explore | Grilled Cheese

#AskDV what do you see working in the cozy fantasy space?

I ask myself and my clients whether each scene is serving multiple functions in the story and if not whether we could combine some moments and make them pull double duty! #AskDV

Are fantasy stories that take place in our world still popular in MG and YA? #AskDV #F #MG #YA

The thing that makes a pitch stand out to me is specificity--comps tailored to aspects of the work, a synopsis that establishes character/setting/stakes right away (loglines are a bonus), and a concept that's different from other queries in that subgenre. #askDV

Here’s one from the brilliant @chadha.bsky.social! I was lucky to work with her on her YA duology, and we met in this pitch event. #AskDV www.ericsmithrocks.com/blog/2020/12...

What are some comps you’re seeing over & over again wrt adult contemporary fiction? #AskDV

is it okay for a middle grades book with a 13 year old girl to not have her fall in love with anyone? sometimes i get the impression YA has to have romance. (earlier comment said 13 year old would be YA, but if 13 and no romance, does that make it middle grades instead?) #AskDV

#askDV in 2026, what kinds of queer books are considered a hard sell in publishing?

I don’t think so! #AskDV

A tight word count can be great these days!

Not at all! To be honest, I don't think much about the author's name until I'm copying it over in a message to schedule an offer call, and even then my main priority is avoiding typos. #AskDV

Do you prefer third-person POV or first-person POV for MG? #AskDV #F #MG

#askdv is this showing up in the Graphic Novel market as well? re cozy

Will the agents and editors be of diverse background? Will there be any agents or editors from Australia? #AskDV

👋 Do queries from pitch events get priority from an agent, do they go to the bottom of the query pile?!

(Or does it just depend on the agent?!) TIA 💐

#askDV

To not pitch those agencies. That’s absurd. #AskDV

“But I’m an agent who does that!”

Great. This is for you then, buddy.

#askDV do you think that a good hook/plot or good voice matters more? which do you look for in a query/manuscript?

alternatively, which is more preferable for publishing nowadays (because of shorter attention spans, especially in YA)?

Is there superhero fatigue in publishing the same way it is in film? #askDV

#askDV if a book is for Early Readers 5 - 8 years old with a mix of some 2 page color illustrations, but mostly line illustrations a la Frog and Toad. In this case 2000 words in verse. What caragory do you query in. Its not picture book but it's not quite chapter book either. Thank you

I think this is actually two different questions. There are so many ways to approach story structure, but a pitch serves a different purpose. Pitches should convey information as efficiently as possible in order to attract industry attention, so being formulaic helps. #askDV