Last query from our Query Clinic participants

Tip of the Day: even if you don't want to use it to track your queries, querytracker.net still has a ton of helpful info. My favorite bonus features are the list of New and Updated Agents and the comments section about all the agents' wait times, etc. 

Since we aren't quite done talking about queries yet, I'd love to post another query from those that submitted to the Query Clinic. This one is from Monica.

Dear Agent Awesome,


As a devoted reader of your blog and Twitter as well as a fan of your agenting style and clients, I believe that my young adult novel STAGE DIRECTIONS is something you would be interested in.


Lucy Miller is constantly trying to take care of everybody else, making detailed lists to keep track of her many commitments, and biting off more than she can chew. She just wants high school and the plays she’s a techie for in the drama club to go as smoothly as possible because, after all, if she doesn’t keep track of the little things, who will? But now in the final months of her senior year, she’s tired of how routine high school feels, so she impulsively tries out for the spring play and actually gets cast as an understudy.


Lucy didn't want to be bored, and it's a classic case of being careful what you wish for, just like her life-long best friend Colin warned her. Now she’s trying to learn her lines and how to speak with a British accent, figure out why her ex-boyfriend Todd is suddenly speaking to her after a year of silence, build sets, and be there for her friends (and sometimes, even her enemies). And since when does Colin’s smile make her tongue-tied and nervous?


STAGE DIRECTIONS is the tale of a teenage girl who tells it like it is when she finds herself onstage instead of backstage and starts to fall for her boy-next-door best friend. At 62,000 words,this story may appeal to fans of Maureen Johnson, Stephanie Perkins, and Sarah Dessen.


I am currently a teaching assistant in a high school library while also finishing my MS in library and information science from the University X. Coincidently, I work at the high school I graduated from where I was a four-year member of the drama club and I now assist my former director.


Thank you for your time and consideration.


My thoughts:

• All and all this is a very solid query and well written. It's super easy to follow and I feel like we get a great idea of what the book is about and the characters involved.
• It works very well that you start off with character info so we can get to know Lucy right up front and that she has a Type A personality. From the beginning it's easy to figure drama is going to ensue.
• It might even be more impactful if you very briefly include what has caused her to be this Type A. Is her home life chaotic? Parent's divorce? External pressure to succeed? I know it can be a general personality trait that many of us have, but if there is a reason behind it, it might be beneficial to mention it along with the description of her personality. Especially because there's usually a reason why a teen takes on that much responsibility to "take care of everybody else."
• The first sentence in the second paragraph of the book description: "Lucy didn't want to be bored, and it's a classic case of being careful what you wish for, just like her life-long best friend Colin warned her." might be a bit too obvious. I kind of like it, but I think you might be able to rephrase to get more impact.
• Also, is there a main conflict in the novel? It's a little unclear from this query. The character conflict is nice, but there has to be something else that happens to escalate the drama. You don't have to include everything, but you need to at least hint at something larger.
• Does she become more than an understudy? If so how? Is that important drama? If not, maybe just mention that she was cast in the play and leave out the understudy info for the query.
• Your credentials are spot on and definitely highlight that you have the inside knowledge to deliver a believable book about high school drama clubs.
• Also LOVE the name of the book.
• And a general comment to everyone (because I have a feeling Monica does this when customizing the query): make sure you actually read the agent's blog or twitter pages if you comment about them. Pointing out something more specific to that agent that you enjoy about them and why you think they'd be a good fit might be helpful too. Also, specifically mention those client's books that you enjoy. But make sure if you include it that those clients aren't vastly different then you as a writer, or it might serve to confuse the agent more than anything. Also, if you compare your work to other authors (like Monica did), then you might want to just choose one location in the query to mention specific authors.

In summary:

The query is well written. I'd just like it too escalate with the drama a bit more in the second paragraph. Also, the plot itself doesn't seem too new, but I happen to be one that likes that and I know others do to. I'm a fan of predictability and just general light, fun reads. But I know it can make the agent search very hard, especially in today's market. So keep at it, because someone will be bound to love it! 

Thanks for submitting Monica and good luck in your agent search!

--Emily, Miss Querylicious


...

Query Clinic #5: Book Blogger Version

Tip of the Day: Want to win some Hunger Games swag? Check out Susan's giveaway!

It's my turn to take on the query, but this time it's for those authors who already have a book out, or one upcoming.

