The Contradictory World of Querying Agents

It's fun to complain, isn't it? Let's complain about querying! Querying is complicated! Querying is messy! And every time I query, I am simultaneously delighted that I seem to be doing OK and terrified that I'm doing everything wrong. And both might be true! Nothing makes sense. Everything is anxiety-inducing. This post has no point! …

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Fun With QueryTracker: How to Spend Too Much Time with the Data Explorer

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm back in the query trenches. And that means I'm spending way too much time thinking about querying. So let's talk about one of my favorite QueryTracker tools: the Data Explorer! What is the Data Explorer? The Data Explorer shows every time a QueryTracker user has submitted a …

Finding Agents to Query

I'm officially back in the query trenches! I've got a brand-spanking-new YA fantasy ready to go, and I'd dearly like to get a literary agent for it. It's harrowing! It's nerve-wracking! I'm anxious! And, well, that's a lot of emotional energy. I just sent out my first batch, and... hey, it looks like most could …

On Writing a Fiction Series–and How Agents and Publishers Make for Fluid Plans

I attended the New England SCBWI writing conference back in April, and one of the most intriguing panels I attended--and the one that's stayed with me the best--was called "And Then There Were More: The Art of Writing a Series with Agent Ammi-Joan Paquette." I'm a fantasy author, so--be it for better or for worse--series …

What I’ve Learned from Querying

I've been querying my YA fantasy novel since September 2014, and oh man, it's been a journey. I'm not quite done, so I can't talk about stats yet, but I can definitely talk about the random things I've learned. Lesson #1: I hate competitions. I really, really, really hate competitions. I've participated in PitMad, Pitch …

Reasons Why Your Manuscript Could Be Rejected… In the First Paragraphs

OK, so. A few weeks ago, I was terribly worried about book reviews. But then I finished Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman, and discovered that she still very honestly reviews YA books. So there you have it. It probably doesn't matter that much if you review books. So let's move on to something that actually …

Should Writers Write Book Reviews?

Here's a question I don't have an answer to: Should a writer also write book reviews? Unsurprisingly, opinions differ. (Here's a recent thread from Absolute Write.) (EDIT: Eep! It just occurred to me that this isn't clear. I'd never argue that a writer who doesn't review books should start. I'm asking from the other angle: …