Stephanie Burns holds an MFA in Creative Writing and a BA in Theater Studies, both from Emerson College. When she’s not dreaming up stories of her own, she is championing women authors as the COO of the award-winning Tall Poppy Writers. She lives on the south shore of Massachusetts where she plots by the ocean with her almost-famous beagle, Ollie Twist. Far from the A-List is her debut novel.

Here’s Stephanie’s original query:

Dear Ms. Fleissig,

I’ve heard such wonderful things about you from Ann Garvin and Amy Impellizzeri, and based on your strong roster of women’s fiction authors, I hope that my novel, Where Everybody Knows Your Name, might be a good fit for your list. It’s Fleabag meets I’m Glad My Mom Died set against the tabloid culture of the mid-aughts, ideal for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid. I would be thrilled to submit my manuscript for your consideration.

Michaela Turner wants you to know one thing: she is not Daisy Breyer, the character she played as a child on the hit TV series Breyer’s Town. Who she is apart from that, she hasn’t quite figured out.

A decade and a half after her show’s cancellation, Michaela is doing her best to prove that she has escaped the trappings of former child stardom. She’s paid to party at New York’s trendiest clubs and she’s dating the hottest guy in baseball—even if she only sees him when his team passes through town. No one needs to know that behind the role of Queen of the Social Scene, she’s a girl who looks for life’s answers in reruns of her old TV show, a girl who can tell you every detail of Daisy’s history, but can’t tell you her own favorite color or her father’s name. After a fall from grace in the tabloids leads to an embarrassing public breakup, Michaela must face the fact that she may not be fooling anyone, least of all herself. When her newly engaged rock star of an ex seeks her guidance with an identity crisis of his own, Michaela finds her chance to rediscover the girl she once was—even if that means opening herself up to the one person she ever revealed her true self to, the one person who smashed her heart in return. It’s really not the ideal time for her estranged stage mother to resurface, looking to cash in on her genetic lottery ticket, but nothing about her mother has ever been ideal. Torn between everyone’s concepts of who she is meant to be, Michaela faces a crossroads. Will she continue to let her past define her, or find the strength to step out of Daisy’s shadow and create her own path, unscripted?

I have an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College, and I am the Chief Operating Officer and Director of Social Media for the Tall Poppy Writers, the only cross-genre, cross-publisher women’s author collective. Along with Ann Garvin, I launched the inaugural Tall Poppy Writers Perfect Pitch Contest and taught at the Tall Poppy Writers Retreat in Italy. For eight years, I blogged about all things books at bookperfume.com, which allowed me to develop wonderful relationships with readers and authors alike.

I would love the opportunity to send my 100,000-word manuscript to you. While Where Everybody Knows Your Name is a stand-alone novel, it leaves the door open for a follow-up. Thank you so much for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Stephanie Burns

Check out Stephanie Burns’ Far From the A-List here:

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What Liza liked about the query:

To borrow from The Sh*t No One Tells You About Writing podcast, it all boils down to the hook, book, and cook. Stephanie nailed them all.

First, the hook. She grabbed me with an excellent pitch that immediately gave me a sense of the genre and story, with comps that told me where it would sit on shelves. Next, the book. She provided a solid back jacket summary that piqued my interest, set the scene for what sounded like a compelling novel, and instantly made me want to read more. Finally, she sold herself as the “cook,” with a strong bio conveying her experience, dedication to her craft, and all the ways she’d been engaging in the industry. Having a referral didn’t hurt, either. It showed me that she had been building meaningful connections and had established a great reputation for herself among colleagues, but none of that would have mattered without her talent.

Her query was super polished and inviting, and I knew if her writing was half as good as her letter, it would be a home run—and it was. As soon as I started reading her manuscript, I couldn’t put it down. Her book was timely and original with a captivating voice, and I was thrilled about the prospect of working with her.

Stephanie’s thoughts on querying:

When I was querying, I repeatedly heard, “It only takes one yes” and “The best agent you can find is the one who is passionate about your book.” I thought these were just platitudes to make the passes more digestible, until I got the call from Liza.

I’d heard amazing things about Liza from some of her other clients, and I’d been following the agency for years. I queried her just before Thanksgiving and she requested my full manuscript right away. I didn’t expect to get a response until the new year because the other thing I always heard when querying was, “Nothing happens in December.” Two days before Christmas Eve, I was in the supermarket shopping for the holidays and I got a message from her asking if we could chat. I nearly left my cart in the middle of the dairy aisle!

When I spoke to her that evening, her enthusiasm was palpable. She fully understood the heart of the novel and loved all of the things I loved about it, too. She already had a plan in place for going on submission with it in January, and while her reputation and strategy spoke volumes, it was her excitement over the book and my writing that made me certain there was no one I’d rather have in my corner.

I received plenty of “no”s in the query trenches, along with some close calls with agents who loved my writing but didn’t share my vision for the book. I’m so glad I didn’t give up. Liza’s “yes” was the one I’d been waiting for.

________________________________

Liza Fleissig is a founder of the Liza Royce Agency, a cross-platform company providing development, representation, and strategic career management in media. LRA’s goal is to represent clients in all stages of their careers, from the most established to those still developing their craft. A former trial partner in a NYC based litigation firm, Liza brings decades of negotiating experience to the field, and along with strong connections rooted in publishing, film and television, she provides bespoke services on a multi-dimensional level.

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H. Lee Justine is a career ghostwriter who has been featured in NPR for her work with famous clients. Maybe you’ve even read one of her books already. But after years of writing other people’s stories, she’s excited to see her own name on bookshelves. Her affinity for creepy stories started at age nine and never stopped. When she’s not writing, you can find her making content on TikTok.

Here’s Paganelli’s query on Justine’s behalf (to Ehrenhaft):

Daniel,

I’m so excited to send you a queer psychological thriller with elements of horror set on the eerie, secluded islands of the pacific northwest. YOU WATCHED IN SILENCE has the bite of Jessica Knoll with the twists of Verity and the atmospheric tension of The Haunting of Bly Manor. I devoured it at an evening hair appointment – much to my stylist’s annoyance because I refused to pick my head up out of my laptop. I can’t wait to hear what you think! 

After losing her best friend and lover, Caitlyn’s world is shattered – until an opportunity with Bella Greene offers to give her life new meaning.

Bella Greene is a high-profile influencer turned family vlogger. She has a devoted fandom that loves tuning into her YouTube channel for life updates on Bella and her twins, Max and Olive. Caitlyn and her friend spent years following the channel, attending all of her meet-and-greets and were even invited to join an exclusive fan group chat with Bella herself. 

Getting hired by Bella’s family felt like the answer to all of Caitlyn’s problem. Her girlfriend was Bella’s biggest fan, and for Caitlyn this job feels like a way to keep their connection alive. But Bella has problems of her own – one of her loyal fans took their life after enduring months of vile bullying and hatred at the hands of Bella’s fans in her group chat. Bella was canceled for not doing more to stop her fandom’s actions, and started receiving threatening messages, forcing her and her family to move off the coast of the pacific northwest while they try to put their lives back together (and strategize a comeback). 

