Agents Accepting Query Letters for Adult and Children's Books!

 

Elena Giovinazzo at Heirloom Literary 

WHEN: Wahoooo for you! Heirloom Literary will open for submissions for only one week – Sept 8-12, 2026. Heirloom Literary (founded in 2024 by an impressive team!)

WHO: Elena Giovinazzo (Industry pro!). I’m not clear if others at the agency are acquiring, so I’ll also list who else is on the team.

WHAT: Elena Represents PB, MG, YA, Graphic Novels, Illustrators, Adult Fiction (and maybe adult nonfiction) – MSWL was spare with details but lists Nonfiction, Literary, Contemporary, and Magical Realism.

WHO ELSE:  More about the team at Heirloom – buckle up for this powerhouse of KIDLIT superstars!

·       Elena Giovinazzo—Elena (one of the founders) has 20 years of industry experience spanning sales, subrights, marketing, and, of course, agenting.

o   Represents: PB, MG, YA, Graphic Novels, Illustrators, Adult Fiction (and maybe adult nonfiction) – MSWL was spare with details but it lists Nonfiction, Literary, Contemporary, and Magical Realism.

·       Jason Reynolds – THE Jason Reynolds!  His role as founder is leadership, mentorship, and creative.

·       Julia Ermi is the agency manager for Heirloom’s powerhouse clients, coordinating foreign rights and permissions, creating social media content, reading submissions, and generally facilitating the agency’s smooth operation.

·        Sahar Kashi—is a seasoned executive, developmental editor, and producer. She champions visionary storytellers who pair commercial insight with an authentic connection to their material.

WEBSITE: Here is their “share your work” link: https://www.heirloomliterary.com/share-your-work

HOW: Query Tracker – Query Tracker removes the mystery of what you need to do. You’ll fill in each of the required categories on the form. *Remember, the form will only open on the dates: September 8-12, 2026.

 

 

Amy Collins at Talcott Notch 

WHEN: Starting on September 15, 2026

Amy Collins will open to query letters on SEPTEMBER 15^TH.

WHAT: She focuses on books for adults—non-fiction/ history, historical fiction, fantasy, and sci-fi. You can follow her on Instagram at @bookcrone to keep up to date when she opens and closes her submission inbox.

HOW: Amy Collins submission guidelines: https://talcottnotch.net/submissions/

 

Katrina Lemaire, Corvisiero Literary Agency

KatrinaLemaire is an Associate Literary Agent at Corvisiero Literary Agency

WHEN: Open NOW – Katrina opened on August 26^th (closing date not listed; for agents it is often when the inbox feels too full – Opening and closing for queries is a smart management tool. Agents want to manage their workload and also respect writers by not having the query sit in their inbox for a year).

WHAT: Katrina represents picture book author/illustrators, middle grade, YA, New Adult/Ya Crossover.  Deep-dive details and clarity can be found at MSWL. However here is an overview.

Adult/Crossover New Adult Fiction: Fantasy, Speculative, Eco-horror, Horror, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Folklore, Romansty, Dark Academia, Magical Realism, Historical melds of horror, fantasy, and speculative, Occult, Cozy Mysteries, Rom-Coms, Romance, Commercial/Literary Fiction, Upmarket Literary, Soft SciFi, Thrillers

            Young Adult Fiction:

·       Mystery/Thriller: an ensemble of unreliable characters, or the themes that relate to culinary, fashion, art, or academic rivalry with a dash of deep-seated yearning. Locked Room/Whodunnits are welcome. The more messy/complex the mystery/murder the better.

·       YA Fantasy: Developed worlds, lush settings, intricate magic systems (non-western based), characters who are absolutely feral & unhinged (especially when they have a specific motive in mind), villains who are more than just love interests (villains who are fully realized with lots of interesting lore), romance that burns brighter than an eternal flame, creatures & monsters that pose a real threat and have interesting/unique origins, environmental fantasy that blends horror and speculative, soft fantasy that focuses on friendships, romance, and family, dark fantasy that doesn’t shy away from important topics/themes that need more exploration, fantasy that has thought-provoking political systems, and fresh takes on fairy tales.

