There’s a very specific kind of thrill that comes from watching a literary agent read a query for the first time, in real time, with zero preparation. That’s the whole premise of Your Queries Live, and this episode with Melissa Edwards of Stonesong might be one of the best ones yet.
Melissa has been an agent for fifteen years, works predominantly in fiction, and reads fast, exactly the way she’d read your query in her actual inbox. Over the course of an hour, she and Jessica Sinsheimer work through nine real queries pulled at random by genre: a picture book, a grandmother vampire novel that turns the “young and hot” vampire trope on its head, a gothic mystery that needs to leave first person behind, and an urban fantasy with a line so good it made Jessica’s jaw drop mid-read.
Along the way, you’ll hear Melissa’s honest, unscripted reactions to comp titles, word count, bio placement, and the exact moment a query loses her. You’ll also get her blunt take on synopses (“don’t do it, unless someone asks you to”) and a candid rundown of what genres are actually selling right now.
This isn’t a lecture. It’s a masterclass disguised as a really fun hour, the kind where you’ll recognize your own query’s strengths and weak spots in someone else’s pages. If you’ve ever wondered what actually happens when your query letter lands in an agent’s inbox, this is about as close as you can get to watching over her shoulder.
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About the Instructor
Melissa Edwards View Faculty Page
Melissa Edwards joined Stonesong as a literary agent in August 2016. Previously, she was a literary agent at the Aaron Priest Literary Agency, where she managed the foreign rights for a 40-year backlist. After graduating from Washington University in St. Louis and Vanderbilt Law School, Melissa began her career as a litigation attorney before transitioning into publishing. She is a tireless advocate for her clients and a constant partner during the publication process and beyond.
She also represents adult commercial fiction. She’s looking for fresh voices in thrillers, general fiction, and women’s fiction with unusual takes on the tropes that we all love. She represents select children’s authors, as well.
She can be found on Twitter @MelissaLaurenE.