Me before video: My worst fear is misspellings a name or saying the wrong thing. Me after video: Never mind. I feel a whole lot better.
@littlestpineapple28984 жыл бұрын
"Here are some Query Don'ts. Don't threaten or stalk the agent." Fair enough, does need to be said :/ Still, in the future, if we feel like we've screwed up the query process, we can at least take solace in the fact that we (hopefully) didn't threaten the person we were trying to get to represent us. That's something.
@jacquig19394 жыл бұрын
Right? I may have not done a great job with my query but I didn't threaten to kill someone so...good I guess.
@alixthomazi4 жыл бұрын
I enjoy watching these just to feel better about myself once I realise I don't do any of these!
@jessc.82654 жыл бұрын
Ditto! lol
@SysterYster4 жыл бұрын
Same! :D
@solarsailer41664 жыл бұрын
I've heard much of these "don't dos" from agents in webinars and workshops for years and it still suprises me that some querying authors think this is the way to behave. The most common complaint I've heard is "authors not doing their research", i.e. querying an agent in the wrong genre. Thanks for your tips and reality checks, Alexa. A few years ago, I was staring at my first compelted first draft without a clue of what I needed to do next. Then I found you and Susan Dennard. Thanks for all the tough love. I'm not a glutten for punishment, but the tough love keeps us in the real world and makes us stronger. I'm still working on my query letter. It sucks but hopefully I can make it suck less with each revision!
@MRuby-qb9bd4 жыл бұрын
Really digging that eyeshadow. Which is a dumb comment, but it will at least boost the algorithm lol. 😄
@hikkipedia4 жыл бұрын
So relieved that to hear that the query letter should be short!
@grethen1233 жыл бұрын
Loved that you pointed out even the obvious things - it's so easy to get so engrossed in your own book that you forget the etiquette completely ))
@nviz474 жыл бұрын
When you said insulting the genre/a popular book in the genre &/ inflating the impact of your book and saying it'll be a bestseller and/or better than the rest - made me think of the notorious case of Terry Goodkind. 😎 Haven't read his books.
@mishashmi3814 жыл бұрын
Gonna binge watch all your videos again right before before I step into the query trenches. You're a life saver.
@mishashmi3814 жыл бұрын
@@GeeBee135 absolutely. She's one of the authortubers who seriously inspired me
@mnbennetwriter4 жыл бұрын
I thought threats were an exaggeration until I read and watched interviews with literary agents discussing some of their experiences. Geez. I couldn't imagine so much aggression. Thanks for the helpful tips. Some tips I knew beforehand. Some I am guilty of committing years ago. So helpful when entering the query stage.
@NShiro-tp1fe4 жыл бұрын
I've heard of ppl mentioning their amount of instagram (or other social media) followers in their query and honestly... I'd be so embarassed to do that...
@AlexaDonne4 жыл бұрын
Only do it if you're an Instagram influencer and it's a part of your platform (which will sell your book). But, yes, 99% of the time it's irrelevant.
@swaralideshmukh60013 жыл бұрын
Alexa at 3:33 I feel you, but that face is just priceless.
@MxSangy4 жыл бұрын
As always, I love the way you expertly spill that tea, sis 👌 I'mma go share this with all my Twitter acquaintances.
@pradeepmr44164 жыл бұрын
What is your book about
@dropslemon2 жыл бұрын
There's something magical about how my brain mangled "don't shotgun agents with a "Dear Agent"" to "don't shotgun deer agents"
@lollyannaclark4 жыл бұрын
Sending agents pie charts? People really....they really do that? Dammnnnnn.
@AlexaDonne4 жыл бұрын
I... saw it on KZbin.
@lollyannaclark4 жыл бұрын
@@AlexaDonne Yikes.
@solarsailer41664 жыл бұрын
@@AlexaDonne I don't doubt your information, but I am shocked.
@DrVVVinK4 жыл бұрын
@@AlexaDonne Was it an author talking about what they are doing, and passing it off as advice?
