 In this insightful Q&A, Alec Loganbill, editor at Plainspoken Books, pulls back the curtain on exactly what makes a query stand out in the slush pile.
Drawing from years of acquiring narrative nonfiction, sharp political commentary, and stories with a strong sense of place, Alec shares the questions he asks in the first thirty seconds of every submission, the one delete-key fix that can transform a lukewarm pitch into an irresistible one, and the surprising truth about why timing matters more than writers think. Whether you’re polishing your first proposal or recovering from a stack of rejections, this candid conversation delivers practical, hope-filled advice straight from an editor who still gets excited every time the right manuscript lands in his inbox.  ABOUT THE AGENT:
Nour Sallam is now a literary agent at Helm Literary. Nour represents a wide range of fiction and nonfiction, and she's always on the hunt for compelling and accessible stories that spark “brain butterflies.” As an Arab woman and immigrant, Nour is drawn to books that amplify joy and connection or feature nuanced narratives. She loves working closely with authors at all stages of their publishing careers, and she considers herself to be an editorial agent. Nour is based in Canada (hello from the North!) and sits on the advisory committee of BIPOC of Publishing in Canada. She is also a member of the AALA.  Genres are boxes.
Imagine you are a bookseller, and have a stack of books to organize on your store’s shelves. Each shelf is labeled with a genre: horror, romance, fantasy, thriller, literary fiction, and so on. Now and then, you may find a book that doesn’t fit neatly into a shelf. It is horror but set in space. You’ve got a sci-fi horror novel on hands. Where do you shelve it? Horror or science fiction? You need to choose. Who is the most likely to enjoy this book? Sci-fi readers or horror readers? Now, the good thing about being a writer is that you aren’t a bookseller. You don’t need to choose what box to put your book into when you are writing it. Of course, at some point you will have to ask yourself how to market your book to a literary agent, a publisher, or a reader, and the genre(s) of the book will matter. But when you are still alone in front of your draft? Forget the box.  I’ve never met a single person who liked writing a synopsis. Seriously — not one. But still, synopses are a necessary part of the submission process (until some brave publishing pro outlaws them), so I wanted to share five basic tips today regarding how to compose one in case you’re querying agents or getting ready to pitch at a writers’ conference.
A synopsis is a summary of your book. Literary agents and editors may ask to see one if you’re writing an adult novel, a memoir, or a children's novel (young adult or middle grade). The purpose of a synopsis request is for the agent or editor to evaluate what happens in the three acts of your story to decide if the characters, plot, and conflict warrant a complete read of your manuscript. And if you haven’t guessed yet, they’re pretty tough to write. If you are indeed putting one together and sending your work out, check out these tips below: 1. Reveal everything major that happens in your book, including the ending. Heck, revealing the story’s ending is a synopsis’s defining unique characteristic. You shouldn’t put a story’s ending in a query or in-person pitch, but it does belong in a synopsis. On this note, know that a synopsis is designed to explain everything major that happens, not to tease, so avoid language such as “Krista walks around a corner into a big surprise.” Don’t say “surprise,” but just tell us what happens.  ABOUT THE AGENT:
Danai Christopoulou is an Associate Literary Agent with Tobias Literary Agency. Danai is a Pushcart Prize nominated SFF author and editor. After a long career as a journalist and copyeditor (their articles and opinion pieces have featured in magazines such as Glamour, House & Garden and Marie Claire since 2004), Danai has been a freelance editor and new talent mentor for mentorships such as QueeryFest. Danai edits for Hugo-nominated magazine khōréō, and reviews short fiction for HavenSpec. Originally from Greece, Danai currently resides in Sweden.  Congratulations to the Winners of the First Pages 8 - 11 Contests!
Selecting the winners was no easy task and our judges were deeply impressed by the exceptional quality, creativity, and promise shown across all submissions. Every first page demonstrated real talent, and it was truly inspiring to see so many strong voices emerging from the Writing Day Workshops community.  In the messy, beautiful trenches of writing a novel, doubt and impatience are constant companions. For many of us, the slow crawl of a work-in-progress can trigger shame, impostor syndrome, and quiet grief over how little outsiders understand the journey.
In this candid Q&A, author Radu Paun opens up about his own path through these struggles—from his epic-length first manuscript and the querying trenches to the hard-won lessons in patience, self-worth, and creative surrender. With refreshing honesty and hard-earned wisdom, Radu shares what it really takes to keep writing when progress feels painfully slow, and how to find joy and value in the process.  ABOUT THE AGENT:
Katie Ferriello is the newest agent to join the Mansion Street Literary Management team. Her focus is on romance and fantasy, as well as children’s fiction. She particularly loves fantastical worldbuilding, deeply emotive characters, and strong voices. Katie earned her BA in English from Manhattan University and a M.Ed. from Fordham University. Motivated by her love of reading, she taught middle school English for sixteen years. Later, her passion for books and business led her to intern at multiple agencies. Grateful for her English degree, business experience, and contract/negotiation knowledge, she is excited to apply those experiences to helping writers navigate their literary careers. Though born in New York, she currently lives in Utah where she spends her free time camping, mountain biking, and skiing.  (A guest column by literary agent (and author) Mike Nappa of Nappaland Literary.)
The woman asked a sensible question; she deserved a practical answer. I was sitting on an “Agents & Editors” panel at a writer’s conference when she took the microphone. “I’ve been working on revising my manuscript,” she said to all of us in the crowded ballroom, “and I think it’s getting better. But how do I know when I should stop revising and start sending it out? How do I know when my book is done?” Good question, I thought. And one with an easy answer.  In this generous Q&A for Writing Day Workshops, Tamatha Cain opens up about the grace we so easily forget to give ourselves, the inner critic that never quite quiets, and the surprising gifts that come from staying at the keyboard even when no one seems to be reading.
Whether you’re wrestling with self-doubt, stalled mid-plot, or wondering if your manuscript will ever find its way into the world, her honest reflections offer the kind of encouragement every writer needs to hear. |