After Caitlyn moves into their guesthouse, she quickly bonds with the twins and enjoys the behind-the-scenes insights into Bella’s assistant and off-screen husband. Most surprising though is the feelings she starts to develop for the family’s captivating chef, Hannah Zhou, who makes her contemplate what a romantic future could look like – giving her hope for the first time since the loss of her friend.

But nannying for the Greenes quickly turns into a nightmare as Caitlyn’s own past slowly catches up to her. Teetering episodes of psychosis can’t be ignored when a mysterious girl starts to haunt her every move – and Caitlyn can’t discern whether she’s a ghost from her past – or a terrifying hallucination. While she grapples with her fracturing reality, the ominous messages that forced Bella to flee to Washington in the first place re-emerge, as pentagrams, animal sacrifices, and warnings begin appearing across the property – threatening not just Bella but everyone on the estate.  

But who is to blame? And what do they want? Is it a disgruntled employee? A scorned lover? Or someone out for unjust revenge — because Bella didn’t actually do anything wrong, right? 

In a world where filters and facades rule, reality may be more shocking than anyone ever anticipated because nothing is really as it appears.

YOU WATCHED IN SILENCE forces the reader to confront the horrors of family vlogging and the dangers of obsessive parasocial relationships all with a twist no one will see coming.

Haylee Justine (writing as H. Lee Justine) is a career ghostwriter and an active BookTok member. She’s a member of the Association of Ghostwriters, Gotham Ghostwriters and has been featured in NPR for her work. On TikTok she has a following of over 100,000 with over 7.7 million accumulated likes. She averages 10-15 million views per month and is gaining followers at a rate of 20,000 a month. YOU WATCHED IN SILENCE is her debut novel. Like a character in the book, Haylee has been diagnosed with POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) and hopes to provide more representation for this syndrome.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Courtney Paganelli
Literary Agent
LEVINE│GREENBERG│ROSTAN LITERARY AGENCY

Check out H. Lee Justine’s You Watched in Silence here:

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Here’s what Ehrenhaft liked about the query:

Courtney Paganelli’s query caught my attention for several reasons, foremost being that I love her taste (and the tastes of many of her fellow LGR agents), so I tend to open LGR pitch emails right away. And since I’m partial to atmospheric horror and suspense—where a specific setting plays a crucial role and becomes a character in its own right—I was on my way to being hooked with the very first line with its mention of “eerie, secluded islands of the pacific northwest.”

The piece that clinched it for me, however, was the family vlogging. I doubt that I’m alone among editors in feeling a rush if I find myself thinking: Have I really not seen this before?  Family vlogging is so obviously ripe for horror in so many ways that I couldn’t quite believe that it hadn’t been done. So, I dropped everything to do some quick research, and as far as I could tell (still to this day, with the caveat that I might have missed something), Courtney’s author was the first to explore this territory in her debut. I tore through the rest of the pitch, which was on the longer side because of the somewhat complex setup—by necessity. I mention the length only because Courtney deserves kudos for handling the plot so deftly. If a story summary feels confusing in any way, I’ll pass automatically; there aren’t enough hours in the day to puzzle or linger over its presentation.

Finally, I must give credit to the author bio for cementing the manuscript’s place at the top of my TBR pile. At the pitch stage, I have very little patience for CV that aren’t directly relevant to the submission. (I mean, it’s great if an author has three cats, but what does that have to do with the novel?)  The bio that Courtney provided was brief, compelling, and impressive data-wise; in terms of the author’s personal life, it was limited only to the details that informed the content. In short, it included everything that I’d ultimately need to acquire the book, anyway, and nothing more. H. Lee Justine is a rare talent, and her manuscript did not disappoint! I am so grateful that Courtney sent this project my way.

___________________________

Courtney Paganelli joined Levine | Greenberg | Rostan Literary Agency in May of 2019 as an assistant to Jim Levine and Stephanie Rostan, was promoted within a year to be an Associate Agent, and in January of 2023 was promoted to Agent. Courtney enjoys reading voice-driven commercial fiction, dark psychological fiction, and heartwarming romantic comedies. She particularly gravitates towards relatable adult or young adult novels that make her swoon over budding relationships, tackle tough topics or complex family dynamics, feature dashes of paranormal activity or magical realism, and anything atmospheric, creepy, and utterly thrilling. In the nonfiction space, Courtney is drawn to true crime, millennial-driven self-help, practical business, pop culture, lifestyle, and anything that has to do with reality television. Some of her clients include novelists Mallory Arnold, H Lee Justine, Nicolas DiDomizio, and Agatha-Award winner, Erica Ruth Neubauer—and on the nonfiction side, bestselling authors Jason Tartick, Kelly Cervantes, and Amy Shoenthal, as well as subconscious breakthrough coach & content creator Haley Hoffman Smith, star of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Jackie Goldschneider, and deaf advocate, speaker, & contestant on The Bachelor, Abigail Heringer.

*****

Daniel Ehrenhaft joined Blackstone as a Senior Acquisitions Editor in 2021, where he has acquired award-winning titles by authors such as Sara Shepard, Henry Neff, Anthony Ryan, Lauren Myracle, Adriana Mather, and Kanan Gill, as well as audio by Emily McIntire, Robert Heinlein, and Orson Scott Card, among others. Prior to Blackstone, his publishing career highlights include spearheading creation of the iconic GOSSIP GIRL and PEACHES series while at Alloy Entertainment and later founding the Soho Teen imprint at Soho Press. As an author, he has been an international bestseller, winner of the 2003 Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Novel, and a 2012 National Book Award Judge.

The post Successful Queries: Courtney Paganelli, Daniel Ehrenhaft, and “You Watched in Silence,” by H. Lee Justine appeared first on Writer's Digest.

BRIAN SCHAEFER contributes regularly to The New York Times and has written for The New Yorker, New York magazine, and Bloomberg among other publications. He received his master’s in creative writing from Bar Ilan University in Tel Aviv, where he also worked as a writer and editor for Haaretz. He and his husband live in New York City and the Hudson Valley.

Here’s Brian’s original query:

Dear Andrianna,

It’s a pleasure to meet you. I understand you received my query last week from Doris Cooper at Simon & Schuster and are interested in taking a look at the manuscript for my debut novel, THE DUFFLES. I’m thrilled to share it with you (attached), and have included the brief synopsis and bio below.

I look forward to hearing from you, and many thanks again for your interest!

Sincerely,

Brian Schaefer

THE DUFFLES:

The fictional town of Griffin has become a popular weekend getaway for the city’s trendsetters and second homeowners, known among locals as “the Duffles” because of the small satchels they carry as they disembark from trains and cars — the only bag necessary since they won’t be in town past Monday. Will Riley left Griffin for college but has been called home this summer to monitor his volatile younger brother Joe, who is grieving the loss of his best friend from a drug overdose, and to assist their father’s congressional campaign against Paul Banks, an ambitious young carpetbagger. When Will falls in with Paul’s social circle — a clique of affluent gay Duffles — he must hide his identity from them while demonstrating his loyalty to his family.

