tell you the specific format they want. Attached as doc, docx, or pdf? Synopsis? Etc. Many agents ask that you send your full to a different address. Queries may go to name[at]agency.com, but fulls go to name[at]gmail.com. Many of our agents instruct authors to send fulls… Continue reading Read the instructions for full requests
Today I encountered the best first line ever. I won’t quote word for word, but let’s just say it had the phrase “wet shaft” involved. It’s obvious the author didn’t intend a sexual innuendo. They were trying to describe the scenery in a dark and dangerous environment. But I giggled for a while. Unfortunately, I… Continue reading Check for innuendo
Starting with a murder is common in the thriller/mystery/suspense genres. The kill kicks off the plot. The scene might lead the reader astray with red herrings. It might agonize us because we know things the detectives don’t. Just because it works doesn’t mean you should start with the murder. The murder opening isn’t just a… Continue reading Opening scenes: murder
Getting The Call is a huge thing for authors. The Call: when an agent calls you to offer representation. When you query, we won’t offer rep based on the sample pages alone. If we like it, we’ll request more. We won’t call you to request: we’ll send an email. We make several requests each week,… Continue reading When you’ll get a call
A query letter’s main function is conveying the pitch for a book. But it has more moving parts than that. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown, with links to more detailed how-to posts on that section. Salutation: “Dear Firstname,” or “Dear Ms. Lastname,” PARAGRAPH 1 Optional intro: A sentence about how you found them: “I read your… Continue reading How to write a query letter
A query today announced that the author understood we request a certain number of pages pasted into the email. However, they were attaching the whole thing for us. This isn’t just an auto-reject. I deleted the email. Saying they read the guidelines and then disregarding them shows disrespect for the literary agent. The consequences of… Continue reading Violating guidelines on purpose
