Amy Bishop-Wycisk, Agent at Trellis Literary Management

Prepares Queries for Stronger Appeal

Amy offered extremely helpful advice, including specific suggestions, to help me shape my query so that it will be more appealing to agents. She was so incredibly prepared that we had half the time left to discuss other questions I had. I cannot recommend her enough.

I did a ten minute consultation with Amy regarding my query letter, and while she thought it was good to begin with, she immediately made it better. It’s a subjective business, but getting the perspective of an agent is definitely helpful.

Guides Query with Insightful Notes

First off, there was a glitch (which could have been my user error) with the time I chose. Jessica, Julie and Amy could not have been more helpful in straightening it out and making sure the consultation happened at a time that worked for my schedule.
My consultation with Amy Bishop was incredibly helpful. I was so nervous, but she put me at ease right away. Her comments were insightful and answered the questions I had ready before I had a chance to ask them!
She gave me some suggestions that can only make my first pages and query stronger.
I can’t express how much I appreciate the time and attention she gave my pages and our consultation.
Highly recommend the experience and Amy’s insight.

Pinpoints Manuscript Weaknesses Clearly

Amy was so wonderful to work with. She focused directly on spots in my first 30 pages that need improvement and gave good suggestions. Very pleasant and friendly.

Empowers Writers with Actionable Feedback

Amy provided concrete, actionable feedback that left me feeling empowered instead of disheartened. She made sure to leave time for questions and involved me in the learning process, which I greatly appreciated!

Detailed suggestions

Amy was absolutely wonderful.  Understood my family saga genre completely, has read all my comps and gave me detailed suggestions for tightening up my query and answered all my questions. 

Boosts Confidence with Revision Strategy

Amy was so friendly, and had such great helpful, honest feedback. I came away from my consult feeling confident in my revision strategy, and one step closer to where I want my book to be. She answered all my questions, and understood my pages and my goals for my story.

Delivers Helpful and Encouraging Critique

I loved, loved my consultation with Amy! She was extremely helpful with my query feedback, and I will recommend her to everyone!

I left the consult feeling motivated and encouraged about the direction of my writing

I met with Amy Bishop for a first page consult. She gave me specific, actionable constructive criticism to make my first page stronger, and pointed out a few issues to fix the tone of the character. I left the consult feeling motivated and encouraged about the direction of my writing.

Put me on a path to a much more powerful and direct query letter.

My consultation with Amy was extremely helpful. She gave me feedback on both my query letter and my pages and her clear explanations of strong and weak points in the letter have put me on a path to a much more powerful and direct query letter. Her feedback on my pages reinforced my own sense of what was and wasn’t working and I am revising with more confidence. I am so thankful!

Gives Professional and Encouraging Critique

The query letter critic meeting with Amy Bishop was productive and helpful. I recieved some valuable professional feedback — hopefuly it will help me to improve the effectiveness of my query.

It will help me to improve the effectiveness of my query.

The query letter critic meeting with Amy Bishop was productive and helpful. I recieved some valuable professional feedback — hopefully it will help me to improve the effectiveness of my query.

Pinpoints Key Query Weaknesses

Amy was kind, friendly, and enthusiastic. The thing that was most helpful was that she zeroed right in on the aspect of my query that had been bothering me (but I had been hoping no one else would notice!) and offered concrete suggestions for improvement.

Strengthens Queries with Clear Suggestions

Amy was great! She helped me strengthen my query by suggesting changes and answering my specific questions. Perfect!

Explains Why Queries Get Rejected

Amy’s feedback on my first 10 pages helped me understand why I keep getting “it’s not my thing” passes on my novel queries. I’m grateful to benefit from her vision and experience. She provided specific suggestions for improving my work and (hopefully) snagging more agents’ attention. I can’t tell you how critical that was for me!

She also pointed out a flaw in my query letter that might be turning agents off. So helpful!

I appreciated Amy’s supportiveness and enthusiasm for helping. It was great to be able to ask “burning questions” about the industry that had been bugging me since I started writing. I encourage any writer souls who are lost or maybe just need an extra nudge in the right direction to book a consultation with Amy!