@AlexaDonne4 жыл бұрын
@@DrVVVinK I actually came across it as a targeted KZbin ad of a video about how they had written a children's book better than a bestseller and they talked about sending the pie charts to agents who had rejected them :)
@887frodo4 жыл бұрын
I kinda fear these videos, as amazing as they are, are directed to the minority of artists who are extrovert and amazing at selling themselves. I have cold sweats just thinking about anybody else reading my writing, yet alone paying me for it.
@AlexaDonne4 жыл бұрын
I mean, I'm an introvert, so. Introvertedness/extrovertness has nothing to do with being able to learn how to craft a decent query. There's TONS of help and guides out there for those to whom it doesn't come naturally. You don't have to write the most amazing query on earth to avoid the Don'ts, either.
@887frodo4 жыл бұрын
@@AlexaDonne True. And hearing about the crazy crap people send and say... Geez.
@nathanielquiet86364 жыл бұрын
@@887frodo You need to show your work to someone (anyone!) in order to get constructive criticism. It is one important way to improve your craft. Perhaps join a writers group or look at the mentorship programmes some on authortube are involved in. I know it is hard but some of us want you to succeed. Your success isn't to my disadvantage and I wish you all the luck in the world. Writing is hard and we all need help at times ☺
@887frodo4 жыл бұрын
@@nathanielquiet8636 I really want to be part of a community of writers but it's hard for me because English is not my native language. So it's not only the writing but the writing in a foreign language. The lack of resources for writers who write in English as their second language is staggering. I began writing a novel in fall 2013/spring 2014 while taking ESL classes. I'm in the process of rewriting most of it. It's weird. It begins with rudimentary English and ends with college lvl English. Part of the fear is, you know, nobody takes serious a person who writes in English yet speaks it with an accent--and I'm speaking here from experience.
@siuzannavyshneva63124 жыл бұрын
It's such a refreshing advice! Just recently I found out about CC and BCC in a learning a foreign language video, and now it comes back in a matter of days in this video. Must be really something worth remembering, for it obviously stays on the surface of things.
@RachelKathrynnn4 жыл бұрын
I love these videos. I personally don’t have any desire to write a book but I find the publishing industry to be really interesting and your videos explain everything so well!
@Kevlandia4 жыл бұрын
I'm not sure if it's because I've already gone through the querying stage, but it is MIND BLOWING that people still do these things...
@AlexaDonne4 жыл бұрын
... I actually made this b/c of a KZbin video I saw haha. (but I've seen variations on these/questions about some of them on Reddit recently)
@mischarowe4 жыл бұрын
Commenting for the algorithm because your videos are awesome. Have a great day. :)
@nuny45924 жыл бұрын
My inspiration for my book idea was "How convenient it'd be to have this power..... but imagine how inconvenient it'd be if there was this curse that went with it!" Because my entire thought process is superhuman abilities that'd be convenient for my everyday life :)
@SinaSkates4 жыл бұрын
"Who wants to read books by jerks?" Lol.... there's so much to that statement. So funny.
@jackiesanteramo-mead11714 жыл бұрын
A literary agent getting stalked by a rejected author sounds like a great potential book...
@fallofmanbrand4 жыл бұрын
amazing video
@LariTanner4 жыл бұрын
I can't believe people do what you mentioned, I'm shocked. I've never even thought of these kinds of things. Crazy! Thanks for sharing, I won't be doing any of these! ;) I'm worried about querying but now I know what NOT to do.
@endlessteatime47334 жыл бұрын
Sorry, off-topic, but I adore that blouse! The colour looks so good on you and brings out your red hair. I love your what-not-to-do videos, the stuff some people do is really good entertainment... as long as I don't have to be at the receiving end of those actions.
@MazMedazzaland4 жыл бұрын
I have heard about people doing weird things to stand out, or writing on purple scented paper and so on. I don't know why people veer so far out of the submission guidelines. Off topic but I love your top!
@livmilesparanormalromanceb68914 жыл бұрын
Another great video, thank you!
@tanishjain78513 жыл бұрын
Can we just appreciate the expression in the thumbnail?
@sarahjones13184 жыл бұрын
#2...definitely know what Elf on the Shelf-esque pitch this refers to...
