Michelle Hauck's Blog, page 74

Query Kombat 2015 Judges

Time for our HUGE lineup of awesome judges for the Query Kombat tournament this year. Many of them were contestants in last year's contest. We believe they offer the most diverse group of opinions, talents, and specialties from all genres.

That being said, Query Kombat would not be possible without the wonderful people who donate their time to help others. In this month-long contest, we have managed to gather thirty-four industry professionals to judge and critique entries. Each and every one of these judges are participating out of the kindness of their hearts, so please join the QK Crew in thanking them for volunteering.


THANK YOU!
Today, so that the judges and you all can celebrate a little bit more, we're having a Twitter party under the hashtag #QKJudges. Judges, entrants, we hosts, other writers, etc. will be chatting it up at that hashtag, so join in and be sure to thank the judges!!!


We have so many judges that we've decided to break down the post into thirds. There will a different lists of judges at all the hosts blogs. Go here to see them all: SC, Mike, and Michelle. And go here to see all the rules.

Now, without further ado, we'd like to introduce one set of judges for Query Kombat 2015.







Kristin Wright
I live in Virginia with my family, our stinky beagle, and our elderly guinea pig. I'm an attorney now, but I've been a Civil War reenactor, an ice cream scooper, a telemarketer, and a U.S. Senate intern. I'm a veteran of both Query Kombat and PitchWars, both in 2014, and will tell anyone who asks that contests are absolutely worth it because that's how you meet your critique partners. I write women's fiction and romance, mostly during my kids’ soccer practices and various lessons.  My fantastic agent is Sarah E. Younger at the Nancy Yost Literary Agency in New York. My website is www.kristinbwright.com. And on twitter @kbuttonw.





Kathleen Allen
Kathleen has been writing since she could hold a pen. She published her first book of poetry at the age of eight—okay it was a bunch of notebook paper tied together with a red ribbon and had an orange construction paper book jacket, but that counts, right? Her first poem published in a more traditional way was in a cat magazine (of course) at the age of fifteen. Since then she has published novels, short stories, flash fiction, poetry and self-published novellas and novels.
She has published two murder mysteries If It’s Monday, It Must be Murder and If It’s Tuesday, It Must be Trouble, along with a YA contemporary, How To Be Almost Famous in Ten Days with Gypsy Shadow Publishing and two YA fantasy novels, Lore of Fei and War of Fei with Muse It Up Publishing. She has a Master’s in Children’s Literature with an emphasis in creative writing for YA. She is a literary assistant to the Seymour Agency.
Twitter: @kathleea
Tumblr:  kathleea.tumblr.com
Pinterest: pinterest.com/kathleea
Website: http://www.kathleensallen.weebly.com



Rena OlsenDaughter of a wandering pastor, Rena Olsen never knew the answer to the question, “Where are you from?” While attending her third school by fourth grade, she found familiarity and comfort in reading, and when she figured out she could create her own stories, that was it. She hasn’t stopped writing since her first story, about an anthropomorphic tooth going on an adventure through a school, won the state of Iowa contest for her age group.
Now Rena is a writer of YA and adult fiction who believes in healthy amounts of pizza and sarcasm. When she’s not saving the lives of children as a school therapist, she’s exploring alternate realities on the page, filling the cheering section for friends, and pretending to be an adult. Rena is represented by Sharon Pelletier of Dystel & Goderich Literary Management. Her debut novel, THE GIRL BEFORE, will be released by Putnam in 2016.
Twitter: @originallyrena
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RenaOlsenWriter
Website: renaolsen.com




Kim Long
Kim Long is an attorney in the Chicagoland area, where she spends her days expressing her clients’ (always true) stories to judges and juries. She writes MG and YA contemporary fantasy that contain a sprinkle of science and is represented by Sara Crowe at Harvey Klinger. When not managing her fantasy baseball and football teams, she can be found biking, watching Star Wars for the zillionth time, or teaching her nieces about the importance of choosing the correct racer (Toad) and vehicle (standard bike) to obtain success in Mario Kart.
twitter: @theSol23website: KimLongWritesHere.blogspot.com







Amy Trueblood
A devotee of reading and writing from a very young age, Amy Trueblood grew up surrounded by books. After stints working in entertainment and advertising, she began writing her first manuscript and has never looked back. Her work is part of The Fall and Summer's Edge short story collections. Her recent short story, "A Seat For Every Soul" appears in Pen & Muses' Dark Carnival collection. She is represented by Roseanne Wells of the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency. To learn more about Amy, check out her blog or follow her on Twitter or Tumblr.Blog link: www.chasingthecrazies.wordpress.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/atrueblood5Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/atruebloodwrites


