The Chopping Blog

Resource review: Query Tracker

July 13, 2020

Of all the querying tools out there, Query Tracker is at the top of the heap.

On querying

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Querying strategically

May 24, 2020

Remember, always, that this is a long road.

On querying

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$Literary representation: by the numbers$

Literary representation: by the numbers

May 17, 2020

It's critical to keep honing your craft, keep reading, and keep writing. There is no way around it: success as a novelist comes only after a tremendous amount of dedication and hard work.

On querying

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Literary agents on revision

May 09, 2020

You only get one chance with an agent, so don't blow it by submitting your manuscript before it's truly ready.

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Query Quest: the journey toward literary representation

April 19, 2020

No one is going to take a chance on your writing—you must prove that you deserve it.

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Agents can also be coaches and champions. They've got your back in terms of the legal and business side of publishing, and they will ideally be an encouraging ally who will stick with you throughout a long career.

On querying

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Literary agents on "voice"

March 28, 2020

Voice is certainly difficult to define. It's subjective, too, certainly, but literary agents are fairly unanimous on its importance.

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Query letter quandaries: pro tips from the pros

March 01, 2020

"A useful sentence to keep in mind is: When A (inciting incident) happens, B (character) must do C (action) otherwise/before D (catastrophe). You might need to play with that to make it fit your book but that covers the basics of what I need to know… who am I rooting for, what’s their problem, and what’s at stake if they fail?"

A good deal? Or a nice deal?

February 25, 2020

So which deal is your super awesome debut novel going to land? Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of manuscripts sell for less than $50,000. Of those, few sell for less than $5,000, and the rest fall somewhere in the middle.

On querying

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Literary agents on issues of word count

February 15, 2020

"The two biggies are word counts wildly out of line with your genre and choosing only iconic, hugely successful books as your comps." Sharon Pelletier

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How to write a query letter – ten tips and a template

October 26, 2019

Finding the right literary agent for your manuscript requires a lot of homework. And then, once you've found someone with aligned interests, convincing them that your project is polished and marketable is another battle altogether. Therefore, if you want to work with the agent of your dreams, make sure you put in the time, effort, and research required to make your dream a reality. Remember, you only get one shot.

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How to write a synopsis

February 03, 2019

A synopsis is a clear and direct summary of your manuscript that should highlight your engaging protagonist, your emotional arc, the originality of your vision, and the logic of your plot.

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