@AlexaDonne4 жыл бұрын
So you saw the video too! I thought I was hallucinating haha.
@nviz474 жыл бұрын
Thanks Alexa! :). I know Goodkind in one example badmouthed his cover artists work, publically and just was very unprofessional, rude and critical.
@stephenginnetty48664 жыл бұрын
I know talk about unprofessional. One of the many reasons why I don't read any of his books.
@jacquig19394 жыл бұрын
I kind of twitched at the- don't threaten the agent. Like I can see so many of these happening often but man. I'm sure it happens but just wow.
@lilymiller72374 жыл бұрын
you helped me find ideas for my book! if i publish it i will definitely mention you in my acknowledgments 😂
@pradeepmr44164 жыл бұрын
What is your book about
@lilymiller72374 жыл бұрын
Pradeep MR it’s sort of an enemies to lovers mixed with murder mystery story, i’m a sucker for those books
@thejeremiahrivera4 жыл бұрын
I came across a whole video of someone trying to find an agent by saying they shopped their children's book in elementary schools and compared it to The Elf on the Shelf and the kids preferred their book.
@AlexaDonne4 жыл бұрын
LOL yes I saw that video too! Honestly inspired this video though the rest of the list came to me very easily once I got started :)
@pierreluc3 жыл бұрын
I would add two little things that helped me: 1- Do not use slur words on your title. I know that The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*** was a hit, but most markets don't respond well to shock value. 2- While writing about yourself, write your expertise and if you have one, your following. As my publisher said : "It doesn't matter if I publish the best book on earth if no ones ear about it". Social medias helped me a lot!
@leonp72354 жыл бұрын
Sorry, #1 confused me a bit; By don't "shot gun", did you mean to not send the same query letter to many agents (which is obviously a stupid thing to do, but not as stupid as other things on the list), or did you mean to only send out one query at a time? A book may be rejected for any number of reasons that have nothing to do with the objective quality of the book, so I would have thought it would be a little egotistical to presume the first agent you query will be interested in your work? Thanks
@AlexaDonne4 жыл бұрын
Both. I don't recommend authors query more than 100 agents (have a video on it), but primarily here it means all at once/on one email chain.
@leonp72354 жыл бұрын
@@AlexaDonne Ha! I can imagine the printouts of queries with half of the page filled with cc. Addressees 😆 I'll check out that other video. Thankyou for the reply.
@dorothyinman46323 жыл бұрын
I will say the main piece of advice is look at the agent's page and see what they want from you. I've queried about 10 agents for my book and every single one of them wanted something different: cover letters, long or short synopsis, first 10 pages, first chapter, first three chapters, query letter and it goes on. Some agents want a short biography. Some want the audience the book would appeal to. Some want everything attached in a Word doc, some want you to cut and paste in the body of the email and are adamant if you attach things they won't look at your query at all. This is one of the reasons querying is so difficult. You have to cater to each agent's desires, but it works out in the end if you follow the rules and they want to represent you. Good luck all.
@andreamalkinson14124 жыл бұрын
OMG I know what ad you must have seen. I yikesed so hard, but I got someone some ad $$ cuz I had to watch the train wreck all the way to the end.
@FlashGalatine4 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the video! I do have one question and it's about _properly_ addressing the agent by name. While going through my list of agents, I found one agent who is referred to as "Ms." in QueryTracker, but when I did research on this agent by looking up information on her personal website, it mentioned she possesses a Ph.D. I thought that maybe it would be more respectful to refer to this agent as "Dr." instead of "Ms." However, I'm not sure if that's the right thing to do. On a similar token, there are a few agents who list "Ms." even though they're married. What's your take on that? Should I still call her "Ms. So-in-so" or use a more appropriate honorific?
@AlexaDonne4 жыл бұрын
I definitely use Ms even if someone is married. It's gone out of style to refer to a married woman as Mrs so & so, at least in business circles. I'm not sure about using Dr. honestly... when it doubt, you can use their first name though, if you're comfortable. (but likely safer to just use Ms?).