Max Wirestone Max Wirestone is a librarian in a small New Hampshire town.  His first book, the geek-themed mystery THE UNFORTUNATE DECISIONS OF DAHLIA MOSS will be published in hardcover  (and audio) in October.  He is a currently at work on his second Dahlia book, a fantasy inspired by IT'S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD, a "parenting noir" novella, and a machine that will somehow create more hours in his day.
He can be found at @maxwires on twitter, or at maxwirestone.com




Jamie HowardJamie Howard is a writer, legal and compliance specialist for a worldwide brokerage firm, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Art. When she’s not tapping away at the keyboard or capturing the world through her trusty Canon, you can find her binge-watching TV shows, devouring books, and perfecting her gaming skills. She lives with her husband, son, and three dogs in New Jersey, and is almost always awake early enough to see the sun rise, even on the weekends. Jamie is represented by Jessica Watterson of the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency, and her debut novel is forthcoming from St. Martin’s Press in Fall of 2015.Twitter: @JRHoward9
Website: https://jamiehowardauthor.wordpress.com/






Carrie Ann
Carrie Ann is a grad student in Southwestern PA. Her top interests include creative writing, social media marketing, music and trying to entertain her fickle cat. She writes YA contemporary but enjoys almost any genre. Additionally, she's the long-suffering diary-translator of the twitter account @BroodingYaHero.  She's repped by Melissa Edwards of the Aaron ​M. Priest Literary Agency. Links:www.creativelycarrie.com@Writer_carrie and @broodingYAhero





Tatum Flynn Tatum Flynn  lives by the sea in England with a cat called Friday and too many hats. She has a soft spot for the word ‘ramshackle’, and a vagabond past which involves piloting lifeboats in Venezuela, playing poker in Las Vegas, shooting rapids in the Grand Canyon and almost falling out of a plane over Scotland. Her debut, THE D’EVIL DIARIES, is out now from Orchard/Hachette, with a sequel, Hell's Belles, to follow January 2016. Find her on Tumblr (sometimes) and Twitter (far too often).





Mary Ann MarloweMary Ann Marlowe is a central Virginia-based contemporary romance writer. She's a contest veteran, having entered nearly every contest available in 2014, including Query Kombat. When not writing, Mary Ann loves to do karate with her kids and read her friends' unpublished novels in Word docs. Theoretically, she loves to travel, but until she finds a patron to fund her trip around the world, she placates her wanderlust by letting her characters hop on a plane and hang out in Paris. She's represented by Rachel Stout at Dystel & Goderich.

Follow her at @maryannmarloweWebsite: http://www.maryannmarlowe.com






JC Davis
As a child, JC Davis spent her days inventing secret worlds and finding forgotten places. Busy reading her way through the local library, she never imagined writing books of her own until one day, all grown up, she fell in love with a children's book and decided to rediscover a few of those secret worlds she'd invented. 
Ms. Davis's first book is locked in a drawer guarded by attack trolls. Her second, however, turned out much better and after a long time in the query trenches finally found an agent. Ms. Davis is represented by the fabulously amazing Mandy Hubbard, with the D4EO agency, who occasionally sends her animated gif filled emails.
A programmer by day, Ms. Davis lives in Dallas, Texas, with her husband, two kids and a pair of hedgehogs with nerdy names. Ms. Davis is an amateur photographer, creates lots of crafty things and is an unrepentant book addict. 
Twitter: @JCDavisAuthorBlog: http://www.jcdavis-author.com







Tracy Townsend
Tracy Townsend lives in Bolingbrook, Illinois and teaches English at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy.  She has studied at DePauw University, the National University of Ireland (Galway), and DePaul University, where she obtained degrees in English, Creative Writing, and Rhetoric.  She is a member of the Science Fiction Research Association and other academic organizations, which allows her to write very long things and read them aloud to people who are obliged to behave politely.  Her sf/f writing draws on her experience as a lapsed Catholic, an assistant martial arts instructor, a comic book fangirl (Make Mine Marvel!), a tabletop role-player, and an obsessive hound for obscure mythology.  Inexplicably, other uses for that resume have yet to present themselves.  She is represented by the strikingly elegant and classy Bridget Smith of Dunham Lit.

Tracy devotes time she doesn’t have to cooking, gardening, writing, and seriously pondering the treadmill in her basement.  She is married to her high school sweetheart, with whom she shares two remarkable children.  They are – naturally – named after characters from books.

You can find Tracy on Twitter (@TheStorymatic) more often than she really ought to be.

