Read on for an excerpt from Cambion's Blood! My debut year has come and gone. In a way, it's nice to be able to say that. There’s so much expectation and pressure wrapped up in first-time authorship. I wrote here extensively about my debut experience. It was a wild year of ups and downs, lessons … Continue reading Debut No More: Why the Second Book Hits Different
Tag: publishing
It’s Never Too Late (or Early) to Start Your Writing Career
Writing has no age restrictions. This should go without saying. And yet. Every few weeks, it seems, the discourse comes around again. Specifically, it tends to revolve around the age of debut authors in particular. Usually it starts because someone relatively young comments that they feel like they have to get their first book deal … Continue reading It’s Never Too Late (or Early) to Start Your Writing Career
Authors Are Masochists and We All Need Aftercare
I said what I said. Authors love to suffer. We must, otherwise we wouldn’t put ourselves through so much torture, right? Writers know all about the tightrope between pleasure and pain. We walk it constantly. Our chosen calling asks us to lay ourselves on the line, flay our hearts on the page, and publicly expose … Continue reading Authors Are Masochists and We All Need Aftercare
I’m Going Rogue: Mentor Wish Lists Are Live!
Popping in for a bonus post on here to share some exciting news: I'm going Rogue...Mentor, that is! I've been selected as a Rogue Mentor for the Spring/Summer 2022 session and I can't wait to get started. You can view an image-light version of my wish list on the Rogue Mentor site as well as … Continue reading I’m Going Rogue: Mentor Wish Lists Are Live!
The Publishing Industry Is Not Okay. Now What?
This is the house that oligopoly built... When I originally set out to blog on this topic two weeks ago, I intended to write an explainer of WHY publishing is not okay. My first draft focused on professional burnout, the oligopoly of the Big Four, disruptive technology, and how labor exploitation lines the pockets of … Continue reading The Publishing Industry Is Not Okay. Now What?
The 5 Essential Ingredients of an Effective Query Letter
This is not a recipe blog. Or is it? Okay, maybe it is, because today I'm sharing my recipe for cooking up the publishing equivalent of a soufflé: the much-dreaded query letter. Most authors hate writing them, but query letters are a prerequisite for fiction submissions to most agents and editors. A good one will … Continue reading The 5 Essential Ingredients of an Effective Query Letter
Pitch Wars Is Over. Its Legacy Is Just Beginning.
Pitch Wars is dead. Long live Pitch Wars. Last Tuesday's announcement by Brenda Drake, the founder of the Pitch Wars mentorship program, sent shockwaves through all of my writing groups. https://twitter.com/PitchWars/status/1493595439005945856?s=20&t=NSxsdbjgV_CZ9Us3XFm5sg My 2020 alumni chat, now the penultimate mentee class, gathered in our Discord chat for a virtual group hug, expressing sadness, surprise, and gratitude … Continue reading Pitch Wars Is Over. Its Legacy Is Just Beginning.
A Fire to Light Your Way: Writers and Professional Jealousy
We don't like to admit it, but it happens to everyone. With the Pitch Wars showcase fast approaching, AMM picks announced, awards season in full swing, and The Discourse piping hot, it’s time to get real about an experience that can sting worse than rejections on your own work: Watching your fellow writers succeed. That's … Continue reading A Fire to Light Your Way: Writers and Professional Jealousy
Mindful Querying: Seven Precepts For the Trenches
At first glance, mindfulness and the so-called "query trenches" don't seem to go together. The prospect of querying agents doesn't naturally evoke a sense of calm among writers. Instead, it can spark anxiety, dread, imposter syndrome, fatigue, and disappointment. If that's how you feel about querying, you're not alone. With that in mind, I have … Continue reading Mindful Querying: Seven Precepts For the Trenches
4 Myths (and the Truth) About Getting a Literary Agent
Every time I turn the page on a new chapter of this wild author journey, I realize just how little I knew before. That continues to hold true even though I now have author friends a few steps ahead of me. Despite all their invaluable guidance and advice, each new stage still feels like a … Continue reading 4 Myths (and the Truth) About Getting a Literary Agent









