Updated: Authors & Editors That Can Touch Up Your Manuscript & Query Letter

Updated: July 2025

A while back, the iconic fantasy author Kat Howard worked on Mike Chen's novel Here & Now & Then. Her guidance helped get the book where it needed to be, and it’s since netted acclaimed reviews. His next books, A Beginning at the End and We Could Be Heroes are in stores everywhere, with more novels to follow.

A good eye, can get you on track.

But wait. Why have someone else looking over the manuscripts by the authors I've been signing?

Well, here's the thing, writerly types. I can still miss things that need work. Generally when I'm picking up an author, I'll have read through their manuscript pretty quickly (if I'm in love with a manuscript, I read it like I read any book... by devouring it), and when it comes time for edits, I'll read it again, slowly, making notes. Then usually another time. And then again.

By the time we're ready for sub, I've likely read the book four, maybe five times. At that point, I'm probably missing stuff. If I didn't catch it by the fourth or fifth read through, I'm not going to. And if that book isn't quite landing with editors I'm subbing it to, another set of eyes becomes so key. This goes for my work process as an agent and as a writer, as well as any author working on a query letter or a rough manuscript. A new set of eyes will catch things you might have missed, and pick up on issues that are closer to them.

TL; DR: More eyes, means a better letter or a better book.

I thought it might be a good idea to roundup other authors and editors that offer up freelance editorial work. Because who better to help you work on that query / manuscript, then someone who has been there before? Authors and editors know what solid queries and manuscripts should look like, having read and written so many.

So... here we go!

Kat Howard: Kat's an author with Saga and a published short story writer with over 30 shorts out there in the world. And she has a Ph.D in literature, you guys. Check her site out for more info regarding what she edits and her rates. [Website]

Katherine Locke: The author of The Girl with the Red Balloon duology (please read these books!), Katherine knows their genre well, and works on Young Adult, Romance, and middle grade books. They offers up help on query letters, full reads, and line edits of manuscripts. [Website]

Sophia Jimenez: Sophia has worked on some astonishing books at S&S, including some of my very favorites from Laura Taylor Namey. She’s available for editorial assessments and sensitivity reads. [Website]

Hannah Morgan Teachout: With experience at agencies and a bundle of services available, you can scope out what Hannah’s all about on her site, here. [Website]

Michelle Meade: So Michelle is the editor who acquired Mike Chen’s acclaimed Here & Now & Then, and thus, has a special place in my bookish heart forever. [Website]

Victoria Rose: During the first year of the Philadelphia Bookstore Crawl, Victoria came on board to write a bunch of blog posts and copy, and basically saved the day. She offers up proofreading and copyediting, amongst other services. Highly recommend. [Website]

Kristen Martin: Another acclaimed local that I’m a big fan of, Kristen will work on query, book proposals, manuscripts, essays, and more. You can get a sense of what she handles on her website, and do check out her book! [Website]

Jessica Zimmerman: I was lucky enough to work with Jess on a nonfiction title during her time at Quirk Books, and she offers up editorial services! I can say first hand that she’s wildly great. Learn more here. [Website]

Samantha Paige Rosen: A local writer and editor I admire quite a bit, Samantha’s services are available via her website, here. She even book coaches! [Website]

Olivia Valcarce): A freelance editor for MG and YA, who has worked in the industry for quite some time. And I love quite a few of the books she worked on at Inkyard (see those here). Details on how to hire here, via her website.

Emily Ohanjanians: I was lucky enough to work with Emily a bit during her time at MIRA, and now she’s freelance editing. You can learn more about her services on her official website, and she’s also hirable via Reedsy. [Website]

Julie Scheina: Julie’s worked with folks like Tara Altebrando and Kami Garcia, working in publishing and as a freelance editor. You can get a sense of what services she offers via her website. [Website]

Kerry Kletter: Kerry wrote one of my favorite YA novels of all time, and her adult books have been astonishing. And you can hire her for critiques and edits! Details here [Website]

Revise and Shine: Run by a number of experienced folks including Lesa Cline-Ransome, Jennifer Richard Jacobson, Jo Knowles, and Rob Costello, they offer a bundle of editorial services. Check out their website.

Laura Silverman: A YA rom-com titan, Laura’s works are fantastic, and she offers up editorial services. Details here [Website]

Lori Anne Goldstein: An author of several books I adore, Lori’s available for coaching, edits, and even runs a retreat. More info on her website.