Spanning the six months to Election Day, THE DUFFLES (literary/upmarket fiction, 86k words) follows a handful of characters as they cross personal and social barriers, both intentionally and unwittingly. This includes Will’s religiously devout mother Diane, who becomes the unlikely real estate agent of choice for many of the gays, and Paul’s much older husband Stan, who lost his brother to AIDS and regards this race as a way to give meaning to his pain. In the age of marriage equality, and against the backdrop of a town undergoing a dramatic economic transition, THE DUFFLES empathetically examines the clash of urban and rural America and considers the responsibilities of part-time neighbors as it explores regional gentrification, the evolution of gay political power, the lingering trauma of AIDS alongside the modern scourge of opioids, and the freedom and fallout that results when people choose, or are forced, to confront familial and communal allegiances.

THE DUFFLES combines the rural setting and political dynamics of Gary Shteyngart’s OUR COUNTRY FRIENDS with the historical weight and communal themes of Rebecca Makkai’s THE GREAT BELIEVERS.

For the past decade my husband and I have split our time between New York City and the Hudson Valley, the model for my fictional rural region, and the home of a 2014 congressional race that loosely inspired the one in this story. I received Bachelors degrees in Dance and Communication from UC San Diego and a Masters degree in fiction from Bar Ilan University in Israel while working for Haaretz newspaper. I have contributed regularly to the New York Times since 2012 and have written about arts and culture for The New Yorker, Bloomberg/Businessweek, Out Magazine and more (www.Brian-Schaefer.com). I am also the co-facilitator of a fiction writing group organized through Paragraph, the New York-based writing space, and a reader for The Line, Columbia University’s veteran literary magazine, and for The Center for Fiction’s First Novel prize.

Check out Brian Schaefer’s Town & Country here:

Bookshop | Amazon

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Thoughts from Andrianna deLone on the query:

What struck me right away about Brian’s query was the fabulous title. It’s a bit ironic, given we’ve changed the title for the actual publication, but still, it stood out in my query pile and made me lean in. Once I read on and realized how the title connected to one of two rival groups of characters, I was even more intrigued.

Brian’s summary does a great job of centering the story’s two main driving forces: a strong setting and sense of place, and the sprawling cast of characters. I’m always looking for a query that makes it clear the writer has a good understanding of their own book (much harder to do than it sounds!), and in reading Brian’s query, it felt like even he understood what were the most compelling elements.

Overall, his query is polished, confident, and sure of itself. It’s a huge plus in my book when an author’s own bio has relevance to the story at hand, and he made sure to include those connections in his note.

Thoughts from Tia Ikemoto on the query:

There are so many details in Brian’s query that made me excited to dive into this unforgettable book, things that sit high up on my personal wishlist when I’m looking for new authors and stories to champion. First, I was immediately enticed by the novel’s strong sense of place. The more I read, especially from the slush pile, the more I’ve come to realize that a well-developed setting, one that plays a key role in shaping a book’s narrative and tone, has become one of the elements of a query that excites me the most.

I love to travel, live, and learn vicariously through books, and the rural location of Brian’s novel was one I hadn’t spent much time in before. I also appreciated the personal connection Brian had to the story as a writer who splits his time between New York City and Hudson Valley. From his query, I could tell he had spent time deeply considering his own role as a part-time resident, and had something (quite a lot of things, really) to say in this book.

I’m also drawn towards novels that have a healthy balance of plot, character, and theme—the book club triple threat, if you will. Stories that have something to say without sacrificing entertainment to make their point. Between the diverse spread of characters, the timely political and social themes, and the ticking countdown of an electoral campaign, I could already see how this book might plug into a larger conversation about community, intersectionality, and politics, and I was eager to see if Brian could pull off telling a story as compelling as its pitch (spoiler alert: He could!).

Finally, Brian did all of this with a level of stylistic execution and market acuity that showed me he understood the book he had written and where it would fit in on shelves. His pitch was so selling that much of it made it onto the final jacket copy of the book; I hope it grabs you just as it grabbed me.

And Brian’s take on the query/submission process:

My background is in journalism, and as a freelance journalist, I spend half my time formulating pitches to editors, making the case for why a particular story is compelling, illuminating, and timely, and why I’m the best person to tell it. I also always try to keep these pitches tight and efficient, getting straight to the thesis, padding it with only the necessary supporting information, enough to give an editor a sense of scope while making them want to learn more. I think that practice really served me in formulating the query for my novel.

I did a lot of research before querying, reading samples and online interviews with agents, listening to literary podcasts to learn the dos and don’ts of query writing. And I approached it as a piece of prose: every word justified, every sentence in the right place—it’s the calling card to my writing.

I knew early in the querying process that mine was working. I had a healthy response rate and a good number of requests for manuscripts, which gave me the reassurance to stick with it when that interest didn’t lead to offers. My confidence in my query’s effectiveness was an important ingredient in my persistence, which I needed because I queried nearly 50 agents over two years before Andrianna and Tia saw my book the way I saw it, and had a vision for how to position it in the marketplace. Even though my query didn’t get me quick representation, it got me the right representation (and, I believe, the best representation!), so I’d say it did its job well.

*****

Based in the Creative Artist Agency’s New York office, Andrianna deLone represents a wide range of fiction and nonfiction authors, including cookbook authors. She began her career at ICM in 2017 and joined CAA in 2022 following the agency’s acquisition of ICM. Originally from San Diego, she graduated from Vanderbilt University with degrees in English and Political Science. She is also a graduate of Columbia University’s Publishing Course.

Based in CAA’s New York office, Tia Ikemoto represents a diverse range of nonfiction and fiction across the commercial to literary spectrum. A Bay Area native, Ikemoto graduated from UC San Diego with a degree in Communication and a Minor in Business before moving to New York to pursue a career in publishing. Following internships at Writers House’s San Diego and New York City offices, she joined ICM Partners in 2019 where she assisted the co-head of the Publishing department before starting to build her own list. She joined CAA in 2022 following the agency’s acquisition of ICM and was promoted to Agent in 2024.

The post Successful Queries: Andrianna deLone, Tia Ikemoto, and “Town & Country,” by Brian Schaefer appeared first on Writer's Digest.

Jaime Parker Stickle is a writer, podcaster, and professor of film and television at Montclair State University. She is the author of the gripping thriller, “Vicious Cycle: A Corey in Los Angeles Mystery,” and is the creator and host of the true crime investigative podcast, The Girl with the Same Name as well as the hilarious podcast about side-hustles, Make That Paper. Jaime lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son, and fur babies.

Here’s Jaime’s original query:

Hi Dara,

Thank you, again, for reading my manuscript. I definitely have appreciated the time I’ve gotten to know you through the UCR low residency program and the authors (and books) you represent. I appreciated the notes you gave me during our one on one last June and honestly, your approach to working with your writers – giving feedback, enthusiasm, and being a partner – is, well, it’s awesome. 

Corey Tracey-Lieberman is a former television news journalist, new mom, and part-time spin instructor living in North East Los Angeles. But when two teenage girls are found hanged at her local hiking trail, Corey must delve back into the world of investigation and wrestle with her internal demon—Postpartum Panic Disorder—to solve a murder.