@FlashGalatine4 жыл бұрын
@@AlexaDonne Thanks for the reply! I never thought about using _just_ their first name-- it feels so odd, at least in a business letter, but if it's the norm in the literary industry for agents to be referred by just their first name, I might consider doing just that. Thanks again!
@alwaysapirateroninace4433 жыл бұрын
Wow, people threaten agents. Now I've heard everything.
@kaitfitzgerald65984 жыл бұрын
Love your videos. Just a suggestion, maybe name each don't in order as a reminder.
@kaitfitzgerald65984 жыл бұрын
At the end of the video. . .
@e_n_hand4 жыл бұрын
I just googled the title I had in mind for my novel, and luckily, I didn't hit on anything with the same name. But I hadn't even thought to check that before now, way to give ma a mini heart attack there.
@AuthorGuy14 жыл бұрын
I got the idea for St. Martin's Moon from another book called Blood Moon. For a long time I called it Blood Moon, but I decided I didn't want to use it, so I googled it, looking for alternatives. Turned out there must be several hundred books, especially in paranormal, called Blood Moon. That's where I found St. Martin's Moon instead. The alternative was Werewolves on the Moon, similar to Snakes on a Plane. Still not sure which is better.
@TheStumptube2 жыл бұрын
I put together a few indie horror anthologies around 2015. Follow-up emails about rejections are real... and they regularly contain insults. One author told me I was a fool for refusing his story. He was, apparently, going to be the next big thing, so I should have been honoured to read his work. It's all part of the fun. The publisher and I laughed about it for weeks. Oh, and the story was terrible. So bad that I thought a child had written it and I gave a personalised response (rather than a form rejection), encouraging him to keep going. The story had serious tense problems and at one point the perspective switched from first to third person but only for a few paragraphs. It's bizarre to me that anyone would submit something in that kind of state and then complain about being rejected. Don't be THAT guy.
@roxanne60074 жыл бұрын
But what if I have evidence that my book will outsell Elf on the Shelf?? My unprofessionally conducted study with poor methodology said it will become a bestseller! I should just put up a youtube ad so agents will come to me.
@AlexaDonne4 жыл бұрын
Don't forget the website.
@julianfantasia90334 жыл бұрын
i saw a query online whose title was an iconic quote from an extremely famous (made into a feature film that made over a quarter billion at the box office) book that came out less than ten years ago, in the same genre and category as their own book. iconic enough that i read the book and watched the movie once each like five years ago and i still remembered the quote. it was used in virtually all the promotional materials. that was intentional on their part, by their own admission, and they didn't even attempt to hide it. also, their book was a gauche, disrespectful rip-off of that famous title. as a person with common sense it is easy to underestimate how necessary obvious advice can be.
@absolutelycitron15805 ай бұрын
Alexa ty for saving me from myself
@Themi.3 жыл бұрын
Maybe it's the wrong thing to take away from this video but I'm kind of relieved to hear that so many people completely screw up their query letters. You always hear how agents get hundreds of queries and only represent like 5 people at a time, so it seems impossible to get in, but if half of the queries they receive are that bad, suddenly the chances look much better.
@PianoGirl0914 жыл бұрын
Wonderful advice, as usual! You might be happy to hear that I recently bought Brightly Burning and will be reading it soon. I can't wait, because Jane Eyre is actually one of my favorite stories of all time! Alexa, I do have a more serious question for you in regards to querying and publishing. This might be nothing to concern myself with at all, but when I do start querying, I am absolutely terrified that I am accidently going to query a non legitimate publisher or agent. Any tips on how to avoid/recognize this?
@thepomegranatekid4 жыл бұрын
A good starting place is querytracker.net - not only can you make an account and keep track of who you've queried and how old it is but they have a wonderful database of legitimate agents. I've been using it for months now. :)
@NR-rv8rz2 жыл бұрын
If you shouldn't query multiple agents at the same time, even with very personalised emails, and the chances of being taken up by any particular agent is low, then does that mean you basically take five years as you have to query one or two then sit and wait for six weeks before you try the next one or two and on and on? What's wrong with researching hundreds of agencies and parring them down to a prefered shortlist of twenty or thirty then contacting those at the same time?
