Lmst

Okay. Edits done, redone, and I've managed to cut We Keep Our Own from 109k-words to just shy of 95k-words.

So I've been #querying and, for "reasons," this photo perfectly encapsulates my mood.

#AmQuerying #WritingCommunity

I #amquerying a deeply personal book, and @WeirdWriter@caneandable.social expressed so perfectly the way I feel to the question every potential agent has about whether you're used AI: "Do not run my life through your blender." 1/2

The Colonization of Confidence...

Well, here I am, putting into the universe my faith in my writing abilities, as well as my hope for my character's story.

Wish me luck. ❤️

#AmWriting #AmQuerying #NovelPitch

An image showcasing a writer-to-agent submission screenshot.

Most of a good query reads like the back of a genre book. It's ad copy plus stats.

Dear Agent,
Blurb
Stats
Bio
Sincerely,
Author

#LianaEdits #AmQuerying #AmWriting #PubTip

A book on a brown blanket in autumn grass with apples.

From Short Stories To Novels: How The Submission Process Changes

Let me count the ways Continue reading on The Writing Cooperative »
https://writingcooperative.com/from-short-stories-to-novels-how-the-submission-process-changes-75157fb71fb

#publication #shortstorywriting #theshortofit #queryletters #amquerying

Queried one of my top choice agents, eek!

I'm just excited to be in the pile honestly. Knowing she'll read my ideas is neat even if chances are low regardless. Plus I keep refining (ha, title pun) my query materials as I go.

#YAauthor #AmQuerying #QueryTrenches #AuthorJourney #mastowriters

Spent way too much time in Canva last night, but I'm pretty thrilled with this result (and it was a good distraction from the query trenches). New cover art for The Refinement: Mercury, plus cover art mock-ups and trope notes on my other 3 WIPs.

Which one's your favorite?
Which WIP should I focus on first?

#YABooks #coverart #amquerying #querytrenches #WritingCommunity #Mastowriters

A dark academia-themed promo slide for The Refinement: Mercury by Rachel E. Tell. The left side features a mock book cover with a soft-focus photo of a girl's face surrounded by flowers and golden sparkles, framed in shadow. Above her, the title reads "The Refinement: Mercury." Below is the tagline: Till the well runs dry. The background is black with honey-gold accents. On the right, handwritten white text lists:
“90k word upper YA dark fantasy cult horror”
“neurodivergent rep”
“stands alone, trilogy-ready”
“slow burn grumpy mentor/student to friends to lovers”
“an egregious amount of Jungian theory.”
At the top, a label reads: Status: Querying.

A glitchy, surreal horror-themed slide for Distortions by Rachel E. Tell. The book cover features a warped double image of a woman's face in neon green, blue, and purple, with data-like distortion effects. The bold title "DISTORTIONS" appears at the bottom in all-caps with a cyan and magenta 3D effect. Background is dark maroon with smoke textures. On the right, white handwritten text lists:
“YA paranormal psychological horror”
“stand-alone novel”
“multiple POV”
“‘stranger comes to town’ trope”
“inspired by Silent Hill and The Haunting of Hill House.”
At the top, a label reads: Status: Drafting.

A gritty, thriller-style slide for Broken Link by Rachel E. Tell. The book cover is black with three torn-paper photo fragments showing intense eyes against a broken mirror backdrop. A white illustration of a broken chain winds diagonally across the center. The title “Broken Link” is in bold red font. The background resembles dark riveted metal. On the right, handwritten white text lists:
“YA genre-bendy superhero thriller”
“mind-linked dual POV romance”
“teen agents solving a cold case murder”
“physically strong fmc who knows if you’re lying”
“kidnapper/murderer getting brought to justice.”
At the top, a label reads: Status: Full Re-write.

