Karin: One final suggestion: To save time and disappointment, consider writing your query letter at the idea stage. Query letters quickly expose a weak premise or one that’s difficult to pitch."
This is such great advice! I definitely noticed a weakness in my manuscript after drafting up the query letter. This helped me do some re-writes, but I plan on drafting the query letter first for my next idea.
Excellent advice. I love behind the scenes views of how this business works. Not to trick my way into someone’s inbox, but by being more aware of how to best represent myself and my work.
When is it time to give up on querying? One year, two years, after 50 rejections, etc. I've only been querying six months but I want to know if there's some kind of high water mark that tells me to move on to the next project.
I’m a French writer about to query my first novel written in English. I have a question about the author's bio.
I’ve previously published three books with a French indie press that is now being liquidated following the death of its founder. Since the novel I’m querying falls within the multicultural subgenre, would it be worth mentioning in my bio that I’ve been published in French?
Also, my day job is running online fiction-writing courses in French. I’ve been doing this for the past eight years and have taught over 2,500 students. I don’t hold an MFA (there’s no real equivalent in the French academic system) so I’m wondering whether mentioning my teaching experience would add value to my bio or risk coming across as arrogant.
This is all so helpful -- thank you! I'm wondering where you recommend a writer should be with a novel before starting the querying process? Is it best for it to be completely finished? Or would be okay to start querying when you have, say, 100 pages and a detailed outline for the rest? Asking (of course) for myself in part because I am eager (perhaps too eager) to start querying -- but also because I have been told that some agents like to work with a writer on shaping a novel. Thank you so much!
100% finished, or you see nothing further for you to fix/revise or improve. You can't sell a novel based on an outline unless you're an established novelist, and even then you might not be able to.
First, strongly feature the POV character we'll meet in the first pages so there's alignment between the query and the first pages. If you have more than 3 POVs, you probably won't be able to mention them all in the query, so you'll need to focus on 2-3. Introduce the first POV character, then when you mention the next one, use cause-effect transition and make the relationship clear. [Example: Let's say first paragraph is about Ben. Second paragraph starts, "But when Ben's brother, Dave, decides ..."]
If there is no relationship between the POVs/storylines, it'll be more challenging to figure out the right transition.
Brilliant - thank you so much! Passing it on to all my mentees, students, writer friends and specially those author friends who are looking to change agents!
Could you perhaps give an example of a query letter, just to get an idea? The premise could be ridiculous like robots fighting dinosaurs, but just to have a rough thought of what they look like?
I would also like to say I really appreciate the work you guys do, and I feel so bad for you from all the ungrateful unpublished authors who are convinced they are Tolstoy who demonize you and your profession (they are easily found on substack, you can probably make an educated guess who I may be thinking of...), who think the world owes them a book deal and that once they get signed they can live comfortably as an author full-time.
It depends on the writer. A pen name for a debut is usually no issue. If you're an established writer switching genres, you should reveal that early. But there isn't really a 'bad' time to let the agent/editor know you're writing under a pseudonym.
Karin, what evidence have you seen of the emerging western and dark romance trend? I am working on a project that falls into this category so this is exciting news!
When it comes to dark romance, BookTok and self-published authors are leading the way. Yellowstone kicked off the Western romance. Both subgenres have had a number of books on the bestselling lists. It was a big 2025 trend but it's hard to say what 2026 will bring. I think the former might have more staying power. Here's a great link to all things dark romance: https://beccafreeman.substack.com/p/behind-the-book-trend-dark-romance
There's a excellent company called K-lytics which has a comprehensive report on Western romance. They don't prepare those reports unless there's enough demand in readers.
Hi all! Thanks so much for this info. I love learning from you. I’m wondering if you have any insight about queries for projects with a large scope: mine is a family saga that spans many years with multiple povs. I’ve drafted a few queries, and some have included only one or two characters, while others have tried to include all the characters (it gets long!). Think: Homegoing but with less characters. I’m wondering if you have any thoughts on this. The one sentence pitch I drafted focused on the family member who set the whole story into motion and how it affects his children and grandchildren, but I realize it leaves out diving deeper into the other characters. Thank you!!