Fantastic

It was great.  The advice was fantastic.

Amy was extremely helpful in encouraging and validating me. She pointed out ways to organize and smooth out my query. in a word – terrific! Thanks Amy

She gave precise, concrete advice.

Amy Bishop was terrific. Very sharp. She gave precise, concrete advice. She’s a very good editor.

And a very nice person. I was very happy with my 10 minutes with her and immediately rewrote my query based on her advice.

Spot-On Edits and Suggestions

Amy Bishop was terrific. Very sharp. She gave precise, concrete advice. She’s a very good editor.
And a very nice person. I was very happy with my 10 minutes with her and immediately rewrote my query based on her advice.
I also sent you all a thank you email this morning.
Best to you all,
Sincerely,
Annick de Bellefeuille

I had a ten-minute query review with Amy Bishop and found it to be very helpful. I’ve been struggling with how to pitch my novel to show what makes it different, yet not give away too much of the plot, and I felt like I was in a never-ending rabbit-hole of revisions, and nothing was hitting the mark. Amy helped me zero in on what wasn’t working – so hopefully I can be more successful with my next round of queries.

I’m truly grateful for Amy. I was really hoping to hear something different from her during our consultation, like that my materials were ready to go (query), so hearing I still had work to do was hard. It’s one of those things where you don’t hear what you WANT to hear, but you hear what you NEED to hear. Amy helped me get back on track regarding genre and style, and I’m so glad I met with her. Thanks, Amy!

It was great. The advice was fantastic.

Although short it was very informative. We discussed my query for my story Torpidty. I had too much information and Ms Bishop explained how to cut it down and make it more concise. I appreciate her help and would recommend her to any writer to anyone at the academy.

Improved Query Meeting Success

My meeting with Ms. Bishop was excellent. It was my second meeting with her. For the first meeting, my query was terrible and she pointed that out and gave me suggestions. I did what she asked and in our second meeting she acknowledged that my second effort was much better. She gave me a few tweaks and answered all my questions like a professional.

She answered all my questions like a professional

My meeting with Ms. Bishop was excellent. It was my second meeting with her. For the first meeting, my query was terrible and she pointed that out and gave me suggestions. I did what she asked and in our second meeting she acknowledged that my second effort was much better. She gave me a few tweaks and answered all my questions like a professional.

First Page Consult Feedback

I met with Amy Bishop for a first page consult. She gave me specific, actionable constructive criticism to make my first page stronger, and pointed out a few issues to fix the tone of the character.

I left the consult feeling motivated and encouraged about the direction of my writing.

Thanks, Amy

I originally booked one appointment with Amy to review my query letter and first ten pages. I wound up booking an additional 10 minute consultation just for the query, based on her initial feedback. Amy gave me some good advice. I wound up incorporating my first chapter into the second and starting my novel at a different point then originally planned.

In regard to my query letter, Amy let me know that the first 3 sentences where told from the part of the male character, where the story was told by the female character which she found confusing. I revised that in addition to changing my opening teaser sentence based on her opinion.

Amy showed me how less is more. I included too many plot heavy details that she said an agent would be able to determine without having them spelled out. I shortened my query and went back and made edits on my manuscript with this advise in mind.

In summary, I think Amy’s advice helped me create a more impactful query letter and manuscript. I think the Manuscript Academy offers a great service by giving authors access to agents. My caution to writers is that the time goes quickly so have your questions/concerns written down ahead of time.

Delivers Efficient and Valuable Feedback

Although 10 minutes is short, Amy got right down to business and was able to fill the ten minutes with feedback on my ten pages as well as answer the three questions I prepared for her. It was a very beneficial meeting and I believe that her suggestions, esepecially those for my query, have improved it.

Gives Encouraging and Detailed Feedback

I am truly grateful for this opportunity given by the Manuscript Academy. Honestly, after finishing my work I had some doubts about choosing the right way to follow and consultation with Amy Bishop happened to be exactly what I needed.

I absolutely loved her character. Amy was so kind and considerate during the whole meeting. She gave me detailed feedback about my work, highlighted good and not so good points and answered all my questions. Thanks to Amy once again.