"That" "it" has a problem.

The word, that, is not a substitute for "who." People are "who."

The word, "it" can be pretty darn vague. Specifics are better.

I think I've mastered these two problem words---but others wait in the wings.

When its time to submit.

1. use times roman
2. 12 pt. font
3. double space
4. don't justify the right edge
5. don't put the book in columns.
6. prologues are currently out of favor.

Trends in YA Books. A friend just came back from a YA conference. Here are three things the agents/publishers said:

vampires are so yesterday,
books about horses are in,
conflict resolutions in books is also hot.

A word about critique groups. Once you start looking in the books you read, you'll discover how many authors thank a critique group. A group that practices tough love is all to your benefit.

Think about this when submitting a synopsis letter. Like a resume, it should be succinct. I've seen some as long as 5 pages. They should touch on as many of the senses as possible. Keep those verbs active. A quick look in the "find" option will list where and how many "would" "could" "should" and "had" crept in when you weren't looking. With agents getting dozens of letters a day, a couple simple  rules will make your synopsis stand out.