In this very special episode—our first live-streamed Q&A—we talk about agent Alyssa Jennette's unusual entry to publishing, the tips she has for writers, and her answers, in the moment, to your most burning publishing questions. We cover her requirements for queries, whether agents have secret meetings, when agents fire clients, advice for graphic novelists and picture book writers, and much, much more.

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22:10 What Alyssa looks for in a query

24:35 and 25:50 The author she took on even though he made a cringe-worthy query mistake

27:00 Do agents have secret meetings to discuss secret things?

33:15 Do you ever drop an author who’s repeatedly rejected? (And why do agents fire clients?)

37:27: Do agents need to be friends with their clients?

40:05: How do you submit graphic novels, works with a graphic component, and what advice do you have for artists?

43:44 Do a lot of illustration notes in picture books turn you off enough to pass, or so you prefer to see an author’s vision?