Sarah LaPolla: A former agent who I’ve been at dozens of events with, Sarah’s gone freelance editor! I’ve adored the romance and YA novels she’s worked on, and you can learn more about how to hire her via Reedsy [Website].

Diana Gill: I’ve read a bunch of the books Diana has worked on, and goodness, do you want an opportunity to work with her. A former editor at Tor, HarperVoyager, Random House, and more, you can find her details here [Website]

Lauren Smulski: So Lauren was the editor of Don’t Read the Comments, my first book over with Harlequin / Inkyard Press, and she’s worked with a whole bundle of authors you adore. She’s worked on New York Times bestsellers, even! And you can hire her, what! Details are here on her website. [Website]. You can also hire her via Reedsy.

Amy Spalding: If you’ve ever listened to an episode of Hey YA or talked to me about books, you know how much I adore Amy Spalding’s brilliant YA contemporary novels. You can hire her for book coaching and more. Details on her website. [Website]

Kendall Davis: Kendall has written for all your favorite geek outlets and writes books of her own, with plenty of experience working at major publishing houses. You can check out her services here [Website]

Julie Eshbaugh: Author of the Ivory & Bone series and other wonderful YA novels, Julie is available for writing coaching, critiques, and more. [Website]

Sonia Belasco: Philly author and writing coach Sonia Belasco writes really lovely in-verse YA and more, and is available to help with critiques, query workshopping, and more. Details here! [Website]

Lilly Dancyger: An author with Seal Press and an essayist for sites like Catapult, Lilly offers up a bundle of editorial services. [Website]

Rebecca Enzor: An author I was lucky enough to work with early in my agent career, Rebecca is great at helping out with queries and synopsises. [Website]

Bev Katz Rosenbaum: A former editor at places like Harlequin and McGraw Hill, as well as an author of Young Adult novels, Bev comes with experience from both sides of the business! Details on how you can hire her for critiques and workshops, here on her website. [Website]

Laura Lee Anderson: Laura, like me, is an author with Bloomsbury's digital imprint Bloomsbury Spark. Her novel, Song of Summer... well, you're going to have a lot of feelings after reading it. Have tissues ready. She looks at query letters and full manuscripts. [Website]

Alison Weiss: In my agent life, Alison worked on two of my favorite projects, and is such a wild champion of kid-lit. You can hire her freelance via her website, and goodness, if you need a recommendation, I will scream about her to anyone who will listen. [Website]

Sangeeta Mehta A former acquiring editor of children’s books at Little, Brown and Simon & Schuster, Sangeeta is now a full-time freelance book editor specializing in middle grade, young adult, and commercial women’s fiction. She also writes articles featuring literary agents she admires, including this Q&A about how agents approach diversity. Visit her website for more information.

Nicole Frail: Nicole's an editor who worked on three books by authors I’ve worked with, and she's also written a few non-fiction titles of her own. You can check out her rates here. [Website]

Jon McGoran: An author with Tor, Jon's DRIFT series is a favorite of mine. Drift, Dead Out... all killer thrillers, that you should be reading. And his YA series Spliced is brilliant. He's taught a number of writing courses and novel editing classes, and is available for select projects. Drop him a line, especially if you're working on thrillers or mysteries. [Website]

Ashley Kuehl: Ashley here does proposal critiques, edits, and manuscript consultations! You can see all the details on her website here. [Website]

Angela James: A founder of publishing presses and an editorial extraordinaire, you can hire Angela to polish up that manuscript. Details regarding rates and more can be found here. [Website]

Sarah Hannah Gómez: A prolific author, podcaster, and just all around excellent human, Sarah’s available for edits, critiques, you name it. Details here on her website [Website].

Samantha Wekstein: A literary agent who also offers up freelance editing services. [Website]

Lexi Small: A former editor at major publishing houses in NYC, Lexi is available for freelance services. [Website]

Jay Whistler: I met Jay at VCFA! You can work with her or anyone else on her editorial team via Angel Editors. Details here. [Website]

Sarah Jane Singer: A freelance editor who has worked with New York Times bestselling authors and more, details here on their website [Website].