#NELA is an 81,800-word work of crime fiction. This is my first novel.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

All my best,

Jaime Parker Stickle

(PS – I hope you are flattered by my diligent note-taking of your query letter lecture. The above is the Mad Lib version, because why mess with the best.)

Check out Jaime Parker Stickle’s Vicious Cycle here:

Bookshop | Amazon

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Thoughts From Dara on Jaime’s Query and the Process:

It was short but to the point and other than no bio, it was a great succinct pitch. And she followed some of the tips from a query workshop of mine she attended!

My path to working with Jaime started months before her official query. There are many paths to connecting with an agent, from cold queries, to referrals, to meeting an agent at a workshop or conference. With Jaime it was the latter.

I first met with Jaime at the UCR Palm Desert MFA residency as part of their 15-minute sit down with an industry professional program. She was a new student and full of energy and a bit nervous! But she had this idea she was working on turning into a novel at the program and ran it past me. It was about a new mom who was investigating a murder in Los Angeles, but due to her postpartum anxiety disorder she couldn’t leave her baby with anyone, so she was out there with a baby strapped to her chest, looking at crime scenes. I got chills.

And that image stayed with me. Not just the high concept, which was great, but Jaime’s voice telling it. I knew there was something there. Since I usually come out to the UCRPD program once a year, I got to see Jaime and even read about 50 pages of her novel in progress when she was graduating. I gave her feedback and let her know I definitely wanted to see it when she was ready to query agents. I really did think about it a bunch before she sent it, hoping it would be as good as I thought it might be.

The thrill when she sent it to me and I loved it! The voice of her protagonist, Corey Tracey-Liberman jumped off the page for me. This was a novel with a sense of urgency, and one only Jaime could write. We then talked about what her vision was for the book and her career, and my thoughts on how to get there, and offered her representation. It’s been such a fantastic journey so far and I can’t wait for the world to read Jaime’s debut VICIOUS CYCLE and get the same chills I got when I first heard about this story.

*****

Dara Hyde is Senior Agent at the Hill Nadell Literary Agency in Los Angeles and represents a wide range of award winning and bestselling fiction and nonfiction, including literary and genre fiction, graphic novels, narrative nonfiction, memoir, young adult, and children’s literature. Her clients include writers such as Angie Cruz, Jamie Harrison, David McGlynn, Samuel Sattin, Jaime Parker Stickle, and Lilah Sturges, and writer/artists such as Paige Braddock, Marco Finnegan, Soo Lee.

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(I Got 8 Agent Offers; Then, My Book Died on Sub.)

I don’t have one of those stories.

My path to getting agented was filled with suffering (querying), and hampered by one glaring personal flaw: I was really bad at talking about my books.

To fully appreciate this journey, rewind to the end of lock-down. Despite working full time, I emerged with three books. I’d learned to write, deduced the mysteries of querying, and found an amazing writing group of similarly deranged over-achievers with these books.

Here starts the problem.

These books weren’t good enough. These new writer friends were wildly gregarious and willing to help coax them into shape, but I was incapable of explaining the gaps in my plots, the messiness in my character arcs, or the pacing issues I could recognize but needed an outside opinion to fix. This problem was made even more obvious at a prolific fantasy author’s workshop. I got dedicated 1-on-1 time with her but all I could bring myself to ask was: “Does this seem like a book to you?”

I expressed this frustration to a friend, and she suggested something that helped her: She’d signed up for live Zoom pitch sessions. For those unaware, there’s almost always a writer’s conference happening and many have pitch situations with real agents and agency talent scouts. Authors can reserve 3-10 minutes and pitch their books to them. These happen in-person and over Zoom.

The threat of a human staring into my eyes while I explained that, “Actually, I’m quite funny,” sounded like a great way to force myself to figure out how to talk about my books.

The event of choice was the Florida Writing Workshop. It was two weeks away, online, and critically important to note, had the talent scout for my Dream Agent. I thought pitching the talent scout was slightly less psyche-destroying than pitching the Dream Agent. A baby step toward being able to talk without disassociating. To make it even harder on myself, I also picked two other agents. I’d have 10 minutes with each to give my pitch and then pick their brains for ways to improve it.

But which book? If you recall, I had three potentials. The first book was bad. A few queries in, I knew it needed loads of work. My second book was sci-fi and the obvious choice because I’d found aforementioned Dream Agent in the acknowledgements of another sci-fi book. This is where nerves kicked in, and I remembered that I was there specifically because I was bad at pitching. Did I really want to burn this chance trying something for the first time?

Enter the third manuscript. I’d just finished a round of edits on it. It was voicier than my other stuff. It was sillier too. It was way more me than anything else (let’s not analyze what it says about me that I was willing to risk this one). It was also the book I’d asked the prolific author about on a retreat. Does this seem like a book to you? She’d said yes. Third book it is!

Now I needed the pitch. I spent the next two weeks doing what any well-adjusted hyper-obsessive person does and consumed every piece of live pitching information out there. I crafted my pitch—even included normal foibles of speech so I’d come across like a human being (admitting that makes me sound like the opposite of a human being). I recorded myself giving the pitch upwards of 25 times. I would wander my house reciting it.

As luck and timing would have it, Dream Agent’s talent scout was the third time slot, so I had two whole runs before her. I slid into the first and second meetings with gusto. No notes from either agent and both asked for pages. Success! Then it was time for the third pitch.

My only goal was to sound like a person who talks about their book without projecting hysteria and physical pain with every word. And I did it, friends. We had a great conversation. Most startlingly, she thought Dream Agent would love the book. I assumed she was being nice. I assumed they were all being nice. I thought they took pages from everyone. I ended the event sweaty but feeling accomplished. I’d used out-loud words to explain a goth witch with a demon trapped inside him and I hadn’t blacked out or anything.

Please understand, in my mind, this book wasn’t polished. This book needed work. This book hadn’t suffered through the query trenches like the other two. This book was only showing its face to the world for practice. But a month later, all three agents asked for fulls.

I’d love to say Dream Agent then proceeded to ask for a call, say the manuscript was perfect, offer rep, and we sold it for 10-trillion dollars, but I already explained this wasn’t a charmed life situation. Dream agent did email… to tell me she’d gotten to the halfway point before the manuscript lost steam. She carefully explained what could change that would keep her on board, and said if I did those revisions, she’d gladly read it again.

Getting her insights blew my brain out of my skull. I spent the next month rehauling the manuscript. There was a spreadsheet. It had 37 points. Every non-day-job-moment was revising, and then I kicked it back to her and held my breath. Then she asked for a call.

It wasn’t perfect, but she thought I’d substantially improved it, and she made an offer of rep. Now, nearly two years later, I’m debuting with that book on October 14. It’s called An Amateur Witch’s Guide to Murder, and it really is about a goth Puerto Rican wannabe-brujo with a demon trapped inside him, who’s working as an occult specialist to earn enough money for an exorcism. I can say that out loud to all sorts of people now.

Possible morals from this wild ride: Make yourself uncomfortable. Trust the weird book you wrote that you weren’t sure was a book. Do things the way you would do them—even if that means scripting what should be normal human speech. And put yourself out there. It’s the only way for your dream agent to find you.