@miscellaneous71514 жыл бұрын
Okay, gotta change my title. It wasn’t taken when I checked seven years ago.
@StevenWilliams25604 жыл бұрын
Bookends Agency strongly advised against guessing titles like Mr., Ms., or Miss, or assuming pronouns. They said stick with first name or first and last name together. They also advised against guessing nicknames. Don't assume Joseph goes by Joe or Margaret goes by Maggie or Peg.
@AlexaDonne4 жыл бұрын
I mean YMMV. I used Ms. Roth Parker and it was fine. It was the greeting that felt correct at the time. Part of your research can be looking up the agent's preference b/c everyone's is different. (My agent has since given interviews stating she doesn't mind being addressed as Elana, but that information was not available in 2017)
@michaljaroslavmajan Жыл бұрын
Hi, Alexa. I have a question. Do you think it is possible for me, as a Slovak author who has written a book in English, to send it to literary agents? I don't mean just to America or the UK, but maybe also to Germany, because the story is set in Austria and Germany and basically in other countries, but unfortunately, I don't speak German. Do I have a chance?
@ruthrouse4 жыл бұрын
I'm nowhere near the query stages yet but I found myself cringing at some of these. Hard to believe people think they are a good idea
@charrier184 жыл бұрын
In regard to #2... Can we put quotes from beta reports? Kinda like quotes from other authors that you find on book covers.
@JennaStreety4 жыл бұрын
But Alexa THE PIE CHART XD
@rosieradcliffe55784 жыл бұрын
Aaarrgggghhh ... watched this, and thought "did I remember to Google my title"? You can guess the rest ....
@imnickij4 жыл бұрын
On the subject of titles and querying, is it okay to query without a title? Or should you just put a place holder there and mention it's not the final title if you hear back? I worry about having the wrong title for the book being an issue.
@NShiro-tp1fe4 жыл бұрын
I'm not an expert, but querying without a title looks like you haven't really finished your book. I'd search for a place holder, even if its not going to be the final title (just my opinion)
@AlexaDonne4 жыл бұрын
Always come up with some kind of title. Untitled makes it impossible for the agent to search for your query in their inbox/remember it.
@imnickij4 жыл бұрын
@@AlexaDonne brilliant, thank you!x
@ramonarobot4 жыл бұрын
Hi Alexa. I have a question: Do publishers tend to shy away from novels with profanities/curses/obscenities...? If they’re okay with it, is there some kind of threshold on how much is too much in a book?
@lilyd89084 жыл бұрын
I started looking at the mswl hashtag on twitter and was honestly shocked at how many tweets there were from people just talking about how much they hate agents in general? And then it would be tagged “am querying”, like how bitter are you that you aspire to traditionally publish but then go on rants about how much you think agents are terrible people?? What is wrong with people.
@aliciap13904 жыл бұрын
In one of my query emails, an agent requested the first ten pages, which I did! But in my query letter itself, I said that I've given the first 5 pages, as requested. *queue internal screams once I realized my mistake* Is this just going to become an auto reject due to this mistake?
@AlexaDonne4 жыл бұрын
Nope! Don't worry. it's not a huge deal :)
@aliciap13904 жыл бұрын
@@AlexaDonne Whew! Thank goodness. Your videos have alleviated so much of the stress I've had in beginning querying! Thank you for posting all this amazing content!!
@timothyburbage4 жыл бұрын
That's okay, I mis-copied an email and put the wrong name after Dear... D'oh!
@AliceFleuryWilmasWimzees4 жыл бұрын
I’m lost! How do I find your link about writing good query letters?
@lilithcrow66754 жыл бұрын
Don't threaten them? People do that? You shouldn't threaten anyone, ever!!!
@apsararodrigo93384 жыл бұрын
Do agents mind if you had a few typos in your query/synopsis or pitch letter?
@AlexaDonne4 жыл бұрын
Most don't mind, no! Everyone makes mistakes.