·       In YA horror, ensemble characters who investigate haunted buildings/manors and discover hidden meanings/messages that reflect their own growth and navigation of self, bubblegum horror, gothic horror, exploration of themes relating to a “haunting” that can take place in the woods or burial ground, lovecraftian horror, monster horror, man-made horrors that pertain to environmentalism and body horror, the occult, quiet horror, and paranormal elements that are fresh and take a unique turn on the familiar mythos.

·       Contemporary Romance

Middle Grade:

Horror/Spooky, Cozy Fantasy: Give me all the studio Ghibli vibes and stories that comp The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead, The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill, and The Owl House; Fantasy, Mystery, Contemporary Fiction

Picture Books (Author/Illustrators only) 

Graphic Novels

Specific Genres that she’s looking for at the moment are: Fantasy, Horror, Speculative, blends of contemporary and cultural YA/Adult LGBTQ+ and #OwnVoices narratives.

HOW: Accepts submissions on Query Tracker. Follow her on Instagram

@katrinalemlit at @corvisierolit *Remember, Katrina will open on August 26^th

 

 

 

 

Olivia Merick at Metamorphosis Literary Agency

WHO: Olivia Merick, Assistant Literary Agent at Metamorphosis Literary Agency – check her out on Instagram (but please don’t query there!) @oliviaemerickagent

WHEN: Open NOW

 

WHAT: Olivia likes Romance, Fantasy, Mythology, Dark Academia, Horror, Thriller, Dystopian. She wants well-developed characters with inique hobbies, interests/careers, layered backgrounds, fantastic world building, a combo of plot/character-driven storylines, strong character arcs, subtle foreshadowing, and more!On a niche level, she would love polyglots, characters with insomnia, embedded folklore, Shakespearean retellings, female rage, v ido games or chess, loosely based reimagining of historical eras, sisterhood themes, epistolary elements.

WHAT SHE DOESN’T WANT: No to graphic novels, literary fiction, magical realism, non-fiction, science fiction, short story collections, or picture books.

HOW: Accepts submissions on Query Tracker

Https://querytracker.et/query/oliviamerick

 

 

Keir Alekseii  at Jennifer Azantian Literary Agency

 

WHO: Keir Alekseii is a Toronto-based literary agent with Jennifer Azantian Literary Agency

WHEN: Open September 1^st (only for one week)

 

WHAT: MG, YA, and Adult. Keir specializes in Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror by marginalized voices. According to MSWL, Her favorite traits and tropes include:

• Found family
• Protags that are too smart for their own good
• Stories about embracing your identity and finding your path
• Stories that center BIPOC and queer happiness
• Enemies to friends/unlikely friendships
• Nonbinary MCs tasting power and choosing chaos
• Grump & sunshine/stabby & cinnamon roll pairings
• Femme villains corrupting cinnamon rolls/himbos
• Non-white power couples/non-white love interests
• Enemies to lovers & friends to lovers
• Slow burn & second chance romance 

HOW: Accepts submissions on Query Tracker

LINK: https://querytracker.net/agent/13782

KEY

PB= Picture Book

MG= Middle Grade

YA = Young Adult

GN = Graphic Novel

NA = New Adult

Adult = Adult (could be fiction or nonfiction - see details)

MSWL = Manuscript Wish List

5 Agents Who Are Open to Query Letters Right Now!

Literary agents open and close their query inboxes. That way they can catch up before they accept another round of submissions. Here is who is open now (and a couple who are closing in a few days)

SALLY KIM

WHEN: She’s open now!

WHAT: Here's her wish list

WHO: Sally Kim at Andrea Brown Literary Agency

WHAT: Authors or Author-Illustrators, children's fiction and nonfiction, middle grade novels, picture books, chapter books, graphic novels  (she's not the best fit for rhyming).

How: Query Tracker

KARLY DIZON, FUSE LITERARY

WHEN: *Dang! She just closed. Check back in September* I added Sally Kim above since Karly just closed. 