Give them all a big shout out on twitter and make the judges feel welcome under #QKJudges hashtag! Don't forget to follow them. 

Embrace Diversity

Annika Sharma is here to tell us a little about her book, growing up Indian-American, and how diversity in writing effects her. THE REARRANGED LIFE releases May 15th from Curiosity Quills Press. 





Note: you’re going to have to excuse this debut’s seemingly epiphanic ramblings. And the fact that I’m starting this story off with two negative experiences—I promise, as an eternal optimist, I will turn it around quickly.
            A former co-worker (#1) used to make racial comments on a fairly regular basis to a Hispanic colleague and myself (an Indian-American). During my farewell dinner when I left the job, another colleague (#2) asked if I wanted to invite #1 along. I said they were welcome to, however her racial comments made us feel uncomfortable and sometimes that was tough to be around. #2 quit speaking to me after that dinner. Recently, I found out it was because I “was mad at white people and had turned dinner into a race issue,” when I spoke up. Unrelated to the first incident, I later heard someone say my upcoming book should have been more original because I was Indian, so a guy and girl meeting in a college setting was a bit boring. While I understand the well-meaning intention behind that statement—that coming from a colorful culture should bring an equally entertaining story—a piece of me thought, “but I’m Indian and I am boring enough to meet people like everyone else…”
            Okay, negativity over. Admittedly, my identity crisis issues are on par with everyone else. 99% of the time, I am comfortable in my brown skin. I love the fact that I was blessed with two cultures—a fun American one and a rich Indian one. Doubly lucky! They rarely pose problems for me unless I’m blatantly faced with them, like above. But with the rare experiences like the ones I just described, I’m sure you can see that sometimes, expectations are set: it’s okay to be a different skin color and stand out until you bring it up as the reason why you’re standing out, and simultaneously if you’re from an “exotic” place, you’re supposed to live life like a magical unicorn. It sets the bar quite high. It often blurs a line between acceptable and not. It’s no surprise that my two biggest fears in releasing this story were that, one, my story would be seen as weird because it had some cultural differences, and two, that no one would be able to relate because it was Indian…Yet through it all, I’ve always read one piece of advice: write what you know.
            It’s an age-old concept. A writer can put themselves into a character’s shoes if they’ve been there before, right? My debut novel, The Rearranged Life, is coming out on May 15th. Let’s talk about what I know.
·       Nithya, the protagonist, is an Indian-American—born of immigrant parents and raised in the United States. I was born in India and brought to the United States at the ripe old age of 16 months.·       Nithya wants to be a doctor. So did I (then a nurse practitioner, teacher, and I’m still holding out hope on being an astronaut…but I digress).·       She falls in love with an American. I grew up in central Pennsylvania where the ratio is approximately ten cows to a human, and diversity is not exactly...wide. If this hadn’t happened to me at least once, it would be a miracle.·       She goes to Penn State. I am the holder of two degrees, two minors and a Master’s from the same school. The fact that it is in the middle of nowhere provided a fantastic bubble to lay down a story that has so many outside influences.·       Her entire life is rearranged and transformed by one unexpected event. Did I mention that time I went to nursing school for a semester, hated it, and came home before deciding that now that everything had hit rock bottom, I had nothing to lose and I was going to fulfill my lifelong dream of being a writer? No? Well…let’s say I have a little experience in throwing caution to the wind when life has kicked my butt twelve ways to Sunday.                        I’m sure most of you have had similar moments in your life: rebuilding yourself, falling in love, being challenged…they’re universal. But the context might be different in each of our stories. Underneath it all, we have very individual tales that similarities weave through. The context of my novel is at a major university in the United States, where a first-generation Indian girl deals with her family’s past and future crashing together. However, figuring yourself out and deciding what you want your future to look like? I’d venture most college students (or even most people!) feel the same way regardless of background. My goal was to bring two separate issues together…as most writers are apt to do.            I like to think I succeeded, at least in part (let’s face it, I probably made some mistakes, which I humbly apologize for now). I asked my friends in my writer group which scenes spoke to them most. Ara Grigorian (Game of Love) and Meredith Tate (Missing Pieces) said it was the wedding scene where Nithya describes each ritual to an American friend. Amanda Heger (Without Borders) mentioned a scene where Nithya flashes back to trips to India, because it was a location she had always wanted to visit. Laura Salters (Run Away) explained that she loved Nithya and James’ first date where they realize their families are similar and relatable, despite the fact that their backgrounds and traditions were very different.
            My brain practically exploded into a thousand sari-colored pieces. The very cultural elements I was anxious about bringing to the page were the ones they loved the most. People were valuing the difference that had previously set me apart. It left me with my final epiphany: that even though being Indian has, in the past, made me feel a little out of place sometimes, at the end of the day, it is exactly what ties me to the world.
            And that got me thinking…if writers write what they know, and what they know is they might be a little “weird” in the eyes of the world for whatever reason—gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious sect, clothing choices, political views, neurodiversity or a myriad of other things—then it must be tough for them to come forward. They have, either through personal experience or out of wanting to understand, pulled the skin off a burn in a very public way. I’ve seen so much talk of diversity in literature. I won’t pretend that answers are clear, or that I know any of them—I’m still learning everything I can. But the push to accept those who seem different to us is contingent upon one thing: people aren’t so different at all. And if they are, it’s okay to love them anyway. It’s okay to tell their stories and give them life. It means we’ve accepted them into our fold for their differences, not despite them. For someone who has struggled, the warmth of a hearty welcome can be a balm to that burn…one that might still be raw from confronting sensitive issues head-on.
            When I wrote this story, a small piece of me thought, “People are going to see brown girl meets white guy, interracial romance, arranged marriage, and think she’s about to meet her husband on the altar and it’s going to feed so many misperceptions…” Putting the rare but real clash between my two cultures on the page was scary. There was a lot of room for the Indian side, the part of me that has been criticized already, to be judged hard. There was a lot of space for “us” and “them” conversations instead of, “We can be different and the same.” I was terrified people would think I was swinging the race card around. My burn was oozing with insecurity.
             Instead, I heard something else. Something that transformed all of that fear and made me realize that while there are miles to go, we are on the right track and should continually improve.
            “Hey! Nithya is. Just. Like. Me!”

