Michelle Hauck's Blog, page 99
July 14, 2014
IN WITH THE NEW Submission Time
The submission window for IN WITH THE NEW runs today only from noon until 8:00 pm!! (That's Eastern time.)
One entry per person. We accept MG, YA, NA, and Adult, but check our agents' wish lists for genres.
Manuscripts should be complete and polished.
What's a contest without a party?
Here's some suggestions for a daily twitter party (#NewAgent) all about the new. (Oh! And you don't have to enter the contest to be part of the party. You are welcome to play along!)
Monday: You're new to the contest. After you enter please stop by #NewAgent and shout out your genre and let us know you entered. And do please keep shouting out your thanks to the agents.
Tuesday: It's all about the new faces. Tell us about that nasty boy (or girl) love interest your MC meets. Or friend if you don't have any romance (I'm looking at you MG).
Wednesday: Any new places? Shout out a new place your MC visits in your story. It can be simple like a restaurant or a store or huge like Paris.
Thursday: Your book is new. Unseen by the general public. Tell us that new and fresh first line.
Friday: New person. Your MC should follow a character arc that makes them learn and grow. What does your MC learn and how do they grow?
Saturday: New troubles. Describe a new trouble/problem that hits your MC during the story. It can be the main plot or a side plot.
Sunday: New friends. We hope you've made some new friends on twitter over the week. If you're looking for a new CP or beta reader take this opportunity to ask.
Also, we'll be hinting there and at #Newslush all week.
Please follow the submission instructions carefully. And don't forget to continue to welcome and thank the agents!
Entries will be sent to: NewAgentContestJuly (at) gmail (dot) com
Formatting guidelines:
Font: Times New Roman, 12pt font, single-spaced with spaces between each paragraph. No indents. (If you can’t get Times New Roman in your email, use whatever is closest. Formatting problems will not eliminate you from contention but missing pieces of an entry will.)
Subject line of the Email: Title: Genre (audience included). Do not skip this step or your entry will be deleted.
(ex. Pygmy Hazards: MG Humor) You need both an age category and a genre.
In the body of the email (with examples):
Name: Michelle HauckEmail address: MichelleHauck@loveher.com
Title: Pygmy Hazards
Word count: 34,000
Genre: MG Humor
Query:
Tom, the classroom hamster, wants to escape from the h-e double hockey sticks otherwise known as school. His old military pet shop days didn't include playing house or being sentenced to a boot camp of never-ending show ‘n tell, math facts rap, and story time. But he’s learned a lot behind the bars of his cage. For example, if you want to keep breathing, never trust a pygmy who has earned the nickname Squeezer. Somehow he has to get away before the pygmies dress him as Strawberry Shortcake again or worse.
When a “subspatoot” fills in, Tom sees his chance to put Operation Escape the Pygmies into action. He makes a run for the border, hamster style. Bad news. The principal says Tom is a distraction to learning and better off flushed. The way out is turned into a battlefield of snapping mousetraps, sticky snares, and poisoned pellets.
Tom seems doomed until the friendless Squeezer lends an over-excited hand. She quickly goes from supervillain to super sidekick. Now, the greatest obstacle to his freedom may be Tom’s soft spot for this lonely pygmy.
(Only include the meat of your query. No bio. No Dear, and no sincerely. No comps. Just the good stuff. Queries may be up to 350 words, but 250 is preferred.)
First 250 words:
First 250 words. Don't include the chapter title, they eat up words. And please, don't stop in the middle of a sentence. 255 words are fine. 260 are too much.
Also, no indentations. Indentations are evil. Put line spaces between paragraphs please!
Please read, reread, and rereread your submission before you hit send. You have time to polish your work. Take advantage of it. Competition will be fierce.
Thank the people running this contest-- In order to enter the contest, you MUST follow all Pyrotechnics and contest host on twitter. And you must follow host’s blog. You can find all about the Pyrotechnics here! You'll want to follow their tweets about #NewSlush.
Good luck and see you here with the final picks on Monday, July 21st.
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One entry per person. We accept MG, YA, NA, and Adult, but check our agents' wish lists for genres.
Manuscripts should be complete and polished.
What's a contest without a party?
Here's some suggestions for a daily twitter party (#NewAgent) all about the new. (Oh! And you don't have to enter the contest to be part of the party. You are welcome to play along!)
Monday: You're new to the contest. After you enter please stop by #NewAgent and shout out your genre and let us know you entered. And do please keep shouting out your thanks to the agents.
Tuesday: It's all about the new faces. Tell us about that nasty boy (or girl) love interest your MC meets. Or friend if you don't have any romance (I'm looking at you MG).
Wednesday: Any new places? Shout out a new place your MC visits in your story. It can be simple like a restaurant or a store or huge like Paris.
Thursday: Your book is new. Unseen by the general public. Tell us that new and fresh first line.
Friday: New person. Your MC should follow a character arc that makes them learn and grow. What does your MC learn and how do they grow?
Saturday: New troubles. Describe a new trouble/problem that hits your MC during the story. It can be the main plot or a side plot.
Sunday: New friends. We hope you've made some new friends on twitter over the week. If you're looking for a new CP or beta reader take this opportunity to ask.
Also, we'll be hinting there and at #Newslush all week.
Please follow the submission instructions carefully. And don't forget to continue to welcome and thank the agents!
Entries will be sent to: NewAgentContestJuly (at) gmail (dot) com
Formatting guidelines:
Font: Times New Roman, 12pt font, single-spaced with spaces between each paragraph. No indents. (If you can’t get Times New Roman in your email, use whatever is closest. Formatting problems will not eliminate you from contention but missing pieces of an entry will.)
Subject line of the Email: Title: Genre (audience included). Do not skip this step or your entry will be deleted.
(ex. Pygmy Hazards: MG Humor) You need both an age category and a genre.
In the body of the email (with examples):
Name: Michelle HauckEmail address: MichelleHauck@loveher.com
Title: Pygmy Hazards
Word count: 34,000
Genre: MG Humor
Query:
Tom, the classroom hamster, wants to escape from the h-e double hockey sticks otherwise known as school. His old military pet shop days didn't include playing house or being sentenced to a boot camp of never-ending show ‘n tell, math facts rap, and story time. But he’s learned a lot behind the bars of his cage. For example, if you want to keep breathing, never trust a pygmy who has earned the nickname Squeezer. Somehow he has to get away before the pygmies dress him as Strawberry Shortcake again or worse.
When a “subspatoot” fills in, Tom sees his chance to put Operation Escape the Pygmies into action. He makes a run for the border, hamster style. Bad news. The principal says Tom is a distraction to learning and better off flushed. The way out is turned into a battlefield of snapping mousetraps, sticky snares, and poisoned pellets.
Tom seems doomed until the friendless Squeezer lends an over-excited hand. She quickly goes from supervillain to super sidekick. Now, the greatest obstacle to his freedom may be Tom’s soft spot for this lonely pygmy.
(Only include the meat of your query. No bio. No Dear, and no sincerely. No comps. Just the good stuff. Queries may be up to 350 words, but 250 is preferred.)
First 250 words:
First 250 words. Don't include the chapter title, they eat up words. And please, don't stop in the middle of a sentence. 255 words are fine. 260 are too much.
Also, no indentations. Indentations are evil. Put line spaces between paragraphs please!
Please read, reread, and rereread your submission before you hit send. You have time to polish your work. Take advantage of it. Competition will be fierce.
Thank the people running this contest-- In order to enter the contest, you MUST follow all Pyrotechnics and contest host on twitter. And you must follow host’s blog. You can find all about the Pyrotechnics here! You'll want to follow their tweets about #NewSlush.
Good luck and see you here with the final picks on Monday, July 21st.
July 12, 2014
A Nice Review
I hope you won't mind if I dive into the personal briefly.
A book reviewer recently gave Kindar's Cure a place on her blog. What I love about this review (go here to see it yourself) is that she called Kindar a strong woman in fiction. The reviewer also highlighted a few other areas of the story she felt stood out.
I know as writers we're wise to avoid reading reviews of our stories. Reading and responding to reviews can lead to bad situations. My belief is people more than have a right to form their own opinions on anything they read. Honest reviews are the way it should work, whether they are good or bad.
The problem comes when sometimes authors can't handle what they see. And also sometimes reviewers are only looking to talk about/exaggerate the bad without being honest, or even reading.
But sometimes you get a nice surprise.
A book reviewer recently gave Kindar's Cure a place on her blog. What I love about this review (go here to see it yourself) is that she called Kindar a strong woman in fiction. The reviewer also highlighted a few other areas of the story she felt stood out.
I know as writers we're wise to avoid reading reviews of our stories. Reading and responding to reviews can lead to bad situations. My belief is people more than have a right to form their own opinions on anything they read. Honest reviews are the way it should work, whether they are good or bad.