@JessChii4 жыл бұрын
I fell into the trap of Querying an agent who does not represent my main genre, but I queried them because they were listed on query tracker as interested in my genre. How do we get around this? Can we trust the information things like Query tracker presents? Do agents list themselves as interested in certain genres on these platforms? I've been more diligent since, but there are many listed on there who, when you check their website, do not have any representation in that genre.
@lilytheviolinist4 жыл бұрын
Also good to check for the agent’s pronouns on their Twitter/website in case they use gender neutral pronouns and don’t use Ms or Mr!
@SiiKei4 жыл бұрын
I use "Dear First Last name" to avoid that.
@TomorrowWeLive3 жыл бұрын
Lol as if any normal person would want an insane agent
@dianerocher67054 жыл бұрын
I love you Alexa
@hellokittyfrosting4 жыл бұрын
Would it be possible to talk about querying stories with major twists in them? Is it better to give them away in the query to make them want to read, or should we hope the pre-twist premise is strong enough to make them want to read it? (Especially at a midway twist as opposed to a twist ending)
@AlexaDonne4 жыл бұрын
I have a lot of thoughts on this so good idea! I got into a minor disagreement on Reddit over this topic too! The short answer here: if your book relies on someone knowing the twist to be interesting enough to read, something is either wrong w/ the book, or the way you're pitching it. ie: the solution is to make the first half compelling enough conflict & stakes wise to draw them in to get them to read to that big twist. You can also hint at something bigger being at play, but all the agents I trust say no spoilers in the query. I actually made this mistake in my first queries! I spoiled my twist in early queries, then happily my mentor in Pitch Madness helped me fix it, and my second round query was MUCH better w/o the spoilers (and I learned how to pitch the book better w/o it). So for example, if you were querying Gone Girl, IMO you couldn't spoil the twist of that book in the query. You WOULD hint at it though by asking the kind of question like: Is Nick as innocent as he claims, or is there more to Amy than meets the eye? etc. (that's ham-fisted writing but you catch my drift)
@hellokittyfrosting4 жыл бұрын
Alexa Donne Thank you!!!! That's incredibly helpful 😄
@ruthiecoltrane66404 жыл бұрын
Just on the "talk about the book not you" thing, would you include professional references? For instance if you wrote a book about a fictional military that you the author served in the military or the main character was an archeologist or doctor that you the author are one? Would it help distinguishing yourself from a 19yo english major who has written a first person narrative book about a medical anthropologist working in a war zone by including this information in a query.
@ruthiecoltrane66404 жыл бұрын
Or would it go down like the person is tooting their own horn. 😒🥳
@AlexaDonne4 жыл бұрын
It's ok to have a simple line in your bio paragraph about the relevant experience--short and simple is good.
@la14954 жыл бұрын
Okay big novice here: Why is it bad to query multiple agents at once? It seems temporally efficient. Surely the agents know that as well. Also, are they constantly talking to other agents to check for this? I just don't know why that would be bad.
@AlexaDonne4 жыл бұрын
Multiple agents at once is fine. Querying 100 at the same time, in the same email, is bad.
@la14954 жыл бұрын
@@AlexaDonne Thanks for the clarification. I mistook you for meaning one at a time. ha that'd take forever
@mandalynak4 жыл бұрын
It’s shocking that writers actually insult and threaten agents. So amateur. 🙄
@gorffennafeighteen41784 жыл бұрын
I got a question, what if the literary agent is from america and I'm from Wales. Will it be a problem?
@AlexaDonne4 жыл бұрын
Not at all! Most literary agents never even meet their clients and everything is done over email :)
@gorffennafeighteen41784 жыл бұрын
Thank you for the reply!
@elenalechuga36564 жыл бұрын
how common are these things in the publishing industry? someone knows?
@AlexaDonne4 жыл бұрын
Thankfully not that common but common enough for me to make the list :) They're all based on real things I've heard people have done. (or things I've seen personally in the AMM inbox)
@elenalechuga36564 жыл бұрын
Alexa Donne even in AMM?🙃insane, but thank you Alexa for all the things you have done for us, newbie writers
@CharlieHorse43634 жыл бұрын
Should I participate in pitch wars or query contests before or after my book is ready to be queried?
