SlushWire Weekly #10 – March 08, 2026

[PubQ] How to query after self-publishing? Needing help with rights inquiries

Comments: 13, Upvotes: 19

I am going to try to keep this short(ish)! I self-published my book recently and have luckily gotten a lot of traction. Since just before my release and shortly after, I’ve been getting inquiries from (legit) foreign publishers, audio imprints, and even an agent about potential representation. I’m v…

[PubQ] how many chapters to send?

Comments: 8, Upvotes: 2

I submitted a query in my first three chapters to a small publisher. They recently got back to me and said that they wanted to read more chapters to see where the story was going. I’ve never encountered that before as every time it’s been a specific number of chapters or pages. How many should I sen…

[PubQ] When ghosted on a full request, what’s the etiquette when querying for a new work at the same agency?

Comments: 2, Upvotes: 6

I think the title says it all, but adding my time for context. 7 months ago, I queried an agent, got a FR, and delivered on it the same day. I never received a response and after 120 days, I marked this as a pass. I know getting ghosted on a full request happens. Not offended. Part of life. Didn’t…

[QCRIT] CONTRAINDICATED, Adult Literary/Upmarket Fiction, 73k [First Attempt]

Comments: 18, Upvotes: 10

One month into first batch of querying, and no positive responses. Maybe it’s too soon, but I want to check if I’m missing anything major, or if anyone has any general feedback. Also, just kind of wondered if lit fic fans would actually be interested to read this kind of book? I keep feeling like it…

[QCrit] Adult Cozy Monster Romance – The Peculiar Love of Eccentric Creatures (77k, First Attempt)

Comments: 12, Upvotes: 13

Hi all! I’d appreciate any feedback on my cozy monster romance query. I’m hoping to submit it to RevPit and start querying soon. Thank you! Dear Agent, **THE PECULIAR LOVE OF ECCENTRIC CREATURES** is a 77,000-word adult cozy monster romance with series potential, positioned between *The Very Se…

[QCRIT] MY PARENTS NAMED ME ATHEIST, YA Contemporary, 75k [Attempt 2]

Comments: 6, Upvotes: 8

Hello everyone! I’ve been tweaking my manuscript and query letter since the querying process hasn’t been going the way I would’ve liked. I’d love to get feedback on this new query letter, anything is appreciated. Dear \[Agent\], I’m reaching out to submit MY PARENTS NAMED ME ATHEIST, a young adult…

[QCrit] Adult/new adult contemporary romance/bookclub? – MOSTLY TRUE – 90k (First Attempt)

Comments: 8, Upvotes: 2

Hello – any feedback folks? I haven’t sent it out yet. I am seeking representation for MOSTLY TRUE, a light-hearted, contemporary reimagining of *Northanger Abbe*y (roughly 90,000 words). ***Romantasy-obsessed Catherine leaves for university, determined to find the adventure – and the hero – of…

Sent 85 query letters over 14 months for my novel, here’s what the rejection data actually shows

Comments: 54, Upvotes: 111

85 queries. 14 months. literary fiction. queried agents in the US and UK. 12 full manuscript requests. 2 offers of representation. the numbers tell a story about what matters and what doesn’t. finding 1: query letter version matters enormously. i sent 4 versions. version 1 (first 30 queries) had a …

[PubQ] How often should your agent nudge on sub?

Comments: 16, Upvotes: 9

I’ve been on sub for almost a year now, all with passes, and my agent has only nudged once (two weeks after the initial send-out to nudge for a confirm receipt). I’m curious as to how this stacks up to other agent’s processes. Is it common to nudge more than this, or even often? Thanks!

[PubQ] Query email bounced back saying blocked — what should I do next?

Comments: 1, Upvotes: 1

Hi everyone, I emailed a query to one of my top choices and got this auto response error message from Mail Delivery Subsystem. Has anyone else run into this issue and did you have success getting around it?, Message blocked Your message to \[redacted\] has been blocked. See technical details below…

[QCrit] THE FISHBOWL, Psychological Thriller, 60k words, 1st attempt

Comments: 14, Upvotes: 5

Hi everyone, first time posting and very nervous about it! I recently finished my first novel and would really appreciate any and all feedback on my first query attempt, thank you!! Dear -, I am seeking representation for The Fishbowl, a cautionary tale about fetishization and privilege in the mod…

[QCrit] DRACONIUM, Adult Fantasy, 95k, third attempt.