The problem comes when sometimes authors can't handle what they see. And also sometimes reviewers are only looking to talk about/exaggerate the bad without being honest, or even reading.
But sometimes you get a nice surprise.
July 11, 2014
IN WITH THE NEW AGENTS
Time to roll out the carpet, set the spotlight, and make these new (newer) agents feel at home! Give a warm writer community welcome to the agents of IN WITH THE NEW!
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(The submission window is July 14th at noon!)
Make sure to take time to thank and welcome them on twitter!
Cate Hart is all about guilty pleasures. She loves salted caramel mochas, Justin Timberlake, Fox’s Sleepy Hollow, and Steampunk. As a native Nashvillian, Cate’s biggest guilty pleasure is watching Nashville.
When she’s reading, Cate looks for character-driven stories, a distinguished voice, and intriguing plots.She loves characters that surprise her, like the pirate with a heart of gold, and plots that keep her guessing until the very last page.
When she’s not reading queries, Cate works with clients to build their platform, works on PR projects to help promote clients’ books, and reads manuscripts with an editorial eye.
Cate seeks unique stories with well-crafted plots and unforgettable characters with a strong voice. Her favorite genre is historical, whether it’s Middle Grade or YA, Adult Romance or something even spicier. The time periods she loves most are Elizabethan England, the American and French Revolutions, the Victorian Era and the Gilded Age. She loves Scottish and French History. If it’s steampunk, clockpunk, or candlepunk she wants it.
Her first love will always be YA. She will consider any genre, but is looking especially for Fantasy and Magical Realism.
For Middle Grade, she is looking for Fantasy, Adventure and Mystery with a humorous or heart-warming voice and a unique concept.
For Adult, she is only accepting Historical Romance.
Cate will also consider select LGBTQ and Erotica.
Website
Heather Alexander comes from a family where the constant refrain was, “Don’t forget to bring a book!” In college, she hid THE PRINCESS DIARIES between Dickens and Hawthorne. One Children’s Lit class later, and her path in publishing became obvious. Heather landed in editorial at Penguin, where she happily stayed for six years, working with both debut and veteran authors and illustrators. As an agent, she is excited to develop new talent and help shape careers, which is what she loves to do best.
Pippin Properties, Inc. is an agency devoted primarily to picture books, middle-grade, and young adult novels, but we also represent adult projects on occasion. We are always on the lookout for writers and illustrators who take the challenge of creating books seriously and are willing to give the publishing world nothing less than their very best.
TwitterWebsite
JESSICA WATTERSON joined SDLA in late 2013, and currently assists Sandra Dijkstra and Elise Capron.
She graduated from the University of California at Irvine with a degree in Sociocultural Anthropology and English. Jessica has made books a serious part of her life for many years. During college, she started an indie review blog which has featured author interviews and has reviewed several self-published books that eventually ended up on the New York Times Best Seller list.
Please note: Jessica is specifically not interested in: children's books, middle grade, cookbooks, poetry, short stories, screenplays, self-help, or religious/spiritual books.
She specifically requests Adult, NA, and YA romance right now!
TwitterWebsite
Rachel Brooks Before joining the L. Perk
ins Agency, Rachel worked as an agent apprentice to Louise Fury. In addition to her industry training, Rachel has a business degree and graduated summa cum laude with a BA in English from Texas A&M University-CC.Rachel is actively building her client list.She is excited about representing all genres of young adult and new adult fiction, as well as adult romance. While she is looking for all sub-genres of romance, she is especially interested in romantic suspense and urban fantasy. She is also on the lookout for fun picture books.She’s a fan of dual POVs, loves both print and ebooks, and has a soft spot for marketing savvy writers.TwitterWebsite
Maria Vicente is an associate agent at P.S. Literary Agency. She is a creative and editorial agent, providing support to her clients through all stages of the writing and publication process. Maria is dedicated to managing authors’ literary brands for the duration of their careers. Her reading preferences vary across categories and genres, which is reflected in her client list. She is actively looking for literary fiction, young adult, middle grade, illustrated picture books, and nonfiction projects in the pop culture, design, and lifestyle categories. She has affinities for literary prose, strong character development, and original storytelling formats.
Maria’s publishing career began as an intern with Bree Ogden at D4EO Literary Agency. She also interned at P.S. Literary before joining the agency as an associate agent. Maria has a B.A. in English Literature from Carleton University, a Bachelor of Education from The University of Western Ontario, and many years of experience editing and designing literary magazines. She is currently an editor for Underneath the Juniper Tree, a literary/art horror magazine for children. Her blog features book reviews, advice for writers, publishing industry articles, and lifestyle posts inspired by literature. Maria is also a regular contributor to the Quirk Books blog.
You can find more information about the categories Maria represents, as well as an up-to-date wish list, here.TwitterWebsite
Laura Zats graduated from Grinnell College with degrees in English and anthropology. While completing her studies, she took advantage of her love of Young Adult (YA) literature and wrote a thesis on identity formation in YA. She’s been working as an editor since 2011 and has held positions at companies in both the US and the UK. In 2013, Laura joined Team Red Sofa as an intern but quickly became more of an apprentice, leveling up to Associate Agent in the same year.Even though she loved YA books first, titles that are Middle Grade, romance, and Sci-fi/Fantasy have been slowly taking hold. Picking a favorite genre now would be like choosing between puppies and kittens. In her free time, Laura likes to craft, swing dance, bake, and binge on Netflix marathons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Doctor Who.TwitterWebsite
Michelle Richter has a degree in Economics with a minor in Russian from the University of Massachusetts at Boston and left a career in finance and banking for publishing. She joined St. Martin’s Press’ editorial department in 2006 after obtaining a Masters in Publishing from Pace University. While at St. Martin’s, Michelle edited MELISSA EXPLAINS IT ALL by Melissa Joan Hart, among others, and worked on a variety of fiction and nonfiction.Michelle is primarily seeking fiction, specifically book club reads, literary fiction, and well-crafted women’s commercial fiction, thrillers and mysteries (amateur sleuth, police procedurals and smart cozies). Her favorite authors include Laura Lippman, Harlan Coben, Richard Russo, Tom Perrotta, Chelsea Cain, and Gillian Flynn. For nonfiction, she’s interested in fashion, film, television, science, medicine, sociology/social trends, and economics for trade audiences. She has a soft spot for fiction and nonfiction in and about Boston/Massachusetts, Ireland, and Russia.TwitterWebsite
Lisa Jane Weller is a new, UK-based literary agent, looking for writers both local and international. Lisa is a published writer, with more than ten years' experience of communications work and providing editorial services. She has written content for local and national publications; sub-edited a variety of corporate and community magazines; and managed her own independent fiction imprint for several years. Based on the outskirts of Norwich, England's first UNESCO City of Literature, Lisa established Broadland Literary (www.broadlandliterary.com) in October 2013.
Lisa is looking for well-written, commercial novels, with characters she can fall in love with. In YA and MG fiction, she is most interested in all sub-genres of SF and fantasy, historical fiction, plus fun, light-hearted and high-stakes contemporary tales, but she'll consider all novels written for a YA or MG audience. In adult fiction, Lisa deals almost exclusively with the SF and fantasy genres. In particular, she enjoys reading urban fantasy, supernatural crime and horror, steampunk, dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction, SF westerns, historical fantasy, and SF/fantasy adventures.TwitterWebsite
Whitley Abell joined Inklings Literary Agency in 2013. Before joining Inklings, she completed successful internships with Carol Mann Agency and P.S. Literary Agency. She is based in St. Louis, MO, where she daylights as a production manager for several medical and S & T journals. She graduated in 2011 BA in English and Creative Writing, and again in 2012 with a MAT in Secondary English Education, which basically means she can tell you anything there is to know about feminist literary theory and the Common Core Standards.
Whitley is primarily interested in Young Adult, Middle Grade, and select Upmarket Women's fiction. She likes characters who are relatable yet flawed, hooks that offer new points of view and exciting adventures, vibrant settings that become active characters in their own right, and a story that sticks with the reader long after turning the last page, be it contemporary or historical, realistic or supernatural, tragic or quirky.
She loves mythology and literary re-imaginings, heartbreaking contemporary novels, historical suspense, and craving cute romantic comedies for YA through adult (ex: Sophie Kinsella, Lauren Morrill, Stephanie Perkins).
She is not interested in vampires, werewolves, angels, zombies, dystopian societies, steampunk, or epic fantasy. Please no paranormal / fantasy for adults.TwitterWebsite
July 9, 2014
Getting the Call with Rachel Simon
Ready for a dose of inspiration? This story from Rachel Simon will make you smile and make you wish we all had this kind of control when it comes to our email inbox obsessions. Let's see if we can hold off checking our email as we read all the way to the bottom of this post...you can do it!
