Agents are looking for a reason to say no, just to thin the pile. Don't give them one. Perfect grammar, correct spelling of their name, following their submission guidelines to the letter. It's basic professionalism, but you'd be shocked how many queries fail here.
I think a lot of queries fail because they try to explain the whole book. Your job isn't to summarize every subplot; it's to write a tantalizing back-cover blurb that leaves them wanting to read the chapters. End on a question or a dilemma, not a resolution.
I keep hearing that genre-blend comps are effective. Instead of 'a fantasy,' try 'a fantasy with the forensic detail of 'A Good Girl's Guide to Murder' and the Gothic atmosphere of 'The Beautiful.'' It demonstrates a broader understanding of the market.
Specificity is everything. Don't just say 'a story about grief.' Say 'a story about a teen medium who accidentally summons her best friend's ghost and must now navigate grief, guilt, and the logistical nightmare of hiding a spectral roommate while preparing for the SATs.' The unique hook is in the details.
My two cents: lead with character, not worldbuilding. The query for my fantasy YA got way more requests when I switched from opening with the history of the magic system to opening with my protagonist's impossible choice between saving her kingdom or her morally-grey rival.
2026-07-21 04:47:08
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SUBMISSION 101
Aria Steele
8.7
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"Keep your hands on the fucking desk." His voice is dark, as he presses my palm against the desk bending me over, his c*ck burying deep inside.
"You like that?" he whispers against my ear.
I whimper and arch my back further, trying to take him deeper despite the pain.
I never thought I'd like this sort of thing, never thought I'd even try it. But here's Harlan, opening me up to a world of pleasure and vulgarity that I didn't even know existed, and fuck, it hurts, but it's so fucking good, I can't imagine stopping.
"Yes," I breathe.
He slaps me harder.
His palm lands against the side of my face with an obscene smack that makes me feel sick and delighted and dirty all at once.
I moan as he draws me closer to release.
“Yes, what?!” he demands, pulling me up by my hair.
“Yes, professor.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Eden Shaw craves more than straight A's... she hungers for the forbidden gaze of her brooding professor, Harlan.
What starts as stolen glances ignites into a dangerous game of dominance and desire, where every lecture hides a secret touch and every grade comes with a price.
But when Eden uncovers Harlan's hidden past as Ethan Hale, heir to a fractured legacy, their illicit affair is endangered. In a world of powerplays and buried truths, can Eden submit to the man who owns her body... before he claims her heart?
Because Harlan's past is not just painful, it's dangerous, and Eden is about to find out that loving him means entering a world she was never supposed to see.
A world full of secrets.
A name he no longer claims.
And a choice that could destroy them both.
~
She wanted to impress him.
Now she may have to save him.
"A brilliant, aloof lawyer, Phin Younger has focused solely on his career and on helping people less fortunate.
Living his life without romance? He’s just fine with that. Phin knows all too well how relationships make life messy and complicated.
Until the day Emily Lassiter begs Phin to help her teenage brother. Beautiful but as fierce as a lioness, Emily is like no other woman he’s met.
Suddenly, all of Phin’s plans to avoid romantic entanglements are thrown out the window the moment he sets eyes on Emily.
A former model, Emily now struggles to make ends meet for herself and for her teenage brother Josh. When Josh commits a crime that could put him behind bars for years, she turns to her brother’s court-appointed lawyer, Phin Younger, for help.
But Emily never expected that her brother’s lawyer would be young and handsome. And she definitely never expected that Phin’s kiss would heat a need inside her that soon transforms into a conflagration.
When these two can no longer deny their feelings for each other, an embittered rival of Phin’s threatens to destroy his career, dragging Emily into the scandal.
Now these star-crossed lovers must overcome the fears that hold them captive—or face a future without the love that could set them both free."
Ravenlake Academy is known for training the future Alphas of the strongest packs. It’s brutal, elite, and boys-only. No girl has ever stepped inside its cold, iron-gated walls.
Until now.
No one suspects that the newest recruit with a sharp tongue and faster fists is not a boy at all, but a runaway Alpha princess, hiding from an arranged marriage with the Rogue King. Disguised behind her dead brother’s name, she just wants to stay hidden. But what happens when she draws the dangerous attention of two rival Alphas, and sworn enemies fated to her blood?
In a high school world where popularity reigns, Ava Martinez prefers the quiet corners of the library to the chaos of the halls. After her mother's engagement to Mark, she's forced to navigate life with her charming yet unpredictable stepsibling, Ethan Davis. When a science project pairs them together, their playful banter ignites a connection neither expected.
As Ethan helps Ava transform into the girl she thinks she wants to be, they both confront jealousy, self-discovery, and the complexities of their feelings. But when a betrayal threatens to unravel everything, Ava must decide what truly matters.
In this heartwarming tale of friendship, identity, and the struggle for acceptance, Ava learns that the journey to find oneself is often the most rewarding adventure of all. Will she choose the spotlight or embrace her true self—and the unexpected love waiting right beside her?
This is a brochure containing a collection of PROMPT IDEAS from our one and only GOOD NOVEL WORKSHOP. Every PROMPT is a thrilling idea that might inspire you and can be the foundation of your next book! If interested, Please send your summary to: workshop@goodnovel.com, and note which prompt is based on. Our editors will get back to you as soon as possible.
Thanks for reading! If you didn’t find the answer to your question here, contact your editor who sent you the contract offer and tell him/her to improve this guidebook.
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Villains who are evil for evil's sake. Especially in contemporary or realistic YA, antagonists need motivation, even if it's flawed. The bully isn't just a monster; they're a product of their own environment. A simplistic, mustache-twirling villain makes the conflict feel childish and undermines the protagonist's struggle. Complexity in your antagonist creates complexity in your protagonist's choices.
Endings are crucial. An agent who reads a full manuscript will judge the ending harshly. Does it deliver on the promises of the premise? Is it emotionally satisfying? Does it feel rushed or contrived? A weak ending can sour an otherwise strong manuscript.
They also consider the ending's commercial appeal. Is it a cliffhanger that sets up a sequel? Is it a tear-jerker that will get people talking? A definitive, hopeful ending for a standalone? The type of ending signals the author's intentions and the project's market positioning. An agent needs to know how to pitch that ending to editors. A confusing or downbeat ending can be a hard sell, even if it's artistically valid.
By being an unshakable advocate in private while being a pragmatic negotiator in public. The author needs to believe their agent is their fiercest defender, which gives them psychological safety to create. Simultaneously, the agent needs to be respected by publishers as a reasonable but tough businessperson. This dual role is hard to balance.
When done right, it means editors will take the agent's calls promptly and consider their pitches seriously, even for a midlist author, because they know the agent is professional and the author is supported. This reliability becomes a career asset, opening doors that might be closed to a similarly talented author with a less effective agent.