Thriller 101 145 How to Stand Out in the Query Trenches with Literary Agent Tommy Dean
What does it actually take to stand out when a brand-new literary agent opens your thriller query?
In this episode, Tommy Dean — associate literary agent at Rosecliff Literary, editor of Fractured Lit and Uncharted Magazine, and award-winning flash fiction writer — shares exactly what he's looking for when he reads your first 10 pages.
Tommy brings something rare to agenting: a writer's instinct. He knows the manuscript struggle personally, which makes him both deeply discerning and genuinely invested in his clients' long game.
If you've ever wondered what's going through an agent's mind as they read your opening pages, whether a newer agent might actually be the right fit for your career, or how to show up as the kind of writer agents want to work with — this episode is for you.
Tommy reveals why character activity beats backstory every time, what story structure signals he's watching for, and why the most prepared querying writers are already clearing hurdles that most submissions never do.
Tommy Dean's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tommydeantommydean/
Tommy Dean's Website: https://tommydeanwriter.com
Episodes I Think You'll Love:
First Page Formula — April Davila on What Agents Want in Your Opening: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1841589/17377745
Literary Agent Lori Galvin on Going From Query to Deal: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1841589/17716414
Literary Agent Vicky Weber on Why Most Writers Aren't Agent-Ready: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1841589/17716392
Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction
Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now