And if you can't make it to the end, you have to admit as much in the comments!
Thanks for making our day, Rachel.
I got The E-mail on a Friday - May 9th, 2014 to be exact.
And the truth was - I almost didn't check my e-mail!
I had just come home from grocery shopping and was about to settle in for some reading or Netflix or maybe both when I realized I hadn't checked my e-mail all day. Which, for a querying writer, is impressive.
I sat down, turned on my laptop and checked my e-mail. There was an e-mail from an agent who had requested the full a week before. I braced myself for yet another rejection and to my surprise it was a "I'd love to talk today, or if not, Monday" e-mail.
Wait…WHAT?
I wondered for a few minutes what kind of "call" this was. Two years prior, on a different manuscript, I'd had what I *thought* was the offer call only to find out it was a revise-and-resubmit call. I frantically instant messaged my critique partner and she definitely thought it was an Offer call. I didn't want to take the risk of the high, and yet again another fall when it wasn't an offer but yet an R&R, so I ignored her. (Note to self: never ignore CP's gut reactions!)
I e-mailed the agent to say I was free until 3 and we had a call a few minutes later. Let's just say this call went on for almost two hours, but it wasn't easy. I had no idea that my apartment had such bad service and my Call - the one I'd been dreaming about for-EVER - dropped 5 times. Yes, 5 times!!
I frantically e-mailed everyone that I had an offer and waited. Some agents rejected, some wanted to see the full. I had two more calls the next week and I had given everyone until May 19th. To my surprise, on May 19th, I got one more offer. I'd gone to the movies to distract myself from this Very Important Day (ha!), but realized I'd forgot to turn my phone off. Luckily it was a nearly empty theater and I sat, slumped in my seat, and checked my e-mail to find a fourth and final offer. (Let's just say I need to rewatch that movie!)
I was dumbfounded. I loved this manuscript, but in a way that it was written just for me and, emotionally, the closest you could get to me in anything I'd ever written. It never would have been queried except that my critique partners and beta readers demanded I send it because they all knew it was "The One".
After speaking with the 4th offer, I thought about all the agents that had wanted to put their hat in the ring. I kept going back to the first agent who had offered. Her enthusiasm was above and beyond, I'd spoken to some of her clients who raved about her, and she was in love with my next WIP idea, which only had three pages written. In the end, I signed with her.
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Bio: Rachel Simon is a YA contemporary writer represented by Carrie Howland of Donadio & Olson, Inc. When she's not writing or reading, she likes traveling and binge-watching Netflix. She's been to 4 out of 7 continents and plans to go to them all…one day. She wants to grow up to be Katherine Applegate. You can find more about her at her blog or her Twitter feed.
And if you can't make it to the end, you have to admit as much in the comments!
Thanks for making our day, Rachel.
I got The E-mail on a Friday - May 9th, 2014 to be exact.
And the truth was - I almost didn't check my e-mail!
I had just come home from grocery shopping and was about to settle in for some reading or Netflix or maybe both when I realized I hadn't checked my e-mail all day. Which, for a querying writer, is impressive.
I sat down, turned on my laptop and checked my e-mail. There was an e-mail from an agent who had requested the full a week before. I braced myself for yet another rejection and to my surprise it was a "I'd love to talk today, or if not, Monday" e-mail.
Wait…WHAT?
I wondered for a few minutes what kind of "call" this was. Two years prior, on a different manuscript, I'd had what I *thought* was the offer call only to find out it was a revise-and-resubmit call. I frantically instant messaged my critique partner and she definitely thought it was an Offer call. I didn't want to take the risk of the high, and yet again another fall when it wasn't an offer but yet an R&R, so I ignored her. (Note to self: never ignore CP's gut reactions!)
I e-mailed the agent to say I was free until 3 and we had a call a few minutes later. Let's just say this call went on for almost two hours, but it wasn't easy. I had no idea that my apartment had such bad service and my Call - the one I'd been dreaming about for-EVER - dropped 5 times. Yes, 5 times!!
I frantically e-mailed everyone that I had an offer and waited. Some agents rejected, some wanted to see the full. I had two more calls the next week and I had given everyone until May 19th. To my surprise, on May 19th, I got one more offer. I'd gone to the movies to distract myself from this Very Important Day (ha!), but realized I'd forgot to turn my phone off. Luckily it was a nearly empty theater and I sat, slumped in my seat, and checked my e-mail to find a fourth and final offer. (Let's just say I need to rewatch that movie!)
I was dumbfounded. I loved this manuscript, but in a way that it was written just for me and, emotionally, the closest you could get to me in anything I'd ever written. It never would have been queried except that my critique partners and beta readers demanded I send it because they all knew it was "The One".
After speaking with the 4th offer, I thought about all the agents that had wanted to put their hat in the ring. I kept going back to the first agent who had offered. Her enthusiasm was above and beyond, I'd spoken to some of her clients who raved about her, and she was in love with my next WIP idea, which only had three pages written. In the end, I signed with her.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bio: Rachel Simon is a YA contemporary writer represented by Carrie Howland of Donadio & Olson, Inc. When she's not writing or reading, she likes traveling and binge-watching Netflix. She's been to 4 out of 7 continents and plans to go to them all…one day. She wants to grow up to be Katherine Applegate. You can find more about her at her blog or her Twitter feed.
July 8, 2014
Query Questions with Leon Husock
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.
Leon is a new agent with the L. Perkins Agency. After Query Kombat, many expressed interest in learning more about him.
Is there a better or worse time of year to query?
A: I've noticed things get a little slow in fall (a friend of mine has a theory that lots of hopeful writers are teachers, so they query heavily in the summer and things drop off a bit when the school year resumes). That said, while there are more queries in the summer business in general is a bit slower, so we have more time to read. So honestly, it's a toss-up. Does one typo or misplaced comma shoot down the entire query? A: Nope! I'm much more inclined to look harshly at poor or incorrect grammar than typos or spell/punctuation mistakes, unless they're particularly pervasive. So copy edit your query, but don't sweat the small stuff.
Do you look at sample pages without fail or only if the query is strong?
A: I tend to only look at sample pages if the premise of the query catches my eye. Sometimes even if the query itself isn't that strong, if the premise sounds interesting to me I'll still read the sample pages. Do you have an assistant or intern go through your queries first or do you check all of them? A: I read all my queries personally, but some of the bigger agents and agencies definitely do have slush pile interns.
If the manuscript has a prologue, do you want it included with the sample pages? A: Tough one. I tend to think prologues are to be avoided in general (with some exceptions of course), since they're usually used to dump a big load of exposition that could be better delivered dispersed throughout the story. But for instance, Garth Nix is one of my favorite writers and he likes to put prologues on his books that detail some event which happened years before the actual story but has plot significance. Something like that you can definitely include with your sample pages.
Some agencies mention querying only one agent at a time and some say query only one agent period. How often do you pass a query along to a fellow agent who might be more interested?
A: My fellow LPA agents do have pretty different tastes from me in a lot of ways, so if I get a query that seems like it would be more up one of their alleys I'll definitely pass it along. I would recommend sending only to one agent at an agency; nobody likes that person who's sent the same query to every possible email address at the agency. Do you prefer a little personalized chit-chat in a query letter, or would you rather hear about the manuscript?
A: If you have some real personalized chit-chat to make (for instance, if we met at a conference or if you happen to know that we love the same book or series), by all means make it. Unless it's something like that, cut to the chase and tell me about your book. 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?
A: Word count is very important. Sometimes I'll get queries for 9,000 word 'novels' and no matter how interesting it sounds I won't be able to sell anyone a 36 page book. Conversely, I once got a query for a 530,000 word manuscript. That's 30,000 words shorter than War and Peace! Obviously, that would also have been unsellable. What I'm saying is I need to know the word count to know whether it's worth looking at. Genre is also useful, especially at the beginning of a query so I can know what I'm looking at. If your book is a little weird, don't be afraid to give multiple genres though. But to answer the question, it's less a red flag than it is a minor annoyance to someone you're trying to make a favorable impression on. Writers hear a lot about limiting the number of named characters in a query. Do you feel keeping named characters to a certain number makes for a clearer query?
A: You know I'd never heard about limiting named characters in a query before, but thinking about it it does make sense to me. A Game of Thrones-size load of named characters in a query (yes, a Game of Thrones is the largest unit of measure for named characters. I think the smallest is The Road) is definitely confusing and disorienting, since the query lacks distinguishing characterization or description the way the manuscript would have. So yes, I would say keep them to a minimum. Also try to avoid similar-sounding names; a query about best friends Jake and Jeff and their mortal enemies Jimmy and Jeremy is unnecessarily confusing. Should writers sweat the title of their book (and character names) or is that something that is often changed by publishers?
