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Lyn Fairchild Hawks

YA Author, Teacher & College Essay Consultant

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querying

How to Bake a Book: a 10-year Recipe

Lyn Hawks · April 16, 2023 · Leave a Comment

Picture of a typewriter with the Twitter handle @nervesofsteel. This is the cover page of a young adult novel by Lyn Fairchild Hawks. There is a phone and a stylus pen.

Recently I heard someone say they wrote a book in seven days, thanks to AI. I wouldn't say they wrote a book. I'd say they wrote a draft. As we navigate the brave new worlds before us, one question I'm asking me and my process is, What's the right amount of time for my book … [Read more...] about How to Bake a Book: a 10-year Recipe

Filed Under: Publishing, Writing Lessons, Writing Tips, Young Adult Books Tagged With: agents, editing, querying, young adult

On Querying Agents: I’ll Tell You What’s Frustrating

Lyn Hawks · March 4, 2020 · Leave a Comment

frustrated kitty that looks like it's pouting

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

Filed Under: Writing Tips Tagged With: agents, literary agent, persistence, query letters, querying

On Querying Agents: What’s a Personalized Rejection?

Lyn Hawks · March 4, 2019 · 5 Comments

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?

Filed Under: Publishing Tagged With: agents, agents, literary agent, query, query letter, query letters, querying, rejection, rejection

Houston, We Have an Agent!

Lyn Hawks · January 31, 2019 · Leave a Comment

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!

Filed Under: Publishing Tagged With: agent, agents, literary agent, query letters, query tip, querying, success

Don’t Despair When Your Agent Leaves the Business

Lyn Hawks · August 30, 2018 · 4 Comments

When your agent leaves the business, what do you do? In June I wrote my friend and YA author Gordon Jack when I was in the bluest, most Anne Shirley depths of despair. “My agent is leaving the business,” I said, feeling as if I were delivering the worst and most shameful of … [Read more...] about Don’t Despair When Your Agent Leaves the Business

Filed Under: Publishing Tagged With: agents, literary agent, persistence, persistence, query, querying, the writing life

Make Defeat Your Fuel

Lyn Hawks · February 25, 2018 · 5 Comments

  More than halfway through my latest novel, I’ve been thinking a lot about why I keep going. Writing is a business full of few favors, lucky breaks, or sudden hits. One thing I’ve figured out after many years in this game is that defeat is my fuel. Wins? They’re my … [Read more...] about Make Defeat Your Fuel

Filed Under: Publishing Tagged With: persistence, persistence with writing, querying

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Could I live without words, writing, story? Probably not. I love telling stories. I love teaching stories. I love helping other people find theirs. That’s my story. [READ MORE...]

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