Lara Willard: Working on comics? Graphic novels? Picture books? Lara's the gal for you, specializing in work with a visual angle, though she does other stuff too. You can learn more about her via her site. [Website]

Jocelyn Bailey: A former editor at Thomas Nelson and a freelance editor for places like Pegasus, Jocelyn's a rockstar. You can see what she offers up on her website. [Website]

Megan Manzano:  Has worked with some PitchWars folks, and these days, is a literary agent at D4EO. Check out her website for her rates and details [Website].

Liana Brooks: An author with HarperVoyager and loves science fiction, fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal, romance, and crime fiction for any age group. If it goes boom, bang, kiss, or crash, she can help. Check out her rates on her website.

Holly Ingraham: A former editor at St. Martin's Press and a former literary agency assistant, Holly has experience across the industry! Check out her rates here. [Website]

Dev Petty: Looking to get notes on your picture book? You can hire this published picture book author (I Don’t Want to be a Frog is a favorite of my toddler), to give that manuscript a look. Details on her rates and availability on her website. [Website]

Raquel Henry: Raquel has been published in way too many literary journals to name here (just check out her website), and does freelance editorial work. You can learn more about what she offers here [Website].

Ekta R. Garg: An author and editor who offers up edits and critiques. You can see her rates and what she works on via her official website. [Website]

Swati Hedge: A published with with Bell (check out Match Me if You Can), Swati offers up editorial and coaching services [Website].

Melissa Ann Singer: A former editor at Tor, Nightfire, etc. who worked on a number of books I love (and you likely love too!). Check out their Reedsy profile here. Novella or full novel length projects only, please!

Jennifer Prokop: Yes the voice behind your favorite romance novel podcast does freelance edits. I cannot imagine how awesome it would be having a pro like Jennifer working on your romance novel. Details on their website.

Kristen Weber): A former editor at Hachette (Grand Central, Mysterious Press, etc) Kristen is available for query letter packages, manuscript critiques, etc. [Website]

—

Have someone you'd like to add to the list? Are YOU that someone? Email me! ericsmithrocks at gmail dot com!

2018: What I Learned in Agenting & Authoring This Year

This was a good year for books. On the books? For the books?

I was lucky enough to see several of my authors' books hit bookshelves everywhere, many of which you should purchase for your friends and family this holiday season, such as:

• Love Hate & Other Filters by Samira Ahmed

• When the Beat Drops by Anna Hecker

• Brave Enough by Kati Gardner

• The Girl You Thought I Was by Rebecca Phillips

• A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna

• 8-Bit Apocalypse by Alex Rubens

• Mammoth by Jill Baguchinsky

Oh, and Rebecca Phillips' These Things I've Donewent into paperback!

Some starred reviews, a movie deal, a New York Times bestseller... it was a good year. And in my author life, The Girl & the Grove came out over the summer, and Reclaim the Sun sold to Inkyard Press (aka Harlequin Teen). It'll be out in 2020, which means we'll probably see a cover soon and ARCs sometime in 2019. I'm already sweating.

A busy year, with a lot of lessons. Let's chat.

-#-

THE BOOK FOR YOU VS. THE BOOK FOR THEM

I think with every book I write, at some point, I've muttered something along the lines of "this is THE book" to a friend, and almost always, to my wife. Honestly, I think she's heard me ramble that far too many times. I've got a new book into the hands of my agent, and off I go, prattling on about how this will be the one. Or I'll point at a house while we're wandering downtown, and say something ridiculous like "the next book" while nodding at it.

When I say THE book, it's usually not about a book just being published. It's THE book that launches you into that mysterious, magical successful place. Where yes, I will buy this adorable house with this advance and royalties and foreign sales and-

I can already see all my author and agent and industry friends shaking their head at me. What? Let me dream.

Earlier this year I got some sales numbers on some of my books that were... well, less than I was hoping. And it hurt a lot. And I was pretty crushed about it. And I kept wondering what I'm doing wrong. Where is THE book I keep promising myself and the people I care about?

And then at a book festival this year, a little girl came up to me with two of my books, and said in a small voice, that she was adopted too. And how much these stories I wrote, and stories I collected, meant to her. And it broke me apart. I got similar stories over the past few months since The Girl & the Grove came out, from adoptees and teens, discussing what the book meant to them.

It turns out, the joy isn't always found in writing a book that is THE book for you.

That really, it's less about a book being THE book for you, and more about it being THE book for someone else.

Yes, yes. It's a business and we all need to make money and get paid. But sometimes, it doesn't quite happen in the way we daydream it will. And there are other ways to look at it. Maybe the next book, maybe Reclaim the Sun, will be that book for me, that breakout one. Maybe.