Check out K. Valentin’s An Amateur Witch’s Guide to Murder here:

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The post How Practice Pitching the Wrong Book Got Me My Agent appeared first on Writer's Digest.

Joan O’Leary was a producer at The Tonight Show and studied English and Creative Writing at the University of San Diego. She’s recently taken an NYC sabbatical and currently lives in Abu Dhabi with her husband—who yes, she did marry in an Irish castle, but the similarities end there.

Here’s Joan’s original query:

Elisabeth, 

It is so great to “e-meet” you! I understand from Martha that you have kindly expressed interest in reading my novel, A Killer Wedding. I am thrilled for the opportunity to share my work with you and would like to thank you in advance for your time. Given your impressive career and roster of talented authors (I love Meg Mitchell Moore!) I know your feedback will be hugely helpful to me.

A Killer Wedding centers on Christine, a New York City reporter for the cult bridal magazine Something Borrowed assigned to cover a high-profile destination wedding in Ireland. However, her real mission (hidden behind the fluff piece) is to break the story about a scandal involving Gloria Beaufort, the groom’s iconic grandmother and the billionaire founder of the beauty brand GLO. At least, that was the plan before Gloria is found dead in her suite on the first night of the wedding weekend. To everyone’s surprise, Gloria’s grandson and his fiancée decide to push ahead with the festivities despite her suspicious death. The only way Christine can convince the family to let her stay and cover the weekend is if she agrees to steer clear of any…controversial… event coverage. Christine quickly agrees to this (with her fingers crossed behind her back). Can she unmask a murderer by asking questions about custom cocktails while teetering in eight-inch Jimmy Choos? She’s going to try. 

My novel aims to playfully skewer the excesses of modern wedding culture, keeping readers equally amused and horrified – kind of like most best man speeches! One reader observed that the novel blends the biting wit of commentary à la Miranda Priestley in Lauren Weisberger’s The Devil Wears Prada with the intrigue of a classic whodunit like the hit television series, The White Lotus. Bella Mackie’s How to Kill Your Family is also a great recent comp. 

As a producer for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon I have had the privilege of working alongside some of the funniest people in the entertainment industry. Through their mentorship, I have developed a witty, sarcastic, and (hopefully) entertaining voice. Like the perfect martini, the murder at the center of A Killer Wedding is extra dirty, sophisticated – and possibly a double.

Attached you will find my manuscript and other submission materials. I have also created an online portfolio to offer some insight into the inspiration behind the story. Please feel free to let me know if there is anything else you need from me. 

Thank you very much for considering my submission. I look forward to hearing from you. 

Sincerely,

Joan O’Leary Robinson

Check out Joan O’Leary’s A Killer Wedding here:

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Elisabeth’s thoughts on Joan’s query:

There are so many things that appealed to me about Joan’s query. First off, it was professional and polite while also being warm and engaging. And now that I know Joan, I can say the same about the author herself.

Joan was able to pitch her novel in one succinct paragraph, giving me a sense of place and tone and plot without summarizing the book. In other words, it read a lot like jacket copy which is something I try to do when I am writing my own pitch letters for publishers.

Joan followed that original “pitch” with how she was thinking about the book—what the themes beneath the plot were, while also giving me marketable comps. She had obviously given this letter a lot of thought and done her homework. Finally, I appreciated her background in comedy writing as it’s incredibly hard to write a funny novel.

Joan’s thoughts on the process:

Early in my querying journey, I was lucky to be put in touch with Martha Otis, president of a leading literary agency, who was kind enough to read my manuscript and offer her feedback. So let me start by saying this: Don’t be afraid to mine your network for publishing industry connections. You never know if you know someone, who knows someone, who might be able to help you get a foot in the door.  

Lucky (again) for me, Martha was excited enough about A Killer Wedding to offer to make some agent introductions. It goes without saying that having an industry-insider vouching for me was invaluable during the querying process—but I still had to pitch myself and my book. So, onto that!

I tried to keep my query letter to my now-agent, Elisabeth Weed, punchy and buzzy with exciting comps. It was important to me that she got a sense of my voice on the page through my letter so I kept it funny and light, sprinkling in a little bit about my background. At the time I was pitching A Killer Wedding, I was a producer at The Tonight Show so I made sure to highlight this since I was trying to get representation for a dark comedy. 

I’d also recently gotten married at a castle in Ireland (the setting of the book) so it felt natural to include that detail in my letter too. I did this more subtly though, by linking an online portfolio where, if curious, Elisabeth could read more about the inspiration behind the novel. Overall, It was my hope that through my query letter, I would be able to communicate not only why I wrote A Killer Wedding, but also why I was the right person to have written it.

That being said, I was very conscious about not writing another novel in letter form, haha—I’d already written a book that I wanted my potential agent to read! I knew a busy, successful agent like Elisabeth would appreciate a tight, succinct pitch. Luckily (a third time! I should have gone to Vegas!), I was right. 

*****

From Elisabeth Weed: I’m currently on the hunt for thrillers with voice-y prose, sweeping family dramas, historical mysteries with a touch of magic, a great love story, or anything so scary that I must read into the early hours of the morning to see how it ends. I’m looking for high-concept manuscripts with a subversive premise or voice and a thimble full of weird. Some of my favorite books in the last 10 years are God of the Woods, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Life after Life, Bel Canto, and The Wedding People.

The post Successful Queries: Elisabeth Weed and “A Killer Wedding,” by Joan O’Leary appeared first on Writer's Digest.

Audrey Goldberg Ruoff is a former high school English and journalism teacher who taught with the enthusiasm of Valerie Frizzle, but for secondary education. She lives in a suburb of Washington, DC, with her spouse, her kids, a scrappy but loyal little dog, and a witchy black cat. Hopelessly Teavoted is her debut novel.

Here’s Audrey’s original query:

Dear Agent,

HOPELESSLY TEAVOTED TO YOU is an 85,000 word witchy romantic comedy blending the warm banter and grounded spellwork of The Ex Hex with the bittersweet haunting of The Dead Romantics and influence from Wednesday and the rest of The Addams Family, Pushing Daisies, and Beetlejuice. It is perfect for fans of spooky season and sparkly friends-to-lovers romance.

Azrael Ashmedai Hart, 27, has spent his life avoiding the fact that he is a witch twice named for the devil. Career flailing, when his parents die, he moves back across the country into his mysterious and spooky family manor, hoping to ignore memories of his former best friend, Vickie, the bubbly, almost normal girl-next-door he lost touch with after an incident in college. 

Victoria Starnberger, 26, has three quarters of a business degree and a penchant for strawberry lip gloss. Her family practically owns the town, but all she wants is to run a kooky and creepy tea shop that belonged to the Hart family. And like Azrael’s family, Vickie has a supernatural secret: she can summon the dead by touching something they treasured in life.

The catch? She can only contact the spirit for five minutes before flame devours the object. When the ghosts of his parents tip them off about a threat, Vickie and Az are forced together to save the town, but to do so, they must prevent her magic from immolating him. If it wasn’t for a semi-sentient haunted home, awkward puns, and steamy banter, it might be too much to endure.

