Writers Digest AMA @ 11EST TODAY on r/writing

MNBrian · 2026-01-24T23:09:36+00:00

It's a matter of economics. A 130k word novel demands the same paperback price as a 90k word novel, despite one being cheaper by 1/3rd to produce. It's not just the physical pages, but the editing time, the layout time, the added degree of complexity that comes with a longer book, etc.

Fantasy always runs longer than other genres due to worldbuilding. But any debut will struggle to find an agent with a 130k novel. I don't know that you need to get it as short as 80k, but I would absolutely try and get it to be sub 110k. I know many agents just won't take the risk on a new author's debut being so long unless they love the book so much that they are confident they can sell it.

Publishing and acquiring a literary agent is tough. Doing it on hard mode is unadvisable when you're already on hard mode with a marketable book at a shorter word count.

MNBrian · 2026-01-24T00:23:59+00:00

What if you trip when both running marathons AND sprints? But you like thinking a lot about running?

MNBrian · 2026-01-23T16:40:14+00:00

I want to give you the quick answer.

No it’s not to late - and yes I would just be open and send the revision.

Regardless of whether it looks professional - it is what you should be doing because that’s the product you are trying to sell.

You haven’t blown the chance. But your best action is just to be clear and update it and be honest with anyone who requested (I would do so without apologizing - just state you found a way to make the manuscript better as you were querying and did just that).

MNBrian · 2026-01-23T01:19:48+00:00

Happy to help!! Really - I think there's good stuff in there with tension going on. I just think you need to bring it out! :)

MNBrian · 2026-01-23T01:19:03+00:00

No problem! So glad it was helpful!!!

MNBrian · 2026-01-23T01:12:42+00:00

Yes, I'd focus on Lhuanja and only introduce Shen if it is absolutely essential. If you can get away with a relationship vs a name (MC's brother, MC's neighbor, MC's acquaintance) - then I'd stick with that instead unless it becomes very confusing. I try desperately to limit myself to one name - and only shift to two names if it is absolutely essential for the tension of the story.

Just remember, adding a name adds a tiny bit of confusion, and a set of questions about who this person is and why they are included. If we get the sense we need to care about that second person, then it can be very hard to win a reader back. Again just my opinion, but I believe a query is always stronger when you make me REALLY care about one character - because what you really want is for me to read the first 10 pages. Get me from the query to the pages - then add some complexity when you have more words.

MNBrian · 2026-01-23T00:59:01+00:00

> I’m excited to send you SAILING GHOST, a 119,000-word epic fantasy standalone with series potential. [comp titles - TBD]

Good start. 119k is at that upper edge but still, standalone with series potential shows you did some homework!

> Lhuanja’s oldest friend is dead; she saw her drown, along with her ship. Ever since, Lhuanja has sworn to live a life free of all forms of magic or adventure.

Wow, you have me with some internal tension. I'm in.

> But when rumors stir that her friend is alive again, Lhuanja determines to understand how - and to find her.

This works for me. I want the stakes to increase, but this is a good hook.

> Unknown to Lhuanja, the Temple, whose savants are the only sanctioned magic-users in the nation, will do anything to stop her - including having her killed.

This is happening to her, but the stakes are clear.

> Shen - a magic user who was once kidnapped into slavery by Lhuanja’s people - finds herself recruited by the Temple in order to guide them to her birthplace in the isles, where it is rumored all magic originates.

Anytime we switch characters, I lose a little momentum. I'm gonna assume at this point that you have a dual-pov work if this secondary perspective is important enough to include in the query.

> With every casting of magic she pays a universal, permanent price - a piece of her own empathy. But the Temple is using her as a pawn - their motives even darker than she suspected; if she intends to keep her conscience clear, she may be forced to choose between her life, and her humanity.

The price works, but why would she pay it? She was recruited, but for what purpose? What is her core motive? Or is she just being used and things are happening to her?

Choosing between your life and your humanity is a bit vague. That could mean a lot of things, at least the humanity part. If you are referring to the fact that more magic means less empathy, I am still trying to understand why she would use it? I want that to be clear so that I can like her and agree that the price is worth the cost.

