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.

Emily Krempholtz has never quit her day job to open a flower shop, but that’s because she’s already doing what she loves. As a bestselling ghostwriter, editor, and book coach, Emily spends all day every day in the world of books and is delighted to finally have one with her own name on the cover.

When she’s not writing or reading, Emily bakes cakes that look like book covers and changes her hair color like some kind of mood ring. She lives in sunny Colorado, where you’ll often find her in the mountains—either hiking (and pretending to be a character in a novel) or curled up in a hammock with a book (also pretending to be a character in a novel). She’s on a lifelong quest to discover the magic in the world and has a sneaking suspicion the written word is where she’ll find it.

Here’s Emily’s original query:

Hi Brent,

I was so pleased to see cozy fantasy on your MSWL (And ASSISTANT TO THE VILLAIN on your client list!) and I’m thrilled to throw my hat into the ring with my adult cozy fantasy, VIOLET THISTLETHWAITE IS NOT A VILLAIN ANYMORE.

After the evil sorcerer that Violet has served her entire life is vanquished, all she wants is a chance to start over and set down some roots that sprout peonies instead of poisons for once. She settles in the town of Dragon’s Rest, where she hopes to open a flower shop, keep her sentient (and mildly homicidal) pet houseplant out of trouble, and cold-turkey quit the use of dark magic after a lifetime of villainy. Simple, right?

Violet’s vibrant bouquets and feats of plant magic soon charm the welcoming townsfolk, although nothing she does seems to impress Nathaniel Marsh, the prickly-yet-handsome alchemist who shares her greenhouse and is desperately seeking a second chance of his own.

But just as Violet starts to think she’s pruned away all the thorns of her nefarious former life, a mysterious blight threatens her new home. Violet and Nathaniel must work together through their fears, their pasts, and their growing feelings for one another to save their community. When a figure from Violet’s past comes knocking on her door, threatening to expose her secret and destroy everything she’s built, Violet is forced to face whether a villain like her ever truly deserves to grow her own happily ever after.

VIOLET THISTLETHWAITE IS NOT A VILLAIN ANYMORE is an 80,000-word cozy fantasy romance about second chances, found family, and redemption. Bursting with cottagecore garden imagery, compelling stakes, big emotions, and spice (and I’m not talking the spices you grow in a garden), VIOLET THISTLETHWAITE is perfect for adult readers who loved the warm community of LEGENDS & LATTES, the sweet-and-spicy romance of THE UNDERTAKING OF HART AND MERCY, and the immersive lore of EMILY WILDE’S ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FAERIES. Given its initial success as well as the growing need for gentle escapism, cozy fantasy as a genre is here to stay. By fusing it with the rabid romance reader base and the powerful zeitgeist that is Booktok, VIOLET THISTLETHWAITE is well poised to bloom in an even larger market.

I’m a bestselling ghostwriter, editor, and award-winning book coach who has worked with hundreds of authors as they write, edit, and publish their books. I’ve worked on projects that have sold for six figures to Big 5 publishers and been featured on the USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly, Wall Street Journal, and LA Times best sellers lists. Outside of my day job, I teach about writing and decorate bookish cakes to my social media following of 8K+ across platforms. I’ve gone viral several times recently on TikTok (@writersofrohan), all relating to romance and fantasy writing, and my platform there has grown by more than 3K since the start of 2024. I live in beautiful Denver, CO, and spend as much time hiking and traveling as possible—I find it’s much easier to pretend I’m a character in a book that way.

Thank you for your consideration,

Emily Krempholtz

Check out Emily Krempholtz’s Violet Thistlethwaite Is Not a Villain Anymore here:

Bookshop | Amazon

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The Context From Emily:

By the time I signed with Brent, I was on my fourth round of querying and ready to throw in the towel. Each of the three books I’d queried before had gotten more requests than the previous, but the consensus was still the same: “There’s much to love here, but I’m sorry to say it’s not a fit for me” or “This was a close call, but I have to pass” or “I have a similar title on my list already.” Every no had begun to weigh on me in a big way.

At the time, I had built a full-time freelance career for myself as a ghostwriter, editor, and book coach, and I was connected with a lot of incredible and successful indie authors who were finding their way on their own. I had a baseline of industry knowledge and enough understanding of marketing that I thought to myself, You know what, I just want to hold my book in my hands. I’m going to write another one for self-pub and see if I can make it on my own.

