Querying New Material: An Update

My submissions box reopens to queries on Monday, October 19th. As I mentioned a few posts back, I am changing how I handle requests for material. Due to the extreme influx, I can no longer accept queries for every genre I represent simultaneously. It’s a wonderful problem to have–all those great stories coming my way–but I can’t keep up.

Image by Birgit Böllinger from Pixabay

Instead of taking queries on all fronts, I plan to rotate what genres I’m open to seeing. Which genres open will depend on the current market, what I have signed on recently, and what I feel most interested in reading at the time. I expect to review my decisions every few months, and to change what I’m looking for accordingly.

Accepted genres will be updated on my QueryManager page prior to my reopening on the 19th. I will also update my wishlists here and on The Knight Agency website. I hope this new system will lead to speedier response time, especially on partial and full manuscript requests. Looking forward to seeing what you’ve all been writing!

Happy Release Day to Archangel’s Prophecy by Nalini Singh

Wishing a happy release day to ARCHANGEL’S PROPHECY by Nalini Singh, the latest installment in her Guild Hunter series of paranormal romances. The cover for this one makes me so happy, between the gorgeous colors and the fierce expression on Elena’s face. Big thanks to the wonderful folks at Berkley for bringing so much talent and love in support of these books.

Archangel's Prophecy cover featuring Elena, wings spread, carrying knives

Return to New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s darkly passionate Guild Hunter world, where human-turned-angel Elena Deveraux, consort to Archangel Raphael, finds herself at the center of an eons-old prophecy…

Midnight and dawn, Elena’s wings are unique among angelkind—and now they are failing. The first mortal to be turned into an immortal in angelic memory, she’s regressing. Becoming more and more human. Easier to hurt. Easier to kill.

Elena and Raphael must unearth the reason for the regression before Elena falls out of the sky. Yet even as they fight a furious battle for Elena’s very survival, violent forces are gathering across the world. In China, the Archangel Favashi shows the first signs of madness. A mysterious sinkhole filled with lava swallows a man whole in New York. In Africa, torrential monsoon rains flood rolling deserts. And in Elena’s mind whispers a haunting voice that isn’t her own.

You can find ARCHANGEL’S PROPHECY both in print and e-book format, as well as audio, at your favorite retailers. Check it out today!

Knight Agency Submissions Move to QueryManager

The Knight Agency submissions move to QueryManager starting today! I’m excited to announce that, as promised yesterday, we have officially migrated our submissions system over to QueryManager. As of now, you will be able to query the agent of your choice directly. The new system provides a confirmation when your query uploads, and also allows you to track the progress of your material. On our end, QueryManager allows us to sort queries and other submissions more effectively. It keeps them separate from other incoming email from the start.

If you submit to our old submission email, you’ll receive a message redirecting you to QueryManager. However, we do still have materials sent prior to today, and will respond per usual. No need to resend anything sent before we made this shift.

As always, you can find complete submission guidelines for The Knight Agency on our website, including links to each agent’s QueryManager submission form. Or you can submit to my directly through my QueryManager form. I am currently seeking full-length novels only, including general/upmarket fiction, women’s fiction, historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, single-title romance, young adult and middle grade fiction. My complete wishlist is available both here and at the agency link above. I have also been known to use the #MSWL tag on Twitter from time to time.

 

New Submission Guidelines Coming Soon

The Knight Agency is getting ready to institute new submission guidelines in the next few days. I will announce it here and on Twitter, in addition to the agency’s own announcements when it goes live. Consider this a heads up. We’re very excited about this change.

To give you a general idea, we decided to migrate submissions to a Query Manager account, allowing us to automate certain things and personalize others. No more wondering if we received your submission, or whether we responded and the email went astray. Full submission information will continue to appear on The Knight Agency website, including details about what we each rep. We will include access to our individual Query Manager pages there, and I will add mine here on the site.

We will, of course, still respond to all submissions sent through the existing system. You won’t need to resubmit if you already have a query, partial, or manuscript waiting to be read. Likewise, if I requested material from you at a recent conference, please go ahead and send per that request.

