The older I become, the more I know this to be true: generosity is one of the most important traits for a writer (or person, for that matter) to have. Generosity serves a writer in many ways that spill over …
What it Means When an Agent Says Your Project Isn’t Ready
Among the common responses an agent may give a writer, is “Your project isn’t quite ready yet. Keep working to make it the best it can be.” The writer inevitably is left feeling frustrated, and maybe a little lost. What …
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3 Things I wish I Had Known When we Started Our Podcast
As the Books & Such Podcast celebrates its first birthday this month(!), I thought it would be fun to reflect on what I’ve learned about podcasting over the last 12 months. Our desire is for this podcast to provide a …
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Imposter Syndrome in the Life of a Writer
By the time most writers get an agent or a book deal, they have put in much time and effort. It feels like crossing a marathon finish line: breathless, exhausting, but exhilarating at the same time. I DID IT, the …
Post Book Release Blues
I was recently scrolling through social media, and came upon a statement that stopped me in my tracks. “No one talks about the post-book release emotional slump that authors experience. Why is no one talking about this?” It made me …
Decoding Literary Agent Feedback
“But what does that even MEAN?” For writers in the “query trenches” this is a common question upon receiving a query rejection that has feedback attached. While we literary agents try to keep our thoughts clear and concise, it may …
Should Writers Query Literary Agents During the Holidays?
One of the questions I see most in online spaces among writers is some iteration of, “Is it worth my time to query literary agents during the holidays—are they even reading queries?” I can’t speak for all literary agents, but …
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Inbox Insights: What Makes an Effective Lead Magnet?
There are lots of questions I’m often asked as a literary agent- and some I’m not asked, but writers ask themselves (and their friends). One of those questions is “Do I really need a newsletter and an email list?” The …
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4 Reasons Writers Need a Writing Community
When I was in college, my favorite class was Creative Writing 101. The professor was one of my favorites, and her bohemian, free-flowing style of both living and teaching permeated every encounter I had with her. One of the reasons …
Five Questions I Ask After Reading a Query
Recently I held a “Pitch Me Day” on Threads, a day I created to give writers a chance to pitch their project in a low pressure way. If I “like” the pitch, they get to skip the query and send …