I usually tell my query clients to focus on the dominant character's journey. However, if they all the characters have similar goals, you can treat them as a collective. A good example is The Nest where all the characters are interested in an inheritance. In the Homecoming by Kate Morton, it's a sweeping story but the jacket copy focuses on one character. Usually a thematic sentence follows the three paragraph description and that's where you can address the span or POVS. Example for The Homecoming: A story that spans generations, Homecoming asks what we would do for those we love, how we protect the lies we tell, and what it means to come home.
You outlined what makes a query irresistible. What’s one subtle craft move that instantly signals to you that a writer understands the business as well as the story?
The majority of writers don't include a one-sentence pitch in the query that includes key story elements like desire, inciting incident, obstacles in stakes. Example for a soon-to-be published novel. LOVE BETWEEN THE LECTURES, a rom-com in which a human sexuality professor (WHO) is paired up with her former childhood crush, (INCITING INCIDENT) now a hotshot PhD candidate, to organize a sexual health event on campus (DESIRE)—only to face fierce opposition from the surrounding community, (OBSTACLES) including her conservative parents, who have no idea what she really does for work. (STAKES)
Thanks for the example. It’s helpful to see how you’re structuring the one‑sentence pitch around desire, inciting incident, obstacles, and stakes. That framing is very clear.
"Start early!
Karin: One final suggestion: To save time and disappointment, consider writing your query letter at the idea stage. Query letters quickly expose a weak premise or one that’s difficult to pitch."
This is such great advice! I definitely noticed a weakness in my manuscript after drafting up the query letter. This helped me do some re-writes, but I plan on drafting the query letter first for my next idea.
Thanks for the helpful info.
Very helpful. I think I should do this. Do I need to have the whole book finished?
This is all so encouraging and helpful that I've subscribed! Looking forward to reading through more of your posts for advice.
Excellent advice. I love behind the scenes views of how this business works. Not to trick my way into someone’s inbox, but by being more aware of how to best represent myself and my work.
When is it time to give up on querying? One year, two years, after 50 rejections, etc. I've only been querying six months but I want to know if there's some kind of high water mark that tells me to move on to the next project.
Thank you so much for all the great advice!
I’m a French writer about to query my first novel written in English. I have a question about the author's bio.
I’ve previously published three books with a French indie press that is now being liquidated following the death of its founder. Since the novel I’m querying falls within the multicultural subgenre, would it be worth mentioning in my bio that I’ve been published in French?
Also, my day job is running online fiction-writing courses in French. I’ve been doing this for the past eight years and have taught over 2,500 students. I don’t hold an MFA (there’s no real equivalent in the French academic system) so I’m wondering whether mentioning my teaching experience would add value to my bio or risk coming across as arrogant.
Thanks in advance for your insights!
This is all so helpful -- thank you! I'm wondering where you recommend a writer should be with a novel before starting the querying process? Is it best for it to be completely finished? Or would be okay to start querying when you have, say, 100 pages and a detailed outline for the rest? Asking (of course) for myself in part because I am eager (perhaps too eager) to start querying -- but also because I have been told that some agents like to work with a writer on shaping a novel. Thank you so much!
100% finished, or you see nothing further for you to fix/revise or improve. You can't sell a novel based on an outline unless you're an established novelist, and even then you might not be able to.
Good to know -- thank you so much!
How would you suggest writing a query letter when your book has multiple POVs? Is focusing on one character better, or giving an overview of multiple?
First, strongly feature the POV character we'll meet in the first pages so there's alignment between the query and the first pages. If you have more than 3 POVs, you probably won't be able to mention them all in the query, so you'll need to focus on 2-3. Introduce the first POV character, then when you mention the next one, use cause-effect transition and make the relationship clear. [Example: Let's say first paragraph is about Ben. Second paragraph starts, "But when Ben's brother, Dave, decides ..."]
