Allison Alexander

aealexander.comResources for Writers — Allison AlexanderFind a comp-finder database, cover designer directory, craft books, and articles here.

Writers, I have updated by comp-finder databases for sci-fi, fantasy, and horror novels, so the old links won't work anymore. I've compiled them all into ONE shiny spreadsheet, and 2026 titles have been added as well! Find it here: www.aealexander.com/resources #Writing #Querying

Do you own any beautiful editions of your favourite books? My husband bought me this gorgeous version of Howl's Moving Castle, and I looove it. #Books #Reading

20h

More people should listen to: "Resurrections" from Celeste - www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-XZ... But also anything by ROZEN. He does amazing covers. #VideoGameMusic #OSTober #Celeste

aealexander.comWriting a Query Letter — Allison AlexanderFrom choosing comps to constructing a plot summary, this webinar covers everything you need to know before sending your query to literary agents.

My webinar, Writing a Query Letter, is now available for purchase on my website! This one-hour video includes everything you need to know before querying agents, and I even edit a sample query letter to show how to fix common mistakes. www.aealexander.com/writing-a-qu... #Writing #Querying

Favorite forest theme: "Greenpath" from Hollow Knight - www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWqu... #OSTober #VideoGameMusic #HollowKnight

Books from September 2026 going on my TBR. Another great month for sci-fi and fantasy! #Fantasy #SciFi #Horror #TBR #Reading

Favorite from an indie game: "We Shall Always Be Together" from Neva - www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiGR... Another gorgeous game. #OSTober #VideoGameMusic #Neva

My five favourite covers from September 2026's books! #Fantasy #SciFi #Reading #2026Books

@azali-avenger.bsky.social

Favorite scary theme: "Leaving Earth" from Mass Effect 3 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdJa... Maybe stretching the meaning of the word "scary," but it does have creepy moments with the Reaper sound effects. #OSTober #VideoGameMusic #MassEffect

Allison Alexander reposted

Ayesha Ali (she/her)

Hi #RevPit! I hope you've been enjoying everyone's #10Queries posts today. It's now my turn. A key for abbreviations: Q=query P=first pages A=adult YA=Young Adult R=Romance F=Fantasy SF=Sci fi H=Horror T=Thriller U=Upmarket MC=Main Character POV=point-of-view Let's get started!

@madelynknecht.bsky.social

Books from August 2026 going on my TBR. #Fantasy #SciFi #TBR #Reading

Allison Alexander reposted

Madelyn Knecht ✨🌈

It's time 👀 Here's my #10Queries 🧵 GUIDE: Q=Query Letter P=Pages A=Adult MG=Middle Grade YA=Young Adult SP=Speculative M=Mystery F=Fantasy UF=Urban Fantasy H=Horror WF=Women's Fiction R=Romance RC=RomCom

Allison Alexander reposted

Hephzibah O. Praise fka LaDonna

@authorhephzibah.bsky.social

Welcome to my #10Queries session! 🎉 Here's the key to the abbreviations I'll be using: QL: Query Letter FF: First Five Pages MS: Manuscript WC: Word Count MC: Main Character Target Audience: A: Adult YA: Young Adult #RevPit #10Queries

It's time for #10Queries, where I post feedback on a random selection of query letters + first pages! 📝 This is a mini event hosted by #RevPit 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 I try to keep feedback general enough so it can help many authors ❓ You can guess if a sub is yours, but I can neither confirm nor deny!

Q10: Adult fantasy. One comp is too old (try to choose books published in the last five years). Loving this concept. This is a really solid query letter! I want to read this novel.

P10: Nice opening paragraph—it immediately gives an impression of the protagonist's personality. Starting with a bored protagonist is tricky, because it runs the risk of readers being bored too. Consider giving readers a few more reasons to care and feel curious.

Q9: Adult(?) contemporary. Query is too long. Spend one paragraph on metadata; delete themes (no need to tell us what the novel's about twice) and editorializing. Comps should be the same genre as your novel. I like the concept, but try to simplify the plot summary. Bio should be one paragraph.

P9: Opening paragraphs draw me in—nice! I like that we have a character in motion with a specific goal they are trying to achieve. Some of the dialogue is too mundane and doesn't move the plot forward or reveal anything. Overall, strong voice and writing style.

Q8: Adult(?) mystery. State the age category. Comps need to be the same age category and genre, published in the last five years. Let us know who the protagonist is, what their life is like, what they want and why. Be specific with plot details; vagueness doesn't show agents why they want your book.

P8: Some nice inner tension right away. Strong voice. This is doing a good job of making me curious, which is just what you want to do in a first chapter! Perhaps hint at the protagonist's goal in this scene a little sooner. Overall, this is solid.

Q7: Adult fantasy. I like the title. No need to state themes; these should come out in the plot summary. If possible, choose comps that are also the same subgenre as your novel. The plot setup draws me in! Try adding a little more about what actually happens in the novel and what the stakes are.

P7: I'm definitely getting old-school vibes from this writing style! Readers may feel a bit too distant from the story, so I wonder if close-third POV would better serve this novel than an omniscient narrator. It might help to get readers invested in the protagonist.