            And that, to this debut author, has made all the difference.

---------------------------------
Annika Sharma was born in New Delhi and brought up in the United States, where she moved with her parents as a baby. A proud alum, she graduated from Penn State University with dual degrees in Biobehavioral Health and Neuro-Psychology, and minors in Biology and Human Development and Family Studies. She received her Master's degree in Early Childhood Special Education before pursuing her dreams of becoming a writer, landing her agent Stacey Donaghy of Donaghy Literary Group while daylighting as a preschool teacher. The Rearranged Life, her first novel, was written in the month before graduate school. 

Annika, a Gryffindor and Scorpio, spends much of her time dreaming of adventure, working on her next book, going on Starbucks runs with family and friends, shopping online and watching superhero movies. 

The Rearranged Life, will be hitting shelves on May 15th, 2015, published by Curiosity Quills Press.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/annikasharmawritesWebsite: www.annikasharma.comTwitter: @annikasharmaAmazon:  http://www.amazon.com/The-Rearranged-Life-Annika-Sharma/dp/1620078775/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

Getting the Call with Kristi Wientge

Wise words today from Kristi Wientge. It's very easy to get down after a contest. But contests are just one step. Play the game to win and don't give up until you've tried everything. You deserve the best!

Congrats Kristi on being the second from Sun versus Snow to land an agent!




The following phrase and many similar stare you in the face before, during and throughout a contest: (I borrowed this particular one from Michelle’s SVS page.)  “Remember again that contests are subjective. What tickles one person’s fancy,may do nothing for another. No matter what, keep querying!”  Deep in the query and contest trenches, this statement rings about as sincere as a form rejection. Okay, maybe we’ve all succumbed to the fact that every aspect of publishing is subjective. BUT “keep querying!”??? It’s so easy to lose heart and question everything about your work if you weren’t chosen, or you were chosen and didn’t get any requests, or you got requests, but they all turned into passes.  Well, if you see yourself in any of the above situations, join the club. We’ve all been there. Even if “keep querying” (or in my case, “keep entering contests”) doesn’t ring true, maybe you’ll change your mind by the end of this post. When I entered Karma Khullar’s Mustache in Sun Vs. Snow I didn’t really have any expectations. Yes, I wanted to strengthen my query. Yes, I hoped a couple agents would request. Ultimately though, I expected all my requests to turn into passes. Which, eventually, for SVS they did. BUT here is where the seemingly insincere statement from above comes into play. Right after SVS, Pitch Madness started. Again, I entered without expecting to make the cut. Several agents from SVS were also participating in Pitch Madness and I feared they’d all roll their eyes at seeing my entry and I’d end up with zero requests. Then enters agent extraordinaire, Patricia Nelson. She actually saw my entry in SVS, but skipped over it because my comp title didn’t resonate with her. Then, seeing it again in Pitch Madness (without the comp title and query), she requested the full. Two days after reading, she set up a phone call and is now my number one champion of Karma. So, maybe your pitch/query/1st 250 words/whatever doesn’t work the first time around, or even the 100th time, but continue to send it out there because if Patricia hadn’t seen Karma twice, she might not be my agent right now and that’d be terrible for Karma and for me! xoxo
------------------------------------- Kristi lives and writes in Singapore with her family. She is represented by Patricia Nelson at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. You can find her on twitter at: @kwientge or on her blog: moments-n-between.blogspot.sg. If you can’t find her at either of those places, she’s probably buried in revisions or yarn from her latest crochet endeavor.