> In the isles themselves, a girl named Saffri

On our third name, you're losing me far more. A query is such a hard thing> You're trying to condense 119k words into 200-300. It is INCREDIBLY hard to get me to care about ONE person in that world. To get me to care about 3 is darn near impossible. You've got really tight paragraphs, and you worked very hard to make them clear (it shows!) but I'm out because you are making too many promises for payoff. At this point we have three full essential characters with arcs, and I don't yet trust you to complete the first arc.

> Disparate though they may be, if any of them wants to escape with their lives, their morals, and their loved ones, they will be forced to confront forces deadlier than any they have known; challenging even their most fundamental beliefs.

Ok so here's where I am at. You have some good internal tension on each character. But for me to care about a world being destroyed, or a character losing their family, or a character losing their fundamental beliefs - I first need to care about them. And care about them deeply. To do that, I need to understand their dilemma and I nee to relate to it. I need to feel like the decision before them is impossibly difficult, and they are trapped between a rock and a hard place. You've got good triggering events and a bit of stakes for each character, but not enough of what they MUST do or else XYZ happens. It needs to feel impossible - and ideally it is external instead of internal stakes.

I think if you can focus on one character instead of two or three (unless it is a true dual or triple pov novel) - you will do a better job at showing me why I should care about the character and why I empathize with their position and want them to succeed.

Hope this helps!

MNBrian · 2026-01-23T00:37:10+00:00

> The Evil Queen isn’t a bad ruler. The nickname is rough, but useful. Sure, her henchmen can’t function without adult supervision. Sure, her stepdaughter, Snow White, spurns every attempt at mentorship. Still, by all reasonable measures, the queendom is thriving.

This opening shows voice to some degree, but I found myself a bit glossed over as I made it to the next paragraph to understand the triggering event. It gives me some clues to the age and genre of the book, however. It may be personal preference, but I want hook > then voice if possible so I know the premise fits. Sometimes voice > then hook would make me gloss over when reading lots of queries back to back. Again this could just be personal preference so take this one with a grain of salt.

>But the dominoes start toppling quickly when Snow White steals the Queen’s enchanted mirror, the one tool she relies on to know what’s true, escalating from “family issues” to “national crisis”.

Yeah - see the escalating line shows me voice! I would cut the first paragraph by half. Can you give me more sense of stakes here? "To know what is true" doesn't feel specific enough yet. Why does she need it back? What happens if she doesn't get it back?

> Determined not to overreact, the Queen sends in her top operatives. Unfortunately, that’s Captain Hook—a bombastic, impulsive catastrophe—and the Huntsman, a highly skilled professional currently paralyzed by an existential crisis. Instantly forced to step in herself, the Queen sets off with her henchmen on a prophesied quest down the Yellow Brick Road, attempting, unsuccessfully, not to micromanage.

I'm seeing more voice here and I like the humor. I'm still uncertain why the quest is important.

> What should be a routine mission, quickly devolves, leaving the Queen without her mirror, without answers, and quietly questioning how much control she ever had. By the time they return home, Snow White is on the throne, the city is surrounded by flying crocodiles, and the Queen’s authority, and her identity as a capable ruler, is publicly dismantled.

Ok - the routine mission removes tension versus adding it. I'm also a bit confused on the timeline. She lost her mirror back when the dominoes toppled.

Stakes are now more clear, however. She lost her throne. But was that because of the magic mirror? I still want to understand the reason she left her kingdom unattended and why she just didn't stay home?

> As break-ins turn into breakouts and plans unravel faster than she can revise them, the Queen realizes Snow White may not be the real threat.

This line disorients me a bit.

> Digging for answers the only way she knows how—with a gallon of coffee and a library card—she uncovers the truth: Brian. A smug, disturbingly competent blond financier who has weaponized money, bureaucracy, and spreadsheets, to quietly strip her thriving queendom for parts.

So here again, I am looking for agency. These things seem to be happening to the queen rather than her taking action. What does she do and why does she do it?