And on that note, I’m off to read submissions. Keep an eye out for news the new system has gone live, and happy writing!

Nalini Singh’s Rebel Hard Cover Reveal

Have you seen the gorgeous REBEL HARD cover art? Here’s your chance, if not. If you have, another look at those abs can’t hurt.

Rebel Hard cover

I’m delighted to be able to share this cover with you. Not only because it’s beautiful, but because the book itself is delightful. It mixes romance, friends, and family, and contrasts cultural traditions with modern opinions. It also features so many characters I wish I could meet in person. This cover, by the talented Frauke Spanuth of Croco Designs, reflects the joy inherent in Nalini’s writing.

Curious about the book?

REBEL HARD

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh continues her Hard Play series with a sweet, sexy romance featuring big, fat, OTT weddings, a meddling grandma, and a too-serious hero who needs to be unbuttoned…

Nayna Sharma agreed to an arranged marriage in the hope it would heal the fractures in her beloved family… only to realize too late that a traditional marriage is her personal nightmare. Panicked, she throws caution to the winds, puts on the tiniest dress she can find, and ends up in the arms of a tall, rough-edged hunk of a man who has abs of steel–and who she manages to mortally insult between one kiss and the next.

Abandoned as a child, then adopted into a loving family, Raj Sen believes in tradition, in continuity. Some might call him stiff and old-fashioned, but he knows what he wants–and it’s a life defined by rules… yet he can’t stop thinking about the infuriating and sexy woman who kissed him in the moonlight then disappeared. When his parents spring an introduction on him, the last woman he expects is her. Beautiful. Maddening. A rule breaker in the making.

He’s all wrong for her. She’s all wrong for him. And love is about to make rebels of them both.

REBEL HARD releases on September 18th in e-book and print, and October 2nd on audio. Preorder today from your favorite e-tailers: Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, Nook

Visit Nalini’s website for more information about the Hard Play series, her other titles, and to subscribe to her newsletter for freebies and updates.

 

Twitter Pitch Fest with The Knight Agency!

Twitter_Logo_Hd_Png_01-300x237The Knight Agency celebrates 20 years in business in July, so to kick things off with a bang we’ve announced our first ever Twitter Pitch Fest. The pitch fest takes place tomorrow, June 29th, from 9am to 5pm Eastern Time under the hashtag #TKA20. You’re welcome to pitch us any genre that we as an agency represent, as long as you have not already submitted it to us through normal channels. TKA agents will “like” your Tweet to indicate interest. Full details, including how to follow up on agent interest, are available on TKA’s blog here.

I’m currently seeking projects in the following genres: Women’s fiction, single-title romance (including contemporary, historical, romantic suspense, paranormal), historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, and young adult and middle grade fiction. In addition, I’ve updated my Wish List with some things I’d especially love to see.

We’re all very excited about this Twitter Pitch Fest, so I hope to see many of you out there participating!

Happy Book Day!

A very happy book release day to Nalini Singh, whose ROCK COURTSHIP, the next installment in the Rock Kiss contemporary romance series, is available in e-book format today!

RockCourtship_final

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s new contemporary romance novella is pure hard rock and scorching heat…

What happens when the Gentleman of Rock decides to play dirty?

A drummer for the hottest rock band on the planet, David has a single, powerful weakness: Thea, the band’s publicist and the woman who steals his breath away with her every move.

Only problem is, Thea doesn’t date clients—or musicians. Emotionally scarred by a cheating ex, she’s not about to risk her heart with a man who has groupies buzzing around him like flies. Even if his sexy smile ties her up in knots.

What she doesn’t know is that David is a one-woman man…and he’s madly in love with her. David’s determined to prove he’s worth the risk, and willing to court her, step by exquisite step. Thea’s about to discover just how long and hard this handsome drummer can play.

 

Quick Query Advice

Today I bring you a few quick tips on writing and sending out queries. This isn’t meant to be an all-encompassing how-to post. Rather, this is me looking at some of the things sitting in my inbox, shaking my head, and plopping down in front of my keyboard to throw out some key points.