But what I really hope, is that it's THE book for a young reader who needs it.

-#-

MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY EVENT, PLAN AHEAD

I've started rethinking the ways I treat festivals and conferences. I went to a number of them this year, and I almost always end up texting my wife and friends (both bookish and pals at home) from signing lines, about how maybe I've signed a single book, and I'm left sitting there for an hour.

Now, I know this happens to authors of all types. I'm used to it, it's fine. And I always wrote off that experience because festivals are great networking opportunities. You spend time with booksellers and with fellow authors. Other publishing people.

But... there's also no guarantee that's going to happen? People are busy. Everyone has their own itinerary and schedule.

When it comes to festivals and conferences... I'm still learning that it's important to plan ahead. Schedule meetings. Reach out and make sure you've got a plan to hangout and chat. Whether it's for professional reasons, like meeting up with editors, agents, authors you want to collaborate with... or just for social reasons, to chill with writers you love on social media. Make plans.

Because if you've flown across the country for a book festival, signed one book, and then you're in your hotel watching Netflix right after dinner... you might have wasted a trip. And if I'm going to leave my one-year-old and my wife behind for three days, you best believe I want to get everything I can out of a trip.

At a festival this year, I made solid plans to hang out with one specific author, and while we were out and about, we plotted out an idea. Fast forward a few months, and we've got a proposal ready, and are hoping to pitch around a new book next year. One we're working on together.

If I hadn't thought ahead, I'm not sure we would have been able to sit down and hash this out, the way we did at this festival. Take the time.

-#-

THE ONLY ONE WHO SEES YOU WORKING YOURSELF TO TEARS, IS YOU

With the big move back to the East Coast quickly approaching, I found myself hurling myself into work at the end of the summer through the rest of the year. This wasn't just client based, but had a lot to do with my teaching. I took on a full course load at a community college here in Ann Arbor, closed to queries, and while I adored all of my students (if you're seeing this, hi!), that combined with my agent life, my writing life, my MFA mentoring...

There were definitely some stress-induced shower cries.

But, I kept going, saved up, and hooray, we're going to be just fine when it comes to the move. But I didn't have to do a lot of it. I was stubborn and pushing too hard. And now I've got these strange pains in one of my hands, and I'm off to the doctor to figure out what's going on, likely from late nights typing away until I absolutely should have been in bed.

Listen.

No one else is going to know about those late work nights. About the sleep you lost. About the pushes to relax that you ignored. There's no trophy for it. Your medal isn't in the mail. So take a breath, take care of yourself. No one else is going to, especially if you're not willing to let them try.

Self care is just as valuable as working hard.

-#-

It's okay when they don't choose you, and vice versa

NOT EVERY BOOK IS FOR YOU, AND THAT'S OKAY

This bit is a little more agent-specific. This year I've passed on some books that went on to sell in a big way. And I've had some near misses with projects I absolutely adored, that are going to be coming out in the next year or two. I see them, on the ol' social media and publishing newsletters, and sometimes it stings a bit. I won't lie.

I think about this tweet from Saba Sulaiman (one of my favorite agents in this industry, she's amazing, follow her please) fairly often.

It's an interesting alchemy, publishing. While a lot of it is certainly based on talent and creativity, and a lot of it based on knowing the market and the people behind-the-scenes, there's just... so much luck to it. Pitching the right book to the right person at the right time...

I think about the books that I tried to get, or the books that I passed on, and when the "what if" comes up... if I had taken a chance on them, or they had taken a chance on me... what would have happened? There's that odd something you can't quite define in the business.

Would I have pitched this book to the right person? Would I have made edits to the project that changed it, and made it into the wrong kind of book? Would I have found it a home someplace that maybe didn't make it a big book?

There are just so many what if's, so many things up in the air. It's wild, and it's okay.

Just because you didn't get the book, doesn't mean you weren't good enough.

And just because you passed on something big, doesn't mean you were wrong.

-#-

YOU CONTINUE TO MATTER MORE THAN EVERY BOOK

And I'll keep making sure you know it.

Free Conference Passes for Marginalized Writers for 2019

In my agent life, I'm lucky enough to get asked to go writing conferences all over the place. And while these are wonderful and fun days full of networking, I'm aware of the fact that a lot of them aren't really accessible.

