Janet Reid, Literary Agent

My question is about what formatting to use when querying from outside of the U.S. Some of us folk writing on the other side of the world...

1) The main character of my WIP does not appear on the pages until the second chapter. Should I: a. include the actual first 5-10 pages...

I know that it's easier to get signed as a debut novelist than after having published a book, especially if the book didn't sell v...

Thanks to #MSWL, more and more agents are tweeting their preferences. I know the rule about starting your query with the pitch--you'v...

Recently I received a late night email from a writer I've been in touch with for about seven months. He'd queried me and I'd sen...

I share a name with a published author. Thus I use a variation of my name to post comments on your blog. I know that I will have to corres...

For reasons I won't get into, my personal life is going to be an unholy mess soon. I've been sending out queries and the responses ...

I have read (almost) all of your posts on Query Shark, so thank you. This is my question (with a short backstory, sorry): I am an author...

I've spent ten years talking about writing effective queries. The number of INeffective queries that arrive in my mailbox, DAILY, is p...

Can I write in a query that some of my book is based on personal experience? My main character is a single mother with severe so...

I am developing an idea for a book that is (shall we say) dark and that I believe may have a market. Listening to people talk, I have disc...

You've addressed the issue of using a pseudonym a few times both on your agent blog and on Query Shark; this is a very specific questio...

I am querying a novel, and use your blog as one of my main resources on querying etiquette. I love the idea of starting the query with the...

  I have a procedural query question. If my MS is currently out with an editor, following a pitch conference, I understand it is appropriat...

Thank you for being awesome. I imagine you get that a lot. People are thankful for your help, and it can be hard not to gush. A chronic g...

Someone out there is telling writers to start their queries with this: Title: Title Genre: Literary fiction Page count (single-spaced)...

I have an upmarket women's fiction 84,000 word polished manuscript. I had my book read by a retired senior writer for Rolling Stones...

I sent the question about some agents wanting a two paragragh "intriguing" query and some wanting a full on synopsis , and what t...

is it okay to ask a question in a query? I've just read this brief on the movie American Psycho "Patrick Bateman is young, white...

I have finished Signal (loved it), but am left puzzled by one thing. How is it you think you don’t rep speculative fiction? Oh, I know Patr...