Check out my profile on the kt literary page. Browse my social media a bit, maybe glance through some of the reviews I've written and the editorials at Fantasy Magazine. This will tell you a lot about who I am.

You should always research potential literary agents before you query. I am no exception.

Start a spreadsheet, organize according to "ideal agent" all the way down to "out of options", and send out queries in order of preference. You don't need to query every agent out there at once! Try the first ten or fifteen on your list, the ones you think will be the best fit, based on your personality, your needs as an author, and who they are/what they do.

"Fit" goes both ways! The author and their work need to be a good "fit" for the agent, and the agent needs to be a good "fit" for the author.

A good place to start is the SFWA site. This isn't the only resource, and some of the articles are old, but they still work pretty well.

Definitely!

Do so at an appropriate time, and in an appropriate place. It's okay to be nervous; it's also okay if you aren't nervous. If you're nervous, start out with some normal/casual conversation, and then ask if it's okay to pitch me. If it's not a good time, we can figure out when might work.

If I seem busy, you can always ask if we can chat at some point. "Hey, sorry to interrupt. Can we do the whole... pitch thing sometime?" I mean, literally, this is okay to ask me.

Give me the "elevator pitch" - this is a concise line or two that encapsulates your work. The goal isn't to explain every detail, but to convey a general sense of the project. It might feel painful, because you might feel like you are missing some critically important element! But - this helps agents manage their time and energy.

From there, maybe I'll ask you to tell me more, maybe I'll ask questions, maybe I won't. Some projects just won't be a good "fit" and this can mean a number of different things.

But, whether it's me or another agent, don't take it personally. It might sting! But try to shake it off; breathe.

Your feelings are okay, it's totally okay to have them. It's even okay to express them in appropriate ways. But do your best to keep everything on good terms. You might write another book, you might want to pitch a different project in the future. This industry is full of shifts and changes, and you never know when any two individuals might meet again, and what the circumstances will be.

Most importantly, remember that it doesn't mean anything about you as a person or as a writer.

Plus, quite honestly, there are other agents out there. Even though it might feel like it in the moment, this *is not* your only shot.

This will vary agent to agent - my advice is to always see agents as people first, and to not be too focused on the fact of the agent passing on your query.

If it feels right and appropriate in the moment, you could say - without tension or gravity (in other words, "smile when you say that") - that you have a book, but they already passed on the query. Leave it at that. This gives them the option to ask about it or to change the subject. Be okay with whatever they choose. Remember that they are not your "only hope", they are just one possibility; and that other than agenting, they are still a person, with lots of other things to talk about.

Queries and pitches are both imperfect systems to make work manageable. We know that it's imperfect.

Since opening I've received roughly 900 queries (as of 7/30/23) - if I had to read through the first five chapters of 900 books, if that were required for each decision, it would be a huge amount of work.

I think using that line or something similar, and doing so at the right time, with the right approach (in other words, not "you need to listen, it's your loss" or "please just give me a chance" or "you damn well better" but "hey, just putting this out there") would not bother me at all.

Heh. The purpose of the query system is to reduce work to manageable levels for the agent, while still conveying the core ideas comprising the author's project.

Within two weeks of opening, I received over 300 queries. According to Google, the average reading speed is roughly 200 to 250 words per minute. The top search result sample for "query" on the SFWA site is just over 300 words. So - reading those queries alone adds up to over five hours of work (and, of course, agenting involves a lot more than just reading queries).

Keep in mind that many queries are... longer. These calculations don't take into consideration re-reading queries, which I usually do if something catches my eye, not to mention time for responses. And! There are, sometimes, partial or full manuscripts to read as well.

Your query doesn't have to be an exact copy of everyone else's; and it doesn't need to explain every detail of the project.

What's important is to give the agent an idea of what the project is about in a concise format. Think about what the project does, what's important about it, what is different or interesting about it.

If you feel like your project is close to or similar to what I might be interested in, then you might as well just send the query and let me decide if I want to know more. Emailing to ask if you should query is, essentially, sending an extra query....

Most queries will receive a form response.

I am reading all the queries myself. Writing a few thoughtful lines in a response takes me roughly ten minutes. So, as above, multiply by 300 within the first two weeks, and it would take me about 50 hours to give everyone a personalized response - on top of the reading times.

I like weird! The question is: can you tell an interesting/compelling story?

In that sense, we are probably a really good fit. Authors are creative people, and sometimes they like to do different things. I'm starting out focusing on adult SFF (including horror with speculative/fantastic elements) because I know that field very well, but I'd love to advocate for an author with a broad range of interests. Being with kt literary gives me all the support and resources I'll need to branch out. Let's start with the adult SFF/H and go from there.

It's also okay if you just want to stick to one type of project and build a career through that.

It's not "okay." It's necessary.

Agents are as different from each other as authors are. Maybe one agent is direct in their communication style, and another is gentle, wedging feedback between flattery. This agent is more businesslike, while that agent always begins conversations with "How's your day? Did that thing with the family go well?" Perhaps agent M sends lots of emails, updating you constantly on everything. Q, on the other hand, only emails if there's big news.

First, you have to think about what your needs as an author are - aside from "sell my book!" What kind of agent works best for you? Then, if an agent is interested in repping you, come up with a list of questions and have a conversation. Even if the styles don't match 100%, you should at least be up front about what you would like, and both sides should be clear about expectations.

Another great strategy is to ask other authors about their agents. Get into details: "What do you like about your agent? Is there anything you wish they did differently?" This can help you think about all the different ways agents can work, which can help you think about what you actually need in an agent.