A: Titles get changed, characters less so. You really want to avoid bland titles; we'll be sending the manuscript out to editors under your title, and if they want to change it that's their (and your) business, but it'll be easier to grab them with it if it's not something the eye just skips over. How many queries do you receive in a week? How many requests might you make out of those?
A: It really varies, so much so that it's kind of impossible to say. Many agents say they don't care if writers are active online. Could a twitter account or blog presence by a writer tip the scales in getting a request or offer? And do you require writers you sign to start one?
A: I request on the quality of the manuscript, nothing else. That said, particularly in YA and MG a strong online presence is a bonus and is something worth cultivating. It won't tip the scales for me as an agent, but it can help your career after you've acquired representation. 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?
A: Feel free to link away in your signature. I mean, I won't click on them, but you're welcome to put them there. If a writer makes changes to their manuscript due to feedback should they resend the query or only if material was requested?
A: Only if material was requested, unless you've made such substantial changes that your query itself has to be changed to reflect the changes in the manuscript. What bio should an author with no publishing credits include?
A: A bio in a query isn't super important, but just some basic information about you; where you grew up, where you went to college, what you like to read. Maybe we're from the same area or we went to the same school or we like the same books. Never hurts. What does ‘just not right mean for me’ mean to you?
A: 'just not right for me' ranges a lot in meaning, from a fairly literal "this isn't the sort of book I really like to read/represent and so I don't know the market or the editors that well" to a heavily euphemistic "I can't stand this". Basically, for most agents it's equivalent to "sorry, not interested". What themes are you sick of seeing?
A: Let's see... well, like everyone I'm a little tired of Dystopian. I'm also really tired of all the super-common literary fiction tropes (estranged son/daughter returns to his/her family in Small Town, USA after the unexpected death of a loved one, for instance). I'm wary of what feel like token diversity YA books ("look how many LGBT/minority characters I crammed into one book!"). Which is not to say any book with those characters, by any means, but just the books where it feels like the author has an axe to grind and those characters are there to do it for them, rather than being real characters living real (or fantastical) lives who just happen to be gay/trans/person of color/whatever else. I've drifted uncomfortably close to politics now; please don't eat me, internet. Do you consider yourself a hands-on, editorial type of agent?
A: Definitely. When I was getting into publishing it was a toss-up for me between editor and agent. I really love all kinds of editing, and if I feel like a book has promise but needs work I'm happy to do that work with the author. What’s the strangest/funniest thing you’ve seen in a query?
A: Oh, man. That's a tough one. Aside from the letters I've gotten from people who may have been honest-to-god, mentally-ill crazy, I think my favorite was the guy who wrote to just about every agent in the business with a link to his website and offered us the chance to bid on the rights to his manuscript. He was quite confident it would make millions of dollars and was ripe for adaptation into a movie which would, in turn, make billions of dollars. If you're looking for a good laugh, you should definitely check out the tumblr Slush Pile Hell. He definitely gets more of the crazies than I do, and if you look through his archived posts I think he also got that query. What three things are at the top of your submission wish list?
A: Hmmm. As far as a real wish list goes, I've always wanted a query from a prison inmate that's genuinely, astonishingly, diamond-in-the-rough good. You get prison queries from time to time, and 95% of them are people who want to tell the story of how they ended up in prison for whatever petty (and occasionally not so petty) crime they did and now regret. I'd love a real work of achingly beautiful, thoughtful, literary fiction from an inmate. Other than that, I'm always looking for original, interesting fantasy. It's rarer than you'd think. And to round out the list, oh, I don't know, something from Stephen King. What are some of your favorite movies or books to give us an idea of your tastes?
A: Favorite books: I'm a lifelong Tolkien fan; that said, don't send me anything that remotely resembles Tolkien. He already did it better, don't even try (I'm looking at you R.A. Salvatore). I'm a huge fan of everything Garth Nix writes, and I love Christopher Moore. Scott Westerfeld is great. I also have a deep-seated love of late Victorian/Edwardian-ish children's lit. E. Nesbit, A.A. Milne, Kenneth Grahame, C.S. Lewis (although that's post-war written in the style of Edwardian), etc. Oh, and Edward Eager, who is also faux-Edwardian but in a wonderful way. And while I do watch a lot of movies and I love movies, I've never been able to seize on any particular favorites. I honestly couldn't tell you why. But, off the top of my head...The Avengers is a fun movie, and Casablanca is the greatest film ever made.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prior to joining the L. Perkins Agency, Leon was an associate agent at Anderson Literary Management. He has a BA in Literature from Bard College and attended the Columbia Publishing Course. Leon is actively building his client list.He has a particular interest in science fiction & fantasy, young adult and middle-grade novels filled with strong characters and original premises, but keeps an open mind for anything that catches his eye. He is also looking for historical fiction set in the 20th century, particularly the 1980s or earlier.He is not interested in non-fiction at this time.
Email: leon@lperkinsagency.comFollow him on Twitter: @leonhusock
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.
Leon is a new agent with the L. Perkins Agency. After Query Kombat, many expressed interest in learning more about him.
Is there a better or worse time of year to query?
A: I've noticed things get a little slow in fall (a friend of mine has a theory that lots of hopeful writers are teachers, so they query heavily in the summer and things drop off a bit when the school year resumes). That said, while there are more queries in the summer business in general is a bit slower, so we have more time to read. So honestly, it's a toss-up. Does one typo or misplaced comma shoot down the entire query? A: Nope! I'm much more inclined to look harshly at poor or incorrect grammar than typos or spell/punctuation mistakes, unless they're particularly pervasive. So copy edit your query, but don't sweat the small stuff.
Do you look at sample pages without fail or only if the query is strong?
A: I tend to only look at sample pages if the premise of the query catches my eye. Sometimes even if the query itself isn't that strong, if the premise sounds interesting to me I'll still read the sample pages. Do you have an assistant or intern go through your queries first or do you check all of them? A: I read all my queries personally, but some of the bigger agents and agencies definitely do have slush pile interns.
If the manuscript has a prologue, do you want it included with the sample pages? A: Tough one. I tend to think prologues are to be avoided in general (with some exceptions of course), since they're usually used to dump a big load of exposition that could be better delivered dispersed throughout the story. But for instance, Garth Nix is one of my favorite writers and he likes to put prologues on his books that detail some event which happened years before the actual story but has plot significance. Something like that you can definitely include with your sample pages.
Some agencies mention querying only one agent at a time and some say query only one agent period. How often do you pass a query along to a fellow agent who might be more interested?
A: My fellow LPA agents do have pretty different tastes from me in a lot of ways, so if I get a query that seems like it would be more up one of their alleys I'll definitely pass it along. I would recommend sending only to one agent at an agency; nobody likes that person who's sent the same query to every possible email address at the agency. Do you prefer a little personalized chit-chat in a query letter, or would you rather hear about the manuscript?
A: If you have some real personalized chit-chat to make (for instance, if we met at a conference or if you happen to know that we love the same book or series), by all means make it. Unless it's something like that, cut to the chase and tell me about your book. 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?
A: Word count is very important. Sometimes I'll get queries for 9,000 word 'novels' and no matter how interesting it sounds I won't be able to sell anyone a 36 page book. Conversely, I once got a query for a 530,000 word manuscript. That's 30,000 words shorter than War and Peace! Obviously, that would also have been unsellable. What I'm saying is I need to know the word count to know whether it's worth looking at. Genre is also useful, especially at the beginning of a query so I can know what I'm looking at. If your book is a little weird, don't be afraid to give multiple genres though. But to answer the question, it's less a red flag than it is a minor annoyance to someone you're trying to make a favorable impression on. Writers hear a lot about limiting the number of named characters in a query. Do you feel keeping named characters to a certain number makes for a clearer query?
A: You know I'd never heard about limiting named characters in a query before, but thinking about it it does make sense to me. A Game of Thrones-size load of named characters in a query (yes, a Game of Thrones is the largest unit of measure for named characters. I think the smallest is The Road) is definitely confusing and disorienting, since the query lacks distinguishing characterization or description the way the manuscript would have. So yes, I would say keep them to a minimum. Also try to avoid similar-sounding names; a query about best friends Jake and Jeff and their mortal enemies Jimmy and Jeremy is unnecessarily confusing. Should writers sweat the title of their book (and character names) or is that something that is often changed by publishers?
A: Titles get changed, characters less so. You really want to avoid bland titles; we'll be sending the manuscript out to editors under your title, and if they want to change it that's their (and your) business, but it'll be easier to grab them with it if it's not something the eye just skips over. How many queries do you receive in a week? How many requests might you make out of those?
A: It really varies, so much so that it's kind of impossible to say. Many agents say they don't care if writers are active online. Could a twitter account or blog presence by a writer tip the scales in getting a request or offer? And do you require writers you sign to start one?
