Query Roulette is only three days away, so if you haven’t already, sign up for the event now! This is your chance to receive live feedback from a literary agent, so don’t miss the opportunity! Or, you’ll have to wait another whole year before the event swings back around.
To help you choose which agents are right for you and prepare for the big day, we’ve compiled short interviews with the participating agents. Below, you can read what Leigh Eisenman and Rosie Jonker had to say!
To see a full list of participating agents, click here!
Leigh Eisenman
CATEGORIES: Literary and Upmarket Commercial Fiction, Cookbooks, Travel, Health and Wellness, Pop Culture, Lifestyle, Humor/Gift, Narrative Nonfiction
Agency: Mackenzie Wolf
What do you pay the most attention to when reading a query letter?
For fiction, a really great logline that tells me just enough about the novel to be intrigued tends to catch my eye. And of course, it should be well-written, as the first example of the author’s writing that I’ll see. Negatives are sending genres I don’t represent!
For non-fiction, a clever idea that makes me instantly think, oh yes, we need a book like this in the world! And of course, platform platform platform.
Tell us about a favorite literary character?
This might not be my favorite ever, but a recent favorite is Arthur Less, from Andrew Sean Greer’s Less. He was so charming, endearing, and human, I couldn’t help but fall in love with him. He escapes to the opposite ends of the earth to avoid having to think about (and attend) his ex marrying someone else and suffers continuing indignities as a writer, yet he keeps going, pursuing love and continuing to write. The ultimate romantic hero!
Is there anything else you’d like to share with the participants?
I’m a sucker for dogs in books, and stories set in places I think would be amazing to live, like Paris, Tokyo, a villa in the Italian countryside…
Rosie Jonker
CATEGORIES: Thrillers, Women’s Fiction, Nonfiction (History/Culture), Pop Culture
Agency: Ann Rittenberg Literary Agency
What do you pay the most attention to when reading a query letter?
In fiction queries, the writing voice is what matters most, so I’m not as interested in the author’s biography as I am in their actual writing. Just a line or two about you and your publishing history, if any, is enough! Then go straight into your sample chapters.
In nonfiction queries, your platform is more important, so please include some information about yourself and what qualifies you to write this book. Also, please include some thoughtfully-researched comps. Make sure they’re realistic! You’re going to set yourself up for failure if you list, like, Michelle Obama’s Becoming as a comparable title for your memoir.
Tell us about a favorite literary character?
It’s gotta be Jane Eyre. She comes across as this quiet little weirdo, but when push comes to shove, you realize that she’s enormously courageous and principled.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with the participants?
I’d love to know what you’re reading, and what books or authors have shaped you into the writer you are!
To hear from other participating agents, check out last Friday’s post here!
Have any questions for Leigh Eisenman and Rosie Jonker? Post them below!
