Blogger: Wendy Lawton
So. . . you need a literary agent. You know you’ve got a knock-em-dead manuscript but now you have to find an agent willing to represent you. You’ve done everything right. You’ve gone to the agency website …
Queries
Bad Query Contest
Blogger: Rachel Kent
I started seeing mention of these Bad Query Contests on Twitter this week so I thought it would be fun to host one on the Books & Such blog. Please take a moment to jot a quick …
Offering Representation—One Story
Blogger: Wendy Lawton
Last week I picked up the phone and made an offer of representation to an author. I won’t tell you who it is because she is a regular member of our blog community, and it’s up to …
Caution: Cranky Agent Alert
Blogger: Wendy Lawton
Before I begin my rant–I mean blog post–let me say for the record that I’m usually an upbeat, easy-going, glass-half-full sort of person. Right? I normally avoid snarkiness and try to give everyone the benefit of the …
5 Reasons Really Great Queries Get Rejected
Blogger: Michelle Ule, filling in for Wendy Lawton while she and Janet Kobobel Grant attend meetings and Book Expo of America, in New York City.
More on Queries 101! Yesterday I gave you five pointers for writing good queries. Today …
How to Write a Query That Gets Noticed
Queries 101: Five Elements of a Good Query Letter
Blogger: Michelle Ule, filling in for Janet Kobobel Grant and Wendy Lawton, who are in New York City for meetings and to attend Book Expo America.
We receive a lot of …
The Most Important Thing
Blogger: Wendy Lawton
We talk so often about all the elements necessary for a writer to (a) get an agent (b) get a contract (c) find his readership and (d) build a successful career. As a blog reader your head …
What Makes a Good Nonfiction Query?
Blogger: Michelle Ule
Part 3 of 3
Today I’m going to talk about what we like to see in a nonfiction query and what causes us to ask for a full proposal. I’ll start with statistics so you can see …
What Makes a Good Fiction Query?
Blogger: Michelle Ule
Part 2 of 3
Yesterday I explained how our agency’s query system works and why. Today I’m going to look at what makes us enthusiastic about a fiction query.
First, the numbers.
I chose a random month …
Queries from an Agency’s POV
Blogger: Michelle Ule
Why Don’t I Get a Personal Response?
Part 1 of 3
We received a thoughtful e-mail last week from a writer who asked a pertinent question: “Why don’t you respond to our queries personally? It would only …