Top 5 red flags for literary agencies

There are many literary agencies out there for writers, but there are also many harmful literary agencies out there for writers. I've noticed a few recently, so I thought to go over the top five red flags for an agency. They charge fees Submitting to a literary agency should cost you nothing. Even after you … Continue reading Top 5 red flags for literary agencies

Should comp titles be necessary?

I don’t usually do publishing hot takes, but I do wonder what everyone else’s opinion on this is. I've seen people agree that comp titles (comparative titles) are necessary, and I don’t think they see the other side. Comp titles are popular in queries, and in some places, they are required. I’ve been in Q&As … Continue reading Should comp titles be necessary?

How to write great pitches for pitch contests

Writers use Twitter contests to pitch to agents, publishing houses, and editors. While some of the bigger ones like PitMad is gone, smaller ones still happen all the time. Now, pitch contests are like getting a lottery ticket. Getting attention—when surrounded by hundreds of other pitches—is difficult to say the least. But there are proven … Continue reading How to write great pitches for pitch contests

2 methods to send out query letters to agents

After getting your query package (query letter, synopsis, beginning pages, etc.) together, it can be impossible to know how well it will do on the agent market. It's so subjective out there. And after getting a rejection, you usually cannot query that project again to that same agent unless it goes under intense revision. That … Continue reading 2 methods to send out query letters to agents

How the publishing industry has changed

The publishing industry has changed a lot—especially on the traditional side—throughout this pandemic. So, I'm going to break down some of the most impactful changes up to date. Please note that this post is about traditional publishing. So, when talking about editors, it’s in-house editors instead of freelance editors. Longer wait times to hear back … Continue reading How the publishing industry has changed

2022 writing goals

Happy New Year! I surprisingly completed all three of my goals for 2021. I got a job in publishing as a freelance editor, which has been going well. I've even got fifteen five star reviews! I also polished up my novel, and, on top of that, an editor looked over it. I got two more … Continue reading 2022 writing goals

A writer’s journey (part ten) – getting an editor’s feedback

It has been a while since I've done a writer's journey. Last time, I spoke about getting accepted in a journal and building my credentials. I’ve continued to do so over the past year. I made a goal last January to submit pieces on Submittable two times a month. Now, I've gotten two more accepted … Continue reading A writer’s journey (part ten) – getting an editor’s feedback

Query advice from literary agents

I attended a Zoom meeting with literary agents awhile back. They mentioned many good tips, and I'd like to share some of them. Here's a run down of what they said: What they wish writers knew Takes time to hear back. They can have up to 2,000 queries at one time, so it may take … Continue reading Query advice from literary agents

Tips from a literary agent

I attended a Reedsy livestream that featured a literary agent. I got to see the agent go through query letters before my eyes! I decided to take what I learned and share it with y'all. Hope you enjoy! How to start your query If you are a debut author, he suggested going straight into talking … Continue reading Tips from a literary agent

How does a book become a book? — part one

Books become books in different ways, but they usually take the same general path. But how does that work? Here's a general sense from a manuscript to a book in hand. #1 — Decide trade vs self-publishing If you want to go into trade publishing, your next step is to get a literary agent. Once … Continue reading How does a book become a book? — part one