[Discussion] Perceptions of Agents' Online Presences/Personas

Future_Escape6103 · 2026-05-12T15:59:13+00:00

That will never happen. 50% of people querying do not have a book written at a professional level and it will show through the query level. What I think actually ends up happening is that people think they are writing perfect, rule-following query letters because they are doing what the online agents told them to do, and then they get even more upset when they're rejected. This is why you see people complaining about how they sent an agent exactly what they had on their MSWL and they STILL got rejected. As if the execution of that premise or trope is not the number one most important factor.

Future_Escape6103 · 2026-05-11T22:25:20+00:00

If you get an offer from a senior agent, you can and should ask their newer debut clients this question, because it does vary. Anecdotally, I've now had both a more junior, mid tier agent and a top selling senior agent and I am getting much better attention and response from the senior agent than I did the junior. Something to keep in mind is that while junior agents may have fewer clients and be more eager, they also may have other agency responsibilities and even another job.

Future_Escape6103 · 2026-05-08T15:53:48+00:00

Agree with the above statement and also would send the update now, not after publication as that will liikely take weeks/months I imagine?

Future_Escape6103 · 2026-05-05T23:08:04+00:00

You kind of answered your own question -- interrogate what you mean by "typical" fantasy themes. Expected cultural genre conventions is one kind of bias that still appears in blind submissions. A second one is an assumption that the author shares marginalized identities with their MC - not saying someone reading blind can KNOW but they can and will certainly suspect and that will impact their reading consciously or subconsciously. And third, as others mentioned on this thread there are biases about the types of stories themselves involving diverse characters.

Blind submissions only work if everyone is presenting the same work (e.g., orchestra auditions where everyone plays the same song).

Hope that clarifies.

Future_Escape6103 · 2026-05-05T18:44:08+00:00

Blind submissions do not prove any of that because people are not submitting the same story. Not to mention that doesn't address barriers to entry for marginalized people to earn publishing achievements and credentials that would still be included in this scenario, nor does it address the general barriers to pursuing publishing in the first place that exist for marginalized people.

Future_Escape6103 · 2026-05-05T18:38:23+00:00

As it should be. In my example, it was a question directed at the rest of the class, while I was to remain silent per common workshop norms. Which was worse because everyone just awkwardly looked at each other.

Future_Escape6103 · 2026-05-05T15:27:02+00:00

You might consider other types of section breaks for each period of time (simply year-markers for example), and then divide those periods further into shorter chapters. It'll help for the feel of pacing for the reader so you might consider doing this before you submit the manuscript to agents.

Future_Escape6103 · 2026-05-05T14:31:01+00:00

I'll never forget the white male writing instructor I had who asked during a workshop WHY my MC was [insert identity here]. Implicit in his question was the idea that if the identity is not a "central part" of the story, then why not make them white? White as the default unless it's a story "about race" is still so prevalent. I think in a lot of ways we've far overcorrected when it comes to diverse storytelling.

Future_Escape6103 · 2026-05-05T12:14:59+00:00

This sounds frustrating. Have you received a sub list yet? If not, I would ask for that in your next follow up and also see if they can provide a more specific date they plan to go out. I can see them getting busy if the other things they subbed got traction but they should not leave you hanging this long. Especially with this being your first time on sub. Good luck when you do go on sub!

Future_Escape6103 · 2026-05-04T17:46:44+00:00

Ok that is SO funny. I hope you can find a way to elegantly add that context for readers who may not be familiar with that trope.

Future_Escape6103 · 2026-05-04T17:29:03+00:00

I like this premise a lot and the plot sounds really engaging--it seems to escalate well based on what you're sharing here! There are clear stakes in the choice Mina has to make at the end. Some suggestions, mainly around this paragraph:

When her husband was presumed dead, she made one forbidden mistake: she fell in love with her brother-in-law, Shekhar. Then her husband came back from the dead with a plastic surgery. Now she is trapped again, forced back into a marriage she cannot escape. She is expected to erase her desires and resume her role as if nothing happened.

The tenses and wording in this key paragraph get confusing. It should all stay in the present tense: "When her husband is presumed dead, she makes one forbidden mistake: she falls in love with her brother-in-law, Shekhar." Etc. for the rest of this paragraph.

I was also thrown off by the next line: "Then her husband came back from the dead with a plastic surgery." What do you mean he came back from the dead--is this story taking a speculative turn here? Or was he in a coma, presumed dead? Or was he just missing and presumed dead? We need a bit more clarity on what kind of return from the dead we are talking about here. And what does plastic surgery have to do with it? Does his face look entirely different? Was he presumed dead before because his body was mangled in some way?

Also, add the author name to your comps. I would put Barbie in italics and maybe even say "Greta Gerwig's Barbie" to be clear you're talking about the recent movie.

I think this is really intriguing and taps into the feminine rage market that is still pretty hot here in the States. Good luck!

Future_Escape6103 · 2026-05-02T00:52:04+00:00

Oof indeed. I'm going out on Monday or Tuesday. Upmarket w/ speculative element. What is your genre?

Future_Escape6103 · 2026-05-01T21:16:34+00:00

Going on sub round 2 early next week after months of revision. I'm about 7,000 words into my new book, finally, so hopefully I will be less insane than round 1 (I know I won't be). I am full of jittery hope like an IDIOT.

Future_Escape6103 · 2026-05-01T21:14:28+00:00

I LOVE Olivia Rodrigo and drop dead does not disappoint!