WHO: Karly Dizon of Fuse Literary (an agency founded in 2013)

WHAT: Karly represents picture books, middle grade, and young adult. She also wants non-fiction picture books that add the heart, soul, and story of fiction. I want the person, event, retelling to come to life. She’d also like Asian/African/Latin mythology retelling/twists to be told simply yet beautifully for the picture book market but also in more depth with adventure and turn-the-page tension for middle grade and young adult. Have a picture book that’ll make me laugh? Learn? Both? Yes, please. She wants more smart, ingenious kids who utilize STEM to tackle their problems/achieve their goals; a YA contemporary romcom, “Make me swoon, cry, and yell at the pages with all the depth and complexity that our young adults experience today.”; also do you have a MG or YA SFF—if so, it needs to have a strong voice from the first page with an immersive and captivating plot and world.

ABOUT FUSE LITERARY: Fuse Literary is a boutique, collaborative hybrid literary agency founded in 2013 (formerly known as Foreword Literary). It represents fiction and nonfiction authors and illustrators across all age groups, blending traditional publishing methods with digital media, self-publishing networks, and emerging technologies. What does hybrid mean? Beyond selling books to traditional publishers and handling subsidiary rights (film, foreign, audio), they connect clients with cover designers, publicists, and digital marketers.

WEBSITE: Although Karly represent PB-YA, other agents at Fuse Literary represent other genres. https://www.fuseliterary.com/about-fuse/

 

Jessica Berg Rosecliff Literary

When: Open Now

Who: Jessica Berg, founder of Rosecliff Literary represents adult fiction and nonfiction. No matter what you write and no matter who you plan to query, do yourself a favor and follow Jessica Berg on Instagram! Her advice on writing, submitting, creating a synopsis, etc. = spot on!

@jessica__berg

What: Jessica has wish lists for spooky season, for winter, etc. And she says to pay attention, because her cravings change. You can find her up-to-the-minute wish list on her Instagram. You can read the other not exactly up-to-the-minute details at MSWL.

How: Query Tracker https://querytracker.net/query/jessicaberg/

 

Haley Warrington: the Booker Albert Agency

WHEN: She posted that she is open now until August 31, 2026.

WHO: Hayley is a Junior Literary Agent at the Booker Albert Agency. What’s great about a junior agent is that you get to grow your careers together!

WHAT SHE REPRESENTS: YA-Adult. On Instagram, Haley noted, “I'd really like to get some YA fiction on my list.” Please query on Query Tracker if you are a YA author in the following genres, - YA Mystery/YA Thriller;  YA Fantasy; YA Romance; YA LGBTQ+; YA Horror!!  She also represents (but is more selective) Adult, NA, YA Romance, Historical Romance, Fantasy, Thriller, Paranormal, Horror, Mystery, Suspense, LGBTQ+. Others at her agency represents children's through adult fiction—focusing heavily on young adult (YA), middle grade (MG), sci-fi, fantasy, horror, women's fiction, and romance (including contemporary, historical, and small-town).

ABOUT: Haley can be found @hals.war on Instagram. She posts a lot of details about her taste and what she’s reading, so check it out!

Her agency is also on Instagram @bookeralbertagency and Founded in December 2012, the Booker Albert Agency is a hands-on agency, providing marketing and editorial advice, and we strongly believe in taking on clients for their whole career. We adhere to the AALA's canon of ethics. 

WHERE TO QUERY: Query Tracker: https://querytracker.net/query/QueryHaley

WEBSITE: Booker Albert Agency website is: https://www.thebookeralbertagency.com/our-agency.html

 

 

Sharon Belcastro: Belcastro Literary Agency

WHEN:  Now until …. Sharon has a fairly quick response rate. On Query Tracker it shows that she is responding in an average of five days! Most agents average of 8-12 weeks.

WHO: Sharon is the founder of Belcastro Literary Agency. One of my favorite quotes comes from her back in 2021 when she said, “As a female engineer I am looking for middle grade, YA and PB about girls in STEM.” Query Tracker just updated her openings to include picture books though I   don’t see that listed on her primary wish list unless perhaps nonfiction pb. On her current wish list, she has NONFICTION and YA Fantasy, Science Fiction, Action Adventure, Contemporary, Magical Realism, Mystery/Thrill, and Horror.

