A good amount of guesswork. Monitoring the way sales are trending in what's out there now is useful. And sometimes we guess that people will want lighter (or darker!) content around an election (or after a pandemic), but it's pretty unscientific if I'm being honest. #AskDV

If an agent favorites a pitch, how soon do we need to get a query out? E.g., if we want to polish things a bit, can we delay a few weeks? #AskDV

Internal stakes can be huge! Just focus on how important the stakes are to the characters. Don't convince yourself everything needs to be about saving the world. Coming of age stories and family narratives are evergreen for a reason. Emotional stakes are important too! #AskDV

I don't believe in maximums, but I will say that over 120K words, I will raise an eyebrow and think, "Okay, you better earn the word count!" 😀 #AskDV

I love a comp but not as much as I love a great concept. They can be helpful, but you don't HAVE to have them! #AskDV

Depends on how important it is to the story! If their identity is central to the concept, it's worth mentioning. If it's important to the character but not centrally relevant to the plot, I don't think you have to take the space to explain if there are more important bits to cover. #AskDV

Verse novels in the MG and YA space have a dedicated following, especially on the more literary end of things. I love a novel in verse, and I'm not alone! #AskDV

An author does not have to hire an editor to get an agent. That is an author’s personal decision if they choose to do so. Authors can find writing/critique groups, beta readers, etc. for feedback to help with revisions. Social media is one place to start. #AskDv

Absolutely not. Plenty of people successfully query self-edited material. Or find friends/writing groups where folks share feedback with each other for free. You don't have to be professionally edited to query! #AskDV

#AskDV

I don’t think you need to talk about both sides. But unfortunately, I do think it’s still hard to be critical of Israel. Just heard a panel where a bookstore was heavily harassed for platforming muslim voices. Just being aware zionists are very vocal, loud and often angry is important.

I WISH every story had a perfect home, but there are books that don't find the right space. Great books! But, encouragingly, I do think we're in a better place for quirky/"weird" fiction than we've been in a long while. #AskDV

You can note it in your query if you’d like. But this is a conversation that an author and agent should have during a prospective phone call. An author can ask agents any questions to make sure it’s a good partnership and vice versa if the agent is unsure if they can be a good fit. #AskDv

This is a bit of a cop out, but I would say pick the books whose readers you think would be MOST excited to read yours. It's less about capturing the perfect spectrum and more about showing that you know your intended readership. #AskDV

#AskDV do you need to hire an editor before querying your work? I find the investment is risky because you don't know if it'll be money well-spent or money you lose bc the book died in the trenches.

I say yes. Just be honest. "I queried you before, but since then, I've revised significantly. Can I convince you to take a second look?" The answer might be no, but it may also be yes! #AskDV

That's a wrap for our final #AskDV in 2026!
Thank you to these amazing literary agents who volunteered their time to answer questions! @jimmccarthydgb.bsky.social @laurenabramo.bsky.social @stutitelidevara.bsky.social @rebeccaw04.bsky.social @sandraproudman.bsky.social
Next Up: #DVparty 9/25-29!

Sure thing. And it's especially relevant if the work is illustrated! #AskDV

This might be something to put in the bio paragraph. You can absolutely say something like, "I'm looking for an agent who has experience with neurodiverse and/or dyslexic writers." I believe it's fair to say what you're looking for. #AskDV

#AskDV

A lot of folks are looking for horror, mystery, thrillers.

I’m still gravitating toward really strong contemporary stories.

I also think survival stories are minimal and could do really well.

For fantasy really unique magic systems.

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