A: I request on the quality of the manuscript, nothing else. That said, particularly in YA and MG a strong online presence is a bonus and is something worth cultivating. It won't tip the scales for me as an agent, but it can help your career after you've acquired representation. 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?
A: Feel free to link away in your signature. I mean, I won't click on them, but you're welcome to put them there. If a writer makes changes to their manuscript due to feedback should they resend the query or only if material was requested?
A: Only if material was requested, unless you've made such substantial changes that your query itself has to be changed to reflect the changes in the manuscript. What bio should an author with no publishing credits include?
A: A bio in a query isn't super important, but just some basic information about you; where you grew up, where you went to college, what you like to read. Maybe we're from the same area or we went to the same school or we like the same books. Never hurts. What does ‘just not right mean for me’ mean to you?
A: 'just not right for me' ranges a lot in meaning, from a fairly literal "this isn't the sort of book I really like to read/represent and so I don't know the market or the editors that well" to a heavily euphemistic "I can't stand this". Basically, for most agents it's equivalent to "sorry, not interested". What themes are you sick of seeing?
A: Let's see... well, like everyone I'm a little tired of Dystopian. I'm also really tired of all the super-common literary fiction tropes (estranged son/daughter returns to his/her family in Small Town, USA after the unexpected death of a loved one, for instance). I'm wary of what feel like token diversity YA books ("look how many LGBT/minority characters I crammed into one book!"). Which is not to say any book with those characters, by any means, but just the books where it feels like the author has an axe to grind and those characters are there to do it for them, rather than being real characters living real (or fantastical) lives who just happen to be gay/trans/person of color/whatever else. I've drifted uncomfortably close to politics now; please don't eat me, internet. Do you consider yourself a hands-on, editorial type of agent?
A: Definitely. When I was getting into publishing it was a toss-up for me between editor and agent. I really love all kinds of editing, and if I feel like a book has promise but needs work I'm happy to do that work with the author. What’s the strangest/funniest thing you’ve seen in a query?
A: Oh, man. That's a tough one. Aside from the letters I've gotten from people who may have been honest-to-god, mentally-ill crazy, I think my favorite was the guy who wrote to just about every agent in the business with a link to his website and offered us the chance to bid on the rights to his manuscript. He was quite confident it would make millions of dollars and was ripe for adaptation into a movie which would, in turn, make billions of dollars. If you're looking for a good laugh, you should definitely check out the tumblr Slush Pile Hell. He definitely gets more of the crazies than I do, and if you look through his archived posts I think he also got that query. What three things are at the top of your submission wish list?
A: Hmmm. As far as a real wish list goes, I've always wanted a query from a prison inmate that's genuinely, astonishingly, diamond-in-the-rough good. You get prison queries from time to time, and 95% of them are people who want to tell the story of how they ended up in prison for whatever petty (and occasionally not so petty) crime they did and now regret. I'd love a real work of achingly beautiful, thoughtful, literary fiction from an inmate. Other than that, I'm always looking for original, interesting fantasy. It's rarer than you'd think. And to round out the list, oh, I don't know, something from Stephen King. What are some of your favorite movies or books to give us an idea of your tastes?
A: Favorite books: I'm a lifelong Tolkien fan; that said, don't send me anything that remotely resembles Tolkien. He already did it better, don't even try (I'm looking at you R.A. Salvatore). I'm a huge fan of everything Garth Nix writes, and I love Christopher Moore. Scott Westerfeld is great. I also have a deep-seated love of late Victorian/Edwardian-ish children's lit. E. Nesbit, A.A. Milne, Kenneth Grahame, C.S. Lewis (although that's post-war written in the style of Edwardian), etc. Oh, and Edward Eager, who is also faux-Edwardian but in a wonderful way. And while I do watch a lot of movies and I love movies, I've never been able to seize on any particular favorites. I honestly couldn't tell you why. But, off the top of my head...The Avengers is a fun movie, and Casablanca is the greatest film ever made.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prior to joining the L. Perkins Agency, Leon was an associate agent at Anderson Literary Management. He has a BA in Literature from Bard College and attended the Columbia Publishing Course. Leon is actively building his client list.He has a particular interest in science fiction & fantasy, young adult and middle-grade novels filled with strong characters and original premises, but keeps an open mind for anything that catches his eye. He is also looking for historical fiction set in the 20th century, particularly the 1980s or earlier.He is not interested in non-fiction at this time.
Email: leon@lperkinsagency.comFollow him on Twitter: @leonhusock
July 7, 2014
Meet the Pyrotechnics of IN WITH THE NEW
I'm excited to have five great Pyrotechnics for IN WITH THE NEW. (For full contest details check this post.) Most of these ladies and gentlemen have hosted contests in the past. And there is such a diverse set of tastes here that I know we'll be selecting entries from a wide variety of genres.
Each Pyrotechnic will select four picks to go to the agent round. I'll add my own four to make a total of two dozen entries to set before the agents.
You really want to be following these explosive experts because they will be talking about their slush reading under the hashtag #NewAgent. Who knows what bits of wisdom they'll share!
SC is the host of the 'The Writer's Tank' and 'Becoming an Agent' on his blog, and his is the co-host of 'Query Kombat' and 'Nightmare on Query Street.' He's a YA and Adult writer and loves YA, Adult, MG...basically any good writing. He's a HUGE Harry Potter and Les Miserables (maiinly the book but the musical too) fan. Dumbledore is his favorite characterin the whole world. Jean Valjean is a close second.
Twitter: @SC_Author
Blog: scwrite.blogspot.com
L. L. McKinney is a freelance writer, a published poet, and board member of the Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. Her first love is fantasy, particularly urban fantasy. While she enjoys imagining the impossible happening right here at home, strong writing and a distinct voice will always win her over, no matter the genre. She's participated in dozens of contests over the years as an entrant, slush reader, and host. She lives the single life in Kansas, surrounded by more nieces and nephews than she knows what to do with.
Website
Twitter
Blog
Facebook
Amy Trueblood is a freelance writer who spends most of her time penning press releases for her favorite non-profit. When not “chasing the crazy” dream of being published, you can find her rereading her favorite YA books, running, or gulping down her favorite mango iced tea. Her work has been featured in Liquid Imagination, as well as "The Fall" and "Summer's Edge" short story collections. Check out her blog or follow her on Twitter.
Michael Anthony grew up in the suburbs of Virginia. As the middle child, everything requiring electricity or batteries was either hogged by the oldest or begged for by the youngest. All too familiar with boredom spawned from idle thumbs, he found adventure in the plethora of novels, encyclopedias, and maps found on the bookshelf. It was during his journey through those shelves that he discovered The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer and The Giver by Lois Lowry.
From that day to this, Michael has had a love for great stories, fascinating characters, and travel. He hopes to see every corner of the world someday, and when he's finished down here, he has his eyes set on the moon.
Blog: http://www.writersoutworld.blogspot.comWebsite: http://www.themikeanthony.comTwitter: @RavenousRushing
Raised in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Vicki L. Weavil turned her early obsession with reading into a career as a librarian. She is represented by Jennifer Mishler at Literary Counsel, NYC. Her debut novel, CROWN OF ICE—a dark YA retelling of H. C. Andersen’s “The Snow Queen”—will be published by Month9Books on Sept. 9, 2014.
An avid reader who appreciates good writing in all genres, Vicki has been known to read seven books in as many days. When not writing or reading, she likes to spend time watching films, listening to music, gardening, or traveling. Vicki lives in North Carolina with her husband and three very spoiled cats.
Website/blog: http://vickilempweavil.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/VickiLWeavilAuthor Page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VickiLempWeavil?ref=hlTumblr: http://vickilweavil.tumblr.com/And http://snowqueenthyra.tumblr.com/
CROWN OF ICE on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17925759-crown-of-ice
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/vickilweavil/
Each Pyrotechnic will select four picks to go to the agent round. I'll add my own four to make a total of two dozen entries to set before the agents.
You really want to be following these explosive experts because they will be talking about their slush reading under the hashtag #NewAgent. Who knows what bits of wisdom they'll share!
SC is the host of the 'The Writer's Tank' and 'Becoming an Agent' on his blog, and his is the co-host of 'Query Kombat' and 'Nightmare on Query Street.' He's a YA and Adult writer and loves YA, Adult, MG...basically any good writing. He's a HUGE Harry Potter and Les Miserables (maiinly the book but the musical too) fan. Dumbledore is his favorite characterin the whole world. Jean Valjean is a close second.
Twitter: @SC_Author
Blog: scwrite.blogspot.com
L. L. McKinney is a freelance writer, a published poet, and board member of the Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. Her first love is fantasy, particularly urban fantasy. While she enjoys imagining the impossible happening right here at home, strong writing and a distinct voice will always win her over, no matter the genre. She's participated in dozens of contests over the years as an entrant, slush reader, and host. She lives the single life in Kansas, surrounded by more nieces and nephews than she knows what to do with.Website
Blog
Amy Trueblood is a freelance writer who spends most of her time penning press releases for her favorite non-profit. When not “chasing the crazy” dream of being published, you can find her rereading her favorite YA books, running, or gulping down her favorite mango iced tea. Her work has been featured in Liquid Imagination, as well as "The Fall" and "Summer's Edge" short story collections. Check out her blog or follow her on Twitter.