HOW: Query Tracker https://querytracker.net/agent/4921

 

Miriam Cortinovis at Ki Agency

Miriam Cortinovis at Ki Agency (Miriam goes by @chamomeriam on Instagram) says they are currently OPEN to queries. The Ki Agency was founded in 2011. They are a boutique London-based literary and scriptwriting agency founded in 2011 by Managing Director Meg Davis (they are not currently open to scriptwriters). It represents authors across publishing, TV, film, theatre, and multi-media, focusing strongly on genre fiction and speculative works.

FAQ:   Does it matter if you live in a different country than your agent.

            No.

MIRIAM’S TASTE: In fiction: BIPOC Literature, Fantasy, LGBTQ, Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Young Adult. “Miriam defines themself an omnivore in regard to Science Fiction and Fantasy, never turning down an original unique piece with a strong voice—so never say never! That being said, a speculative element is required, even if abstract/literary. Miriam also enjoys representing most age targets, from Middle Grade and up to Young Adult (for which they also accept contemporary works without a speculative element) and Adult. To browse a visual MSWL you can visit this Instagram post, while for a more detailed one you can follow this link.”

Complete details at MSWL.

Where to Query: Query Tracker (she has a fast – 23-day average response rate!)

You’ll prepare and post on Query Tracker your first 10 pages, letter, and synopsis using https://QueryTracker.net/query/miriamc. According to their website, Ki Agency is a dynamic literary agency providing management for writers in all media and most genres. They also say, “The Ki Agency is a boutique literary and scriptwriting agency with a focus on genre fiction.”

ABOUT: “Born and raised in Italy, Miriam Cortinovis (they/she) moved to Chicago as a teenager and has since earned a BA in Creative Writing and an MA in Writing & Publishing from DePaul University. After more than a year agenting at ArtHouse Literary (USA), they joined the amazing team at the Ki Agency in 2025, continuing to expand and support their list in everything and anything speculative.”

About the Ki Agency: www.ki-agency.co.uk

 

 KEY

PB= Picture Book

MG= Middle Grade

YA = Young Adult

GN = Graphic Novel

NA = New Adult

MSWL = Manuscript Wish List

 

Join the mailing list!

 

Join the mailing list!

Be the first to know about upcoming conferences, classes, and retreats designed just for children’s book writers and readers. Plus, you’ll receive exclusive writing tips, early news on book releases, and insider opportunities to help you grow your craft and community.

Let’s stay connected—I’d love to keep you in the loop!

Cheers,

Kim

P.S. Your info will stay private!

Where to Begin Researching Agents

Researching literary agents and traditional publishing-house editors takes time! 

A common question I hear from aspiring authors -

❓Do I need a literary agent ❓

 - You don't have to have a literary agent. However, it is ideal since the majority of publishers don't take unagented writers, unless the editor has met that pre-published author at a conference. Sadly, editors are overworked, and so it is tough for them to find time to read ALL the submissions they'd like to consider. 

Since editors  know that agents vet their clients work, this serves as a good filtering system. An agent will only present polished manuscripts to editors, and the agent will tailor presenting manuscripts that match an editors preferences (yes, agents are matchmakers - clients to editors' tastes). Agents get to know the type of work a particular editor is looking for. This helps narrow down the quantity of work in their inbox, so the editor can be the most productive. 

BACK TO YOU! With agents, you will want to vet and make sure you are the right fit for an agent, and the agent is the right fit for you. This will be a long-term partnership and business relationship. It is worth investigating.

You can begin your research by finding agent names. Then you'll deepen the research by finding articles. But where to even begin? Check out any of these valuable resources:

#MSWL (Manuscript Wish List)

Publishers Market Place This is a fee-based site. However, you can sign up for their free editions of Publisher's Lunch email newsletter

The Guide to Literary Agents (GLA) (book to buy)

Query Tracker (free!)

CWIM which stands for Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market (book to buy)

Writers Digest (website or subscribe to magazine)

Literary Rambles Agent Spotlight Interviews (Blog)

Nathan Bransford "how to find an agent" Blog

The Literati Podcast

SCBWI click on EVENTS: The faculty list at past and current SCBWI conferences (there you'll see the bio of presenting agents and editors. Research them! See if you can find interviews with them and consider how they might be a good fit for you!)