Q6: YA romance. Comps look good, just italicize them instead of all-caps. Simplify and shorten the plot summary; I had to re-read some sentences to follow it. No need to be voicy or overly-wordy here! I like the tension.

P6: The prose is a little flowery with some word choices that confused me, so I was re-reading sentences. This could use a line edit to be a more enjoyable reading experience. There's also a little too much background info being shared and not enough time spent in the present moment.

Q5: Adult fantasy. If you start a query with a tagline, it has to be REALLY good; most are too vague and don't tell the agent anything. No need to capitalize genre and age category. All-caps your novel's title but italicize comp titles. We're missing context and stakes.

P5: Too much telling and info-dumping; this is one of the toughest things to balance in SFF, especially in the opening pages! Try only revealing what your character would be thinking about in the moment (they are likely not explaining basic concepts about the world to themselves).

Q4: Adult romance. Perfect metadata paragraph. Show how the plot events connect to each other, as some points feel disconnected. I stumbled over the phrasing of a few sentences, but overall pretty solid! This sounds very fun.

P4: I like the idea of the format for the prologue, but its current state is not working for me; I feel pulled out of the story rather than immersed. Strong voice. Starting with a character unmoving and just thinking is always a challenge; consider giving them a goal or something to do.

Q3: YA fantasy. I love to see disability rep (and one of my own illnesses, too!). No need to capitalize age category and genre. Comps look good. Plot summary gives the setup, but I'm not clear on what happens in the majority of the novel; some points are too vague.

P3: Nice sensory details. Possibly too much info-dumping through dialogue. Readers need more reasons to care about the protagonist. It might help to give the protagonist something tangible they're trying to achieve in this scene. Alternatively, start the novel somewhere else.

Q2: Adult horror. Don't bother with a one-line summary of the book in the metadata paragraph; save it for the plot summary paragraphs. Comps should share the novel's subgenre, if possible. After reading this summary, I have QUESTIONS. This concept is hilarious, and I love it.

P2: A common issue with first pages is that they would be super interesting and curiosity-inducing EXCEPT, because readers have read the back-cover copy, they already know what's going on. We need something else to be curious about here besides what we already know.

Q1: Adult sci-fi. Simplify and reduce wordiness; shoot for 300–350 words total. All caps your novel's title, but italicize other titles. Good comps. No need to state the novel's themes (this is like telling what the story's about twice)—just dive right into the plot summary. Clarify the stakes.

aealexander.comWrite Engaging Scenes Using Goal, Motivation, and Conflict — Allison AlexanderWhile there is no single, magical answer on how to create compelling scenes, there are three common culprits when readers feel bored.

P1: First paragraphs spend a lot of time explaining a worldbuilding detail that isn't crucial in this moment. This chapter might be more compelling if the protagonist had a scene goal; then readers could be rooting for them. More on that: www.aealexander.com/blog/goal-mo...

✌️ I write two posts for each submission—one for the query letter and one for the first pages. 💌 I'll email these authors on Monday 🧩 Abbreviations: Q = query letter; P = pages; YA = young adult; ch = chapter; SFF = sci-fi and fantasy

From a game that released your birth year: Chip's Challenge soundtrack - www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTDN... Does anyone remember this game? It came with one of our family's Windows computers—probably the 95 or 98, and I remember loving it. #OSTober #VideoGameMusic

Allison Alexander reposted

Revise & Resub

@reviseresub.bsky.social

TOMORROW! Join us for our fun #10Queries event for anonymous feedback and amazing tips from our editors on query letters & your book's opening pages! We start at 9am EST Reminder: Each editor will post their 10Queries on their own account, so be sure to follow! #writingcommunity

If you liked playing Portal, try reading... • The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams • Wool (Silo #1) by Hugh Howey • All Systems Red (Murderbot #1) by Martha Wells #SciFi #Reading #TBR #VideoGames #Portal

From a game that came out this year: "Stars" from Cairn - www.youtube.com/watch?v=UExf... I had to research this, because I haven't played anything that's come out this year, but this soundtrack is pretty chill. #OSTober #VideoGameMusic

Story structure gets a lot of flak, because "we shouldn't have to follow rules! Stories can be whatever want them to be!" That is, of course, true. You can write however you want. But structure is largely about reader expectations. 1/5 #WritingTip #Writing #Editing

You are using some sort of structure regardless of whether you intend to or not (dividing your novel into scenes is structure, choosing to have flashbacks at the beginning of each chapter is structure, the order you tell the story is structure, the points key events occur is structure). 4/5

There's value in understanding common story structures, even if you decide to do something unusual with your novel. 5/5

When you walk into a house, you expect there to be rooms of a certain size and functionality. Similarly, readers open a novel with certain expectations about how a story works. 2/5

You can choose to meet or subvert those expectations, but if you remove the toilet from the bathroom, you'd better have an alternative place for your readers to poop, or they may feel frustrated. 3/5

Good for working/studying: "Home" from Undertale - www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UkR... #OSTober #VideoGameMusic #Undertale

She seems satisfied with her new home. 😍

Favorite winter/snow theme: "Frappe Snowland" from Mario Kart 64 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvk1... Still my favourite Mario Kart. #OSTober #VideoGameMusic #MarioKart