Michael Anthony grew up in the suburbs of Virginia. As the middle child, everything requiring electricity or batteries was either hogged by the oldest or begged for by the youngest. All too familiar with boredom spawned from idle thumbs, he found adventure in the plethora of novels, encyclopedias, and maps found on the bookshelf. It was during his journey through those shelves that he discovered The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer and The Giver by Lois Lowry.From that day to this, Michael has had a love for great stories, fascinating characters, and travel. He hopes to see every corner of the world someday, and when he's finished down here, he has his eyes set on the moon.
Blog: http://www.writersoutworld.blogspot.comWebsite: http://www.themikeanthony.comTwitter: @RavenousRushing
Raised in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Vicki L. Weavil turned her early obsession with reading into a career as a librarian. She is represented by Jennifer Mishler at Literary Counsel, NYC. Her debut novel, CROWN OF ICE—a dark YA retelling of H. C. Andersen’s “The Snow Queen”—will be published by Month9Books on Sept. 9, 2014.An avid reader who appreciates good writing in all genres, Vicki has been known to read seven books in as many days. When not writing or reading, she likes to spend time watching films, listening to music, gardening, or traveling. Vicki lives in North Carolina with her husband and three very spoiled cats.
Website/blog: http://vickilempweavil.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/VickiLWeavilAuthor Page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VickiLempWeavil?ref=hlTumblr: http://vickilweavil.tumblr.com/And http://snowqueenthyra.tumblr.com/
CROWN OF ICE on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17925759-crown-of-ice
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/vickilweavil/
July 6, 2014
Query Kombat 2014 Middle Grade Champion
Wade White
Wade hails from Nova Scotia, land of wild blueberries and Duck Tolling Retrievers. He teaches ancient languages, dabbles in animation, and spends the rest of his time as a stay-at-home dad. It is also possible he has set a new record as the slowest 10K runner. Ever. He owns one pretend cat and one real one, and they get along fabulously. He has been writing fiction for over thirteen years.
Twitter
Mid Grade Championship Entry:
Entry Nickname: Girl Destroys World
Title: MAGICK 7.0
Word count: 85,000
Genre: MG Fantasy
Query:
In fourteen-year-old Anne’s opinion, there are two kinds of quests: the kind that lead to unicorns and lollipops, and the kind that get you and everyone you love killed, horribly and painfully (possibly by zombie sharks). She knows this because her budding magick abilities have accidentally entangled her in a quest, and so far she hasn’t encountered any lollipops.
She could opt out, but then as per Paragraph 5 Subparagraph 3 of the Official Questing Regulations she’d be exiled forever and all of her friends would be tossed into a dungeon. She’d rather kiss a Steam Troll than let that happen.
Her task? Slay a silver dragon that doesn’t exist. In just three days. With only the guidance of a wizard with a platypus for an arm and a sassy holographic sparrow. It’s all pretty straightforward (“straightforward” being a relative term) until she meets Lord Oswald, a weirdo in a cryogenic chamber who wears a lab coat and comfortable loafers. As the duly licensed Antagonist, he should be trying to stop her. Instead, he swaps roles and steals her quest.
That’s when Anne learns she wasn’t on a mission to save the world, but to destroy it (so not exactly environmentally-friendly). And Lord Oswald seems more than happy to see it through to completion. With the atomic clock counting down, Anne must figure out why she’s suddenly the villain of her own quest and pray to all things platypus-related that her unstable magick can defeat Oswald’s ten-thousand-year-old “technology.”
If she stops him, she might yet become a HeroTM
If she doesn’t, everyone dies (in which case, definitely no lollipops).
First 250:
At Saint Lupin’s Institute for Perpetually Wicked and Hideously Unattractive Children they didn’t play favorites. Each orphan was treated with the same amount of disdain and neglect. They were provided with one threadbare tunic, one pair of ill-fitting shoes, and one dusty and moth-eaten overcoat. They were given a daily ration of gruel, and they were bathed exactly once per month, just before going on duty in the coal mine. This, incidentally, was consistent with the advice given in the popular self-help guide, How to Raise Orphans and Make Money.
There were three ways to leave Saint Lupin’s. The first was to get adopted. Perhaps by a nice family who would whisk you away to your long dreamed-of castle on a hill—one surrounded by forests and glens, filled with interesting and friendly people, rich with history and bright with promise and hope. The board of governors was extremely pleased with its track record in this regard as it had managed to prevent all adoptions since the Institute’s foundation.
The second way was to reach the age of fourteen and be unceremoniously kicked out on your bottom.
The third way was to embark upon a quest. Although quests were heavily regulated (so they could then be heavily taxed), there were no restrictions regarding age or background and thus anyone could apply. The secret to a successful application was first to fulfill a prophecy (also heavily taxed). At Saint Lupin’s, both of these topics, that is, quests and prophecies, were considered particularly taboo subjects of inquiry.
Wade hails from Nova Scotia, land of wild blueberries and Duck Tolling Retrievers. He teaches ancient languages, dabbles in animation, and spends the rest of his time as a stay-at-home dad. It is also possible he has set a new record as the slowest 10K runner. Ever. He owns one pretend cat and one real one, and they get along fabulously. He has been writing fiction for over thirteen years.
Mid Grade Championship Entry:Entry Nickname: Girl Destroys World
Title: MAGICK 7.0
Word count: 85,000
Genre: MG Fantasy
Query:
In fourteen-year-old Anne’s opinion, there are two kinds of quests: the kind that lead to unicorns and lollipops, and the kind that get you and everyone you love killed, horribly and painfully (possibly by zombie sharks). She knows this because her budding magick abilities have accidentally entangled her in a quest, and so far she hasn’t encountered any lollipops.
She could opt out, but then as per Paragraph 5 Subparagraph 3 of the Official Questing Regulations she’d be exiled forever and all of her friends would be tossed into a dungeon. She’d rather kiss a Steam Troll than let that happen.
Her task? Slay a silver dragon that doesn’t exist. In just three days. With only the guidance of a wizard with a platypus for an arm and a sassy holographic sparrow. It’s all pretty straightforward (“straightforward” being a relative term) until she meets Lord Oswald, a weirdo in a cryogenic chamber who wears a lab coat and comfortable loafers. As the duly licensed Antagonist, he should be trying to stop her. Instead, he swaps roles and steals her quest.
That’s when Anne learns she wasn’t on a mission to save the world, but to destroy it (so not exactly environmentally-friendly). And Lord Oswald seems more than happy to see it through to completion. With the atomic clock counting down, Anne must figure out why she’s suddenly the villain of her own quest and pray to all things platypus-related that her unstable magick can defeat Oswald’s ten-thousand-year-old “technology.”
If she stops him, she might yet become a HeroTM
If she doesn’t, everyone dies (in which case, definitely no lollipops).
First 250:
At Saint Lupin’s Institute for Perpetually Wicked and Hideously Unattractive Children they didn’t play favorites. Each orphan was treated with the same amount of disdain and neglect. They were provided with one threadbare tunic, one pair of ill-fitting shoes, and one dusty and moth-eaten overcoat. They were given a daily ration of gruel, and they were bathed exactly once per month, just before going on duty in the coal mine. This, incidentally, was consistent with the advice given in the popular self-help guide, How to Raise Orphans and Make Money.
There were three ways to leave Saint Lupin’s. The first was to get adopted. Perhaps by a nice family who would whisk you away to your long dreamed-of castle on a hill—one surrounded by forests and glens, filled with interesting and friendly people, rich with history and bright with promise and hope. The board of governors was extremely pleased with its track record in this regard as it had managed to prevent all adoptions since the Institute’s foundation.
The second way was to reach the age of fourteen and be unceremoniously kicked out on your bottom.
The third way was to embark upon a quest. Although quests were heavily regulated (so they could then be heavily taxed), there were no restrictions regarding age or background and thus anyone could apply. The secret to a successful application was first to fulfill a prophecy (also heavily taxed). At Saint Lupin’s, both of these topics, that is, quests and prophecies, were considered particularly taboo subjects of inquiry.
Query Kombat 2014 Young Adult Champion
Judy Clemens
Judy Clemens is the author of the Anthony- and Agatha-nominated Stella Crown mysteries and the Grim Reaper series, as well as the stand-alone LOST SONS. She loves YA & MG literature and hopes to soon be published in those categories, with help from Query Kombat! Judy lives in an old Ohio farmhouse with her husband and two kids, and spends her days writing, shuttling her kids to various events, and working part-time at a recycling yard.