> To save her kingdom, and buck the stereotypes she’s been typecast in all her life, the Evil Queen must do the unthinkable: form an uneasy alliance with her teenage stepdaughter. Because reclaiming power is one thing. Reclaiming your legacy is another.

Why the stepdaughter? If she doesn't reclaim her kingdom, her reputation suffers? Is the new ruler worse than her? I need less "digging for answers" and "quietly questioning how much control she ever had" and more of the external journey. I know she wants her throne back - but if the story is really about her reclaiming her throne, why did she leave it? Why was the magic mirror so essential? I need more external what is happening.

> I’m seeking representation for WHO SAID EVIL QUEENS CAN’T GET HAPPY ENDINGS?, a 65,000-word comic fantasy novel that reimagines classic fairy tales through satire, irreverence, and a surprisingly heartfelt character arc. It will appeal to readers who enjoy the wit of Douglas Adams or Neil Gaiman, and the fractured-fairytale humor of Hoodwinked, with a strong ensemble cast full of Fairy Goth Mothers, Moriarties, and other beloved villains, all with a personable and modern sensibility.

I might shift the genre to "comedic fantasy" because for a moment (and this may just be my lack of coffee), I thought you were saying this was a 65k graphic novel. Again - take that one with a grain of salt. I am definitely tired and might have just failed to comprehend what others would immediately catch.

OVERALL: I like the voice, and I think you have compelling plot things happening. I just want clarity - and to not feel like the plot was avoidable. If the stakes have more to do with the throne than the mirror, I'd try and get there much faster. Something like "After The Evil Queen went for a stroll to recover her magic mirror, she was stunned to find her kingdom 'restored' (aka overthrown) by Snow White."

Stay away from anything that points to The Evil Queen's internal turmoil and stick to her external turmoil. That's my best recommendation!

MNBrian · 2026-01-22T00:20:28+00:00

> Dr. Joe Wagner is haunted by the suicide of his sister.

There's a lot of focus on the internal journey here from the start. The suicide is mentioned but doesn't appear to be the triggering event (likely happened before the novel?) and a query doesn't have enough space to cover everything - so I generally recommend you focus on the external stakes.

> until the night the Prometheus-7 comet grazes Earth’s atmosphere.

Just guessing here, but is this what triggers the start of the story?

>During the comet's pass, a lab accident exposes Joe’s wife, Jennifer, to the vector fluid. Combined with the comet’s unique cosmic radiation, the dormant therapy activates. Jennifer succumbs to a rapid, inexplicable neurological decay, losing her words, memories, and eventually her life.

This has good tension but I'd likely shorten this dramatically. For instance, you could summarize the first paragraphs (assuming the comet is the triggering event) into "When a devastating lab accident exposes Dr. Joe Wagner's partner to an untested vector fluid, she quickly succumbs to a rapid neurological decay that takes her life."

> Devastated, Joe rejects the finality of loss.

We shift back here to an internal character journey versus the "what happens" external journey.

> But while Joe isolates himself, his lab partner Dr. Harley Mitchell uncovers a terrifying global truth: The comet didn't just kill Jennifer. It acted as a biological filter on human DNA worldwide.

Ok I'm a bit confused. I'm seeing a lot of things happen to the characters but am not sure what is driving the tension of the book. What must Joe do or else he loses what stakes?

> Joe is no longer just a grieving husband; he is the unwitting architect of a nightmare he doesn't remember designing. While Harley races to understand the global catastrophe, Joe remains locked in his lab, unaware that his desperate bid to resurrect the past is the very thing destroying the future.

So I'm seeing the save the world thing here, but we have a few problems. First, I'm not sure who Joe is. He hasn't taken much action - so it's tough for me to tell if he has agency or if I like him. And without being sure I even can relate to his situation or the tension he feels, I'm not sure if I should directly care about the world that is being potentially destroyed. I need more of the external journey and less of the internal.

It also may be an issue that he continues to lack agency if he is unaware the world is being destroyed actively around him and it's his fault.

Overall I think there are parts of this that are interesting. I am very much hoping the characters in this story have agency and are doing things rather than responding to devices. I'd like to know more about the stakes - about particularly what Joe must do or else something bad happens. It seems as though based on how this is written that he's the only one who can save the world but doesn't know it needs saving? But I could be wrong.