My guest today is Susan Kaye Quinn. Her novel, Open Minds, debuted last November and she's already breaking sales records (which is not a surprise to me because Open Minds rawks!).

But Susan had to start out just like the rest of us. As a debut, she had no readers beyond her circle of friends, family, and writers. She reached out to book bloggers with this letter (my comments in red):

Dear Lisa,

My name is Susan Kaye Quinn and I write novels for young adults. I see from your website Books for Company that you enjoy young adult as well as paranormal stories, and I hope you will be interested in my paranormal YA novel Open Minds (Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy). 

 I'm of the grab-em-by-the-throat-and-don't-let-go school. If it were me, I'd put the tagline and book description at the top of the letter. Putting 'Review Request' in the subject line of the email lets the blogger know exactly why you're contacting them. Not a huge deal, and some bloggers might want to be told at the beginning why you chose them. It certainly isn't enough to make a blogger stop reading. ;)

When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep.

Sixteen-year-old Kira Moore is a zero, someone who can’t read thoughts or be read by others. Zeros are outcasts who can’t be trusted, leaving her no chance with Raf, a regular mindreader and the best friend she secretly loves. When she accidentally controls Raf’s mind and nearly kills him, Kira tries to hide her frightening new ability from her family and an increasingly suspicious Raf. But lies tangle around her, and she’s dragged deep into a hidden world of mindjackers, where having to mind control everyone she loves is just the beginning of the deadly choices before her.

You totally want to read Open Minds now, don't you? Susan does a great job of drawing the reader in with the description of her book. This is the single most important piece of work you will write. If a reader isn't gripped by your book's description, they won't want to read it.

If you are interested in reviewing, I would be happy to send you an Advance Reader’s Copy in the format of your choice (Kindle or Nook).

 Here's a sticky part for indie & small press authors - we may not have paperback copies available for review. Sometimes this is a problem for book bloggers, sometimes it isn't. When I query bloggers, I check out their guidelines. Often they will list which ebook format they prefer. If they do list one, I say something along the lines of, "Per your preference on your website, I'd like to gift you a Kindle edition of ..." It shows them you really did your research.

 If you are not willing to give away a paperback, don't even mention it. For indies & small press authors, the cost of paperback copies can come right out of our pocket - something that can get very expensive over time. 

Open Minds releases on November 1st, and I’m coordinating a Blog Tour for Open Minds from Nov. 1-18. If you decide to review and can participate in the Open Minds Blog Tour, that would be fantastic, but a review before or after release would be wonderful as well. In addition, I’m open to sponsoring an e-book giveaway of Open Minds and would be happy to participate in any promotional events like guest posting or interviews. Open Minds is posted on Goodreads, and you can find out more about me and my previous books from my website. The Mindjack Trilogy has its own website, where more information about the upcoming release can be found.

Susan does a great job here of giving the blogger the option to join her tour. There's no pressure on the blogger to read the book by tomorrow (yes, some authors do make requests like that - and they shouldn't). The only thing I don't see is a date to contact her by if the blogger wants to participate in the tour. It's just a courtesy so both of you know what's expected and by when. A blogger emailing you to say they want to participate in your tour isn't the same as imposing a deadline for reading the book.

 In the past, I've had bloggers participate in my tours who haven't read the book yet. An interview or guest post is sufficient for some, with a review to follow in the near future. 

Thank you very much for your time and consideration! Please let me know if you would like me to send you a copy for review.

All the best,                 

Sue

susankayequinn@comcast.net

Susan Kaye Quinn, Author

 Susan Kaye Quinn grew up in California, where she wrote snippets of stories and passed them to her friends during class. She pursued a bunch of engineering degrees and worked a lot of geeky jobs, including turns at GE Aircraft Engines, NASA, and NCAR. Now that she writes novels, her business card says "Author and Rocket Scientist" and she doesn't have to sneak her notes anymore. All that engineering comes in handy when dreaming up paranormal powers in future worlds or mixing science with fantasy to conjure slightly plausible inventions. Susan writes from the Chicago suburbs with her three boys, two cats, and one husband. Which, it turns out, is exactly as much as she can handle.

Susan has pictures of her other books here, but unfortunately I was unable to get them to upload properly. :(((

Life, Liberty, and Pursuit (a teen love story) by Omnific Publishing

Summer Breeze Anthology

Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com

Open Minds (Available November 1st!) on Goodreads now

All in all, this is a fantastic query letter. Susan really did her homework. She was thoughtful and considerate when presenting her work to the blogger.