WebsiteFacebookTwitter
Young Adult Championship Entry:
Entry Nickname: Tag, You’re Dead
Title: Tag, You’re Dead (originally The Game)
Word Count: 80K
Genre: YA Thriller
Query
When six teenagers play Tag in present-day Chicago, there’s a twist from the childhood version…if you get Tagged, you get Dead.
The three "Its" have their reasons for buying a place in the Game: surgically-enhanced Brandy is dying to destroy a naturally beautiful girl; untalented Robin desires his target's position on the school basketball team; and brainiac Charles craves a battle against an intellectual equal.
Three hand-picked innocents play as “Runners,” under threat to their loved ones should they refuse to participate: lovely, small-town Laura; superstar athlete William; and Amanda, gamer extraordinaire. These three want only one thing…to survive.
As soon as the Runners receive the “Go” on smart watches locked onto their wrists, the Game rockets them through the city, from the El to Michigan Avenue to the Lincoln Park Zoo. There is no time to rest; every thirty minutes the Runners’ coordinates are transmitted to the Its, which diminishes the Runners’ chances of ever reaching Home Base alive.
The Game will not end until someone is Tagged, so the Runners must choose how to play: will they accept death, murder their Its, or find a way to use their individual strengths to stop the Game before anyone dies?
TAG, YOU’RE DEAD alternates among the POVs of all six players in the Game – who will live to see it end?
First 250:
BRANDY
Friday, 8:00 PM
“I can’t choose,” Brandy Inkrott said. “I want to kill them all."
“Tag,” her mother said from her brocaded antique chair. “You want to Tag them all.”
“No. I don’t.”
“Either way,” her father said, “I’m afraid you have to pick one.”
Brandy studied the images of the teenage girls on the screen. Brunettes. Blondes. Asians. Hispanics. Light-skinned. Dark-skinned. Every one of them gorgeous. Every one of them middle-class. No-names. None of them like her. “They’re all so perfect. Can I pick more than one?"
A woman’s voice pierced the air, emanating from Surround Sound speakers. “The price for two would be extravagant, Ms. Inkrott. Plus, Tagging more than one Runner would be difficult. Almost impossible.”
“I don’t care. I can do it.”
Her father shrugged. “If that’s what you want.”
“I suggest this,” the woman said. “Play this time with one. If you are successful you may play again, and then you can go after two. I know it’s tempting when you see all those beautiful faces, but you’d be setting yourself up for disappointment.”
“What do you know?” Brandy said. “You’re probably some fat old lady in a trailer park somewhere. I could Tag you.”
Silence sizzled over the speaker.
“I’m sorry, Madame Referee,” Brandy’s father said. “She didn’t mean it.”
“Did so,” Brandy said.
“Bran, honey, please."
The girls’ faces on the television disappeared, replaced by only one, which took up the entire surface of the eighty-inch screen. The woman shown there was incredible.
Judy Clemens is the author of the Anthony- and Agatha-nominated Stella Crown mysteries and the Grim Reaper series, as well as the stand-alone LOST SONS. She loves YA & MG literature and hopes to soon be published in those categories, with help from Query Kombat! Judy lives in an old Ohio farmhouse with her husband and two kids, and spends her days writing, shuttling her kids to various events, and working part-time at a recycling yard. WebsiteFacebookTwitter
Young Adult Championship Entry:
Entry Nickname: Tag, You’re Dead
Title: Tag, You’re Dead (originally The Game)
Word Count: 80K
Genre: YA Thriller
Query
When six teenagers play Tag in present-day Chicago, there’s a twist from the childhood version…if you get Tagged, you get Dead.
The three "Its" have their reasons for buying a place in the Game: surgically-enhanced Brandy is dying to destroy a naturally beautiful girl; untalented Robin desires his target's position on the school basketball team; and brainiac Charles craves a battle against an intellectual equal.
Three hand-picked innocents play as “Runners,” under threat to their loved ones should they refuse to participate: lovely, small-town Laura; superstar athlete William; and Amanda, gamer extraordinaire. These three want only one thing…to survive.
As soon as the Runners receive the “Go” on smart watches locked onto their wrists, the Game rockets them through the city, from the El to Michigan Avenue to the Lincoln Park Zoo. There is no time to rest; every thirty minutes the Runners’ coordinates are transmitted to the Its, which diminishes the Runners’ chances of ever reaching Home Base alive.
The Game will not end until someone is Tagged, so the Runners must choose how to play: will they accept death, murder their Its, or find a way to use their individual strengths to stop the Game before anyone dies?
TAG, YOU’RE DEAD alternates among the POVs of all six players in the Game – who will live to see it end?
First 250:
BRANDY
Friday, 8:00 PM
“I can’t choose,” Brandy Inkrott said. “I want to kill them all."
“Tag,” her mother said from her brocaded antique chair. “You want to Tag them all.”
“No. I don’t.”
“Either way,” her father said, “I’m afraid you have to pick one.”
Brandy studied the images of the teenage girls on the screen. Brunettes. Blondes. Asians. Hispanics. Light-skinned. Dark-skinned. Every one of them gorgeous. Every one of them middle-class. No-names. None of them like her. “They’re all so perfect. Can I pick more than one?"
A woman’s voice pierced the air, emanating from Surround Sound speakers. “The price for two would be extravagant, Ms. Inkrott. Plus, Tagging more than one Runner would be difficult. Almost impossible.”
“I don’t care. I can do it.”
Her father shrugged. “If that’s what you want.”
“I suggest this,” the woman said. “Play this time with one. If you are successful you may play again, and then you can go after two. I know it’s tempting when you see all those beautiful faces, but you’d be setting yourself up for disappointment.”
“What do you know?” Brandy said. “You’re probably some fat old lady in a trailer park somewhere. I could Tag you.”
Silence sizzled over the speaker.
“I’m sorry, Madame Referee,” Brandy’s father said. “She didn’t mean it.”
“Did so,” Brandy said.
“Bran, honey, please."
The girls’ faces on the television disappeared, replaced by only one, which took up the entire surface of the eighty-inch screen. The woman shown there was incredible.
July 5, 2014
Query Kombat 2014 New Adult Champion
Max Wirestone
Max Wirestone lives in a small town in New England with his husband and son. When he's not running his town's library or chasing a toddler, he is usually reading or writing.
New Adult Championship Entry:
Entry Nickname: A Cozy for Geeks
Title: The Genuine Fake
Word Count: 75,030
Genre: Mystery Cozy
Query:
You'd have to be drunk or crazy to hire Dahlia Moss as a detective, and her client was conveniently both. Drunk was verifiable-- there was a wine glass in his hand. Crazy was self-evident: Dahlia had no experience, no money, and the only thing she'd been reliably good at finding were pink slips.
The details of the job only make it seem stranger. The client wants her to recover the Bejeweled Spear of Infinite Piercing, a powerful and breathtakingly gaudy weapon from the online game "Kingdoms of Zoth". The pay is insane, a thousand bucks just for looking, and double for finding it. Dahlia thinks the job is certifiable, but pragmatically signs on; two thousand bucks buys a lot of Ramen.
Her investigation takes her through the student slums of St. Louis and into the on-line jungles of Zoth, interviewing aggrieved gamers, drunken fire-mages, misogynist golems, and an extremely petulant tree. But just when she gets a handle on the case, her client turns up dead-- skewered by a 3-D printed replica of the very spear she was looking for.
Suddenly, the police are involved, and Dahlia is in the middle of a murder investigation. Gamers are showing at her doorstep, detectives are trailing her, and more 3-D printed spears are mysteriously showing up in the mail. It's exactly the wrong time to learn that her client's decision to hire her wasn't so random after all.
First 250:
The only time I ever met Jonah Long he was wearing a fake beard, a blue pinstripe captain's outfit and a toy pipe that blew soap bubbles. He did not seem like someone who was about to change my life.
"I have a proposition for you," he had told me. Admittedly, that does sound like the kind of thing a life changing person might say. It's right up there with "it's dangerous to go alone-- take this!" and "you are the chosen one." But a plastic bubble pipe really takes the edge off this sort of thing.
It was a nautical themed party, which partly explained his ridiculous outfit. I'd thought he was hitting on me. “I’m in a non-dating phase," I'd told him. Not entirely true, but I repeat: bubble pipe.
"A financial proposition, Dahlia."
I had no idea who he was. I was irked that he knew my name but it was clear from the way Charice was hovering over him that my roommate was involved. She was wearing an over-sized mermaid's outfit that made her look faintly seal-like-- especially with her mugging at me as Jonah spoke. Eh? Eh? I felt like I should throw a fish at her.
