Jane J. Sullivan

Mother. Author. Avid reader. Keeping up with it all is why I drink coffee! #amwriting #amreading #dark #steamy #shifter🐺❤️#mythology #pnr #amquerying

[Jane J. Sullivan @jjsullivan_]

It's been 3 days since I finished Onyx Storm and I'm still feeling the roll in my stomach from where it ended and the possibilities of where the story could go. Is anyone else with me?
#onyxstorm #amreading #rebeccayarros #nospoilers

[Jane J. Sullivan @jjsullivan_]

@brentyeaaa Hello! 😊

[Jane J. Sullivan @jjsullivan_]

@brentyeaaa Hi!

[Jane J. Sullivan @jjsullivan_]

@LiteraryLucille I haven't been very active on here lately bc life is keeping me busy, but im still here.

[Joel Brigham @joelbrigham]

Because agents read a bajillion queries every year, it's important to stand out in the slush pile. That is, of course, easy to say, but what does "standing out" look like in the eyes of an agent? Let's break it down:

Tip #1 - Your grammar and spelling should be flawless. You're essentially applying for a job as a writer. If your first impression suggests that, on a foundational level, you struggle with the mechanics of writing, that's a problem. Yes, agents do see queries with typos and bad grammar, so you're jumping ahead of all those people right away if your grammar and spelling are clean.

Tip #2 - Be brief. When an agent sees a girthy beast of a query letter, their first instinct is to groan. There are a LOT of talented authors who are sending them fantastic query letters that manage to be 300-350 words (or shorter!). If yours is 500 or 550 words, you're being compared against those who were more efficient in their pitches. If we know agents prefer more concise query letters, then we should give them more concise query letters.

Tip #3 - Stick to the industry-standard format. It goes something like this:

- Metadata (title, genre, word count, comps)
- Pitch (with or without personalization)
- Bio

Don't do anything extra. Don't leave anything out. This is not a time or place to experiment.

Tip #4 - Find the word count sweet spot. You've got to know the industry standards for word counts. Being way too short or way too long is going to be an auto-rejection. Learn what's expected from your age level and genre, and make sure you're comfortably within the appropriate range.

Tip #5 - Make sure your pitch has stakes. This is ridiculously important. Whatever else is in that pitch, the agent HAS to get a clear sense of what will happen if the main character fails to complete their mission. And this has to be tangible; if the stakes are, "She must find out who she really is," or, "She may never find happiness," or something like that, we're not being specific enough. Be clear, and aim big. The higher the stakes, the more interested an agent is going to be.

Tip #6 - Concept matters. A lot. The more unique, attention-grabbing, and sellable the pitch, the more an agent is going to sit up straight in their chair. Interesting, unique characters being challenged in interesting, unique ways is the *top thing* that matters in a query letter. Imagine someone reading your pitch, and if you can also imagine them saying, "Oh, wow!" while reading, you're in good shape. If not, you have to figure out how to pitch it in a way that'll elicit that response. If not, you might just fade back into the slush pile, and we don't want that. If you've got a quiet concept, you need to find a way to pitch it so that it's not boring.

Ultimately, having a great idea in a genre the agent represents and believes they can sell is what matters most. Believe me, these people WANT to make writers' dreams come true, but they're looking for something they can sell to publishers.

Beyond that, though, brevity and attention to detail matter most!

[Novelicious @noveliciouss]

To write you have to have #stories you want to tell, you have to keep your mind alive, and work hard.
TRACY KIDDER
#amwriting

Art by Leonardo Di Aetherhart

[Jane J. Sullivan @jjsullivan_]

@bookreviewbyrea

[Jane J. Sullivan @jjsullivan_]

@sophie_lipton Hi

[Jane J. Sullivan @jjsullivan_]

@C_H_Armstrong This is terrible. I love getting feedback (good or bad) and can't imagine harassing anyone for being kind enough to read my book and give a personalized response. How else can we grow?

[Jane J. Sullivan @jjsullivan_]

@girlonfire_92 Hi

[Jane J. Sullivan @jjsullivan_]

@brentyeaaa Hello! ☺️

[Jane J. Sullivan @jjsullivan_]

@noraraywrites I read almost everyday and I do think it helps my creativity.

[Jane J. Sullivan @jjsullivan_]

@KT_Carlisle I do as well and honestly love it.

[Karina S @KStorerwrites]

FOURTHWING X THRONEOFGLASS

Orphaned survivor, 18Y Zylina, conscripted rider of a broken dragon, must fight for her life in deadly trials, discovering who & what she is before The Soul Keeper destroys her promised kingdom.

+Talking Dragons
+Sub P❤️
+Muti POV

#questpit #YA #F #Q

[Isabelle Ranney @IsabelleRanney]

Paige travels to 1915 and meets Jonathan, the man whose portrait hangs in her office and who died mysteriously in 1917. Each trip back in time brings her closer to his heart, and to his death. Paige must decide if she will change the past for love in the future❤️

#Questpit #W

[Jane J. Sullivan @jjsullivan_]

@Jacmor63 I love the sound of this!

[Jackie Morrison @Jacmor63]

Italy to Scotland. Love and chocolate.
Bitter betrayal leads to Bianca fleeing Italy to work in a remote Scottish chocolate shop.
Chocolatier Callum escapes the pressures of his Irish family.
A sweet romance where love blooms laced with limoncello chocolate.
#questpit #A #R

[Jennifer Weis @JenniferWeisTWA]

Happy #questpit! If I ❤️ your pitch today, please send your first 3 chapters and a synopsis as Word Documents to [email protected], with your query letter in the body of the email.

[Jane J. Sullivan @jjsullivan_]

@thenadianoor I am!

[Jane J. Sullivan @jjsullivan_]

@jklmexists I know! There's so many I want to read!