Comments: 9, Upvotes: 7

Here we are again with two versions as suggested. Hopefully I’m getting closer. Thanks again, everyone! .. True Grit meets How to Train Your Dragon in DRACONIUM, a 95k adult fantasy set in a world where magic is dying and what little remains is siphoned from the bones of dragons and other magical…

[QCrit] THE AURORA WITCH, middle grade fantasy, 90k, 2nd attempt

Comments: 14, Upvotes: 1

Edited the shite outta this book down to 125k words to 90k, which just goes to show me I saw a whole lot of nothing and the same thing over and over. I followed Nathan Bransford guide online and this is what I got. Any construction feedback is appreciated. Also need help with my synopsis if anyone i…

[QCrit] Comedic Fairy-Tale/Fantasy, WHO SAID EVIL QUEENS CAN’T GET HAPPY ENDINGS? (68K, 3rd Attempt)

Comments: 7, Upvotes: 7

When Snow White steals the Evil Queen’s enchanted mirror, it stops being a family squabble and becomes a national security incident. The Evil Queen has ruled with ruthless competence for fifteen years. Never one to panic, she springs into action, dispatching her two best operatives to retrieve it: …

[PubQ] Should I nudge an agent I have queried when I have had a news story written about me?

Comments: 1, Upvotes: 1

I have a weird question. I hope it’s okay to ask here. Is it acceptable to nudge an agent if a national news story has been written about you? Things to note: \-The story is in a national publication targeted towards a core part of my target reader demo. It is (at the time I write this) the fron…

[QCRIT] COPPER MOUNTAIN, Adult Horror, 90K (1st Attempt)

Comments: 9, Upvotes: 14

Hi PubTips! Quick disclaimer, this book is still a WIP – with one project currently dying a slow death, I wanted to see if my next book has legs before getting too far ahead of myself (my desire to avoid rejection persists, despite knowing is a futile pursuit and I Do This to Myself). Looking for an…

[QCrit] Finding Purchase, adult upmarket gay sports romance, 90k (version 3)

Comments: 13, Upvotes: 6

Thanks to everybody who has offered advice previously. It helped me realize that this thing is neither genre romance nor erotica. I’ve also been playing catch-up with comps and reworking the draft, which have hopefully only benefited both this query and the project. TIA for any thoughts on this vers…

[QCrit] THE WORMWOOD FORTUNE / Adult Literary Fiction / 92k / First Attempt

Comments: 10, Upvotes: 3

Hi all, I would appreciate any feedback on my query letter and first 300 words. I currently have a 0/8 batting average with my first batch of queries, and I want to make sure I am putting my best foot forward. I especially worry that certain sentences are clunky or confusing. Thank you! Dear *Agent…

[QCrit] ADULT romantasy – Tethered and Bound(123k/ First Attempt)

Comments: 9, Upvotes: 2

Dear \[Name\], When sardonic outcast Bloom Dyer receives word of her grandmother’s grisly passing, followed by a series of painful visions forewarning her own impending doom, she is forced to return home to the superstitious Massachusetts seaport where locals believe a curse causes Dyer women to me…

[Discussion] Proactively asking an agent who passed on my full for a revise/resubmit

Comments: 12, Upvotes: 9

I am up to my 7th full manuscript rejection (sob), all with pretty widely varied feedback. However, I just got a very detailed and overall positive rejection from my dream agent. She suggested making some edits that really, really resonated with the vision that I have for my book. There was no expli…

[PubQ] Should I withdraw MS to revise after receiving major structural feedback?

Comments: 1, Upvotes: 2

Hi! I’d really appreciate some advice from people familiar with the querying process. I currently have 2 full manuscripts and 2 partials out. They are with dream agents for me (including at top firms like Writer’s House). So far I’ve received: \- 1 rejection on the full MS with no explanation \-…

[QCrit] WHERE MOUNTAINS MEET THE SKY, Contemporary Romance, 82k (Second Attempt)

Comments: 10, Upvotes: 6

Hi all, I got some good feedback from you fine people on my first query. However, a few of you flagged an issue with the query I realized was actually an issue with the manuscript! I spent the last month editing and I’m back again. Here’s the revised query that reflects the revised stakes. Please n…

[QCrit] Adult Contemporary Romance/Women’s Fiction – IN A BETTER PLACE (99k, first attempt)