Help Out a Writing Contest Veteran: THE UNFORTUNATE DECISIONS OF DAHLIA MOSS

I'm starting a new series of posts as we wait for Query Kombat time to arrive. They are called Help Out a Veteran, because all the authors will be veterans of one of my contests!

I think everyone who enters Query Kombat or any contest becomes part of the writing community, almost like a giant family. And we should support each other. Do what we can for each other. It's what families do! Thus this series.

If you have participated in one of my contests and have a book coming out or already published, please get in contact. I'd love to host you for one of these posts! You don't need a cover yet, or any links to Amazon. All you need is a Goodreads page for your upcoming book. 

The first victim is Max Wirestone, who was the NA Grand Champion from last year's Query Kombat! 


THE UNFORTUNATE DECISIONS OF DAHLIA MOSS






For fans of The Guild, New Girl, Scott Pilgrim, Big Bang Theory, Veronica Mars, or anyone who has ever geeked out about something.


The odds of Dahlia successfully navigating adulthood are 3,720 to 1. But never tell her the odds.

Meet Dahlia Moss, the reigning queen of unfortunate decision-making in the St. Louis area. Unemployed broke, and on her last bowl of ramen, she's not living her best life. But that's all about to change.

Before Dahlia can make her life any messier on her own she's offered a job. A job that she's woefully under-qualified for. A job that will lead her to a murder, an MMORPG, and possibly a fella (or two?).

Turns out unfortunate decisions abound, and she's just the girl to deal with them.
October 20, 2015 from Redhook.Goodreads page

Now it's time for your part. Head over to Goodreads and add this to your want to read list. Follow Max on twitter. 

Support a contest veteran and writer like yourself! Someday it could be you in this spot.

----------------------------


Max Wirestone is a librarian in a small New Hampshire town.  His first book, the geek-themed mystery THE UNFORTUNATE DECISIONS OF DAHLIA MOSS will be published in hardcover  (and audio) in October.  He is a currently at work on his second Dahlia book, a fantasy inspired by IT'S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD, a "parenting noir" novella, and a machine that will somehow create more hours in his day.
He can be found at @maxwires on twitter, or at maxwirestone.com

Help Out a Veteran: THE UNFORTUNATE DECISIONS OF DAHLIA MOSS

I'm starting a new series of posts as we wait for Query Kombat time to arrive. They are called Help Out a Veteran, because all the authors will be veterans of one of my contests!

I think everyone who enters Query Kombat or any contest becomes part of the writing community, almost like a giant family. And we should support each other. Do what we can for each other. It's what families do! Thus this series.

If you have participated in one of my contests and have a book coming out or already published, please get in contact. I'd love to host you for one of these posts! You don't need a cover yet, or any links to Amazon. All you need is a Goodreads page for your upcoming book. 

The first victim is Max Wirestone, who was the NA Grand Champion from last year's Query Kombat! 

THE UNFORTUNATE DECISIONS OF DAHLIA MOSS




For fans of The Guild, New Girl, Scott Pilgrim, Big Bang Theory, Veronica Mars, or anyone who has ever geeked out about something.


The odds of Dahlia successfully navigating adulthood are 3,720 to 1. But never tell her the odds.

Meet Dahlia Moss, the reigning queen of unfortunate decision-making in the St. Louis area. Unemployed broke, and on her last bowl of ramen, she's not living her best life. But that's all about to change.

Before Dahlia can make her life any messier on her own she's offered a job. A job that she's woefully under-qualified for. A job that will lead her to a murder, an MMORPG, and possibly a fella (or two?).

Turns out unfortunate decisions abound, and she's just the girl to deal with them.
October 20, 2015 from Redhook.Goodreads page

Now it's time for your part. Head over to Goodreads and add this to your want to read list. Follow Max on twitter. 

Support a contest veteran and writer like yourself! Someday it could be you in this spot.