I teach high school English and journalism with the enthusiasm of Valerie Frizzle, but for secondary education. I live in a suburb of Washington, DC with my spouse, kids, and a scrappy but loyal little dog. 

Thank you so much for your time.

Audrey Goldberg Ruoff (she/her) 

Check out Audrey Goldberg Ruoff’s Hopelessy Teavoted here:

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What Melanie Iglesias liked about Audrey’s query:

The letter I received on submission was a little different, sharpening the hook while still centering the characters. The first thing I look for in a query is that one-sentence elevator pitch that will captivate readers’ attention and make them want to read more. For me, The Ex Hex meets The Dead Romantics with Addams Family vibes and a dash of Pushing Daisies in a witchy rom-com with queer representation was impossible to resist!

Firstly, Pushing Daisies is a show I loved and had never (personally) seen mentioned in a pitch letter prior to this one. And, the fact that Az and Vickie are cursed to not be able to touch (providing a thankfully—spoiler alert!—reversible twist on what kept Ned and Chuck physically apart in Pushing Daisies) felt like a prime opportunity for heightened moments of yearning and needing to find creative workarounds to physical intimacy as their relationship developed.

Then, I fell in love with Az and Vickie. A strong hook and a commercial plot are key. But in a romance, I also need to be able to root for the characters and not only believe in but also be swept away by their chemistry. Audrey delivered a magical blend of heart, humor, and heat—weaving in themes of grief and starting over that added depth to the love story without being too heavy handed—that kept me hooked through to the last page, bringing together all the elements I look for in a romance.

Audrey’s thoughts on querying:

Before this book, I watched several others die painful deaths in the trenches, so I made this character-forward, hoping to leave readers as spellbound by Az and Vickie as I was writing them. I have seen the advice to keep every paragraph in a query four lines or shorter, and while this doesn’t have to be followed prescriptively, for me, doing it forced a careful edit for clarity. 

Hopelessly Teavoted has always been spooky and sparkly, and I wanted that juxtaposition to shine through, not just in the grumpy-meets-sunshine vibes, but also in the complex themes that are at once bright and dark as Azrael grapples with death, change, and the very real heartbreak of miscommunication. I played with nods to inspiration in word choice—kooky, creepy, mysterious, spooky like the Addams family—and concept—an almost normal person next door a la Pushing Daisies—in the text of the query.

I wanted to showcase voice and make each line syntactically mine. I also sent out an earlier version of it with “the un-boo-lievable catch” instead of just “the catch” before editing that down. In a query, it can be OK to tell, not show, as long as you tell it well. It’s a limited amount of space to sell your characters and voice enough to hook someone on the concept of your book.  

*****

Melanie Iglesias is a Senior Editor at Atria Books. Since joining Simon & Schuster ten years ago, Melanie has worked with debut, celebrity, and New York Times bestselling authors writing in English and Spanish across fiction and nonfiction genres. Now, she focuses on romance, magical realism, contemporary with a twist, and book club fiction. Melanie’s titles include #1 New York Times bestseller IT STARTS WITH US by Colleen Hoover; national bestseller THE INHERITANCE OF ORQUÍDEA DIVINA by USA Today bestselling author Zoraida Córdova; USA Today bestseller UNLOVED by Peyton Corinne; and more. Melanie holds a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, and a master’s degree in publishing from NYU.

The post Successful Queries: Melanie Iglesias and “Hopelessly Teavoted,” by Audrey Goldberg Ruoff appeared first on Writer's Digest.

When he’s not writing about aliens, J. A. Dauber can be found talking to students about books, movies, and other fun stuff at Columbia University in New York City, where he is a professor of Jewish literature and American studies. He lives right near there, with his family, so that he can walk to work and see if anyone has dropped anything. Like a phone. After all, you never know. He also wrote a YA novel about a teenage supervillain named Mayhem which won an award from the Children’s Book Council.

From J. A. Dauber:

Sometimes, the story of selling a book is full of twists and turns, suspenseful moments, and complex negotiations. If that was the case with PRESS 1 FOR 1NVASION, my MG novel debut, you wouldn’t know it from me, though. I had just been lucky enough to sign with an extraordinary agent, Stacey Glick at Dystel—but not because of PRESS 1, but another project that I’m still working on with a co-author.

That project, for various reasons, is taking more time; but I had this novel that I’d finished, and liked, and in the interest of not letting the grass grow under our feet, we decided to send it out. Stacey read the manuscript, liked it, and decided to feature it in her agency newsletter. We worked together on crafting the blurb that would go out there:

PRESS 1 FOR 1NVASION is about a ten-year-old who really wants a phone. And ends up saving Planet Earth. Since Matt’s parents won’t give him that phone, when he finds one just lying there on the sidewalk, he naturally picks it up and when he sees it’s on, he starts taking pictures. And that’s when he discovers that the crossing guard in front of his school is actually a monster. At least, so says the picture on the phone. Matt soon learns that: a) his lunch lady is also a monster; b) an invasion of Earth is due to take place within the next few days; and c) the lunch lady is having cold feet (well, tentacles) about the whole thing and needs his help. What happens next is a fast-paced, action-packed adventure that takes Matt and his friend Marcela through battles in their school cafeteria and high above the earth’s atmosphere; that places them in very close encounters with alien pets, best friends, and the business end of a gigantic oven; and that makes the characters ask themselves – and us – what you’d be willing to risk to save your friends, your family, and your whole planet. It’s a page-turner from ILA-CBC Young Adults’ Choice-winning author J.A. Dauber that’s funny and thrilling (but not too scary) that’s perfect for fans of books like Sal & Gabi Break the Universe mixed in with a dose of E.T., and a pinch of Star Wars. (Please note, Stacey Glick is the agent on this project.) 

*****

Fast forward to a few months later, when I’m at a party, and, like most humans at a party, I occasionally check my phone. I see that there’s an email from Stacey with the subject line “Cautiously Optimistic,” containing a forwarded email from my (then-future) extraordinary editor, Kara Sargent, that read, in its entirety: 

Hi Stacey,

What a fun read this is! 

I am planning to bring it to acquisitions next week; please let me know if there’s anything further I should keep in mind for our discussion there.

Hope you have a lovely weekend.

Best wishes,

Kara

*****

I had mentioned that I was at a party. Now, you are imagining, I suspect, what most people imagine when they think of a party: loud music, people shouting over it at one another, general merriment and mayhem. This was not that kind of party. This was a reading party, where people sat in silence as other people read short stories or poems to the assembled group. It is actually delightful, with the right crowd (which this was)—but not when your brain is going a thousand miles a second and you are over the moon with possibility and excitement but also don’t necessarily want to tell anyone because what if it doesn’t happen? 

But it would be impolite to leave early. Especially since I’d already read my piece, and now it was other people’s turn. 

So I listened to a poem by T.S. Eliot, and a short story by William Carlos Williams, but my mind was full of kids trying to foil alien invasions, and the thought that my kids—and their friends—and hopefully lots of others—would get to meet these characters I had dreamed up, and share their wild, incredible adventure. 