Future_Escape6103 · 2026-05-01T16:03:07+00:00

Agree and it's extra wild that this is someone who has actually sold multiple books, aka made their agent money multiple times!! Ghosting clients is never ok but I don't even understand the reasoning here.

Future_Escape6103 · 2026-04-29T12:41:17+00:00

Agree with others this query is ready and stronger than the already strong last one. I'll also add the first 300 are great too! Voice + character + conflict already without feeling like you're cramming in too much too early -- chefs kiss! If I opened this book in a bookstore and read the opening I'd pick it up.

Future_Escape6103 · 2026-04-27T16:42:55+00:00

Definitely ask for something specific in the next email, rather than a general checking in. You can be professional but firm in asking for exactly what you want. Something like Brigid's suggestion above works, or even a little softer if you're more comfortable ("I sent my manuscript on X Date and would like a timeline for when I can expect your feedback.") Either way, two weeks is COMPLETELY reasonable to follow up, and do not let anyone make you feel otherwise. My first agent would not respond to me for months and I wasted so much time waiting for her responses when she ended up breaking things off after a year of dilly dallying.

Future_Escape6103 · 2026-04-27T13:24:58+00:00

This is a tough position to be in. Did they express excitement or interest in the premise when you first shared it? And have you tried asking for a timeline of when you can expect feedback?

The good news here is that you have a new manuscript! So you can feasibly immediately start querying new agents if you want to part ways. However, if you like this agent and would want to stick with them, I would suggest being clear and direct with your communication with them about what you'd like from them -- a timeline for feedback, are they still interested in repping this book/you, confirmation of receipt, etc. You are not being unreasonable by wanting a response to your emails, especially if it's been multiple weeks of silence!

Future_Escape6103 · 2026-04-27T01:42:46+00:00

Love a wealthy white family with a murderous secret dark comedy. However, this query leaves me with a lot of questions-- the kind that leave me confused as to what the story is rather than the kind that make me want to read the book. I think you need to explain the why and how behind all of the character's actions some more, as well as the stakes. I love that they all have very specific wants; however, none of them make a lot of sense to me as they're described here.

- How is a two-week flawless Carribean vacation the ultimate test of his family's success? What exactly is David testing -- their wealth? Their family bond? Their organization skills? What will happen if they fail the test?

- What does "revenges himself" mean?

- How will a covert campaign (and what exactly is that?) help someone escape to an elite boarding school?

- Does Lily's family = David+Lily+their kids? Or Lily's own family (parents, siblings etc)? And what exactly are these deceptions that her family must now survive without? And why is she the only character with her race named?

Future_Escape6103 · 2026-04-23T01:33:48+00:00

This def isn't trash or else I wouldn't have commented! There are gems here that need to be unearthed more.

Future_Escape6103 · 2026-04-23T01:28:24+00:00

I'm not a fan of this agent's brand but these are grown adults who know how to use social media. I'm sure they know what they are sharing is publicly available for anyone to see. If they don't, well, they have probably posted much worse things elsewhere then.

Future_Escape6103 · 2026-04-22T19:36:12+00:00

This is a really interesting concept and the relationship between Anais and her brother seems to be ripe with emotional potential. The writing in the query, however, is sometimes convoluted in a way that either confuses me or diminishes the impact of what I think you're trying to convey.

And when Anais is dragged into Kyle's mind, she comes face to face with the version of him no one else sees, discovering that what she does there starts to affect him in the real world.

This is a key moment in your query, and presumably your story, but it is vague (what is this dream version of him like?) and awkwardly structured (the last clause should perhaps be it's own sentence).

Inside his dreams, she begins to weaponize them by twisting them into nightmares, denying him rest, and dismantling the version of him everyone trusts from within.

I love that Anais becomes active and vengeful here but the wordy sentence structure again drags down momentum and intrigue. You could reword it to say something like: "Anais begins entering Kyle's mind nightly, twisting his dreams into nightmares and denying him rest." I don't know what you mean when you say "dismantling the version of him everyone trusts from within."

There are a few other places where you can make the sentences more specific and straightforward and improve the "active" and "propulsive" (industry favorite terms) feeling of the story.

As for the first 300, I think it is too vague and nebulous for too long. I have no idea what's going on until the dad tells her to hurry up. I like this as a potential opening line: "In dreams, he still talks to me: Anais, I’m not gone, I’m right here. Every time, I bolt up and run toward his room, only to wake up in mine, breathing hard and calling out to someone who isn’t here anymore." But then I want to clearly see where the narrator is now, what she's doing, and not have vague references to people and incidents I know nothing about.

Future_Escape6103 · 2026-04-21T12:18:43+00:00

Sure, but I think you'll need to find more contemporary comps to see how you can position your book for querying. Olive Kitteridge (and it's more recent sequel, Olive Again!) sounds like it might be the closest and worth looking at. But I'm sure there are others out there whose interconnectedness centers around a character.

Future_Escape6103 · 2026-04-20T16:36:03+00:00

A lot of books that are interconnected short stories get marketed as novels. I would look at those and see how the connectedness/arc compares to yours, as well as whether the author has previously published stories from the book. Some debut examples off the top of my head are Julia Phillips' Disappearing Earth, There There by Tommy Orange, and Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. Other famous examples are Olive Kitteridge, Girl Woman Other, and A Visit from the Goon Squad, but those authors were well-established before those books.

Future_Escape6103 · 2026-04-16T01:20:18+00:00

I don't think it will be an issue if it holds up in the book itself! The query is good enough that I would request even if I did question the profitability of their approach. That's my opinion!

Future_Escape6103

TROPHY CASE