----------------------------


Max Wirestone is a librarian in a small New Hampshire town.  His first book, the geek-themed mystery THE UNFORTUNATE DECISIONS OF DAHLIA MOSS will be published in hardcover  (and audio) in October.  He is a currently at work on his second Dahlia book, a fantasy inspired by IT'S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD, a "parenting noir" novella, and a machine that will somehow create more hours in his day.
He can be found at @maxwires on twitter, or at maxwirestone.com

Free Pass into Query Kombat 2015

It's back! A chance to bypass the slush and go straight into the contest where you will receive judge feedback and a chance of making the agent round.


With 64 Kombatants, we get to make 21 picks each! (Mike as creator of the contest gets 22.) My generous spirit want to make it easy for our contestants. What better way than to spare someone from the slush pile?

This may be the only Free Pass this year. I don't believe Mike or SC are doing one. My Free Pass contest will be open until May 15th, when I'll draw one lucky winner. That will be a random draw.

Now what to do? What to do?


My favorite part of Query Kombat is the nicknames for each entry. How fun to create and even more fun to read them. But....

I don't necessarily want to know the nickname you're using for this year's contest. No. I want to mix this up more.  The new Avenger's movie starts this weekend and I have superhero's on the brain. So...



I want to know a SUPERHERO nickname for your manuscript. I don't mean you name it Batman or Ultron. But something more creative. For instance, my YA fantasy features a main character who was magicked from a rabbit. It's set in a time where the sun has gone haywire with radiation. I might pick a nickname of Bunny Girl versus The Mad, Mad Sun or some such nonsense. 

Make it fun. Make it inventive. Even though the rafflecopter will pick the winner. 


Use of this nickname does not mean you're tied to it for Query Kombat. This is just for fun and you can use this or pick something else on May 22nd. 

Besides the nickname, there are also other chances for more entries if you want to add my social media contacts.

To learn more about Query Kombat go here. There will be a twitter party starting just before the submission date of May 22nd. Watch for more details.

Good luck with the free pass! Let the superhero crazy loose!


    a Rafflecopter giveaway

Query Questions with Caitie Flum

Writers have copious amounts of imagination. It's what makes their stories so fantastic. But there's a darker side to so much out of the box thinking. When a writer is in the query trenches, their worries go into overdrive. They start pulling out their hair and imagine every possible disaster.

 

Here to relieve some of that endless worrying is a new series of posts called Query Questions. I'll ask the questions which prey on every writer's mind, and hopefully take some of the pain out of querying. These are questions that I've seen tossed around on twitter and writing sites like Agent Query Connect. They are the type of questions that you need answers for the real expert--agents!