Everyone needs to remember that bloggers need to be treated with respect, just like an agent or an editor. 

Megg, Miss Enchanted ePubber 

Query Clinic #4 - YA Sci-fi/Dystopian

Tip of the Day: Want to see how my trip to the Illinois Reading Council Conference went? Check out my blog.

Thank you Gwendolyn for sending us your query for your YA sci-fi/dystopian! Here it is:

Dear (name of person),

Ten months ago, seventeen-year-old Morgan left home to escape her abusive step-father. 

Six months ago, Earth was attacked by Scrappers, a cyborg species with black eyes and cold hearts that came without warning. 

Two months ago, the Scrappers stopped killing and started taking. 

None of the captured have been seen again. 

Now, within dead cities and abandoned highways, Morgan fights to stay hidden from the Scrappers’ search for humans. She travels alone and trusts no one but herself. The unseen scars left by her step-father haunt her every day. Morgan flinches from the help of strangers, and nightmares consume her during the night, unveiling fears of her dark past and the creatures who still hunt her. 

But when Morgan meets a boy named Jude with a metal arm, something only the Scrappers could have given him, she chooses to trust him despite her fears telling her otherwise. Not only was Jude taken by the Scrappers, but he was also the first one to survive them.

And now they want him back. 

STEEL HORIZON is a young adult science fiction novel, complete at 89,000 words. This is a post-apocalyptic story in a Terminator meets Book of Eli type world. STEEL HORIZON was the number one pick on Inkpop in November 2010.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

First, the stuff I love:

• That you started with numbers, counting down to what happened. Grabbed my attention!
• The idea-- especially how she meets a boy altered by the Scrappers.
• The last line, "And now they want him back"-- very hooky! Makes me want to read. That whole paragraph about meeting Jude reads really well too-- I wouldn't change it.
• That you gave an example of what else it was like-- Terminator meets Book of Eli. Awesome!
• That it was the number one pick on Inkpop.

Seriously, this is very well written-- you did an awesome job! But I want to point out some things that could help make it even better.


Stuff you can work on:

• I might shorten the first sentences to make them convey more of a sense of urgency. Like- "10 months ago 17 yr old Morgan escaped her abusive home." And then shortening the info on the scrappers in the next line. Like, "6 months ago the Earth was attacked by Scrappers." Weeding out lines like "that came without warning". That's implied when you say they were attacked. And telling us they have black eyes and cold hearts doesn't really add much at this point. You want to quickly grab the agents attention with your first lines.
• Are you in love with the name "Scrappers"? Something about it kept making me think of a little league baseball team instead of something much scarier like you intend.
• Some questions-- how many are taken? Is it mass abduction to leave the cities abandoned like you say in the next line? Because then you talk about strangers so it doesn't sound quite as abandoned.
• Some of the stuff is repetitive like trusting no one but herself and flinching from the help of strangers. Also, "unseen scars left by her stepfather haunt her every day" and "nightmares consume her during the night, unveiling fears of her dark past..." This kind of thing can be tightened up. 
• Really you could probably change that whole paragraph from- "Now, within dead cities and abandoned highways, Morgan fights to stay hidden from the Scrappers’ search for humans. She travels alone and trusts no one but herself. The unseen scars left by her step-father haunt her every day. Morgan flinches from the help of strangers, and nightmares consume her during the night, unveiling fears of her dark past and the creatures who still hunt her." to "Now, within dead cities and abandoned highways, Morgan fights to stay hidden from the Scrappers’ search for humans. And fights the nightmares of her past that consume her each night."
• I would elaborate on what Inkpop is just in case the agent doesn't know right off and you don't want to make him/her google. I honestly didn't know at first. If you phrase it like this, "STEEL HORIZON was the number one pick on Harper Collins' Inkpop Writing Community in November of 2010." that sounds more official/clearer. And I went back and forth on whether or not to include the month/year. On one hand it lets the agent know exactly when you were #1 which is good. On the other hand, is the agent going to then think wow, you've been shopping this finished manuscript for over a year already? I'm going to pass too. What do you think readers?
• Finally, I really like how you set up that last paragraph-- great job! Do you have any other writing credentials you can add in there? Program you've completed? Place you've published a short story maybe?

Okay readers, what do you think about Gwendolyn's query? Did I miss anything? 

Kristina, Miss Author in Action

Query Clinic Submission #3 (or Good Things Come in Threes!)