12x12 website featured AGENTS

How Much Money Does an Author Make

How much money an author makes is a layered question and usually involves the author's agent who has negotiated the sale and served in many important capacities. The agent will receive/has earned a 15% cut.  To simplify the following information, I'll talk about the publisher and author, but please know that the agent is a very important part of the mix. 

When an author writes a book and sells it to a publisher, the publisher pays money in "advance" of the book's publication. That means that the publisher will pay the author a sum in advance of the actual publication date. Once the book is published and is sold at bookstores, the author begins earning royalties from each sale (typically 10% of the book's list price). Those royalties are tallied, and a royalties report is provided to the author every six months. Since the author already received the "advance" money, they will not get an additional check until their advance is earned out.  Let's break that down.  

A debut picture book author who is not a celebrity, not an influencer, and who does not have a

substantial platform might receive an advance of approximately $1,000 - $3000 from a small indie publisher; or they might receive somewhere between $5000 and even (super-wild without a platform) $50,000 from a traditional midsize or big five publishing house. The 10% royalties are split equally between the author and the illustrator (5% each).  Therefore, let's imagine that the author received an advance of $10,000, and the list price of that picture book is $18.99. Every time a normal copy of the book (not a book club copy, not an ebook, not an audiobook etc. because those have different royalty rates) is sold, the royalties are $1.89 (10% of 18.99). The ten percent is split between the author and the illustrator (5% each), therefore the author earns around ninety-five cents (.95) per copy sold.

That means that approximately 10,526 copies of the book will need to be sold to earn out the advance. After that, the author will receive royalty checks for any copies sold beyond the 10,526. Of course, I mentioned at the beginning that this is a layered conversation. Foreign rights, book club sales (like Scholastic Book Club or Junior Library Guild), and other factors also help earn out the advance, but those are a conversation for another day.  

While you are here, I want to push the topic further. Discussing money often feels taboo. I don’t ask my neighbors how much they earn. But publishing is different. Transparency in publishing and those awkward money conversations can be very important.

This five-year-old article in Publishers Weekly  still feels relevant. It features author L.L. McKinney and notes that she created the hashtag #PublishingPaidMe (around June of 2020) as “an outgrowth of conversations she’d had with friends about Black authors historically being underpaid.”  The conversation took off, and 

McKinney and author Tochi Onyebuchi (author of Riot Baby and Harmattan Season) created The Transparency Project.

To properly understand the background, various publishers’ responses, and what inspired more than 2,000 authors to share their pay on this public Google doc, check out the article in  Publishers Weekly.

To see the spreadsheet, go here.

 

Do yourself a favor and read books by L.L. McKinney such as A Blade so Black and A Dream So Dark . You can visit her website or your local bookstore!

Also, WOW! Check out books by Tochi Onyebuchi such as his upcoming, Racebook, “an original memoir in essays that interrogates how identities are shaped and informed in online spaces and how the relationship between race and the Internet has changed in his three decades online.” You can also find a list and links to his publications here.

3 Things You MUST Do When You Write a Story in Rhyme

 

Rhyme, Scansion, and Metric feet:

I admire authors who successfully write in rhyme. It's not easy! If you love writing in rhyme, make

sure you've followed this three-step check list before you send it to agents and publishers.

☐ Avoid “Yoda-speak” and/or awkward sentences. Delete anything that sounds forced or backwards for the sake of the rhyme –also known as forced rhyme. The STORY must be the star of the book over the rhyme.

☐ Rhyme is not successfully by simply matching syllables. You have to know if the syllables are stressed or unstressed. You must track metric feet. Take a scansion test to track if your rhythm/meter is on pointed throughout your story? (Scansion definitions and links are below).

☐ Make sure the rhyme moves the story forward. No gratuitous words for the sake of matching the rhythm. The rhyme must drive the reader from act i to act ii to act iii without a forced pause. 