Let me stop you right there.

Unless you have some kind of unusual situation (for example, your friend is an agent and they are okay essentially workshopping ideas), you should query after your book (or similar project) is complete. And I mean, edited to a lovely polish. Keep in mind, depending on the agent, even if you feel like you've brought your book to flawless perfection, they may feel like it still needs work, and they'll send you edits.

But, at least you've done everything you could to get that book ready.

So. Why should you wait?

Because the agent has already spent five hours of work getting to your query, and then told you, "Yes! Sounds cool! Send me the manuscript so I can check it out!" only for you to tell them, "Well... it's not quite ready...."

This can work differently if, for example, you met the agent somewhere, told them about an unfinished project, and they say to send what you have. But, in general, only query for work which is complete and ready to send.

Take a look at your contract, but in general, it is not that uncommon for an agent and an author to part ways. Maybe the agent isn't able to sell your work. Maybe you discover that you just don't work well with the agent's style. It's okay, and it's not that weird.

Staying with an agent who isn't a good fit can really harm your career. It can even make you feel bad about yourself as an author, and that is definitely something you should avoid.

Try to part ways on good terms. Ideally, don't be sneaky or sketchy about it. Find the right agent for you. That could be me! It could be someone else : )

I can't speak for anyone else in the world of agenting, but being Black/white/smidge o' Native and queer myself, meaningful inclusivity is important to me. You are welcome to let me know whatever similar identity information you would like me to know - you can include it in your query. It is not required. Do what you feel comfortable doing.

I'm not sure! The agenting thing is brand new. I don't even have clients yet!

But what I do know is that when I like something I am really passionate about it. I already advocate for authors in a number of ways, and I have spent years deliberately creating space(s) for folks. Agenting, in a lot of ways, is a natural progression of things I've been doing for quite a while.

My goal as an agent is to do my very best to help you develop a career as a writer, and to honor the voice and vision of your work.

Hah! Agents also get rejections. There are lots of reasons this can happen. But really, even good books in the hands of good agents might not sell. Think about those 300+ queries; now... think about how many books came out last year at, say Tor, which is known to publish far more titles than many SFF publishers.

Ultimately, there are more books and authors than there are slots to fill in any given publisher's catalog.

Ideally, an agent will understand the needs of the editors at a variety of houses, and can try to sell your book to the folks most likely to pick it up. Even then, so much of it comes down to luck, timing, and other factors.

But if I sign you as a client, it's because I'm passionate about your work, and because I see a lot of potential in you as an author. It's also because I think we can build a career for you, and I'll be ready to do my best to make that happen.

I mean... my email is on my contact page....

If you can't find the answers on the SFWA site, the resources on my Links page, and so on, or if it's something you really need to ask me in particular because you are potentially interested in having me rep you, and you feel it's an appropriate question - then do send an email. Within reason, anyways. : )

I'll try to respond to your email when I can. If you don't get a response to your email within roughly a couple weeks, consider sending a polite nudge. : )

I... prefer you don't.

I get it. It's very frustrating. It doesn't feel good. And maybe your mind (and maybe even your heart) is spinning.

But - similar to the question above about personal responses - if I "reject" a piece, I have also "rejected" (literally) over a thousand other submissions. It would take considerable time for me to share my thoughts on "why", and with so many people who would want to know "why", it adds up to far more time than I can devote to that part of things. This doesn't even take into account the many other aspects of agenting (there's a lot of "behind the scenes" but quite time consuming work), or things that I have to do outside of agenting.

So, unfortunately, if you send me a note asking why, I will not respond.

More importantly: it doesn't matter. What matters is that there are lots of reasons why an agent might not sign you on a manuscript or query, such as personal taste, timing, a roster filling up, and so many other possibilities. What matters is that there are more agents out there, and mine is just one opinion. What matters is that you have more books to write, more stories to tell. What matters is that this is just one of many opportunities, and writing is something you will continue to do.

First of all, YOU aren't getting "rejections."

"Rejections." For both short fiction and long form, if that word is too harsh, think of it in different terms. An editor passed on your story. Maybe the work wasn't quite the right fit. The piece didn't land. Find the phrasing that suits you. These are just words and they don't matter.

More importantly - It is not YOU being "rejected."

It is that piece, and only that piece. Sometimes it takes a different work; sometimes it takes a different editor, or a different agent. There are authors with great careers who had to query so. many. agents. before something clicked. And! There are authors with award-winning stories that were initially "rejected" by the "top markets" before finding a home.

"Rejections" cannot be used to measure the quality of your work.

Nearly all authors have their work "rejected" many, many times. For novels, it's often book two or book three that finds an agent, or even later. Statistically, it is rarely book one.

Find other ways to assess your work. Assess it honestly, with clear eyes, and keep developing your craft. Write about the things that are important to you. Tell the stories that only you can tell.

Second of all... sure, quit writing if you want to. But do so because you don't find meaning in it any more. Do so because you are bored of it, or you realize that you never really liked it.

Don't let "publishing" be the reason you quit. Only YOU get to decide if you quit. If you find meaning and joy and purpose in writing, then keep writing.

Publishing can be hard, it can be heart wrenching. We all want that nearly magical experience we've been lied to about on TV or in the movies or wherever else. Find ways to handle the demands of time and emotions, to deal with the downs.

But when it comes to writing? KEEP GOING. Find your readers, the people who really get what you are doing. They are waiting to see your work and they will LOVE IT.