I posted my submission guidelines and opened to queries for the first time from April 2018 to August 2018 and was blown away by the response. In roughly 5 months I received about 750 queries. I closed so I could give those queries the time and attention they deserved. Now I will open to queries again with freshly updated submission guidelines, applying the lessons I’ve learned.
Form Queries only
In the past my queries went to the same email inbox as all my other work, turning into a constant shadow over my day. I also had trouble sorting and tracking my queries; the Gmail folders + Excel grid system I was using was inefficient.
Now, I will only accept queries via an online form. Unsolicited queries sent to my email address will be rejected.
Changes to the genres I represent
I wanted to represent all the genres I love to read. The problem is I read quite widely! After a few weeks, it was very clear that even though I love to read some genres, I didn’t necessarily want to work with them. At least not yet. So: no more picture books and no more non-fiction. I am most excited by fantasy, romance, and historical fiction—please send me more of that!
Why I ask for…
A query: This cover letter is my first introduction to the book’s premise and to the author’s writing style. This is what I read to determine if I might be interested in the book. I read it as quickly as I would read the back of a book in a store or library.
A short author bio: I have no intention of flipping clients like houses. Ideally, I’d like to work with a writer for the length of their career! The bio is my first clue as to whether the person wants to have a long writing career and if we’d work well together. Also, since my personal mandate is to work with people of color, I pay extra attention when writers choose to disclose their race or cultural background.
A 20-page sample: Twenty pages should be just enough of a teaser for me to get a sense of the writing style and a taste of the plot.
A synopsis: When I read the synopsis, I’m usually trying to confirm a gut feeling. Is this book going in the direction I hope it will? Does the spark I see here carry through the whole book? I typically need to read the full manuscript to evaluate the execution of a premise, but the synopsis tells me the writer’s plan (including the ending!) so I can judge based on what they wanted to do rather than what I wanted them to do.
At the end of the day, I’m looking for fantastic books that I can share with everyone I encounter. If you’ve got that, I want to hear from you. Read my full submission guidelines and query me soon!