SCANSION: Scansion or “scanning” a poem is the act of tracking stressed and unstressed (strong and weak) syllables.  For example, the word “emphasis” is pronounced [ em-fuh-sis ], not em- FAH-sis – the middle section is unstressed. It doesn’t pause or linger or receive special emphasis. Readers should be able to read a poem with natural emphasis on syllables.  

EMPASIS: A strong syllable is pronounced with more emphasis than a weak syllable. Scansion helps writers see and establish the rhythmic structure (the meter). A good PATTERN (to my ears) makes the rhythm and rhyme work. The pattern of stressed and unstressed is what forms the metric feet.

How do you know if a syllable is stressed or unstressed beyond listening to speech rhythm. You could check dictionaries – the stressed syllable is marked with an accent or is in bold type. Like “mu-sic” meaning the first syllable is stressed. Yes – it is a lot of work!  Some tricks beyond listening to natural patterns include:

• Nouns and adjectives: Often, the first syllable is stressed (e.g., TA-ble, HAP-py).
• Verbs and Prepositions: Usually, the second syllable is stressed if the word has two syllables (e.g., “become”= be-COME; “reply”= re-PLY).
• Compound words – a phrase will follow a pattern.

·       Here is a link for How to Scansion a poem: 

METRIC FEET: How do you know if your rhythm is working – track the metric feet.

What might tracking metric feet look like? Check out this link.

You can mark stressed and unstressed to track your metric feet (e.g., you can mark stressed syllables with “x” and unstressed with “o” ).

Check out Tim McCanna's books for examples of rhyme done well!

Also note, picture books don't have to rhyme. There are other beautiful (and other poetic) ways to write a story. Check out this article in Writer's Digest.

Top 15 Tips for Your Path to Publication

 

Congratulations on pursuing your writing and publishing dreams. Let’s go!

 

1.             READ READ READ! Read A LOT of books in the genre in which you want to be published, and make sure you read a lot of current books. When you find a book you love, spend extra time trying to identify: 

• two “tricks” the author used to get you (the reader) to root for the protagonist and the protagonist’s goals, 
• and and notice when and how the theme gets set up..

2.             Keep a running list of comp titles: *Publishing is a business, and publishers will want something to compare potential revenue to. Stay aware of your genre and note what books might be comparable titles to your story so you can be ready when it’s time to pitch. 

3.             Follow the hashtag #MSWS which stands for Manuscript Wish List. That’s where agents list the type of manuscripts they’d like to read. Watch social media for pitch events and mentorship opportunities.

4.             Learn about PAY. #PublishingPaidMe was created on Twitter by L.L. McKinney and spearheaded by McKinney and Tochi Onyebuchi. You can find and view the public, anonymous spreadsheet link on Melanin in YA’s blogsite or here, brought to you by The Transparency Project.

5.             Join or form a critique group with writers who write and read in your same genre (e.g., if you write YA fantasy, critique with fellow YA fantasy writers).

6.             Join  SCBWI aka Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. It’s an organization of authors and illustrators who help other authors and illustrators. You will learn so much about craft and professionalism by participating in SCBWI events.

7.             ENGAGE Attend a conference or webinar. It will close the learning gap quickly. If you do, make sure you sign up for a one-on-one critique.

8.            Hold yourself accountable: Join 12x12 which was formed by Julie Hedlund. What is it: "12 x 12 is an inclusive and supportive learning community of picture book authors and illustrators at all experience levels. You’ll get accountability, encouragement, and resources to support you in achieving your goal of writing one new picture book draft each month (or at least writing more than you would on your own)."

9.             If you want to write picture books, read Ann Whiteford Paul's revised and expanded edition Writing Picture Books. If you are writing a novel, check out books on structure like Save the Cat Writes the Novel by Jessica Brody.

10.         BIC: Get your “Butt In Chair” and write every day. Have a goal of how many words a day you plan to write—and by the way, word count is the lingo of the writing world. It's not about page count, but instead word count.   

11.          Keep a Collections Journal of ideas, words, names, smells, phrases, etc.

12.          Connect/Community : See if someone in your area hosts a writer connect (a writer get-together)—a free event with a monthly topic. Topics can be anything from novel structure, character development, etc. You’ll find this easily if you join SCBWI.

