StoryGodmother Newsletter #29 - 5 Things Literary Agents DO NOT Want
I hope January is going well for you. It’s amazing that we’re on the 19th already – to me, it always goes so fast. That’s a good reminder that, believe it or not, the year will pass more quickly than you expect, so make the most of each day, week and month. If you haven’t set your writing goals for the year, now’s a good time to get in gear and do so, before February arrives!
RESOURCES
5 Things Literary Agents Do NOT want
As agents (like every other human bring) consider what 2025 might have in store, some of them have been updating their wishlists and what kind of unsolicited manuscripts they would love to see in their inboxes. However, while this may be useful for a sense of preferences (genres they like, or possibly genres preferred by publishers they have key relationships with), at the end of the day, every agent will tell you they don’t really know what they’re looking for until they find it. Although this might sound unhelpful, it’s actually great. There’s an openness there – a willingness to be surprised and delighted by something they hadn’t thought of – and that could be your story. And although publishers and agents may be led to an extent by trends, every one of them knows a trend is a fickle thing, and no-one can really know for sure which ideas are going to fly anyway.
So, rather than thinking about what agents want, I’m going to do a typical Story Godmother thing and spin it around. What do agents generally NOT want?
1) Unfinished manuscripts
Yes, you might be surprised but this does happen. If they ask for the first three chapters, have the rest ready to go. If they come back and ask you for the full manuscript, you don’t want to waste time and risk the agent’s enthusiasm fading while you share it with your critique partners or do a proof-read. Strike while the iron is hot. It also makes you look professional if you respond quickly with a strong and completed manuscript. If you’ve sent your query in, your book should be ready to go. You should have done any final tweaks, so shouldn’t need to say ‘give me a week to read through and check’ – read through and check BEFORE you submit. Asking an agent to wait while you second-guess and check your manuscript doesn’t give off an air of confidence in your work.
Bonus tip: This also applies to competitions if you submit part of a story, such as an opening chapter. It is frustrating as a competition organiser when you ask entrants to submit the rest of the story and then a writer wants to make changes or double-check with critique partners, etc. It delays the whole process and is unfair to all involved. Please give yourself time to do a last-minute check with fresh eyes BEFORE you submit.
2) Unpolished manuscripts
Speaking of checking the manuscript... These days, many publishers spend less time on editorial work than they did in the past, so they ideally want the manuscript to be as polished as possible. However, agents don’t tend to have a huge amount of time for editorial support either. Reasonable agents will understand you’re an emerging writer so, of course, the text isn’t going to be perfect. They are looking for potential as well and will support you how they can... BUT... remember, your texts will be competing at the publishing houses with established writers, so an agent needs to feel they are good enough to send. Your texts are also competing on the agent’s slushpile with writers who have spent time, money and effort honing their craft. It’s a very competitive industry and you need to really put in a great deal with little return. Usually for several years!
Don’t be dismayed, though. Although there’s less editorial support, there is more information which is easily accessible. Resources, blogs, courses and information are all available online.
It saves everybody’s time if your manuscript is as good as it can be, which does mean spending a lot of time and effort (and sometimes, but not always, money) before it is submitted. It’s also worth noting that our texts may not be as polished as we think they are, so getting other eyes on your manuscript before sending it in is invaluable.
3) The same as they read 20 minutes ago
A lot of texts will feel overly familiar and crop up again and again in slightly different forms on the slushpile. Manuscripts really need a strong sense of originality or at least a real freshness to a familiar idea. Ideas which feel too derived from existing (usually successful) books, or overdone tropes (think lost toys or ‘first experiences’ in picture books, saving/finding vanished family members in middle grade... that kind of thing) need to work hard to stand out, otherwise it will feel like another story like the one they’ve just read, or too similar to an existing successful book, which may render your manuscript unsellable. This is why it’s important to road-test your idea before you spend ages writing it. The saving grace here can be voice – if an author’s voice is fantastic, it’s more likely to get a positive reception even if the idea itself feels familiar.
4) Something unsellable
As well as being too familiar, a manuscript may be unsellable for other reasons. For example:
• Total word count is too high for the readership age
• Problematic representations of characters, cultures or communities
• Format issues (e.g. a 20-spread picture book, when they are usually 12 spreads)
• Content of the story doesn’t match readership age/maturity
• Irrelevant or unrelatable topic, voice or style for young readers
Fortunately, most of this is easily dealt with by addressing three key strands:
1) Know and understand the market
2) Know and understand your intended readers
3) Know and understand your book
Read as much children’s fiction as you can; study publisher’s catalogues and Amazon listings to understand how stories are being pitched and marketed; and have a firm sense of where your book fits in all this, and why it is a good match for what publishers are publishing.
5) Something they don’t connect with
This is purely subjective and there is very little you can do about it. When an agent reads your story, they want to feel a buzz. They want to feel connected with the voice, excited by the premise, invested in the characters, and gripped by the storytelling. In the same way that we have more chemistry with some people than others, or click with one book over another, or prefer one TV show over another, personal preferences happen. And they are important. An agent needs to be able to champion your work, so they have to genuinely enjoy it otherwise it is so much harder to enjoy working on and to sell to other people! Hard as it may be, it is better to find someone who genuinely is excited about your work and does connect with it. If your writing craft is good, and your idea is strong, then sometimes it’s just a matter of finding that connection.
Good luck with your submissions this year!
