Query Auto-Rejects & the YA Market Going Forward | Q&A w/ Literary Agent Elana Roth Parker

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I asked my literary agent Elana Roth Parker of Laura Dail Literary YOUR questions! Elana represents the international bestselling series The Selection by Kiera Cass, soon to be a movie on Netflix, as well as YA authors Alexa Donne (me!), Anna Bright, June CL Tan, Dana Mele, Rachel Griffin, Shannon Price, and more. Elana specializes in Kidlit, ie: picture books, middle grade, and young adult fiction.
We talked about how she became an agent, what an agent does, advice for picture books and author/illustrators, what she's looking for in YA/MG/picture books, what makes her auto-reject a query, and how the pandemic will likely impact the YA market and the publishing business as a whole.
TIMESTAMPS
01:45 How Elana became a literary agent
06:28 Elana's advice for young people who want to become agents
10:22 What does an agent DO?
14:56 What Elana wants in middle grade, young adult, and picture book
21:34 Advice for author/illustrators and picture books
24:03 What qualifies does Elana look for in authors she reps?
28:40 The #1 thing Elana wishes people knew about the author/agent relationship
30:06 What's an auto-reject in a query?
35:38 Elana's client list size, loyalty, and signing from R&Rs (revise and resubmits)
38:07 How Elana knows she wants to offer on a manuscript
39:19 Elana discusses "the market" including post-pandemic trend predictions
44:11 How will the pandemic impact the industry?
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Editing Software: Pinnacle Studio 22

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Опубликовано:

25 июл 2024

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Комментарии : 75

@AlexaDonne 4 года назад

TIMESTAMPS 01:45 How Elana became a literary agent 06:28 Elana's advice for young people who want to become agents 10:22 What does an agent DO? 14:56 What Elana wants in middle grade, young adult, and picture book 21:34 Advice for author/illustrators and picture books 24:03 What qualifies does Elana look for in authors she reps? 28:40 The #1 thing Elana wishes people knew about the author/agent relationship 30:06 What's an auto-reject in a query? 35:38 Elana's client list size, loyalty, and signing from R&Rs (revise and resubmits) 38:07 How Elana knows she wants to offer on a manuscript 39:19 Elana discusses "the market" including post-pandemic trend predictions 44:11 How will the pandemic impact the industry?

@megalopath 4 года назад

"The brain space it takes to write your own books doesn't leave a lot of room for other books." You seriously ain't kidding, it doesn't leave room for much of anything for that matter.

@brandonalston1578 4 года назад

I'm a simple man, I see a new Alexa Donne video and I click thumbs up!

@juliaborsos1418 2 года назад

love this comment love love

@DistinctlyMeFilms 4 года назад

I haven't watched yet but I have to say, Alexa you are my favourite RU-vidr. Thank you for all the knowledge that you provide

@michaelblatherwick5324 3 года назад

A note about her comment at 32:00 Many of the agent listing sites *as well as agent web pages at their company* are not always up to date on genres currently accepted. Agents, please check that all of your internet and social media presences are up to date. A writer is not "ignorant" if they have checked your site, Instagram, twitter, and LinkedIn but didn't realize they were also supposed to check your Pinterest, Tumblr, and TikTok for your "up to date wish list".

@ShellyflowersReadsandWrites 4 года назад

The indie bookstores in my city are doing curbside pick up. It’s been a life saver.

@TheBookRefuge 4 года назад

Wow! This was a great interview. I love that you were able to set this up Alexa. Thank you Elana for your knowledge and advice!

@MRuby-qb9bd 4 года назад

I really appreciate how many of your videos go into the business side of publishing. I love the trope analysis and reviews that everyone does, but I feel like your channel really sticks out with this kind of stuff.

@CallistoWolf 4 года назад

Thank you so much for arranging this! You are incredibly helpful!

@gabriellacrystal9986 4 года назад

I really hope sales have drastically approved I know I have been buying physical books like crazy!!!

@OverlordPony 4 года назад

The information Mrs Parker gave about being an agent is absolutely invaluable! I had to drop out of my degree due to finances, and I was aiming to use the degree to get into "the industry" in general, so it's awesome to hear you don't necessarily need a degree for it. (Although, of course, less cool to hear about how publishing is being impacted by the virus.) Thank you guys for this video 💜

@JoriamRamos 4 года назад

Very useful! Thank you Elana and Alexa. Gosh, it's impressive how ~every single agent~ gets a bunch of queries that are completely far from their wishlists. I see this over and over again!

