At Salt Lake Comic Con FanX this past weekend, I attended a panel made up of editors and literary agents from across the U.S. The panel allowed them each a chance to discuss what they look for in a query or submission, what they dread seeing, and how much they read before tossing it aside.
How much time do you have to hook an agent/editor?
In terms of how much time these editors and agents gave to a specific piece of work, the general consensus was very little. Some said they give one paragraph to get hooked, others said that was generous and that they only give one sentence. One editor said they give it a full paragraph unless the writing is so bad that they can’t stand to read further. Only one person said they read more than a few paragraphs.
What are agents/editors looking for?
Here’s a few of the comments agents/editors mentioned in regards to what they’re looking for in a piece of writing:
- A really strong voice
- A powerful opening sentence / paragraph
- A likable character doing something interesting
- An ending that surprises yet still fits perfectly with the story. Nailing the endings was a big concern for several on the panel. It sounded like they had passed on work they loved because the ending was such a letdown.
- Is the character involved in making decisions in the story or are they just being acted upon by external forces?
What are some things agents/editors loathe?
Along with what they are looking for, there were some mentions of things these agents/editors despise:
- An author that does not understand their genre
- An opening paragraph that tries to gross-out the reader for shock value
- Someone waking up, looking in the mirror, describing themselves, talking about their thoughts as they wander around a room
What do agents/editors do when they receive your query?
These agents/editors also talked about some of the first things they check on when they receive your query:
- Check your social media presence. Do you have followers? Are you active on social media? Do you understand how to use social media or are you just spamming links to your books?
- How prolific are you? Is this your first book or have you published other short stories, novels, comics, screenplays?
- Is your cover letter easy to read or filled with long, dense paragraphs?
A couple of other comments were mentioned in regards to what makes a good query letter:
- Get to the point as fast as possible.
- Don’t put in your hopes and dreams. They don’t care about this. It isn’t relevant and wastes time.
- Only include relevant credits such as literary awards or contests you’ve won. Leave out the other stuff.
It was great to hear from these gatekeepers and get a sense for what level the writing needs to be at to submit. Whether you are self-publishing or going the traditional route, making sure your work meets and exceeds these expectations is a must.