Tip of the Day, Librarian Edition: Please don't get mad at the library if every copy of their children's biographies on Harriet Tubman are checked out when you know 50 kids at the local elementary school all have to do the same assignment of reading a biography about Harriet Tubman.

Thank you so much Julie for sending in your query for a critique! I hope this feedback is helpful to you and to our readers. I know the past two weeks of query crits have been helpful to me!

Here is Julie's query:

Dear Agent Name,

Aillie has the spirit of a wolf, even if her failing heart is weakening her human body. It’s no wonder her presence causes a stir when her father decides to take her home to live with his wolf clan in Scotland. They don’t tolerate women, and certainly not human ones.

When she tries to find solace and solitude in the hills above MacTire Loch all she ends up finding is a cocky member of the neighboring clan. Colin is all alpha and the future laird. He’s also her father’s worst nightmare. Or so he thinks.

Aillie's true enemies won’t be found in the rivaling wolf clan though. The ones who’ll stop at nothing to see her dead are much closer to home. Aillie and Colin will have to put aside their clashing alpha personalities to fight against history, myths and bitter old wolves if she’ll have any chance at life.

THE VOICE is a 47,000 word Paranormal YA.

This is a simultaneous query submission. Thank you for considering my manuscript for further review.

Sincerely,

Julie [REDACTED]
My [contact] info here

What is great about this query:

1. I get a nice set of the setting. Scotland! Cool!

2. There are multiple conflicts -- Aillie's failing heart, the disrespect from her clan, the tension with the rival clan, the people/wolves/creatures Aillie must battle to survive -- which keeps the tension high and makes me think the novel itself keeps moving at a good pace.

3. The writing is really good! I like the voice and the way the paragraphs flow together with great transitions, so it makes me think the writing of the novel is high quality as well.

What I would suggest:

1. Combine the first two paragraphs into a shorter intro one (while keeping the great voice!), and then elaborate on what the "real" danger is that Aillie and Colin must band together to fight. While the first two paras are the emotional arc of the story, the latter para is the important external quest and that is important.

Tangental YA Librarian ramble :) -- There are a lot of paranormal YAs featuring wolves out there now (besides TWILIGHT (Meyer) and SHIVER (Stiefvater), there's recent releases like the DARK GUARDIAN series (Hawthorne), RAISED BY WOLVES series (Barnes), NIGHTSHADE series (Cremer), SISTERS RED (Pearce), 13 TO LIFE series (Delaney), CLAIRE DE LUNE series (Johnson), etc. ). It doesn't mean this book doesn't have merit or its own twist! Just that the query will have to hit on its unique points (like Scotland!) and showcase them in order to get an agent's/editor's/bookseller's/librarian's attention so they don't think it's something they already have enough of on their list. In other words, those who are querying wolf (of vampire/zombie/dystopian/faerie) books now have to work a little harder to get attention.

2. The title THE VOICE now makes me think of that TV show "The Voice;" might want to consider a more unique title/something with pow or a Scottish feel to drive home that this is a MUST READ book. :)

3. Before the sentence about this query being a multiple submission, add something personal about yourself, even if it's not a publishing credit: that you like baking/biking/painting/running/etc., to give yourself some personality.

Overall, I think this query is a great start! Any feedback from our readers?

Thanks again to everyone for making our query clinic week a success!

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

Query Clinic--MG fantasy adventure

Tip of the Day: most of you probably know this, but I'm the last one to figure out that agentquery.com lets you subscribe by email or RSS feeds to the Agent Updates. I always forget to look in that section, but it's very helpful!

Our next query comes to us from Nicole Z.

Dear Agent:

When a dying witch gives Princess Cassandra a mystical treasure map, the adventurous ten-year-old sets out to find it. Never mind an evil sorcerer also wants the map. And never mind that he killed the witch to try to get it. Okay, his coming after Cassandra is a little worrying...

Even so, Cassandra and Vance, her commoner friend, hope the treasure will persuade the kingdom's greedy healers to fix his lame leg. Vance insists on tagging along until a monstrous hailstorm seriously injures him. The princess must face the mythological creatures of the Enchanted Jungle -- a cranky old centaur; a vicious, two-horned yale; a hungry bear-dog; among others -- and search the Rainbow Mountains without her friend. It's up to Cassandra, her trusty horse, and a baby griffin she meets along the way to find the treasure before the sorcerer kills her and before her friend dies of his wounds.