Conferences about writing and publishing can be expensive. And back as a young professional / graduate student in my 20's, there was no way I would have been able to afford to go to these. So I like to give back when I can.

Are you a writer eager to learn about the industry and connect with editors, agents, fellow authors? I'm offering up a free pass to the following events, to a marginalized writer (authors who are PoC, disabled, LGBTQ+, Native voices) in these respective regions:

Saint Louis Writer's Workshop (Saint Louis, MO) March 29th, 2019 www.stlouiswritersworkshop.com

Kansas City Writer's Workshop (Kansas City, MO) March 30th, 2019 www.kansaswritingworkshop.com

KWELI Children's Literature Conference (New York, NY) April 6th, 2019 www.kwelijournal.org/the-color-of-childrens-literature-conference

Pitch Publish Promote (Pittsburgh, PA) November 2nd - 4th, 2019 Note, this is a full weekend pass, and includes VIP workshops. www.pitchpublishpromote.com

Philadelphia Writer's Workshop November 23rd, 2019 www.philadelphiawritingworkshop.com

When I'm free over the course of the workshop, we'll hang out, and I'll introduce you to industry folks. We'll grab coffee. Or you can just wander around. You do you. These passes don't include hotel stays or transportation though. It's just a pass for the conference / workshop.

So please, only email me if you're from the area. I can't stress that enough.

Interested in attending? Email me with the following (but not for the online one, there's an application there already):

Name: You know, your name. Who Are You?: A bit about you. Why you write. Your WIP: What are you currently writing? Twitter: What's your Twitter handle?

To ericsmithrocks at gmail dot com, with what conference you'd like to attend. I'll pick someone one month before the day of the conference.

Perfect Pitch: Jill Baguchinsky's Query for Mammoth

When Jill Baguchinsky's query hit my inbox, I knew I had to read this book. It was a drop-everything-and-read-it-in-a-day sort of description, and that was exactly what I did. I offered to represent her the very next day.

And with her book almost here, publishing with Turner next week, I wanted to share the query letter that hooked me so quickly.

The hook part here is important, because that's what got me. We'll dig into that in a minute.

I've done this before with the query letters for Samira Ahmed, Anna Hecker, Kati Gardner, and more, which you can read collected here on my Perfect Pitch page.

And if you find this helpful, do consider pre-ordering her novel from your book retailer of choice.

Let's see that query!

-#-

Dear Eric Smith:

The summer before her junior year, paleontology geek Natalie Page lands a coveted internship at an Ice Age dig site near Austin. Natalie, who's also a plus-size fashion blogger, depends on the retro style and persona she developed to shield herself from her former bullies, but vintage dresses and perfect lipstick aren't compatible with prospecting for fossils in the Texas heat.

When Natalie's paleontologist hero steals the credit for one of her accomplishments, Nat has to unearth the confidence she needs to stand out in a field dominated by dudes. To do this, she'll have to let her true self shine, even if that means defying the rules and risking her life for the sake of a major discovery.

Then there's Chase the intern, who's seriously cute, and Cody, a local boy who'd be even cuter if he were less of a grouch -- Natalie's got more than just mammoths on her mind this summer.

MAMMOTH puts a paleo spin on a DUMPLIN'-style young adult contemporary narrative -- it's ELEANOR AND PARK meets JURASSIC PARK, just without the gene splicing and marauding velociraptors. Natalie's battle to reclaim her self-image will appeal to plus-size teens and any readers who struggle with being themselves, and the dig-site setting will engage anyone who geeks out about science. MAMMOTH is complete at 68,000 words.

MAMMOTH is a story about discovering and appreciating your strengths at any size. It's a great fit for the body positivity movement that's going strong on social media -- there's a YA readership out there that's eager for greater diversity in terms of body type. Also, young readers need to see more female characters excelling in scientific fields -- stories like HIDDEN FIGURES inspire girls to consider science-based careers, and the paleontology content in MAMMOTH plays into that. While drafting MAMMOTH, I worked with with several paleontologists and trained in fossil excavation and prospecting at the Waco Mammoth National Monument. My contacts at the Waco site are excited to help promote MAMMOTH as soon as it finds a publisher.

Thanks for your time.

Sincerely, Jill Baguchinsky

-#-

Okay, so let's talk about this. Namely, the hook.

"MAMMOTH puts a paleo spin on a DUMPLIN'-style young adult contemporary narrative -- it's ELEANOR AND PARK meets JURASSIC PARK, just without the gene splicing and marauding velociraptors."