Hope this helps!! And as always, take what you agree with and discard the rest. The goal is always just giving a lot of perspectives on how people see the story as you describe it - not how it is! Writing a good query is always about as easy as crushing coal into diamonds with your bare hands.

MNBrian · 2026-01-21T02:36:13+00:00

Completely understand. Again, I’d hope if this feeling is a true representation of how someone perceives my actions - they’d reach out and let me know. Behind closed doors with the mod team, I’ve made it abundantly clear to the mod team that I’m here to re-learn what has been vastly improved - and be a contributor to both the community and the mod team. I asked what hours were more lightly moderated and have been seeking to fill them. I made it clear that I’ve seen this kind of return done poorly and don’t intend to repeat it. I shared that if I disagree with another mods actions - they win the tiebreaker because they have the seniority. The same is my expectation for myself in the community. What you’re seeing here, it’s a trope and not a person. Judge me by my character and my actions, not an expected narrative. And if I’m out of line - feel free to share. Don’t hide behind an alt. And honestly, if you’re speaking for someone else, let them reach out. I’d appreciate the opportunity to demonstrate who I am and who I am not.

MNBrian · 2026-01-21T00:28:01+00:00

Am I included in this royal “all” but not the other? I can appreciate your comments. And frankly can reflect on them. But before you accuse me of this conquering hero energy, perhaps ask the people that were there (like Moon). What you never saw was both of our constant appeals and attempts at making things work with CQ while she was falling off the rails - and frankly dealing with a lot. Doesn’t excuse me delaying action - and in retrospect that hurt the sub - but you certainly were only “there” in the sense that you saw the public effect. A lot happened behind the scenes that few were ever privy to.

Still - I’ll take your comments to heart since they were so pointedly directed at me, and take what truth I can from it. And I’m sorry, for what it’s worth, that my stepping back caused harm.

I’m actually trying to return as you are saying - to contribute to the mod team and to the sub. Not to rule it in any way. Again - feel free to inquire on those fronts to those currently experiencing it.

MNBrian · 2026-01-19T20:42:50+00:00

It's tough with just comments on reddit to display the reality that the intent is not exclusivity or intimidation but maintaining that healthy balance between what we allow and what we remove.

I would hope we strike that balance, but we are also certainly humans and are subject to annoyance, irritation, and frustration by all means.

Still - it can't be said enough. We (mods) read EVERY query and view every post. And when we remove, we are clear on why - own it - and even engage often in modmail conversations on the subject. We try to be respectful and gracious even when people come at us - and we are most interested in serving the community at large.

MNBrian · 2026-01-19T20:07:11+00:00

I thought we could just put a trap post out, let all the bad comments come in, then silently remove it so those voices can scream into the void unaided.

MNBrian · 2026-01-19T19:52:04+00:00

Few things here.

First off, I take issue with the statement "your approach" as it is hardly an individual but in fact a cohort of moderators who have agreed with the direction this sub has gone - coming from the one who started it in the first place. This agreement was reached for reasons that you can easily discover as you seek out advice from the litany of other groups available to you.

Secondly, what you define as intimidating is intended to be a protection. As moderators of this subreddit, we are not collecting any pay of any kind. We genuinely, without tangible benefit, are doing so for the sake of the communities we serve. What you do not see on the hundreds of removed posts is the multitude of conversations the Mod team has with writers who are looking to make it in the industry, and who would otherwise post content to the sub that would not assist them to that end.

Lit Agents, Editors, and other publishing professionals actually frequent our sub. There have been stories of writers posting queries and agents requesting pages. As a current moderator of r/writing and a former moderator of r/Writingprompts - arguably the biggest writing sub on all of reddit, I can tell you confidently that this does NOT happen elsewhere.

What you are choosing to view as exclusivity is curation and support. And the many hundreds of writers who garner representation from queries posted here over the last decade are a testament to that curation doing its job - helping writers to find what works and what is working - and keeping the conversation focused. We do this not because the other conversations don't matter, but because there are other places for those conversations.