CHARACTER CORNER
A writing exercise for you today. 10 interesting questions to ask your character. For best results, ask all your key characters and see how their responses differ. (Tip: try to answer as the character in the character’s voice, not as yourself as the writer).
1) What’s your proudest achievement?
2) What do you do that actually holds you back (self-sabotage)?
3) If you inherited a fortune, how would you spend it?
4) Which other character in the story is most important to you and why?
5) What’s your biggest regret?
6) If you had a nightmare, what might happen in it?
7) What is your most treasured possession?
8) Who has inspired you the most in your life?
9) Without thinking too much, say the first word you think of.
10) Where would you like to be in your life five years from now?
Happy chatting!
WINTER WRITING CHEER
I’m excited to say that Winter Writing Cheer is underway (Find out more here: #WinterWritingCheer ). It helps writers by providing affordable access to writing craft events whilst raising funds for Alzheimer's Research UK - the UK's leading Alzheimer's research charity. We’re aiming to fundraise £1000 – a target we have exceeded every year for the last few years thanks to people’s generosity and participation.
You can track the fundraising progress by visiting here: Just Giving Winter Writing Cheer. Thank you, as always, for your support – it means a lot. I truly hope one day we will live in a world where Alzheimer’s can be treated effectively.
So, sleeves rolled up, let’s go. What’s on the programme this year?
8 Ways to Engage Readers writing craft session
This Thursday, 23rd January, 7pm GMT
An opportunity to explore 8 brilliant ways of engaging your reader so they will be compelled to read on. It’s perfect for you if:
• you’re submitting work but not being asked for the full manuscript
• you want to polish up your writing
• you want to impress an agent or editor
• you want your stories to hold readers’ interest from the word go
• you want to understand how different writing techniques can effectively engage readers
Tickets are only £10 (plus admin fee) and 100% of ticket sales goes to the charity. The session will be recorded and available for 7 days if you can’t make it live.
Picture Book Panel
I’m very excited to offer an online evening with industry professionals from publishing houses – an opportunity to listen to their thoughts about picture books and ask any questions (via the chat) that you’d love to know the answer to. Tickets will be £10. Dates are being confirmed at the moment.
Middle Grade Panel
I’m also excited to offer an online middle-grade panel of industry professionals for those of you interested in writing for older children. Remember, agents are looking for what publishers want, so come along and hear their thoughts on middle-grade and ask any questions you like. Tickets will be £10. Dates to be announced.
All the industry professionals involved are kindly donating their time and expertise for free, so that 100% of funds raised can go to Alzheimer’s Research UK. To make sure you hear as soon as tickets are available for these and future events, please follow me on Eventbrite to receive an email notification.
1/3 off coaching sessions!
Instead of the free coaching competition this time, I’m giving my coaching time to Winter Writing Cheer. I’m delighted to offer 5 WRITERS a 30-minute coaching session (worth £30.00) for the reduced rate of £20.00. That’s 1/3 off the usual price for you and £100 more donated to charity!
Coaching can cover anything you like at all. More info here.
If you would like to enter, please email comps@storygodmother.co.uk with COACHING 19.1.25 £20 in the title and you will be entered into the draw. All entries must be received by Wednesday 22nd January 23:59 GMT. I will contact the 5 lucky winners directly.
Everyone is welcome to enter 😊
COMPETITIONS
WRITING MAGAZINE CHILDREN'S BOOK PRIZE
Congratulations to the writers of the following titles which were shortlisted for the Writing Magazine Children’s Book Prize.
Picture Book Category
B.A.N.G.
Bobble and Pip
The Kiss You Might Miss
The Never Ending Birthday
The Swing
Chapter Book Category
Hattie Houdini and the Magic Trick Trickster
Ryce’s Story
Sid-Sters
Summer at Robo Sphere
The Felix Files: The Earl’s Missing Pearls
We are so nearly there deciding the winning three entries. It’s been a really tough one and discussions are still continuing! Keep an eye open on my website and Story Godmother social media channels for announcements very soon.
MENTORING
Thank you to everyone who has applied for the mentoring so far. Closing date is TOMORROW (Monday 20th January), so if you wanted to send an application in, please do so before 23:59GMT.
The opportunity will include:
• Monthly online sessions with me and the whole group
• Monthly online feedback sessions between the writers
• 1:1 online sessions
• Written feedback on work
This year I’m looking for unagented, not-yet-published mentees who consider themselves:
• From a working-class background
• In a financially disadvantaged situation
If you know a writer who fits the bill and would like to apply, please do spread the word! You can find out more here: Mentoring – The Story Godmother
Submissions are open from until 20th January 2025 (23:59GMT).
I can’t wait to find out who I’m going to be working with!
STORY GODMOTHER WRITING COMMUNITY
Do you use Facebook? Great – join the Story Godmother Writing Community on Facebook. It’s a free, private and friendly group, where writers can share encouragement, thoughts or interesting finds. I also share weekly writing tips, we have a monthly self-promotion slot for everyone’s books (past, present and future), and I’m there to answer any questions you have because I’m on Facebook way too much. Come and join us! Story Godmother Writing Community
It’s a private group and a friendly bunch – a safe space for you to grow as a writer. And it’s absolutely free. If you request to join, please do make sure you answer the membership questions and agree to the group rules.
END NOTES
Thanks for reading! Wishing you a brilliant, creative and productive 2025!
If you’ve found this newsletter helpful, please do spread the word to other writers you know – the more, the merrier!
With writerly love,
Story Godmother x