What! That is what got me. I also ended up using this hook when pitching editors down the line. A good hook can do just that. Hook someone in. And Jill did a spectacular job of that in this pitch.

She also does a fantastic job summing up the story and introducing the themes she's exploring when describing the book, and then she goes the extra mile by talking about her research.

The details she added in about visiting dig sites and really getting to know her subject definitely grabbed me. That's something a publisher doesn't have in a database. It brings a lot of value to the table, and we discussed these dig site ties in the proposal for the book.

So, if there is some kind of tie there with your work, I think it's a good idea to bring it up.

Hope you found this helpful, and consider pre-ordering Mammoth from your book retailer of choice.

Perfect Pitch: Alex Ruben's 8-Bit Apocalypse (A Non-Fiction Query!)

With Alex Ruben's first book, 8-BIT APOCALYPSE, due out later this month from Overlook Press, I wanted to share his original query letter for the book.

I've shared quite a few of these for other clients' books as their pub dates got closer, including queries by Sangu Mandanna, Samira Ahmed, Kati Gardner, and Anna Hecker, but this is the first time I've got a non-fiction query to share, which are a little different than pitches for novels.

Let's have a look, and see what you can learn. And if this was helpful, please pre-order Alex's book as a thank you!

-#-

Hi Eric,

I am currently seeking representation for my book Armageddon: The Haunting True Story Behind an American Video Game Classic, a gripping, non-fiction account of the creation, cultural impact, and nightmarish repercussions of Missile Command, one of the biggest and most celebrated video games of all time.

A bit about the book: In the height of the Cold War, Missile Command was unleashed on American arcades. Featuring flashy graphics and inventive gameplay, it was an immediate hit captivating the attention of gamers everywhere and cementing itself as a pop culture icon for decades to come. Haunted by vivid nightmares of nuclear holocaust brought on by his obsessive work on the game, Dave Theurer’s message of the futility of nuclear war had been made clear — but at what cost to its creator? Exploring the inner-workings of Atari and its wild team of programmers, Armageddon explores the importance and critical cost of Missile Command… told by the people who were there.

This might sound familiar to you as it stemmed from an initial story I wrote on Polygon more than two years ago. Upon pulling praise for that article, I stumbled upon your tweet and subsequently saw that you were looking for pop culture books! I’m a leading video game journalist, having written for more than 30 different outlets across web, print, and television, who specializes in capturing the human element of games. Having seen your enthusiasm about the portion of the story I published on Polygon, I could think of no one better to represent my debut book and help me share this with the world. It’s been my passion to turn this story from one that video game fans will enjoy into something that anyone with an appreciation for pop culture will want to pick up — and I hope you find it to be right down your alley.

If you’re interested in reviewing my proposal, I would be happy to send it over ASAP. I am currently querying several agents. I’m open to answering any questions and would love the opportunity to explore any potential ways we could work together to find an appropriate publisher.

Thank you,

Alex Rubens

-#-

Alex does so many things right in here, some of which are specific to querying a non-fiction book, so let's talk about them.

The Hook: He sums up the hook behind the book really quickly in that first sentence. It's a book about Missile Command, the impact it had, and the nightmare it unleashed on the creator. Boom. He's got me.

The Book: He spends two paragraph dishing the premise of the book, which is a story that's fairly unknown. So it's good that he digs into it. While Missile Command is somewhat of a household name, the creator's name isn't.

The Cook: And last, he gives plenty of details about himself that are SO KEY in non-fiction.

When it comes to a non-fiction book pitch, it's so important to highlight who you are, and why you are the right person to write this book. What's your platform like? How are YOU the expert?

Alex is clearly the expert, as he's written a giant expose on the subject for one of the leading video game publications out there, and as a gaming journalist, has written for 30+ outlets. The original query linked to his portfolio and the piece that inspired the book, so it was easy to see just how accomplished he was. And is!

And there you have it, a perfect non-fiction pitch.

Perfect Pitch: Sangu Mandanna's A Spark of White Fire

Oh, hi there writers!

One question I get asked all the time, is how to craft a good query letter. At conferences. On Twitter. From random acquaintances on Facebook. So, what better way to help querying writers... than to start sharing a couple outstanding examples?

Welcome to my little "Perfect Pitch" series here on the ol' blog, where I'll post query letters from my clients. The queries that hooked me, and the books that sold afterwards.