And, thanks to Stacey and Kara, they will!

Check out J. A. Dauber’s Press 1 for 1nvasion here:

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From Agent Stacey Glick:

I was introduced to Jeremy through a friend from college who is also a children’s book publisher, and happens to be Jeremy’s cousin (such a small world true story)! She thought I might be interested in a high-profile project he was working on, and when I met Jeremy over Zoom I was immediately impressed with his talent (he is incredibly multi-talented!) and energy, and was very eager to work with him.

He mentioned a few other projects he had in the works, including PRESS 1 and when he sent it to me, I really appreciated the fun story that felt original and accessible for kids, with characters who were funny and real and pitch perfect. I was so thrilled when I sent it to Kara at Aladdin/S&S that she and her team saw what I saw in the book.

It’s such a happy moment when the stars align, and everyone agrees we have something special to get out into the world with the hope that kids of all ages (but mostly middle grade readers) will enjoy it for many years to come!

From Editor Kara Sargent:

I had not worked with Stacey before, but the query she sent me for Press 1 for Invasion immediately caught my eye. I remember it said something about how the story was about a boy who really just wanted a cell phone and ended up having to save the world, and I thought, “Check and check—both of those things sound relevant for middle grade, and I am fascinated to see what they have to do with each other!”

It turned out, the story was exactly as it was pitched: a kid who just wants a cell phone, and is not allowed to have one (thanks, parents!), finds one and thinks he’s the luckiest kid ever… until he finds out the phone was a plant left for him by an alien who’s having second thoughts about decimating the planet and needs some help. A great story premise for sure, but then the writing absolutely delivered. The story moves quickly and Jeremy has such a spot-on voice for middle grade. 

Jeremy, I would come to learn, is an innately funny person, and his sense of humor came through immediately on the pages. Matt, the main character, is funny and quick-witted. He’s not perfect (He lies to his parents about the phone! He makes a lot of questionable choices!) but he read like a real kid. I knew readers would love meeting him and going on this wild ride to save the earth with him. 

This submission ticked a lot of boxes at the time I received it, as we’re often challenged as middle grade editors to find the book that answers the question, “What book would you recommend for my 10-year-old son?” This book is definitely that—but it’s a fun read for all different types of readers, and one I am really proud to have on Aladdin’s list. 

*****

Kara Sargent joined Aladdin in 2020. She is an S&S Children’s alumni, having worked in Simon Spotlight as Editorial Director until 2015, after which she worked at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers as Editor in Chief of Brand, Licensed, and IP Publishing. Over the course of her career, Kara has written, developed, and edited hundreds of books for children of all ages, across formats as young as leveled readers and chapter books, and as advanced as young adult novels. Kara believes books are the perfect vehicle for introducing new stories, worlds, and perspectives to kids. She loves working closely with her authors to help develop their vision. 

Stacey Glick, Vice President and Literary Agent, joined Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC in 1999 after working in film and television development for five years. Following a number of internships in the entertainment business, her first job after college was at PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, where she looked for book projects to be adapted into feature films. Next, she worked as a story editor at Hearst Entertainment, where she scouted material for television movies. Stacey grew up just outside of Manhattan and is a former child actress who appeared on television, on stage, and in feature films. She now lives in New Jersey with her husband, four daughters (the youngest are identical twins), and two dogs, and enjoys cooking, food and wine, yoga, taking pictures, theater, going to Mets games, and eating cheese, chocolate, and spicy tuna hand rolls (not necessarily in that order) when she can find the time. She has a wide-ranging and eclectic client list, a consistent theme of which is to help people live better and happier lives. She is interested in many subjects, on the adult side: practical and narrative nonfiction across categories including (but not limited to) cooking and food, psychology, self-help, mental health and wellness, lifestyle, women’s issues, parenting, current events, pop culture, science, biography, and memoir. And on the children’s side: select YA, middle grade, nonfiction, and picture books. Stacey is a member of the AAR, Women’s Media Group, and is a former council member of the Rutgers University Council on Children’s Literature (RUCCL.org).

The post Successful Queries: Kara Sargent, Stacey Glick, and “Press 1 for 1nvasion,” by J. A. Dauber appeared first on Writer's Digest.

Chrystal Schleyer lives in South Carolina with her husband and children. Tucked away in a little black house on an old hay field, she happily lives in the middle of nowhere. When not writing or reading, she can be found outside with her ever growing number of animals or scouring the shelves of the nearest thrift store. 

Here’s Chrystal’s query:

Dear Sophie,

Knives Out meets Bridgerton in A RATHER PECULIAR POISONING, a multi-POV 78,000-word nonlinear adult mystery set in 1910, that follows the tumultuous relationship between twins Easton and Wes, and the headstrong girl in love with one but promised to the other. With a suspenseful gothic atmosphere, this locked room whodunit will appeal to fans of The Guest List and The Golden Spoon.

The people of Asquith manor collect secrets like cobwebs, tucking them beside old wounds that linger in every corner of the house.

There have always been whispers that Easton and Wes are both in love with their childhood best friend Eloise, yet when the younger brother, Wes, suddenly proposes to an heiress, a heartbroken Eloise finds herself engaged to his brother. But during a week of feasting and hunting to kick off celebrations for the two engagements, Wes is poisoned. Murmurs of nightshade slip through the manor, and everyone seems to have a motive—everyone except for a kitchen maid who finds herself tangled in the web of secrets, at risk of being framed.

Was it Della Drewitt—the shrewd heiress reluctant to marry Wes?

Or did Easton decide killing his brother was the only way to secure Eloise’s affections forever?

And then there’s the housemaid Violet, Wes’ previous sweetheart, who feels spurned by him marrying another.

As guests turn into suspects, attempts to kill Wes become more relentless than the storms churning the Asquith estate—and the brothers aren’t the only ones tucking secrets within the manor’s walls. 

As a twin myself, I tried to weave together the complex relationship that can sometimes grow between twins. A RATHER PECULIAR POISONING is a standalone with sequel potential. Per your request, I have included the first ten pages. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Chrystal Schleyer

Check out Chrystal Schleyer’s A Rather Peculiar Poisoning here:

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What Sophie Cudd liked about Chrystal’s query:

I loved this query for a lot of reasons—Chrystal did an excellent job of capturing the main elements of her story, keeping the synopsis succinct while not giving too much away. The query itself reflected the multi-POV mystery nature of the book without feeling too overwhelming (i.e. “Was it Della Drewitt?… Or was it Easton?” etc.), and her comparative titles, in particular, were stellar—they’re of-the-moment, successful stories, one of which was a book-to-TV adaptation.

Knives Out meets Bridgerton is the perfect opening hook! It gave me a well-rounded, clear sense of atmosphere, and showed that this book has elements of both mystery and romance. Comps don’t have to be a perfect fit; it can be a little of this, and a little of that, which Chrystal picked perfectly.

Chrystal clearly understood her audience, which is another crucial element to mystery writing as well. For all these reasons, Chrystal’s query really caught my eye, and I’m excited for this wonderful book to be officially on the shelves in September.