But really: what could I do? I had seventeen dollars and twenty three cents in my bank account at the time of this exchange, with less in savings. I could only use ATMs that dispensed tens. Despite my correct sense that Jonah was 1) ridiculous and 2) trouble, at the phrase "financial proposition" he had my undivided attention.
Max Wirestone lives in a small town in New England with his husband and son. When he's not running his town's library or chasing a toddler, he is usually reading or writing.
New Adult Championship Entry:Entry Nickname: A Cozy for Geeks
Title: The Genuine Fake
Word Count: 75,030
Genre: Mystery Cozy
Query:
You'd have to be drunk or crazy to hire Dahlia Moss as a detective, and her client was conveniently both. Drunk was verifiable-- there was a wine glass in his hand. Crazy was self-evident: Dahlia had no experience, no money, and the only thing she'd been reliably good at finding were pink slips.
The details of the job only make it seem stranger. The client wants her to recover the Bejeweled Spear of Infinite Piercing, a powerful and breathtakingly gaudy weapon from the online game "Kingdoms of Zoth". The pay is insane, a thousand bucks just for looking, and double for finding it. Dahlia thinks the job is certifiable, but pragmatically signs on; two thousand bucks buys a lot of Ramen.
Her investigation takes her through the student slums of St. Louis and into the on-line jungles of Zoth, interviewing aggrieved gamers, drunken fire-mages, misogynist golems, and an extremely petulant tree. But just when she gets a handle on the case, her client turns up dead-- skewered by a 3-D printed replica of the very spear she was looking for.
Suddenly, the police are involved, and Dahlia is in the middle of a murder investigation. Gamers are showing at her doorstep, detectives are trailing her, and more 3-D printed spears are mysteriously showing up in the mail. It's exactly the wrong time to learn that her client's decision to hire her wasn't so random after all.
First 250:
The only time I ever met Jonah Long he was wearing a fake beard, a blue pinstripe captain's outfit and a toy pipe that blew soap bubbles. He did not seem like someone who was about to change my life.
"I have a proposition for you," he had told me. Admittedly, that does sound like the kind of thing a life changing person might say. It's right up there with "it's dangerous to go alone-- take this!" and "you are the chosen one." But a plastic bubble pipe really takes the edge off this sort of thing.
It was a nautical themed party, which partly explained his ridiculous outfit. I'd thought he was hitting on me. “I’m in a non-dating phase," I'd told him. Not entirely true, but I repeat: bubble pipe.
"A financial proposition, Dahlia."
I had no idea who he was. I was irked that he knew my name but it was clear from the way Charice was hovering over him that my roommate was involved. She was wearing an over-sized mermaid's outfit that made her look faintly seal-like-- especially with her mugging at me as Jonah spoke. Eh? Eh? I felt like I should throw a fish at her.
But really: what could I do? I had seventeen dollars and twenty three cents in my bank account at the time of this exchange, with less in savings. I could only use ATMs that dispensed tens. Despite my correct sense that Jonah was 1) ridiculous and 2) trouble, at the phrase "financial proposition" he had my undivided attention.
Query Kombat 2014 Adult Co-Champion
Mallory Crowe
Mallory Crowe lives in the suburbs of Detroit with her husband and three dogs where she’s a CPA by day and romance author by night. She’s a member of RWA and STEALING FIRE recently placed third in the Central Florida’s Romance Writers of America’s Touch of Magic contest. When Mallory's not writing or cuddling with the pups, she’s indulging her obsession for pop culture and binge watching obscure shows on Netflix.
Adult Championship Entry:Entry Nickname: Beauty and the Crazy Kidnapper
Title: Stealing Fire
Word count: 75,000
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Query:
Ella’s life for her father’s. It’s the easiest decision she ever made.
When Ella traces her missing father to a decaying mansion, she's shocked to find him being held captive by a devastatingly handsome man. He offers to let her father go free, but only if Ella stays behind.
Lucian isn't just a crazy kidnapper wrapped in eye candy. He's the head of a species who live as humans by day and monsters by night. Desperate to discover why none of his kind have been born in centuries, Lucian stole Ella's father, a scientist who’d worked with Lucian on the fertility crisis before abruptly quitting decades ago. When Ella shows up and is immune to Lucian's powers, he sees a chance to get answers, certain the scientist hid them in Ella’s DNA.
Ella willingly trades places with her father and becomes Lucian’s prisoner. He gives her everything she could possibly want except her freedom. The more time she spends with Lucian, the harder it is to deny he’s a ruthless monster. Even so, with every sideways glance and accidental touch, she becomes more confused and Lucian comes closer to forgetting she’s not his.
But their days together are limited. Lucian has enemies, and they’ll do anything to keep his species from expanding. As they close in, Lucian realizes the safest place for Ella is far away from him, and Ella must decide if her old, normal life is really where she belongs. But a true beast would never give up so easily.
First 250:
Ella shoved open the door to the sheriff’s office, slamming it against the wall. So what if all the deputies were staring. Let them know she was angry.
Tyler glanced up from the paperwork scattered across his desk, a lazy grin planted on his face. “Ella, if you really want to see me, all you have to do is call,” he said with his signature drawl that had all the women in the small Maine town of Pine Springs drooling.
All the women except Ella.
“Have you found him?” she asked, trying to make her five-four frame appear as large and imposing as possible.
Tyler stood up from behind the desk, towering over her. “We were able to track your father’s car down, but couldn’t find any sign of him. Like we told you before, he’s probably with someone at that conference you mentioned.”
“I filed the report over a week ago, and you’re the one who said he never checked in at the Lexington Hotel.”
Tyler nodded like he was listening, but she recognized the glazed-over look in his eyes. He’d already written her off. “Normally, that would be troubling, but you can’t exactly call Dr. Murray ‘normal’.”
What the hell? Sure he was exasperating, but he was a great sheriff. Why would he ignore an official missing persons report? “You need to take this seriously,” she warned.
Tyler moved around the desk and set a hand on her shoulder. “How about I swing by your place after my shift ends and we can discuss this over dinner?”
Mallory Crowe lives in the suburbs of Detroit with her husband and three dogs where she’s a CPA by day and romance author by night. She’s a member of RWA and STEALING FIRE recently placed third in the Central Florida’s Romance Writers of America’s Touch of Magic contest. When Mallory's not writing or cuddling with the pups, she’s indulging her obsession for pop culture and binge watching obscure shows on Netflix.
Adult Championship Entry:Entry Nickname: Beauty and the Crazy KidnapperTitle: Stealing Fire
Word count: 75,000
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Query:
Ella’s life for her father’s. It’s the easiest decision she ever made.
When Ella traces her missing father to a decaying mansion, she's shocked to find him being held captive by a devastatingly handsome man. He offers to let her father go free, but only if Ella stays behind.
Lucian isn't just a crazy kidnapper wrapped in eye candy. He's the head of a species who live as humans by day and monsters by night. Desperate to discover why none of his kind have been born in centuries, Lucian stole Ella's father, a scientist who’d worked with Lucian on the fertility crisis before abruptly quitting decades ago. When Ella shows up and is immune to Lucian's powers, he sees a chance to get answers, certain the scientist hid them in Ella’s DNA.
Ella willingly trades places with her father and becomes Lucian’s prisoner. He gives her everything she could possibly want except her freedom. The more time she spends with Lucian, the harder it is to deny he’s a ruthless monster. Even so, with every sideways glance and accidental touch, she becomes more confused and Lucian comes closer to forgetting she’s not his.
But their days together are limited. Lucian has enemies, and they’ll do anything to keep his species from expanding. As they close in, Lucian realizes the safest place for Ella is far away from him, and Ella must decide if her old, normal life is really where she belongs. But a true beast would never give up so easily.
First 250:
Ella shoved open the door to the sheriff’s office, slamming it against the wall. So what if all the deputies were staring. Let them know she was angry.
Tyler glanced up from the paperwork scattered across his desk, a lazy grin planted on his face. “Ella, if you really want to see me, all you have to do is call,” he said with his signature drawl that had all the women in the small Maine town of Pine Springs drooling.
All the women except Ella.
“Have you found him?” she asked, trying to make her five-four frame appear as large and imposing as possible.
Tyler stood up from behind the desk, towering over her. “We were able to track your father’s car down, but couldn’t find any sign of him. Like we told you before, he’s probably with someone at that conference you mentioned.”
“I filed the report over a week ago, and you’re the one who said he never checked in at the Lexington Hotel.”
Tyler nodded like he was listening, but she recognized the glazed-over look in his eyes. He’d already written her off. “Normally, that would be troubling, but you can’t exactly call Dr. Murray ‘normal’.”
What the hell? Sure he was exasperating, but he was a great sheriff. Why would he ignore an official missing persons report? “You need to take this seriously,” she warned.
Tyler moved around the desk and set a hand on her shoulder. “How about I swing by your place after my shift ends and we can discuss this over dinner?”