I wrote the book, revised it, and sent it off to my critique partner—who flew through the manuscript and gently let me know she thought I’d regret it if I didn’t query this one, at least to a few dream agents.

She was right. This was the one, and it became apparent almost immediately that I wasn’t dealing with the same polite rejections and occasional personal feedback of my past attempts. Just about half of the queries I sent out came back asking for the full manuscript, and after only two months, I had not one but four offers of representation.

Brent Taylor’s Thoughts on Emily’s Query:

Emily’s query was one of the strongest I ever read. The moment I skimmed it in my inbox, I knew that I wanted to read the book immediately.

I really appreciated that Emily started the query off with a personalization, pointing to the fact that I represented ASSISTANT TO THE VILLAIN. This type of personalization makes it feel like the writer very intentionally wants to share their work with me and I’m not just one out of a hundred agents to whom they are submitting.

There are also some great buzz words here that are of interest to me— “cozy fantasy,” “cottagecore,” “sweet-and-spicy romance.” These words and phrases really stand out in a query. As someone who receives hundreds of queries every week, I can’t read each one word for word, so I do need to see strong phrases like this that really stand out and “pop off” the page/screen. I was so intrigued by the setting and loved that the town was called Dragon’s Rest.

Emily also included very strong comp titles, and she went the extra mile by pointing out why each one was a comp and what it had in common with her manuscript.

On a final note, I absolutely loved Emily’s bio paragraph. I got a strong sense of who she is, why she wrote this manuscript, and she came across as a credible person who had the background to write a really compelling novel.

____________________________________

Brent Taylor joined Triada US as an intern to Uwe Stender in the summer of 2014 and became an agent that fall. Over his ten years with Triada, Brent has represented bestsellers and award-winners. He has represented numerous New York Times bestsellers (including  a #1 New York Times bestseller), a Newbery Honor winner, a Printz Honor winner, a Schneider Family Book Award winner, a YALSA Award for Excellence in Non-Fiction for Young Adults winner and finalist, numerous Stonewall Honor winners, and an E.B. White Read Aloud Honor Book. His clients’ books have collectively earned over 80 starred reviews from the trade reviewers such as Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, School Library Journal, and others.

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

Four years later, I had drafted something new, a middle-grade contemporary fantasy manuscript in the vein of Percy Jackson and Artemis Fowl, which were books I had adored when growing up, books that had provided me with a beacon of light during the ups and downs that come with being a kid. Luckily, querying agents went better this time around.

Penny Moore from Aevitas Creative Entertainment was my top choice because she represented several authors I admired. I cold-queried her through the Aevitas submission form and she requested a full manuscript not even two hours later. The next day, she wanted to set up a phone call, in which she told me she had read my book in one sitting and offered representation. I was stunned with disbelief. And on my birthday, I signed with her! It was truly the best birthday gift I could’ve asked for.

After we had finalized the contract and made the requisite social media announcements, Penny sent me a few notes for my manuscript. She loved the characters and the magic, but she thought the world-building could be strengthened, and the plot could be tightened. Her feedback was totally spot-on, by the way. So I worked on my revisions… but they weren’t quite coming together.

Okay, life got busy. I had school and internship applications. But life wasn’t that busy. While oodles and oodles of time would have certainly helped me, there were other obstacles too. I spent many hours staring at my blinking cursor, overwhelmed by the prospect of fixing my book. I wrote paragraphs then scrapped them. I didn’t know how to fix the inconsistencies my agent had pointed out, at least not without ripping out the spine of the story. Worst of all, I could feel my motivation slipping away. This was the book I would’ve loved to read at age 12, but I wasn’t 12 anymore. I no longer read middle-grade fantasy. Simply put, I was losing interest in this project.

For weeks, I dithered. Penny would nudge me with polite check-ins, wanting to know how the revisions were going. I didn’t know how to tell her that my enthusiasm had waned, so I simply said I was still working on things. But then the weeks turned into months and I had to talk to her. I wrote a very frank and apologetic email, saying that I wouldn’t feel good about going out on submission with this project, as it was no longer something I wanted to debut with. I was sorry that she had spent so much time on helping me with this book, only for it to not amount to anything. We hadn’t even gone on submission for it. Really, I felt like a failure.