THE PRINCESS'S TREASURE HUNT is a 30,000-word MG fantasy adventure standalone novel with series potential.

I am the author of a fantasy romance trilogy, Kingdom of Arnhem - Woman of Honor (2009), Knight of Glory (2010), and Champion of Valor (2011) published with Desert Breeze Publishing. Fifteen of my short works have appeared in various anthologies, including Mertales by Wyvern Publications, and many collections by Pill Hill Press.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,

…

What I liked about the query:

• I think the query is short and concise. It's very easy to find all the necessary information. 
• The first sentence is great and pulls me in immediately. I also love a good treasure map story, so I'm definitely intrigued! Especially since it involves a princess fighting against evil.
• As the query goes along, I think the suspense builds, which gives me a good indication how the book is likely to go. We start out knowing that an evil sorcerer wants the map so bad that he's willing to kill for it and then the intensity builds from there with many challenges along the way.

What I thought could use improvement and general thoughts:

There were a few parts that confused me and I thought might be unnecessary in the query itself. And other parts I thought needed more info. I've marked my reactions in red.

When a dying witch gives Princess Cassandra a mystical treasure map, the adventurous ten-year-old sets out to find it. (I wonder if there might be a word or two you could add to this to explain how she came in contact with the dying witch to help set the scene a bit better and maybe explain even in this first sentence why she’s compelled to search for the treasure. Also, maybe stating the dying instructions of the witch might help. Does she tell Cassandra to be careful? Does she reveal anything about what the treasure is? More specific info might help set up the rest of the query.) Never mind an evil sorcerer also wants the map. And never mind that he killed the witch to try to get it. Okay, his coming after Cassandra is a little worrying... (I think the last three sentences sort of lose their impact, since two of them start with “never mind.” I get what you are trying to do, but I think it would be much more impactful to combine the first two sentences into something as simple as “Unfortunately, an evil sorcerer also wants the map and killed the witch to try to get it.” And then lead into a bit more descriptive sentence on the journey to come. It’s implied by the description that the evil sorcerer would naturally come after Cassandra, so it loses a bit of impact by telling the reader that.)

Even so, Cassandra and Vance, her commoner friend, hope the treasure will persuade the kingdom's greedy healers to fix his lame leg. (Love that she has a commoner friend help on her journey, but I feel like I need a bit more info to make this journey believable. First can you tell us the name of the kingdom, so we know a bit more info about Cassandra? Also, if she's a Princess, wouldn’t she have access to lots of money? Why couldn’t she pay off the greedy healers that way to fix her friend's lame leg? Why is she willing to embark on such a dangerous journey instead? Or do they personally not know about the evil sorcerer yet? This really needs to be made more clear. I also had to read this sentence five times to understand how a treasure map could help fix a lame leg. After I got it, it was obvious, but something about the way the sentence is written made it hard to follow at first.) Vance insists on tagging along until a monstrous hailstorm seriously injures him. (As a side note: does the sorcerer cause the hailstorm? If so, I'd include that bit of info, because it adds even more intensity that he's trying to make her journey harder, so he can get the treasure himself. If not, this sentence could still be played up a bit more to increase the suspense, especially since we find out later his wounds are life-threatening—"seriously" injured doesn’t imply life-threatening to me.) The princess must face the mythological creatures of the Enchanted Jungle -- a cranky old centaur; a vicious, two-horned yale; a hungry bear-dog; among others -- and search the Rainbow Mountains without her friend. (Wow, sounds exciting and I'm not even a fantasy reader!) It's up to Cassandra, her trusty horse, and a baby griffin she meets along the way to find the treasure before the sorcerer kills her and before her friend dies of his wounds. (I'm in!)

Summary:

Overall this is good and I definitely want to read it based on the story alone, since it sounds so exciting. But I think knowing a bit more specifics would help entice the agents even more. I'd also like a bit more info on Cassandra herself, so we have a reason to care for her. It's very telling that she's willing to risk her life for her friend, but without knowing a bit more about them as friends or people it's hard to find it believable. Also, how on earth could she be away from the kingdom at 10 years old with no one trying to find her? She's a princess. Does she use a disguise of some kind? Not sure if that's necessary to state in the query, but a little info thrown in here and there might help.

Thanks for submitting Nicole. Best of luck to you!

 So what do you all think?

--Emily, Miss Querylicious

Querying Book Bloggers

Tip of the Day: Want to name a character in my next book, Afterlife? Enter here!