  • Follow submission guidelines. I’ve said it before and I will no doubt have to say it again. Go to the website of the agency you’re interested in submitting to and READ THE GUIDELINES. Then follow them. Do not follow guidelines on some aggregator site that is “helpfully” providing information for multiple agencies. Chances are they have at least some of them wrong.
  • Make the bulk of your query about your book. If you’re writing fiction, this means your very short story synopsis/blurb about the story should take up the most real estate in your query letter. Probably one or two paragraphs. Yes, feel free to include something about you — any publishing history or whatever. But remember that the purpose of the query is to get someone to ask to read the manuscript. So talk about the story. I see more query letters with two paragraphs about how the author has self-published the book and had twelve sales, while only including two sentences about the story…. Don’t do that. Sell me on the story. Everything else is icing.
  • Query more than one person at a time. Be clear that you are doing so. Then let agents with your query/material know if someone has offered you representation. In other words, don’t waste anyone’s time — yours or the agent’s. Nothing makes me sadder than an email checking on the status of a submission that’s been in my box for two months, which casually informs me that I (unbeknownst to me) have it exclusively. Except perhaps reading a project and getting excited about it, only to learn the author signed with another agent three weeks prior and never let me know the project was no longer available. Please communicate. It’s far better than the alternative.

Now, go forth and submit your little hearts out. Happy writing!

 

Happy Book Day!

OneRogueTooManyBig congratulations to Samantha Grace, whose latest book, ONE ROGUE TOO MANY — the first in her new Rival Rogues Regency series — hits stores today! This fun, romantic, sexy title received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. Be sure to check it out! (Seems like they might have a rogue to spare…)

From the Betting Book at Brook’s Gentleman’s Club:
 Wager: £2,000 that Lord Ellis will throw the first punch when he discovers Lord Throne is wooing a certain duke’s sister.

All Bets Are Off When the Game is Love

Lady Gabrielle is thrilled when Anthony Keaton, earl of Ellis, asks for her hand in marriage. She’s not so pleased when he then leaves the country and four months pass without a word. Clearly, the scoundrel has changed his mind and is too cowardly to tell her. There’s nothing to do but go back on the marriage mart…

When Anthony returns to town and finds his ultimate rival has set sights on Gabby, his continual battle of one-upmanship with Sebastian Thorne ceases to be a game. Anthony is determined to win back the woman who holds his heart — but he’s not expecting Gabby herself to up the stakes…

 

Happy Book Day!

Declartion_CourtshipCongratulations to Nalini Singh, who has two new e-novellas available today: Declaration of Courtship and Texture of Intimacy. Both of these Psy/Changeling shorts appeared in the recent collection, WILD INVITATION, and now appear individually in digital format for anyone looking to add them to their e-reader. Enjoy!

A dominant changeling wolf, SnowDancer lieutenant Cooper is not known for his patience. But when it comes to courting the shy, sexy woman he wants in his life and in his bed, he’ll have to use every ounce of control in his body to keep both man and wolf in check…at least until he convinces Grace he only bites a little.

One of the most submissive wolves in the SnowDancer pack, Grace knows nothing can come of her sensual fascination with big, bad, beautiful Cooper. He might possess her over and over in erotic dreams that leave her aching for the rough heat of his touch, but she knows that in reality, he is far too dangerous for her to handle. Then Cooper decides to change all the rules…

Textureof_Intimacy

SnowDancer healer Lara knows primal ecstasy. She wakes to it every morning, skin-to-skin with the hard male body of the quiet, powerful telepath who is her mate. Lean muscle and rough heat, Walker is the only man she has ever wanted to call her own. But being mated to a man formed in the ice-cold cage of the PsyNet has its challenges.

Born into a race where emotion is a crime, Walker’s will is a creation of cold steel. Scarred by the life he has lived, the terrible choices he was forced to make, he never expected to find happiness. Now, his heart belongs to Lara and he will fight to the death to protect the bond between them…even knowing he might have been too long in the ice of the PsyNet to give her what she needs.

Before Lara and Walker can claim the wild, beautiful promise of their future, they must first face the painful shadows of the past…