@sshelbyshoee 4 года назад

This is an excellent interview! Thank you, and your agent, so much for sharing this with writers looking to traditionally publish.

@kennythewolf 4 года назад

Thank you so much Elana for all that information! I really hope you can do more of these soon, Alexa!

@MlleDylan 4 года назад

I just wanted to let you know that I'm addicted to your videos! I watched almost all of them in the last week so I just downloaded The Stars We Steal on Audible. Thanks for everything.

@thefrancophilereader8943 4 года назад

This was a fantastic interview! Thank you for giving us a glimpse of what your agent does Alexa. Thank you Elana!

@rachelmaltby1229 4 года назад

Oh my goodness, thank you both! I was so excited to find this in my feed and have already watched it twice. Squee!

@microgeek9 4 года назад

I loved, loved, LOVED this video. Elana, thank you for being so generous with your time and knowledge! Alexa, I'm not surprised that your e-book sales are up. I love your RU-vid videos and bought your e-book as a result. I'm so glad I did too! To be honest, I was a little afraid that I would read your book and be so unimpressed that I couldn't take your advice seriously anymore. That certainly didn't happen! I gobbled your book up in one sitting; it was delicious!

@shaundarae4507 4 года назад

I love all of the information in the video. Thank you and Elana for the chat! ❤❤

@darsynia 4 года назад

Loved this, thank you for your time, Elana (followed you on Twitter!) and Alexa! Your videos are helping me as I struggle with an eye condition and can't write except on paper with pencil right now! The crochet tapestry wallhanging I'm making is benefiting, at least!

@misssunshine4994 4 года назад

I am so glad you posted this video! I have been wondering how the pandemic might affect trends and its nice to know as well as getting into the mind of an agent. So thank you to Elana and Alex for doing this interview 😍

@Jasper99990 4 года назад

This is so interesting and valuable. Thanks so much to Alexa and Elana!

@alwaysapirateroninace443 3 года назад

This is an immensely helpful channel. Wish I could find one focused on adult fantasy, but this is basic helpful stuff for everyone.

@annabellelee2201 4 года назад

Hi Alexa! Thank you so much for posting such helpful advice and working to help new writers across the globe. I just sold my first short story today, and I’m working on a novel. Thank you for your videos. I’m getting published!

@survivorlisa 4 года назад

Thank you for this video! I can see why you love your agent. She's amazing! I appreciated all of the information.

@brandonmedina494 4 года назад

Boy this was very interesting and helpful indeed. I've queried Elana before. I've written two new MG series. I'm a tad hesitant to submit yet, but I intend to do so.

@teatimewithnaomi 4 года назад

This was so helpful, thank you!!

@jhagen22 4 года назад

This was an incredible interview! Thanks so much for all this info. And now I'm very interested in submitting to Elana Roth Parker in the near future. :)

@MainerChick 4 года назад

Thank you! This was a great interview/discussion. Thank you Elana for taking time to do this with Alexa. You both gave us a LOT of great things to think about and work towards. I wish I had followed my passion from high school rather than doing it now. (I'm in my late 40s.) I wish I had done a lot of stuff differently back then, but no sense dwelling. I'm pushing forward with my dreams now. Thank you again ladies.

@jenlowry 4 года назад

Thanks so much for this amazing video! So much info!

@kentjennifernelson685 3 года назад

Really happy for you on the timing of leaving New York; that was a good move. Being with family is always better anyway. Good talk. Interesting and very helpful.

@Katlyn_Duncan 4 года назад

I loved this interview. Thanks Elana for sharing your expertise and honestly with agenting. :0)

@christopherlane563 2 года назад

Thank you for these videos.

@KayeSpivey 4 года назад

This is really helpful and encouraging!

@GregGountanis 4 года назад

Alexa, awesome interview! Really helpful for those in the query trenches

@geebee1514 4 года назад

Thank you Alexa so much.

@vinmaestro9860 3 года назад

The time stamps were really helpful.

@minortalentshow2653 4 года назад

hey Alexa! today I felt completely demoralized when my friend said that my story was good, the ending and opening was great, but one thing that sucked was the building of tension in characters voice. please give some idea about dealing with it. how can i do it effectively without sounding like having put in too much of an effort ?

@AlexaDonne 4 года назад

For building tension/the middle, watch my middles video. That's the closest I have on the subject. I don't have a specific video on character voice related to tension, but I do have several on character that might help? You may need to develop more reasons for the reader to care, which may be connected to that character's "want" vs. "need" and building out their social world?