Already got a book published? Whether it's self-published or traditionally published, you really need to get out there and query book bloggers. These amazing, wonderful readers can hold the key to your success and help spread the word about your book.

When I first started epubbing, I didn't query book bloggers. I assumed (making an ass mostly out of me...not you...lol) that they would only read traditionally published books. NOT TRUE! Many bloggers will read any book that piques their interest.

But how to approach them?

First, head to their blogs and read their guidelines. Seriously. It's exactly like querying an agent or publisher. Make sure you're contacting someone who will actually be interested in your work.

You need to treat bloggers with the same respect you'd treat an agent or publisher. Crafting a concise query letter is the first step to success. Oh, and before anyone assumes I have no success with query letters since I'm self-published here's my quick story: As a former freelance parenting journalist I spent seven years successfully crafting queries for article pitches. In the short time I queried agents, I had zillions of requests for pages, so I do know a bit about this. ;)

FREE on Amazon - click to download

Dear Beautiful Blogger,

Forget prophecy. Make your own destiny.

Sheltered from the outside world with no hope for escape, slave girl Reychel dreads her fifteenth birthday - when her master’s symbol is burned on the back of her bald scalp. Her best friend disappears the night before, leaving her to face the branding ceremony alone. She soon discovers nothing is as it seems when people desperate for freedom beg for Reychel's help.


Can Reychel learn to believe in herself?

Would you consider reviewing my YA fantasy novel, Anathema? It combines a gritty fantasy world like Game of Thrones with the teen accessibility of Twilight. I can provide you with an ecopy for review from your choice of vendor: Amazon, Barnes&Noble, or Smashwords. Anathema has an average of 4.3/5 stars on Amazon.com and has been reviewed by many top bloggers.


Please feel free to visit me on my website, www.meggjensen.com, or on Facebook, www.facebook.com/meggjensenauthor. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.


Best,


Megg Jensen
...contact info...


Now, this is a generic query. I always, always, always personalize my queries to each blogger. I mention something I find intriguing about their website, or a review of theirs I particularly enjoyed. It's not brown-nosing, it's common courtesy to show some interest in someone who you'd like to notice you. Often I will also mention that there is no hurry to review. Many bloggers have stacks of books that could fill a library. Don't pressure them or they'll probably just reject your book immediately. (This applies to regular reviews - not blog tours which is a whole other topic.)


Want me to critique your book blogger query? More info here on how to submit.


Megg, Miss Enchanted ePubber

Query Clinic Week: The Espressologist Query Letter

Tip of the Day: I'm hanging out in Springfield, IL, at the Illinois Reading Council Conference for the next few days as a feature speaker. Are you there too? Here's my schedule. Find me and say hi!


I'm going to share my query letter for The Espressologist since it was my most successful one. A little background here: I started querying in early February of 2007, had lots of requests for partials and fulls, and had two offers of agent representation in April. I signed with an agent and in May had an auction with four large publishers, resulting in a two book deal.


Here it is:

Dear Ms. ______:

The Espressologist is In

 Fridays 6-10 p.m.

 Come in for a little latte and love. 

That’s the sign outside of a local Chicago Wired Joe's every Friday night when jerky boss Derek Peters finds out about 17-year old barista (and high school senior) Jane Turner’s unique talent to match couples based on their favorite coffee drink (which she calls Espressology). He decides to capitalize on it—turning Jane into the holiday promotion for the month of December. She’s never been wrong, sales are through the roof, and the line of people each Espressology night wraps the block. But can it be too much of a good thing? During an interview with a national talk show at the height of Jane’s fame, she is faced with a dilemma: lose her love or lose her credibility? Or possibly lose it all, including her best friend.

Light and a lot of fun, my young adult novel, “The Espressologist is In” is complete at 42,000 words.

In addition to my love for writing fiction (specifically YA), I am also a freelance writer and writing instructor at DePaul University in Chicago, IL.  I received my Master of Arts in Writing from DePaul and I’ve written for Writer’s Digest magazine as well a number of Web sites (including AbsoluteWrite.com, Writing-World.com, pregnancyandbaby.com, sheknows.com, CoolChyck.com, and a weekly ‘Net Love column for the former Relationship101.com for over a year).

I came across your name in my search for an agent with experience in the young adult market and I feel that you would do a great job representing my novel. Would you be interested in seeing a full manuscript?

Sincerely,

Kristina Springer

--

Kristina, Miss Author in Action