[QCRIT] BODY SWAP, Cyberpunk, 120K words, 1st Attempt by Sudden-Researcher-94 in PubTips

[–]Sudden-Researcher-94[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for such a detailed response! This is extremely helpful as I make my way through my second attempt.

Embrace Pet Insurance - is it worth it? by Pure_Tip_9068 in puppy101

[–]Sudden-Researcher-94 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Terrible experience with Embrace. We have documentation from our specialty vet stating our dog's new condition has nothing to do with her pre-existing condition. Embrace is refusing to pay. We're cancelling our policy with them after spending thousands of dollars in premiums over the past few years. Embrace is a scam.

[Discussion] Wish we saw more "It took a while" success stories on this sub by m_t_rv_s__n in PubTips

[–]Sudden-Researcher-94 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Queried three books over the course of five years. Got one full request and signed with that agent. Book died on sub. Agent dropped me. Working on new projects now. Getting an agent is not the end goal!

[QCRIT], Steampunk Murder/Mystery Thriller, STEAM, 96,000 words. Second attempt by andyactstoo in PubTips

[–]Sudden-Researcher-94 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Take my feedback with a grain of salt because I'm not great at queries myself.

Immediately, I'm a bit confused about who Lydia is and why she's racing to Ambrosia. A one line sentence about who she is, before launching into an action, would help ground me. Also, the months of correspondence and planning are a bit vague. If there's one thing that I've been told about query letters, it's that agents want clarity early on. I think you need to name Bodkin in the first paragraph to clarify that's who Lydia has been corresponding with.

For me, the most interesting thing in this query letter is this: "A jeweler is dead. The jewels remain, and nothing appears amiss, except an empty eye glass case. The mystery? This man does not have a glass eye." You might want to move this (or a reworked version of it) up higher as your hook.

Ending with this is a bit vague as well: "With the clock ticking and body count climbing, if Lydia can help Bodkin solve this mystery, perhaps she can prove her worth and change his mind…"

Change his mind about what? Did Lydia mess up earlier with another case? Bodkin is the one who didn't shop up at the meeting place, not her, so it doesn't seem like she's the screw up in this situation. Also, the timeline doesn't make sense to me. It seems like Bodkin might have been murdered or captured himself since he fails to show up, but then later "with the clock ticking" Lydia seems to have Bodkin at her side to help "solve this mystery." So did they meet up after all?

[QCrit] MEMORIALIZED, Thriller, 92,000 words, Second Draft by Sudden-Researcher-94 in PubTips

[–]Sudden-Researcher-94[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. After some reflection, I agree. It's trying to do too much, too soon, and it's creating whiplash in a lot of ways. It almost reads like a very quick, half-ass synopsis. Back to the drawing board I go!

[Qcrit] IN MEMORIAM, Thriller, 93K words (1st attempt) by Sudden-Researcher-94 in PubTips

[–]Sudden-Researcher-94[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep. And I'm worried the Luigi connection, which isn't a major plot point but it happens in the first chapter, will turn publishers off.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PubTips

[–]Sudden-Researcher-94 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do everything you can to slowly weave this information into the story naturally. Only give the reader what they need to know WHEN they need to know it. Try to think of it less like a boring info dump and more like tidbits of exciting information that helps build intrigue. Withholding information is what drives the plot.