With #DVPit coming up, I'm seeing a lot of querying/pitch advice going around so, true to my chaotic nature, I'm gonna give you this anti-advice thread.

AKA: You've Heard The Rules, Now Here's Where They May Not Be As Hard And Fast As You Think: A Thread

So I want to preface this with "whatever an agent/agency sets as *their* rules or guidelines are hard and fast for *that agent/agency*.

Seriously. Don't disregard an agent's rules and then blame me. If an agent tells you what to do, do it! This is about general advice.

1. Your pitch:

We've discussed that what you need in your pitch are you character, plot, & stakes.

A lot of people suggest saying "[age] character", but that's not hard & fast. Don't use it if you don't need the characters.

Also consider how many tags you *actually* need.

Your book may be a YA fantasy with mystery elements, but you don't need to tag all of those things. If your pitch implies the fantasy and mystery elements, just tag YA.

DEFINITELY TAG THE AGE DEMOGRAPHIC. But the rest is really up to you.

Comps are a tool to help your pitch stand out, but you don't *need* them. Some of my best pitches had no comps.

The trick is that they're a tool, but if you need the word count for something else, use it! But consider the opportunity cost: do you really need those extra words?

You get 6 pitches per book, no more than one an hour. Do you have to use all of them? No, but why not? Even if you pitch the same pitch 6 times, it increases visibility.

*Try* to mix up your pitches to attract new agents, but don't be afraid to pitch more than once.

Also, don't be afraid to deviate from the traditional pitch format. Especially if you have 6 different pitches, let one of them be wacky & wild.

I've seen pitches that completely ignore the formula but still get requests. Variation increases your chances!

Okay, to the query. Your book should be done when you pitch, but you don't have to query everyone all at once or right away!

It's okay to spread out your queries if you want to have some left over in case you get feedback. It's also okay to take time to revise before you send.

The trick here is just to be reasonable. Don't wait a year to send it and expect that agent to be waiting for you.

You can also query people who haven't requested, just don't lie and say you were a DVPit request. They'll find out and you'll be in trouble.

Now, for your query. How long does it have to be? I hear 250 words. I hear 300 words. I hear 350. Which is it?

The range is just a guideline! The point is that it needs to be concise, but no one is checking your word count and throwing it away if it's too long.

*Psst, come close for this one* The query that got me my agent went over the 350 word guideline. *GASP* *HIS* *THE THREAD IMPLODES*

For real tho: it's a guideline. My query that followed this the strictest got the *least* requests. Don't stress so much about the number!

The number is a guideline to check yourself before you ramble on too long, but it shouldn't be a cage. What matters is conveying your story.

We also say the summary of your book should be in 3 paragraphs. I've seen 2! I've seen 4! Just make sure it's *clear & concise*.

How should you greet the agent? I say Dear [Agent's Name] because you don't want to accidentally say "Ms." to a "Mr." or a "Mx.", but use common sense here.

I sometimes switched it up depending on that agent's personality. Follow any specific guidelines they state!

What about personalizations? They're great, but unnecessary! Most advice says, "Make sure to personalize!" That gave me anxiety so I almost never did it.

Personalizing did *not* improve my request rate. At all. Not even a little. If you have a connection, use it! But no stress!

Should you dive straight into the summary or start with a personalization? Each agent has a different opinion, but *come close again*

IT DOESN'T MATTER! *TWITTER COMBUSTS*

For real, it doesn't matter. If your query is amazing, they'll love it wherever it sits in the email.

Again, if an agent requests something specific, do that, but otherwise, it's *okay*. It's not a big deal. You'll be fine.

Querying is stressful enough without worrying about these nitpicky rules that don't really matter. Just be respectful & do your best!

Anyway, I think that's everything for my chaos thread, but if you have questions, feel free to respond to this tweet and I'll get to what I can!

Good luck pitching/querying!