*****

Sophie Cudd joined The Book Group in 2023, formerly with William Morris Endeavor. Born and raised in Nashville, TN, Sophie has a degree in English Literature from Southern Methodist University and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Sophie works with a wide range of authors, including New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelists and children’s book writers.

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Jenny Birch is a middle school teacher of English, French, and history, and serves as a youth theater director for students in grades 7-12. She lives in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, PA, with her husband and three children. Jenny holds a BA in French and an MEd in Instruction & Learning and as an adoptee herself, she is a passionate advocate for children, particularly those in the foster care and adoption communities. When she’s not in her classroom or on stage with her students, you can find her either dancing in the kitchen with her family or flexing her overactive imagination.

Here’s Jenny’s original query:

Dear Ms. Orozco,

It was a pleasure to meet you this past weekend at the Pennwriters Conference! We were all appreciative of your time and the wisdom you shared during your time with us. I was especially excited to meet another Impressionism fan. As a veteran teacher of both English and French, it made me so happy to see a literary professional with a penchant for French art!

As you requested during our Saturday pitch session, I am sending along my YA fantasy manuscript for your consideration.

THE SECRET WORLD OF ALEX MACK meets SERPENT & DOVE in my novel MUD AND BONES, complete at approximately 90,000 words.

Eighteen-year-old TERRA SLATER might not know anything about her birth family or her origins, but that hasn’t stopped her life from unfolding just as she always imagined. Her adoptive parents are respected college professors, and Terra is class president, star volleyball player, and beloved by the nicest guy in town. Now, she’s ready for her senior year, ready to go to college, ready to take on the world and make it a better place. 

Then THORNE WILDER, a magical bounty hunter, moves to town, bringing revelations that upend all of Terra’s plans. As a member of a coven of witches seeking to kill rogue warlock CYRUS QUILL, Thorne reveals that Terra is a golem, one of the mudchildren created by Cyrus to attempt atonement for the horrific crimes of his youth. The only problem is, once Cyrus dies, so do his golems. Desperate to save herself – and the other golems that populate their town – Terra strikes a deal with Thorne and the witches to preserve the life and magic of the warlock. If she can uphold her end of the bargain, the golems will survive. If she can’t, the mudchildren will perish along with Cyrus. MUD AND BONES depicts a high-stakes race against time as Terra probes the constraints of human nature and the true meaning of family.

In addition to my work as a teacher, I am a middle and high school theater director. I have also worked as a freelance writer and editor, and had several stories earn accolades in the NYC Midnight short story and flash fiction competitions. My true passion, though, is young adult fiction. MUD AND BONES in particular was inspired by my experiences as both a foster mother and adoptee. I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,

Jenny Birch

Check out Jenny Birch’s Woven From Clay here:

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What Amanda Orozco liked about the query:

One of the most challenging things as a writer can be pitching your project to someone in person or virtually in real time. There’s no screen or written word to act as barrier or protective shield from the other person’s reaction and it can be so easy for nerves to take over, especially when you’re pitching to a stranger, and one that you may see as a “Powerful Publishing Person.”

But another way to think of these one-on-one pitch sessions are simply as conversations—you, a fellow book lover and writing craft aficionado, are telling me, a stranger asking for a book rec, about a project you’re passionate about, as if it’s a book you’ve read that you can’t get out of your mind and have to tell everyone you meet that they should read.

I try to bring this vibe to pitch events to help writers who are nervous doing their pitches for the first time, and it’s so helpful to be able to see writers, within the short amount of time these sessions tend to be, grow in confidence when speaking about their project, as well as in their comfortability in speaking with me as just another human being who loves and appreciates art of all types.

In speaking with Jenny for the first time on Zoom and hearing her pitch for WOVEN FROM CLAY (which was then titled MUD AND BONES), her passion for the story came from such a genuine and warm place, so clearly informed and shaped by her life experiences that gave it such a unique slant that I had not encountered before in other projects. Having this face-to-face conversation with a writer is so invaluable as an agent, as we can learn so much more about you and your personality and your project than from an email only, and in the short conversation I had with Jenny, I was able to glean how hardworking and dedicated she was, not just to her craft and to her novel, but to so many other aspects of her life she truly cares about. So while you may not always have the opportunity or ability to have these conversations or pitch sessions with agents, it may be worthwhile to think about how you might infuse some of that feeling into your query letters!

As for the query letter from Jenny: It began with that touch of personalization that really helps set a writer apart in the inbox, that called to such a wonderful moment of connection, and then hit the ground running with two great comp titles that immediately gives the reader an idea of what this project might feel like. Her summary of the story was succinct but gave each of the characters color and depth that made it easy to envision who they were as people already, and the stakes were clear from the outset, setting the bar for intrigue and excitement in just two paragraphs. And her bio at the end showed such range as to her professional background, writing experience and accolades, and her passions and inspirations that round her out not just as a writer but a fellow traveler in life.

Jenny Birch’s thoughts on the submission process:

I first met Amanda in 2021 at the annual Pennwriters Conference. It was completely virtual that year, due to the pandemic. (It was also my birthday!) Because it was warm that weekend, two of my dearest Pittsburgh-area writing friends came over and we social-distanced on my back deck, logging into conference seminars from our laptops and sharing what we’d learned between sessions.

I had registered for a pitch session with Amanda Orozco from Transatlantic Agency; I remember feeling so nervous when I stepped inside for our scheduled Zoom time. I was shaking! But Amanda was incredible: professional, generous, and encouraging. We bonded over the artwork Amanda had in her office, and by the end of our conversation, I felt much more relaxed and confident. That evening, after my friends went home, I sent her my query letter and materials.

Even though I had initially been disappointed the 2021 Pennwriters Conference couldn’t be the usual weekend-long immersion in the writing world I look forward to each year, I’m now so glad and endlessly grateful everything worked out exactly the way it did!

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Before joining the Transatlantic Agency in the fall of 2020, Amanda Orozco gained a breadth of experience in academic publishing, publicity, subsidiary rights, and agenting. She graduated from UCLA with a degree in Physiological Science and an English minor and worked as a fine art instructor and freelance editor for several years before moving to New York to complete the NYU Masters of Science in Publishing: Digital and Print Media. While at NYU, she worked at the National Book Foundation, Shreve Williams Public Relations, and The Gernert Company; she was also selected to attend the Frankfurt Book Fair and the Beijing International Book Fair. Upon graduating from NYU in 2019, she worked in Subsidiary Rights at Little, Brown, where she helped sell rights for authors such as Michael Connelly, Elin Hilderbrand, and Sarah Knight, until discovering agenting was her true calling. She worked at Park & Fine Literary and Media before moving back to Los Angeles, where she is working with authors such as Vanessa Angélica Villarreal, Vickie Vertiz, Dr. Anthony Christian Ocampo, Nick Medina, Tania De Rozario, Kay Chronister, Roya Marsh, and Vanessa Friedman.

Amanda is a member of the Association of American Literary Agents (AALA); her aim is to elevate and amplify marginalized voices always.

You can find a list of Amanda’s recent deals as announced in Publishers Marketplace here.

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