If you have your own specific query question, please leave it in the comments and it might show up in future editions of Query Questions as I plan to rotate the questions.
Please give a loud welcome to a newer agent. Caitie Flum of Liza Dawson Associates Literary Agency is answering query questions today. 
Is there a better or worse time of year to query?
Not really! I am always looking at queries. If you query right near the winter holidays, there many be a longer response time, but it won't change the response. Does one typo or misplaced comma shoot down the entire query?
Not at all. A query full of them would but just one will not. It happens. There is probably a typo or misplaced comma in this interview.  Do you have an assistant or intern go through your queries first or do you check all of them? 
I do not have anyone else going through my queries. It is all me. Do you keep a maybe pile of queries and go back to them for a second look?
Not really. If I am at a maybe, I will reread the query, think about it and decide then. I tend to set aside certain times to read queries, so I can take my time then. How important are comp titles? Is it something you want to see in a query? I don't need comp titles, but it does help give a sense to what the manuscript is if it is accurate. I have requested to see pages on a maybe query because of a good comp many times.  I am on social media a lot and I talk about pop culture a lot, so I get some really personalized comps that work. 
Do you prefer a little personalized chit-chat in a query letter, or would you rather hear about the manuscript?
I don't need the personalized chit-chat, but I think it helps when authors tell me why they are querying me. It can help me see their vision for their book a little more and I can think "I would be a good fit for this!". Not a requirement though. Most agents have said they don’t care whether the word count/genre sentence comes first or last. But is it a red flag if one component is not included? It is a red flag for me mostly because an author should know their own genre. If they do not include it, I wonder if they know what they wrote. Not knowing can be very problematic. There are so many times I request because it is a cozy mystery, but it is really a thriller, which are completely different markets. That isn't to say I wouldn't like a thriller, but it would be very different. 
I also prefer word count/genre is first so I can quickly see if it is something I represent and know what it is before reading the query.  Some writers have asked about including links to their blogs or manuscript-related artwork. I’m sure it’s not appropriate to add those links in a query, but are links in an email signature offensive?
Not at all. If it is in your signature, that is fine. But know that if you include it, I will click it. So make sure your content is good! Sometimes they include an inactive blog or a website that looks like it is from the 90s.
 What bio should an author with no publishing credits include?
The bio can be very basic, but isn't always needed. I have never rejected something because they didn't have a bio. I usually would like to know their day job, especially if it is relevant to what they have written. What does ‘just not right for me’ mean to you? It can mean so much, so here are just some examples
-it isn't a genre I represent -it isn't a topic I am interested in-the voice doesn't connect. This doesn't mean the voice is bad, it just means that the voice doesn't appeal to me
What themes are you sick of seeing? Drug cartels. Drug trafficking. I am not interested in it, but get at least three or four queries a week. 
Do you consider yourself a hands-on, editorial type of agent?
Yes. I think most agents are at this point - we have to be! What three things are at the top of your submission wish list? Only three? That makes it hard! 
1. Historical fiction (YA or adult) told from the perspectives we normally don't see. 2. Athlete/rockstar/actor romances. For athlete: baseball or soccer is my preference. 3. Story about siblings/family relationships, probably women's/book club fiction.
What are some of your favorite movies or books to give us an idea of your tastes?
The problem with this question is I like ALL THE THINGS. Here are some of my favorites, but this is not a complete list. For opinions on books, you can check out my blog: http://caitieflum.wordpress.com (but I don't represent sf/f)
1. Anything by Rainbow Rowell2. 90s/early 00s rom coms (10 Things I Hate About You, Mean Girls, etc) 3. The Lizzie Bennett Diaries (and everything the Green brothers do)4. Laurie Halse Anderson5. The Cuckoo's Calling
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Caitie Flum joined Liza Dawson Associates in July 2014 as assistant and audio rights manager. She graduated from Hofstra University in 2009 with a BA in English with a concentration in publishing studies. Caitie interned at Hachette Book Group and Writers House. She was an Editorial Assistant then Coordinator for Bookspan, where she worked on several clubs including the Book-of-the-Month Club, The Good Cook, and the Children's Book-of-the-Month Club.Caitie grew up in Ohio where she developed her love of reading everything she could get her hands on.Caitie is looking for commercial and upmarket fiction with great characters and superb writing, especially historical fiction, mysteries/thrillers of all kinds, magical realism, and book club fiction.Caitie is also looking for Young Adult and New Adult projects, particularly romance, historical fiction, mysteries and thrillers, and contemporary books with diverse characters.In nonfiction, she is looking for memoirs that make people look at the world differently, narrative nonfiction that's impossible to put down, books on pop culture, theater, current events, women's issues, and humor.

Update on A Little Help From Our Friends

Just like a believable main character, I'm very good at procrastinating on any tasks that are difficult. But I did want to give a short update on the behind the scenes here with my attempt to keep the blog and contests running. As you might have seen, I have to decide whether to keep doing this blog and the contests, or lend a hand and help support my family more by finding a better paying, but also more time consuming, job.

For the next six weeks until school ends, I'm trying a compromise that will allow me to do both, without charging people to enter any contests I host. I've entered the unknown land of crowd funding. 

I want to thank everyone who has donated so far and/or has supported me as I dive into this personal subject. You might notice that I raised the total goal a bit. That was to cover the house payment (And yes Indiana has a wonderfully lower mortgages than the west or east coasts!) and my internet cost all three months of my layoff. More on that and where to donate here.

That goal is over halfway met! 

My hubs was very impressed with such an outpouring of support from the writer community. He hasn't mentioned job hunting since I embarked into this unknown territory, but we both know it still hangs over us. I'd like to imagine that my manuscript out on sub will sell and make all this unnecessary, but until that happens, I'm asking for a little help from anyone who finds this blog useful.

So if this experiment in crowd funding fails... well, I try not to think about that.

Enough doom and gloom. I'm happy to report that two writers got agents from Sun versus Snow and another two got offers from Picture Book Party! Four writers now with agents! That's the best news indeed and it happened extremely fast!

I've also had many kind notes and comments through this difficult period. It's been so gratifying to find that so many people find my blog and contests essential to their own writing journey. I just want to hug you all.

I look forward to hosting Query Kombat; my only anxiety being whether we get sixty agent requests or seventy plus!

Watch for a free pass opportunity to bypass the slush and go straight into Query Kombat coming your way on May 1st! And if you are considering entering, please consider donating. 

Getting the Call with Lynn Doiron

Sometimes the speed of publishing is astounding. Just don't expect it to always be this way--because it's truly not. But I digress. Barely had Sun versus Snow ended when Lynn told the world about her success. What could be better than that! Contest ends--writer gets agent. May all dreams come true this speedily! Congrats, Lynn!
You can see her entry here. Lynn is being modest when she leaves out her entry got NINE requests and hits all the beautiful, sparkly notes.



