If you’ve ever wondered what an agent is actually thinking when she opens your query, this is the session for you.
In this episode of #YourQueries Live, Jessica Sinsheimer is joined by Alyssa Jeanette of Stonesong Literary Agency–an agent with more than a decade of experience representing everything from picture books to upmarket fiction to historical fantasy. Together, they work through a collection of real member queries, genre by genre, with Alyssa reading aloud and thinking out loud the whole way through.
What you’ll see: how an agent evaluates comp titles, what “literary” actually means and why Alyssa is hungry for it right now, why specificity in a query beats enthusiasm every time (though we like enthusiasm too!), and what makes her scroll down to the pages even when the query isn’t quite there yet.
You’ll also hear Alyssa get candid about the middle grade market, the literacy crisis, what she actually wants to see in a query letter versus a full proposal, and why she thinks starting in medias res is more often a hindrance than a hook.
Whether you’re querying now, planning to query soon, or you’re still deep in drafts and want to write with the finish line in mind–there is something here for you. Alyssa is warm, direct, and genuinely excited about the work she sees.
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About the Instructor
Alyssa Jennette View Faculty Page
Alyssa Jennette joined Stonesong Literary in June 2015 after interning at Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency. She graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art with a BFA in Illustration. As a result, she has unique insight and expertise when it comes to design-heavy or illustrated works. Alyssa is a very editorial agent; she finds a lot of joy in shaping stories alongside the author and delights in building long-term partnerships.
Alyssa represents children’s and adult fiction and picture books, and has dabbled in humor and pop culture nonfiction. She is especially drawn to diverse voices, ensemble casts, and thorough world-building, plus any book with a format that is specific to the story and gives it its own context.