@AlexaDonne4 жыл бұрын
You can't enter PW unless your book is complete and generally you have MUCH better odds at being chosen if you're reasonably close to query ready. I personally do not recommend doing any pitch contests unless you are query ready.
@CharlieHorse43634 жыл бұрын
@@AlexaDonne I'm so glad you said so, I felt that was the case instinctively but I also wasn't sure if I was holding myself back and missing good opportunities! Thank you for replying!!
@AlexaDonne4 жыл бұрын
@@CharlieHorse4363 I totally understand the urge! I think for the mentorship part of PW, it's not as dire b/c the point is mentorship, but anything agent facing I'm just reluctant to advise anyone not to put out their best work. There have been cases where someone pitched incomplete or unedited work and fellow authors have noticed (and we whisper about so & so who pitched a book that didn't exist, or they got an agent but no one bought the book b/c it wasn't ready, etc.)
@CharlieHorse43634 жыл бұрын
@@AlexaDonne How would one go about making sure people know you're looking for a mentor not an agent during pitch wars to avoid that faux pa?
@AlexaDonne4 жыл бұрын
@@CharlieHorse4363 Pitch Wars is only for mentorship. Are you confusing Pitch Wars with Pitmad? They are different.
@lisakells65284 жыл бұрын
So potentially a very 101 question... but as a British writer, who uses British spellings - is that off putting for American agents and editors? Just over here, over thinking everything again.
@evarchavex48004 жыл бұрын
'Writing it in the voice of your main character.' Why is this a problem?
@carlajenkins19904 жыл бұрын
Not in the query letter. You can mention the voice there, but don't do it.
@fadedpages4 жыл бұрын
the query letter is not a piece of art or creative fiction. It is meant to be a short professional paragraph or two that gives an agent the bare bones of your manuscript. It is not the time to try to get cute with the voice.
@madelenewaldron87964 жыл бұрын
Ooh I do have one note on the 'Dear Mrs/Mr [Name]' - make sure to check their pronouns! Querytracker doesn't include non-binary honorifics, and misgendering someone can put you immediately on the wrong foot!
@livstrom4 жыл бұрын
I watch an interview with an agent where they recommend to always write "Dear first name last name", this avoids any gender issues and still works if you think only first name is too informal.
@DalCecilRuno4 жыл бұрын
Question: I have a pen name, so, the name you're seeing from me here is not my legal name, not even close to my legal name, and I would love to keep my "real persona" hidden, but I also hear that if you have a pen name, you must sign with your legal name first, and then add "writing as insert pen name." I hate this. I've considered just signing with my pen name and if I ever get anyone interested, then I tell them hey this is my paper name, I never use it unless it's paperwork. But, I'm afraid this could be a query "don't" that you didn't mention. So, can I start just using my pen name from now on or...? To clarify it further, I'm not in the transgender community, so it's not a dead name case, but very similar in the sense that I really hate that name, I've always hated it, always wanted another name, and I would also really prefer to keep my personal life away from my writing stuff. So... Yeah, this has my mind spinning in circles. Thanks. :)
@AlexaDonne4 жыл бұрын
It's best to mention it in the query (in the salutation) but if you absolutely do not want to or cannot, you should bring it up once an agent represents you. You'll have to use your real name for legal paperwork so they will have to know at that point.
@DalCecilRuno4 жыл бұрын
@@AlexaDonne thank you..So it is possible to keep that away until and if an agent decides to represent me. Hmm... I mean, I put so much effort into this online anonymity thing to ruin it all in the queries. I think even you saw it, and please I hope you've already forgotten it. I'm Dal, always Dal, unless legal and paperwork stuff, I know I can't escape the paperwork. Thank you.
@starkidpotter13104 жыл бұрын
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@pradeepmr44164 жыл бұрын
First ya first ya i am so happy I am first i ❤ you Alexa Donne i want to scream so that everyone here me i am first pls can we talk through phone
@letskillbunny4 жыл бұрын
lmao what
@one_smol_duck4 жыл бұрын
@@letskillbunny your username is quite appropriate here