Here’s how I got my agent:
Step 1: Write bookStep 2: Enter pitching contest (Sun vs. Snow)Step 3: Get agent
Totally easy, right? Yes! And no!
First of all, I actually wrote two books, not one. By the time I felt ready to query Book 1, I had already finished two drafts of Book 2. I didn’t query Book 1 very widely. I sent it out to ten agents. A few requested the full, a few requested partials, some passed, and some never responded. The feedback was all pretty much the same: Good writing, but the MC was unlikable. (Me: What do you mean, unlikable? We would totally be BFFs!)
I had a decision to make: Continue querying Book 1, or query Book 2 (which was now on its sixth draft). I had taken Book 2 to the Big Sur Writing Workshop and received great feedback, but I was still hesitant on querying. I was about to go with Option C, write Book 3, when I saw the Sun vs. Snow contest hosted by Amy Trueblood and Michelle Hauck.
PSA: Contests are waaaay more fun than querying. Querying is a black hole of suck between you and your email. Contests are all about community and making writer friends, bonus points if you land an agent.
I entered Sun vs. Snow. Book 2 didn’t have a title, so I borrowed the title from Book 1. I spent the next week meeting lots of great writers in the Twitter party. If I had been querying, I would have spent that week eating my weight in Sour Patch Kids.
Michelle selected me for Team Snow and my mentor, Ami Allen-Vath (you can find her blogging at the Fall Fifteeners), helped me revise my query and first page. The whole experience was fantastic. Michelle and Amy worked so hard to put together a great contest, the mentors provided excellent feedback, and the agents took the time to read the entries.
I received several requests, and I was super excited about it, until I realized it meant writing a synopsis. Five of the agents did not request a synopsis, so I sent Book 2 to them on Thursday. I intended to write the synopsis over the weekend and then send it to the rest of the agents Monday. Mostly I just whined on Twitter.
And then! Monday morning I got an email from an agent saying she loved Book 2 and asking to set up a call. I was eating a Carr’s lemon and ginger cookie. I remember this clearly because I choked on it.
After we talked, I notified the four other agents that I had received an offer of representation. Two agents made offers, one passed, and one didn’t have time to read it. That was the worst, by the way—way worse than a no. It’s humbling to realize that even if you are the Next Big Thing (and you’re not, so don’t kid yourself), there’s plenty more where you came from. Even best sellers. Maybe they can’t find another J.K. Rowling, but they can find a hundred more E. L. James.
But I also learned that agents are actually pretty great people—the agent who didn’t have time to read took the time to email me a week later and was lovely and gracious and complimented my voice, so obviously she must be a fantastic person, right?
After talking to the other agents, I decided to go with the first agent, Claire Anderson-Wheeler at Regal Literary. She took the time to read Book 1 and talk about what worked and what didn’t. Most importantly, I felt like she really understood what Book 2 was all about. I’m so excited to work with her to make my book better.
And now, I should finallylearn how to write a synopsis. I hear editors want those, too.

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Lynn Doiron is a mother, writer, and attorney living in Washington, D.C. When she’s not mothering, writing, or lawyering, she can be found sleeping or reading—either way, wine is probably involved. @Lynn_Doiron

A Celebration by Breaking the Rules

In honor of going over half a million pageviews, I wanted to do something fun! I can't believe It's In the Details went from some place no one visited, to a site where people return for more, all in just two years.

I love filling my blog with helpful content, and I love when writers comment how much the posts have helped them. Thank you for making It's In the Details a successful haven for writers!

To celebrate, I'm giving away a query critique or a paperback copy of KINDAR'S CURE (your choice) and asking you to break the rules to win it.

Post a short bit of flash fiction in the comments of this post. I want you to write a paragraph of the dreaded and forbidden scene--MC looking in a mirror and describing themselves! That's right! You can let your freak flag fly and do what must normally be avoided.

And to break the rules further, I want you to load it with adjectives and adverbs. Let the 'ly words fly! Always, always we're told to avoid these. Great advice under normal circumstances when you're trying to get published. But WHERE'S THE FUN IN NORMAL?

Go past normal and ooze the unthinkable, quickly, beautifully and poetically. Go honestly, inventively crazy. 

So that's a short paragraph of your main character looking in a mirror and describing themselves with lots of adjectives and adverbs. I will pick my favorite for the win.

Contest will stay open until we get at least ten entries, which will hopefully be by May 4th (cause that's when it's ending.) Please leave your twitter handle or email address so I can contact the winner.

Good luck. Have fun. And please help me spread the word. The more who enter, the more silly this will get, I think.