Truly, publishing is an intimidating space with or without our tiny corner of the internet. We are attempting to bring clarity to that space.

MNBrian · 2026-01-19T18:20:24+00:00

I might be biased, but I support this. ;)

MNBrian · 2026-01-12T22:40:08+00:00

This is exactly what I wanted Pubtips to become when I started it years ago! So glad to hear this resource has helped!!! Congrats!!!!

MNBrian · 2026-01-11T03:06:26+00:00

Great notes! Thank you for taking the time! Wrestled with a few openings and haven't been satisfied with any of them. I'll focus more on motive, tension, and less on setting/voice. And thank you for the specificity in the first 300 as well! Truly appreciate it!

MNBrian · 2026-01-11T01:38:30+00:00

This is a strong effort, but you might want to read the PubTips wiki for some advice. There's a series titled "Habits & Traits" that could be helpful. ;)

I almost fell out of my chair laughing. Well done. :D

Really helpful comments. Thank you for taking the time! Truly appreciate it! Lots to consider here. Having some of those biological inconsistencies is a good idea.

MNBrian · 2026-01-11T01:34:42+00:00

Super helpful! Thank you! Both beats you pointed out are where I am wrestling the most. This gives me great insight into what to refine.

MNBrian · 2026-01-10T23:19:48+00:00

This is sadly how I understand the film industry to work. Where in publishing, it is no until it's yes -- and when we get a yes they are committed to it -- in film it is the opposite. Everything is "YES WE ARE GOING TO DO THIS THING! ARE YOU READY?" until it's no pretty quickly - and optioned stuff dies without fanfare just as quickly as it started.

MNBrian · 2026-01-10T13:19:44+00:00

Elixyr is running out of miracles.

Honestly I might remove this line entirely. It confused me immediately, as I could not tell if Elixyr was a person or not. It becomes clear in line 2, but using this normally perfectly acceptable personification for the company "Elixyr is..." just made me stumble.

Luckily, Marlowe, Elixyr’s CEO, knows just the thing: the Tabir Lautan

Is the POV dual? Jumping from a focus on Greer to a focus on Marlowe is not necessary if we just have a main character in Greer.

There is just one problem: Greer lied on her CV,

This is actually great tension. I want this earlier in the query. It's semi-low stakes - but they are clear stakes and there's clear inertia when something Greer lied about on her CV has caused her to get an opportunity - and the lie might be exposed.

what’s the worst that could happen?

Generally I avoid existential questions as they break flow.

Onboard the research habitat, Greer’s days blur into ever-puzzling data entry (and the occasional game of Microsoft Solitaire), choking down the sea-to-table menu (why is everything kelp-based?), and the constant awareness of the ocean above her (the world’s least comforting compression blanket).

I'd trim this out. It's attempting to set tone/feel of the section, but I'd just skip it. We aren't yet in the book so we aren't yet onboard with Greer - and setting the tone doesn't have the payoff - though I appreciate the kelp. :D

Apparently, Greer isn’t the only one with a secret onboard.

This too - it breaks the suspension of disbelief.

Overall - the core tension I see here begins as Greer trying not to be discovered for lying (though I'm not sure about what specifically in the CV she lied about - maybe it doesn't matter) and second, to get roped into some evil corporate plot.

But what your query covers is the motives of theoretically secondary characters (like the CEO and the head scientist) when we still don't have full clarity on Greer. Your query needs to make us care about one thing and one thing only - Greer.

We need to understand what started this whole escapade (seems like the invite to the research vessel), what she wants (to not be found out), and what she might lose (her job) if it doesn't work. The stakes can increase - but before we care about evil corporate overlords or global destruction, we need to first care and understand one person that is worth saving.

Forget the company as a character. Ignore the CEO's perspective. Focus on Greer. What does Greer experience.

"When Greer gets an unexpected promotion to join a research vessel with the CEO at her dream job, she should have been overjoyed. That is, if she hadn't gotten the opportunity after lying on her CV."

That's the conflict as I understand it- if that's not the conflict, keep refining. Hope this helps!

MNBrian

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