If there is no relationship between the POVs/storylines, it'll be more challenging to figure out the right transition.
Wonderful, thank you!
Do you think the fantasy romance/romantasy genre is a dying trend or will it stick around?
It is not dying.
Brilliant - thank you so much! Passing it on to all my mentees, students, writer friends and specially those author friends who are looking to change agents!
Wow really appreciate it!
Could you perhaps give an example of a query letter, just to get an idea? The premise could be ridiculous like robots fighting dinosaurs, but just to have a rough thought of what they look like?
I wrote a post about queries with examples of what worked and what didn't work. Please check it out. https://erinniumata.substack.com/p/query-letter-workshop
Here is a treasure trove: https://andibartz.substack.com/p/how-to-pitch-your-book
Thanks!
I would also like to say I really appreciate the work you guys do, and I feel so bad for you from all the ungrateful unpublished authors who are convinced they are Tolstoy who demonize you and your profession (they are easily found on substack, you can probably make an educated guess who I may be thinking of...), who think the world owes them a book deal and that once they get signed they can live comfortably as an author full-time.
Great kickoff workshop!
I was wondering, when is the best time for an author to broach the subject of publishing under a pen name?
It depends on the writer. A pen name for a debut is usually no issue. If you're an established writer switching genres, you should reveal that early. But there isn't really a 'bad' time to let the agent/editor know you're writing under a pseudonym.
Do you mean in a query? I've seen lots of authors sign off with their real name and then say "writing as So-and-So."
Karin, what evidence have you seen of the emerging western and dark romance trend? I am working on a project that falls into this category so this is exciting news!
When it comes to dark romance, BookTok and self-published authors are leading the way. Yellowstone kicked off the Western romance. Both subgenres have had a number of books on the bestselling lists. It was a big 2025 trend but it's hard to say what 2026 will bring. I think the former might have more staying power. Here's a great link to all things dark romance: https://beccafreeman.substack.com/p/behind-the-book-trend-dark-romance
Thank you Karin! Appreciate your help!
There's a excellent company called K-lytics which has a comprehensive report on Western romance. They don't prepare those reports unless there's enough demand in readers.
Hi all! Thanks so much for this info. I love learning from you. I’m wondering if you have any insight about queries for projects with a large scope: mine is a family saga that spans many years with multiple povs. I’ve drafted a few queries, and some have included only one or two characters, while others have tried to include all the characters (it gets long!). Think: Homegoing but with less characters. I’m wondering if you have any thoughts on this. The one sentence pitch I drafted focused on the family member who set the whole story into motion and how it affects his children and grandchildren, but I realize it leaves out diving deeper into the other characters. Thank you!!
I usually tell my query clients to focus on the dominant character's journey. However, if they all the characters have similar goals, you can treat them as a collective. A good example is The Nest where all the characters are interested in an inheritance. In the Homecoming by Kate Morton, it's a sweeping story but the jacket copy focuses on one character. Usually a thematic sentence follows the three paragraph description and that's where you can address the span or POVS. Example for The Homecoming: A story that spans generations, Homecoming asks what we would do for those we love, how we protect the lies we tell, and what it means to come home.
You outlined what makes a query irresistible. What’s one subtle craft move that instantly signals to you that a writer understands the business as well as the story?
The majority of writers don't include a one-sentence pitch in the query that includes key story elements like desire, inciting incident, obstacles in stakes. Example for a soon-to-be published novel. LOVE BETWEEN THE LECTURES, a rom-com in which a human sexuality professor (WHO) is paired up with her former childhood crush, (INCITING INCIDENT) now a hotshot PhD candidate, to organize a sexual health event on campus (DESIRE)—only to face fierce opposition from the surrounding community, (OBSTACLES) including her conservative parents, who have no idea what she really does for work. (STAKES)
Thanks for the example. It’s helpful to see how you’re structuring the one‑sentence pitch around desire, inciting incident, obstacles, and stakes. That framing is very clear.