13.         READ BLOGS: My blog is PACKED with advice on things like making a revision checklists, how to write a query letter, how to use back matter, etc. Scroll on through to read my tips (aka Three Parts of a Query Letter).

14.         Get Social: I stay busy with Instagram. However, many kid-lit authors now use Blue Sky (I haven’t checked it out yet).

15.         Be a good Literary Citizen: See what’s happening in Writer's Digest. If you’re advanced in the writing and query process, you might even subscribe to Publishers Marketplace. There, you’ll be able to see which agent represents xyz book and which publisher bought it and for around how much money. Check out The Horn Book magazine. Read School Library Journal if you have time.

BONUS! Take one of my classes at UCLA Extensions or wherever I might be speaking!

Other posts you might want to click on:

3 Parts of a Query Letter and 5 Parts of the Hook Paragraph - Your Guide to Connect with a Literary Agent

The Ultimate Editing and Revising Checklist! (53 points!)

5 Pro-Tips About Back Matter

The Mistake to Avoid When Writing Your Story

11 Mistakes to Avoid When Querying a Literary Agent

7 Quick and Easy Tips for Writing Dialogue Tags

What's a HIGH CONCEPT hook?

 

 

Publishing 101 

3 Parts of a Query Letter and 5 Parts of the Hook Paragraph - Your Guide to Connect with a Literary Agent

 

Agents receive hundreds of queries per month. Want to be noticed? Present a clean, easy-to-read letter

that follows the agent's guidelines. Live in the paradox of writing a robust but short letter. Keep it down to three paragraphs that are easy to skim. A scannable letter follows the formula of

THE HOOK

THE BOOK

THE COOK.

HOOK: The “hook” paragraph includes 5 important components:

1.       Say why you chose that agent (WHY them in particular). One short and sweet sentence is enough.  

    2.      Word count

    3.      Genre (e.g., middle grade fantasy, contemporary YA, narrative nonfiction picture book, etc.)

    4.      Title of your manuscript (capitalized)

    5.      Hook (aka name comp titles) – a comp is used to fast-forward a reader’s understanding of what you are pitching. Don’t compare yourself to obscure books or little-known writers because that does not achieve your goal of creating a quick set-up in the reader's brain. Do a lot of research! Find comps. They help hook an agent. 

EXAMPLE in order of the five components: 

Dear Rossi,

I enjoyed your interview in Writer's Digest and reading about your desire to represent nail-biting middle grade novels that feature strong STEM girls. Please accept this query for my 31,000-word spooky middle-grade manuscript, THE HAUNTING OF HAMLET MIDDLE SCHOOL. Fans of Ellen Oh’s Spirit Hunters meets Aimee Lucido’s Emmy in the Key of Code will also be fans of this story.  

THE BOOK:  The “book” paragraph succinctly tells four things about your manuscript: 

1.  your flawed protagonist 
2. their goal
3. the stakes 
4. the theme. 

Write your "book" pitch as one compelling paragraph with those four parts in mind. You will not reveal the ending unless the agent’s guidelines ask you to include a synopsis (a synopsis tells the full story—the beginning, middle, and ending). The “book” paragraph might read like a jacket flap. Keep in mind, it is to entice the agent to open the manuscript.

THE COOK: The “cook” paragraph is about you as it relates to writing. Remember, keep it concise and professional for the win. You don’t have to have publishing credit to write your cook paragraph. If you are a member of SCBWI, say so. If you are taking writing courses, mention that. If you are an active member of a critique group, you can even mention that. If you are pitching a nonfiction book, mention your credentials to write that book (e.g., you are writing a space nonfiction and you work for NASA, mention that).

Here is an example of a short-and-sweet “cook” paragraph:

By day, I teach coding for the University of California Berkeley, by night I take creative writing courses through UCLA Extensions.  I am an active member of SCBWI and belong to two critique groups. As per your submission guidelines, I’ve pasted the first ten pages in the body of this email.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Gold D. Locks

Phone

Email address

P.S. Check out a current list of agent interviews on Natalie Aguirre's blog, Literary Rambles.