@heatherrainr.8267 4 года назад

I find that my creative juices were flowing like mad when all this first started (I'm essential--Dunkin Donut), but now I've actually been reading more than writing. I picked up Wicked again, that I never finished, and even lent my physical copy to a co-worker because she's bored. I bought it on my phone too so I can keep going 😂. Escapism is so high right now, I love it. I agree, it's gonna be a spill of Wizard of Oz, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Lord of the Rings, etc all over the place. Feel good, wild, not here type of stuff. I look forward to it. We're going to feel like children and regress for comfort. It's all so fascinating.

@mcdowelltorres 2 года назад

This was very helpful.

@alieunscripted 3 года назад

Great conversation!

@gudrun5531 3 года назад

Agreed about Amazon! I am %100 trying to buy from actual bookstores. Some self-publishing authors seems to only be available on Amazon though, either kindle or hardcopy, and I wish they would be available on B&N and other platforms as well.

@janemeredith8949 3 года назад

Thank you! I enjoyed this! I have what is perhaps too basic of a question, but how do agents like to be addressed? Dear Ms. Smith, Dear Ms.Mary Smith, or something else! ⚘

@riseoftourniquet 4 года назад

Such an interesting interview explaining the work pressure regarding the agent/writer relation. My science-fiction/fantasy novel has been rejected by several agencies including Elana Roth Parker and several others from the Laura Dail Agency--but, I am unsure if my query is an auto-reject. I understand agents cannot reach out to each writer individually and was glad Parker was kind enough to respond. I have at least asked others who have followed up if they would suggest any changes to no avail. Should I stop and continue to the next in the hopes of avoiding another instant reject? Additionally, my book has 22 hand-drawn illustrations based on characters that grew up with my imagination. I am working on a website showcasing most of that art and how each character has evolved in decades. Should I add that to my queries? Also, I noticed Elana Roth Parker said "if my notes resonate and it comes back (37:39)". Was she referring to people re-submitting their query letters to her in the future?

@sicilyny5375 2 года назад

I am trying.. trying..to Not self publish. I know I am good, better, than 99.9% of what's self published and I take pride in my works. Traditionally published is how I want to go...and will..I pray!!

@betty83ish 4 года назад

This is such a great vid. Very informative and helpful.👌 Can you also do a video in where to get straight forward information on agents/agencies to stay away from. Yesterday I queried Mark Gottlieb and only today started seeing all these vague references online to him and Trident Media being sketchy.... QueryTracker and AbsoluteWrite haven’t been very helpful. Why can’t I find a complete account on what happened? I feel like the tea on agents is being hidden from authors.

@AlexaDonne 4 года назад

It's b/c Mark Gottlieb is very litigious and has made sites take down information on him. His dad is super powerful, and the agency itself beyond Mark isn't a scam, so places like QueryTracker are clearly hesitant to take definitive action. (and I'm not a fan of that choice but oh well) That's the thing: I can get sued if I name names, which is why I can't.

@betty83ish 4 года назад

Thank you.

@odd-eyes9463 4 года назад

I'm trying to figure out if my books are Young Adult or New/Adult Fiction. Like, my characters are teenagers, but the books deal with some very heavy and at times mature non-explicit to semi-explicit content

@jessicamoore8238 4 года назад

Hey Alexa- querying question. Would you include the number of fulls you have out when you send a query? Like at the end of the query write “I currently have 2 fulls our with agents. Thank you for your time and consideration.” I have an agented friend swearing by this, and it doesn’t seem unprofessional to me, but I can be a rather reserved person and I don’t want to come off as passive aggressive. Any thoughts? Thanks!

@BrekkeEl 4 года назад

This is great, thank you Alexa! Elana has been on my dream agent list for a while. The question for her if she returns, would she recommend authors resubmitting fantasies that were rejected 2 to 3 years ago but have that escapism quality since the market seems to be changing? And, does she have recommendations for someone who would like to re-submit a massively revised manuscript that was not an R&R?

@AlexaDonne 4 года назад

My personal thought is that unless an agent read and requested a full, they won't remember a project from 2-3 years ago, so just query as normal. Maybe give it a new title if you're worried. If they did read a full and rejected it is trickier. In that case you'd likely have to disclose in the query that in X year they read a full but the book has undergone significant revisions since then.

@geebee1514 4 года назад

Hi Alexa..Hi Elana..my debut Seasoned Romance sub genre novel is loosely based on my life. Do I include this in my Query Letter? Also, do I include the first 5 pages of my novel in the email with the Query Letter?

@AlexaDonne 4 года назад

Check the submission guidelines for any given agent to see how many pages they allow. 5-10 is standard but it varies by agent. I personally wouldn't include that a story is based on one's life in the query unless it is non-fiction.