Comments: 9, Upvotes: 6

First time poster, longtime lurker! I feel like this is long and I probably tried to fit too much in, but would love to get some feedback on my first query letter. Thanks! I’m seeking representation for IN A BETTER PLACE, a 99,000-word contemporary romance with women’s fiction elements. A love let…

[QCrit] YA Fantasy – THE SECRETS TOLD AT MIDNIGHT (98K/Attempt 1)

Comments: 7, Upvotes: 3

Dear Agent, \[Personalization\] The remote island of Whisplorn isn’t supposed to have magic. But at midnight, a clock will reveal a life-altering secret to seventeen-year-old orphan Reina Dunn. Behind the walls of a dark, peeling castle, Reina lives a life of solitude, serving her enigmatic Mas…

[QCrit] Adult Speculative Horror- SHADY HOLLOW, 110K, First Attempt

Comments: 8, Upvotes: 2

I’ve been lurking for a while and haven’t posted anything, but have seen some wonderful feedback for other queries and figured it was time! For context, I have already started querying, gradually over the last year. So far I have sent a total of 26 queries. I have 14 form declines, 1 partial request…

[PubQ] Trigger warnings in your query letter?

Comments: 27 | Upvotes: 16

I’ve been researching agents to begin querying and on the very last one out of over 120 agents, I saw this: **Does your book involve murder? Some things you should know before submitting to me:** \- If your book is about a murder investigation or is a police procedural, it is NOT right for m…

[PubQ] I cut 30k words from my manuscript … can I requery agents that previously passed?

Comments: 15 | Upvotes: 9

Hi, hoping I’m writing this in the correct place, as it’s a specific question about broader guidelines I’ve come across online … **Namely, what level of editing constitutes a sufficient basis to resubmit a query to an agent?** I queried my SFF book before it was ready, at \~145-150k words. Way…

[PubQ] What Can I do while on Sub? (Would especially love to hear from Agents!)

Comments: 10 | Upvotes: 13

Currently on sub with technically the third book (first book I was on sub for was with a previous agent; this current one is my second book on sub with the agent I have now) and I’m struggling to figure out what my next move is. It’s been almost a year for this second book, so I’m bracing myself for…

[PubQ] Questions to ask during agent pitch meeting?

Comments: 3 | Upvotes: 9

I’m meeting with an agent this afternoon about my novel-in-stories and would like to get the most out of our call. For context, this meeting was set up through AWP’s writer to agent program, wherein writers sent their query letters and first five pages to a pool of agents. Not all writers were sele…

[QCrit] ALTERI, Adult Speculative Science Fiction (90K, Attempt #6)

Comments: 16 | Upvotes: 5

Hi everyone, I’m back with what I hope is my final revision. Huge thanks to MiloWestward, lets\_go\_birding, emmyroowho, Jupitero13, Nalsin, and Infinite\_Storm\_470 for the feedback across [Attempt #2](https://www.reddit.com/r/PubTips/comments/1qu1qg8/qcrit_adult_speculative_science_fiction_asteri…

[QCrit] MANIFEST VANITY! Modern Workplace Satire (82K, 3rd attempt)

Comments: 13 | Upvotes: 7

Dear \[Agent Name\], Manifest Vanity! is an 82,000-word upmarket workplace satirical novel about a Los Angeles copywriter who becomes convinced money will fix his unraveling life—until the tech startup that hires him forces him to decide how much of himself he’s willing to sell. Lucas Dalton wants…

[QCRIT] LANA SIMPSON CAN’T KEEP A SECRET/Adult Thriller/92k Words/First Attempt

Comments: 4 | Upvotes: 11

Dear XX, I am seeking representation for my debut novel, LANA SIMPSON CAN’T KEEP A SECRET, an upmarket domestic thriller. Complete at 92,000 words, LANA SIMPSON CAN’T KEEP A SECRET will appeal to readers who love the themes and humor of *Finlay Donovan is Killing It,* by Elle Cosimano, and enjoy th…

[QCrit] New Adult Fantasy Romance, BOUND BY BLADE AND SHADOW (115,000/PubTips Attempt #2)

Comments: 5 | Upvotes: 5

Hello Again. I am back with my second attempt at a query letter. Feedback here was SO unbelievably helpful in shifting what I thought was a first query letter but was really a synopsis into what I have now. Hoping for more great thoughts. Thank you! \———————————– Dear {A…