Sangu Mandanna's A SPARK OF WHITE FIRE is a stunning multicultural YA space opera that draws from the Mahabharata. With the first book in the series coming out in the next few weeks (and the second and third coming out in 2019 and 2020), I wanted to share Sangu's original query letter, in hopes it'll help YOU with your pitching.

I was so excited when this landed in my inbox, that I fired off a bunch of emails to friends utterly flipping out. I read the book in three days, and offered to represent it four days before Christmas.

And if you find this helpful, PLEASE pre-order it on Amazon, B&N, or IndieBound, as a way of saying thank you to Sangu.

So! This is the query that got me:

-#-

Dear Eric,

My novel, A SPARK OF WHITE FIRE, is a YA space fantasy and a retelling of Indian mythology. The manuscript is complete at 85,000 words and is the first book of a trilogy.

Seventeen years ago, in a world of gods and stars and cities built on spaceships, the Queen of Avalon cast her infant daughter out into deep space. The baby survived by a goddess’s grace and floated through half a galaxy to the kingdom of Wychstar. There, she grew up in the dark while her twin brother Alexi grew up in golden light.

The baby is now Esme, clever, passionate and terribly lonely, and she has longed to return to her family all her life. Avalon is no longer theirs, not now that her father is dead, her treacherous uncle and cousin have seized the crown, and her mother and brothers have been banished. Esme wants nothing more than to help Alexi take back his crown and their home. When the King of Wychstar offers to gift the unbeatable warship Titania to the winner of a competition, the way home seems clear: Alexi is the favourite to win, their usurping cousin Max is likely to lose, and the competition seems the ideal place for Esme to reveal her identity and reunite with her family.

It all goes wrong, of course. Alexi rejects her. Angry and heartbroken, she enters the competition as Max’s champion. And wins. Titania is given to the usurpers and Esme’s choice puts her on the wrong side of an inevitable war.

You've mentioned you're interested in diverse submissions in YA sci fi and fantasy, so I thought you might be a good fit for this. This is my second novel. My first, THE LOST GIRL, was published in North America by HarperCollins in 2012 and by Random House in the UK and Commonwealth in 2013. I'm 27, live in the UK with my husband and two sons, and have a pretty alarming Netflix addiction.

Thanks very much for your time.

All best, Sangu

-#-

So let's talk about this query and why it's so great, using my favorite "the hook, the book, the cook" query construction:

The Hook: Right away, Sangu hits with the hook in her pitch. "... a YA space fantasy and a retelling of Indian mythology." I'm done. You've got me. Let's keep reading.

The Book: Sangu sums up her stunning novel in THREE PARAGRAPHS. Now, this is a genre blend of a book with scores of characters, tons of political intrigue, Gods and Goddesses, epic space battles... there's a lot in here. Yet, she dishes about it in just three paragraphs. Remember, even if there's a ton happening in your book, try to keep it at least semi-vague. Don't lay it all out there. You want your book section reading like jacket copy.

The Cook: Sangu's bio is great. She talks about her previous book (which she KNEW I was a huge fan of, even though she doesn't mention that in the query), and talks a bit about her life. She also mentions why she thought I would be a good fit for this project.

This, my friends, is perfect pitch.

A Spark of White Fire hits bookstores everywhere on September 11th with Sky Pony Press.

Perfect Pitch: Kati Gardner's Query for BRAVE ENOUGH

With Kati Gardner's debut novel, BRAVE ENOUGH, due out on August 21st, I wanted to share her fantastic query letter.

I've done this before with the query letters for Samira Ahmed's Love Hate & Other Filters and Anna Hecker's When the Beat Drops, so let's keep this tradition going, and see what you can learn from authors who have been through this process and come out with an agent (me!) and book deals!

Kati's debut has garnered some serious praise, including two starred reviews from Kirkus and Foreward. If you find this helpful (I hope you will!) do consider pre-ordering her heartbreaking contemporary read.

Let's see that query!

-#-

Dear Mr. Smith,

My name is Kati Gardner and I am submitting Brave Enough, a contemporary Young Adult novel.  Brave Enough is 74,000 words and centers around two teenagers who are facing life with the added complications of cancer.  This book would appeal to fans of The Fault In Our Stars and the feature film Center Stage.

One dance audition changed Cason Martin’s life.

