We had a great tweet chat on our Twitter account last week with...

We had a great tweet chat on our Twitter account last week with fantastic advice for people who want to pitch and publish their novel. 

Agents Suzie Townsend and Kathleen Ortiz from New Leaf Literary were gracious enough to field questions from eager writers! Do you have any publishing questions or advice?

Image descriptions: A series of screenshots from conversations on Twitter.

1. Belinda Grant: What are the best things writers can be doing for their future careers and agents in the stage before querying? What do you wish unagented writers would already know? #nanonewleaf
Kathleen Ortiz: Focusing on the craft of writing. Focus on creating the best manuscript and then when you have an agent, ask ALL the questions. Never be afraid to ask questions or for clarifications! #nanonewleaf

2. Deborah Powell: How many comp titles would you recommend including in a query? #nanonewleaf
Suzie Townsend: 2 comp titles or authors who have published in the last 2 years and are not outliers (avoid movies/TV shows) #nanonewleaf

3. Wendy Loop: #NaNoNewLeaf What if your query is good, but you are concerned the first paged may not be intriguing enough — at how many rejections should you consider revamping those first pages? I’ve got a mystery that doesn’t begin with a body on the first page. 
Suzie Townsend: If you’ve queried 10 people and had less than 5 requests, look at those first pages. #nanonewleaf

4. Alexandra Garfield: #nanonewleaf Hi I’m Alexandra and I’m currently working on revising the first draft of my YA historical fantasy novel. Any recommendations on common pitfalls to avoid? 
Suzie Townsend: Make sure the worldbuilding is so fleshed out it feels like a character in its own right. #nanonewleaf

5. Suzie Townsend: Everyone: when pitching, it helps to think about comp titles. Think about readers who like your book — what books do they like? #nanonewleaf
J Calamy: This is the hardest part for me. Can you get more into comp titles? How do I know what is comp? Same plot? Same characters? Same voice? #nanonewleaf
Suzie Townsend: Think about comps in terms of audience instead. They should have the same audience.

6. Gabrielle Gardner: #nanonewleaf What would you say captures your attention most in a query letter? Is there anything you look for or that turns you off a story?
Kathleen Ortiz: A strong pitch, a great voice, and short and to the point. Don’t ramble, it’s easy to get lost in a query and move on. #nanonewleaf

7. Suzie Townsend: And also, know that this is a marathon not a sprint. Don’t get discouraged. Keep honing your craft. #nanonewleaf

8. Suzie Townsend: For everyone writing queries: jacket copy on published books is a great model for what your query should look like. #nanonewleaf