@TomorrowWeLive 4 года назад

Re the comment on middle grade voice--does anyone have any actual advice on that? Because something that's come home to me recently is just how hard it is to recapture not just how you sounded, but how you thought and saw the world as a kid, when you've changed so much as a person since. I feel like it's really hard for an adult to write a child's POV in a way that feels authentic, yet some authors obviously manage to do it, and do it phenomenally well.

@likesunset03 4 года назад

Read your childhood writing/journals if you have any. Spend time reliving your own memories from that age. Talk to your family or old friends to jog your memory if things you might not remember. Spend time with kids the same age you're writing (nieces/nephews, friend's kids or relatives etc). Go to parks or areas with kids and eavesdrop on their conversations (trick is to try and not be creepy, lol, but it's possible). Volunteer with kids. Read other MG books with a similar voice/style.

@uncleanunicorn4571 4 года назад

I was planning an e-book anyway...

@kaitlingreco1826 4 года назад

If you write about a young 20 something out of college, should you classify that as YAF or adult? Since new adult is not always accepted

@haleyferru9098 4 года назад

I think adult. Young adult really has to be teens/high school age

@amy-suewisniewski6451 4 года назад

I have a question that you may not be able to answer... You've highlighted before about dead genres and how we can't look at super successful authors breaking the mold as the norm. (Marissa Meyers "Renegades" Series as an example). In lieu of this, I was wondering if you had any inside information on how many of their proposals actually get turned down? I have this sort of idea in my head (and maybe others do too) that if you hit it big, you get to write whatever you want and it will always be accepted because of your name. Is this true though? I'm sure they certainly get more chances to do their crazy ideas, but do they still write books that can't be sold? Do they still have ideas that their agents are like "Don't devote time that, focus on something else instead". I hope I'm making sense. I imagine despite everything they still have to churn out quality work. Just wondering if the "Big Author Dream" has pitfalls of it's own that people like me don't think of.

@madelineDaMiddle1 4 года назад

Thank you for this, Alexa. It was tasty and nutritious.

@vic70ria 3 года назад

I just bought your second novel in hardcover. From amazon. It was cheaper than the ebook and paperback.

@AlexaDonne 3 года назад

My second book hasn't been released in paperback in the US. That's why. The paperback listed on Amazon is a UK import. Publishing is very funny sometimes :)

@vic70ria 3 года назад

@@AlexaDonne well I’m still glad to get the hardcover. Persuasion is my favorite Austen. And it definitely deserves a reimagining. Also (re)starting on my writing journey. And all your videos are so full of good information.

@pauline_f328 3 года назад

Why is buying from Amazon harmful? Is it because they sell things too cheap, or is there another reason? (Genuinely curious)

@emeryltekutsu4357 3 года назад

I'm guessing people think that "Elana" is a typo of "Elena" when they look up the name.

@rainsmom 4 года назад

I really enjoyed this, but the discussion about ebooks made me shake my head. Ebooks plateaued for TRADITIONAL publishers because they're overpriced. They sell like gangbusters for indies -- and I don't mean those who are underpricing. I mean solidly mid-priced books.

@amy-suewisniewski6451 4 года назад

There is so much about this pandemic I don't we can predict. I do wonder though, if in another month, reading will pick up. Right now I think everyone is still freshly panicked. Lots of people just don't have the mental energy to read right now even if they are working from home. Humans are remarkably resilient though, and with time this will (unfortunately) start to feel normal. Waiting in line to shop in grocery stores, ordering online, maintaining social distancing... once we've settled a bit more (and exhausted our Netflix backlist) I could see people just even being bored enough to want new entertainment. A lot people won't have spare cash, but low ebook prices could be incentivizing. Places like Book Outlet are still operating and offering cheap prices. It would be amazing if, after this pandemic, the reading community gains new readers who didn't know they liked reading so much.

@DrVVVinK 4 года назад

go to bookshop.org

@paulyoung9578 3 года назад

Ya great video but just soooo many ads >.

@sicilyny5375 2 года назад

Hi Elana...I'm here.. you're new discovery...can we talk???😁😎

@mcaskey358 3 года назад

I have met so many people who want to write children's books, because they think it will be easier than writing adult fiction. They don't think they need a good story because, "It's for kids". I'm of the opinion if you're going in looking for the easy out, maybe you shouldn't go in.

@emeryltekutsu4357 2 года назад

Why in the world do we have to go to China to have books printed? Do we not have paper and glue in the US? It's just nuts to rely on China for something like that.