Cason is a ballerina.  She is driven, but can never meet the expectations of her Artistic Director/Mother. When it is discovered that the strange pain Cason has continued to dance through is a rapidly growing tumor, her whole life is stopped.

Davis Channing is a drug addict, but he’s been in recovery for seven months.  After being arrested for possession of a Oxycodone and sentenced to community service, Davis finds himself working with the doctors and nurses on the pediatric Oncology unit.  The same people that helped save him from his own cancer only three years before.  Can they help save him again, this time from himself?

No one would ever say that these two had anything in common.

And if you had have asked Cason or Davis they would have said the same thing.  But, during the most important audition of Cason’s life that would all change.

This novel is personal for me as a writer, actor (BA in Theater Arts), and childhood cancer survivor (25 years).  I wanted to convey the truth of what being a cancer survivor is like for the many young adults who face cancer everyday.  I wanted to tell our stories.

Please feel free to contact me with any further questions you might have. Thank you for your time and consideration.

-#-

So Kati does a lot of things so so right in this query letter. Let's break it down.

Open with a Hook: This is my favorite way to see queries open up. With a hook, or with some kind of personal approach (ie: "I saw you work with X author"). Her hook dishes the title, category, genre, story, word count, AND comp titles. It's perfect. "...Brave Enough, a contemporary Young Adult novel.  Brave Enough is 74,000 words and centers around two teenagers who are facing life with the added complications of cancer.  This book would appeal to fans of The Fault In Our Stars and the feature film Center Stage."

The Book Description: She digs into that jacket-copy-esque description right away, and breaks it up with a bit of drama. Shows the stakes and the tension on separate lines, in a way you'd totally see on the back of your favorite YA novel.

Her Bio: Note the personal connection to the work that Kati mentions here. I liked the premise right away, but the fact that it came from this genuine place made me absolutely NEED to have it.

Now, nothing says you have to disclose anything personal about yourself when querying your book. I can't stress that enough. But sharing that personal tie was a real attention grabbing aspect of this query. I really want to work on books that come from real places, and Kati's story certainly does.

And that's that!

If you found Kati's query helpful, consider picking up her debut!

Book News: Reclaim the Sun, to be Published by Inkyard Press

I'm... I'm going to be in hardcover.

When Nena and I lived in Richmond for about a year, I went on a little writing retreat with some author friends (hi Phil and Bill!). I had an idea rattling around in my head. About two brown teens who loved video games and wanted to create, and a confusing world that hated them for it. Because that is our world.

And now here it is.

I'm so excited to say that RECLAIM THE SUN will be published with INKYARD PRESS in 2020!

Those of you in the bookish world will recognize Inkyard as the newly rebranded Harlequin Teen. This will be my first YA novel in hardcover, and I'm just so thrilled.

What is it about? Let's dish a little bit.

-#-

RECLAIM THE SUN is about Divya and Aaron, two teens who meet in the massively popular, No-Mans-Sky-esque video game, Reclaim the Sun.

Divya is a teen girl who streams video games on her YouTube channel, and enjoys a bit of Internet celebrity as a result. However, this brings the trolls, and she finds herself under constant assault online. She'd leave, but the sponsorships help her and her struggling single mother pay the rent and her college classes. Plus, she can't let them win.

Aaron wants to write storylines for video games, and has a little group of developer friends. His parents have other plans for him though. And when he meets Divya in the video game, the two spark up a friendship in the wild digital landscape of lush planets and wide reaching galaxies.

But when Divya is doxed, and her family is attacked in the real world, she vanishes from the Internet. And seemingly from real life. She's got plans to go to speak at Comic Con and confront the trolls. And Aaron, he's got plans to roadtrip to Comic Con to try and "save" her.

But girls aren't princesses in castles who need rescuing, and real life is a lot more complicated than a video game.

-#-

My goodness, I can't wait.

A huge thank you goes out to my rockstar agent Dawn Frederick, who won't give up on me and my books. And to Lily Anderson, Sangu Mandanna, and Chris Urie for all your notes after I wrote that draft. You got it to where it needed to be. To my Richmond crew, especially Amanda and Rebecca, who were an endless source of inspiration and helped me and Nena survive in Virginia. And Nena, who keeps pushing me to write about the serious issues I care about.

And of course, to my editor Lauren Smulski and the Inkyard Press team. I'm so thrilled to be on your roster.

Here's to 2020, my friends.