This is dedicated to all my writer pals currently in the querying trenches. I may feel a long ways away from a long querying journey, but I still remember the struggles, and I won't ever forget what it's like dead center of that marathon run to find an agent. (I've found … [Read more...] about On Querying Agents: I’ll Tell You What’s Frustrating
agents
What It’s Like to Be On Sub
What's it like to have your manuscript on submission to publishers? How do you make it through the process? This is the third time I've been "on sub." No Small Thing is circulating to a select group of editors, thanks to the pitch work of Tara Gelsomino, my agent. I'm sharing … [Read more...] about What It’s Like to Be On Sub
Seven Ways to Wrangle Your Back Story
If you're like me, you just lo-o-o-ve telling the tale before the story begins. That's because you care so much about your characters and you can envision where they were when they were three, and you know the whole cast of characters surrounding them at key moments in their … [Read more...] about Seven Ways to Wrangle Your Back Story
Six Tips for Chapter One Success
How do you make sure people—readers, agents, editors—keep reading Chapter One of your Great American Novel? How do we get them to Chapter Two? After publishing three works of fiction and after writing (and discarding) several novels, I've figured out how to crack the code of … [Read more...] about Six Tips for Chapter One Success
On Querying Agents: What’s a Personalized Rejection?
How do you know that a rejection is a sign to keep going? The personalized rejection can give you some hope. With 113 rejections in this last round of querying, I've developed some theories about what constitutes an authentic and individualized response versus a template … [Read more...] about On Querying Agents: What’s a Personalized Rejection?
Houston, We Have an Agent!
I'm so excited to announce that I am now represented by Tara Gelsomino of One Track Literary Agency! What a journey! Sigh of Relief + Dance of Joy doesn't capture the many feelings of landing here after a #neverthelessshepersisted trek in the trenches...and for, yes, the third … [Read more...] about Houston, We Have an Agent!