Literary agent Scott Eagan from the Greyhaus Literary Agency is taking online pitches on the Dunes And Dreams RWA Chapter's blog today.

He only represents romance and women's fiction–but YA romance accepted too.

Check out the Dunes and Dreams blog for more info.

I recommend checking out his website beforehand.
 

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That query thing is hard.
Worse, it's putting your heart and soul out there.
I've heard so many different takes on this. Pretty much everyone told me "Be professional".
Well, duh. I am.
But the thing is, I kept sending queries that were dry and bland and just plain boring.
Yeah, they were professional, but they had no soul.
None.
My last query went out about two weeks ago. I haven't heard anything yet, but I have a better feeling about this one, than any previous ones.
When I posted it on our board, the entire crew had a good ole giggle reading it.
Hopefully the agent I sent it to will get a chuckle out of it too, and remember to read what I've submitted to her.
I figured this professional lark is all very well, but if I can't bring my personality into it, my voice, then I've already failed before the query even lands in anyone's in box.
I let you in on a little secret — writing that particular query letter was SO much easier than any I wrote before. Why?
Because I wrote it the same way I write my books. Off the cuff, making the reader grin or laugh outright. (With the odd Kleenex moment thrown in.)
Okay, no need for Kleenex when someone reads my query, that would be taking things too far.
But there are a few things anyone can do:

1. Make sure your full (real) name is on the email you use, not a screen name or something.
2. Make sure the email address is  your own. With shared mail accounts, there is a default email. Before you hit "Send", make sure you're sending from the right account.
3. The subject line should be short, and not too generic. 
            Query – Welcome to Hell – Juppenlatz
   rather than:
            Query – Paranormal Romance
   I imagine they get lots of those. Make yours stand out.
4. Be professional, but be yourself.

That's all the advice I have. Clearly I haven't gotten anywhere with it yet, but I'm hopeful.
And if it doesn't work, then I'll just keep on going, because… I believe I can do this. I believe there is a market for my writing out there — and when I find the editor who believes this as much as I do, then things will happen.

So, my best advice is…
Put some SOUL into your query, not just into your book.

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I will be pitching my novella tonight.
Do I have jitters?
Yeah. I’m nervous, and it’s not even close to the time to pitch.
Seven hours to go, and my stomach is churning.
I don’t know what to expect. I have five minutes in a chatroom with the editor.
However, I’m looking forward to it, too.

It’ll be the first time I pitch.
Several of my fellow critters are also pitching.
Let’s hope we all get the "Send it to me" call, at least.

In a way, if it doesn’t work and I don’t get the all important spot on the bill, I can flesh out the novella. It was hard for me to write so short, and if nothing comes of it, I will put in all the bits I had to cut out.

That’s the plan, anyway.

I’ve also entered Nathan Bransford’s "First Paragraph" competition.

Wish me luck!

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