Penny, to her credit, took it well. She responded saying it was completely fine to trunk a book if it was no longer something I felt emotionally invested in, and she looked forward to seeing anything else I was working on. In retrospect, I wish I hadn’t been so anxious about disappointing her; agent-client relationships are all about open communication. I could’ve told her the truth a lot earlier and saved myself some stress.

A little less than a year later, I had finished the first draft of a young-adult contemporary romance. I felt much more passionate this time around, writing about a main character who was closer in age to me, and exploring themes like first love and tech ethics that I was currently experiencing in my own life. It was such a joy to write this book. I sent the manuscript to Penny, and she loved it. After some light revisions, we went out on submission, and You Had Me at Hello World found the loveliest home at Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Looking back, I’m grateful for the extended journey. Although my first book didn’t make it to submission, it taught me so much about how to finish something, how to revise, and how to recognize when to let go. Sometimes, the story that doesn’t work out is what makes room for the one that does.

Check out Rona Wang’s You Had Me at Hello World here:

Bookshop | Amazon

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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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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:

Bookshop | Amazon

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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:

Bookshop | Amazon

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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.

(60 Examples of Hooks for Books.)

The best way to learn what to do is to study examples of real query letters that have been effective for recently published books. So here are 11 successful query letters from our Successful Queries series on the site. Find query letters for a variety of genres, including mystery, romance, YA, self-help, and more.

Just click on the images and/or links to read the original queries and full commentaries.

A Rather Peculiar Poisoning, by Chrystal Schleyer (Mystery). From agent Sophie Cudd: “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.”

Woven From Clay, by Jenny Birch (YA Fantasy). From agent Amanda Orozco: “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.”

A Resistance of Witches, by Morgan Ryan (Historical Fantasy). From editor Nidhi Pugalia: “Historical fiction set in WWII is a crowded market, but bring in some fantasy—some witches—and the entire category was revitalized for me. I did some searching, and to my utter shock, it hadn’t been done before.”

When the Music Hits, by Amber Oliver (Women’s Fiction). From agent Angeline Rodriguez: “Right off the bat she names two excellent novels I loved reading, which always helps grab attention but is additionally helpful here for their recency and direct relevance to the subject matter, demonstrating Amber’s keen knowledge of the marketplace and situating her work within a wider literary conversation. She then wastes no time establishing the concrete stakes of this story and how it’s relevant to both my list and the comp titles she’s cited.”

The Fire Concerto, by Sarah Landenwich (Literary Fiction). From agent Henry Dunow: “The query letter is the first evidence of your writing that an agent or editor will see, so it’s crucial that it be as smart and concise and alluring as you can possibly make it. Sarah Landenwich’s query letter for The Fire Concerto is all those things, a finely-honed selling tool.”

We Don’t Talk About Carol, by Kristen L. Berry (Suspense/Thriller). From agent Sharon Pelletier: “Kristen’s terrific story pitch promises two things that I’m always looking for in fiction. First, she clearly and compellingly shows an immediate hook to a riveting mystery (external stakes) woven with a personal challenge for our main character (internal stakes). … The other thing that Kristen’s query promises is a thought-provoking connection to a topic of substance.”

Bad Nature, by Ariel Courage (Dark Humor). From agent Samantha Shea: “I knew after reading only the first sentence that I wanted to read her book.”

Passion Project, by London Sperry (Romantic Comedy). From agent Lily Dolin: “From the first few lines of London’s query, I knew exactly what the book was, who would read it, and what made it different from other novels in the genre. I was really impressed by London’s ability to not only convey the plot and hook of the novel in a tight and direct pitch, but to do so with voice and humor.”

Let Us March On, by Shara Moon (Historical Fiction). From agent Kevan Lyon: “Her pitch immediately captured my attention because she was describing a type of story that I was on the hunt for—stories of under-represented voices in historical fiction, about women specifically.”

Shame on You, by Melissa Petro (Self-Help Nonfiction). From agent Laura Mazer: “I knew Melissa was an exquisite writer and that her story would be meaningful to readers.”

Press 1 for 1nvasion, by J. A. Dauber (MG Science Fiction). From editor Kara Sargent: “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?'”

*****

I’ll update this list from time to time with more genres and sub-genres. In the meantime, find more query examples in our Successful Queries series here.

The post 11 Successful Query Letter Examples for Writers in Various Genres 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:

Bookshop | Amazon

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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).

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