Agent Roseanne Wells of The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency goes through her query inbox, narrating for us both what’s in there and what writers can learn from these works. We discuss everything from picture books to adult sci fi, tropes (for queries and in books) that work and are best avoided, and personalization that reads as such–and how we can tell if it’s a simple cut and paste to all the agents on your list.
We also talk about what works for illustrators, and styles in query sentences that set you apart in a bad way. We have a short lesson on Caps For Emphasis, and the difference between strong female characters and Strong Female Characters.
We then share some of Roseanne’s insights from her Worldbuilding 101 class (available in the Full Library), and talk about how even contemporary needs it–every book, after all, needs a world.
You can follow Roseanne at twitter.com/rivetingrosie.
Featured On the Show:
- Join our Facebook group! It’s full of supportive writers in the querying trenches–plus live page critiques, Q&A’s, and more.
- Want more Manuscript Academy? We’re working on new, interactive formats for our podcasts and events. Subscribe for updates.
- Feeling brave? Submit your query or first page for a chance of feedback from our guests.
The Manuscript Academy Podcast is free for everyone, and features interviews with top agents, editors and authors on the craft, business, and community of publishing.
You can find us in the iTunes Store, on Soundcloud, and on Spotify.
The Manuscript Academy Podcast is published weekly. Subscribe to see all of our episodes first.
Get An Email When New Episodes Go Live