A romantasy-themed slide for The Ariad by Rachel E. Tell. The mock book cover shows a silhouetted figure in front of desert rock formations under a star-filled purple sky, framed by ornate white scrollwork. The title reads “The Ariad” in white fantasy font. The background of the slide is muted pink with a galaxy motif. On the right, handwritten white text lists:
“new adult post-apocalyptic romantasy”
“stand-alone novel”
“blacksmith fmc / fish out of water”
“ragtag band of heroes”
“mmc gets stabbed for fun, might not be human at all.”
At the top, a label reads: Status: Drafting.

Big day! 🎉 Final edits are done, and my query letter is ready to go out to agents and publishers. Now comes the hardest part, hitting send and waiting. Here’s to new beginnings and big dreams. ✨ #AmQuerying #WritingCommunity #AuthorJourney

I got my first form rejection!

I know it's taboo to respond so I won't, but I wish I could reach out to thank her. It probably sounds silly, but this is a huge milestone for me (and it means that initial wait for the first one is over).

#querytrenches #amquerying #1down99togo #mastowriters

Something just clicked.

Trying to get a book published is a lot like being a parent, isn't it? Like you start with one problem that seems insurmountable, then somehow you get past it by just staying in the game, yet your only reward is getting to deal with a whole new problem that seems insurmountable.

And through all the problems there are these glimmers of joy because the whole thing is worthwhile as long as you love it.

#mastowriters #amquerying #writingCommunity #momlife

Me: I'm doing so well today, I submitted more queries without even crying!

Also me: Why does my head hurt-- oh I've been clenching my jaw for over an hour again, huh?

The good news is that my husband and son are now napping on the couch and it's adorable.

#amquerying #momlife

Query no. 1: Submitted. Heartrate: 122.

Being an author with anxiety is a trip, y'all. When I signed up for Publisher's Marketplace last night, THAT gave me anxiety. Like logging into the website. Literally nothing was happening.

#MastoWriters #AmQuerying #WritingCommunity

It's official.
I've finished the last polish on my manuscript (give or take a random "Oh I should go change--").
I've got my website, query letter, 2 versions of a synopsis.
I signed up for PM and QT and started researching agencies that rep YA Fiction or YA Fantasy.
Tonight, I join the trenches.

It's been 20 years since I graduated with a cum laude fiction degree, reading and writing without querying, but now I believe in this book with my whole soul.

#YABooks #AmQuerying #MastoWriters

You become the kind of person who does the things you repeatedly do.

https://boz.com/articles/you-are-how-you-act #Authors #Writing #WritingCommunity #WriteLife #WriterLife #Indie #SelfPub #TradPub #AmDrafting #AmEditing #AmRevising #AmQuerying #OnSub #Published #

Pitches and Queries: What hooks an agent, and a pitch formula: "When A (inciting incident) happens, B (character) must do C (action) or D (catastrophe)."

Most of a good query reads like the back of a genre book. It's ad copy plus stats.

Dear Agent,
Blurb
Stats
Bio
Sincerely,
Author

#LianaEdits #AmQuerying #AmWriting #PubTip

Pitches and Queries: Addressing Diverse Elements in the Manuscript "It might be important to the character development or even the plot – for example, identifying which characters might become romantically involved."
https://lttr.ai/AjuM3
#writing #publishing #amquerying #querying #QueryLetters

Question for lit agents and publishers: if I have 2 publish-ready Middle grade sci-fi novels and a novel-length standalone collection of short stories, should I be pursuing representation for all three at the same time?

#Authors #Writing #WritingCommunity #LitAgent #WriterLife #TradPub #AmQuerying

Don't trust a cowboy with clean boots and don't trust an author with no rejection letters.

#Authors #Writing #WritingCommunity #WriteLife #WriterLife #Indie #SelfPub #TradPub #AmDrafting #AmEditing #AmRevising #AmQuerying #OnSub #Published #

#scifi #novel querying update: Got one decline and passed the implicit decline deadline for another #agent. My query to the agent who declined was a good exercise, though, because they asked writers to prepare a bunch of things I hadn't yet had to (one-sentence pitch, for example). Now I have that stuff on the shelf. It made firing off another query this morning easier!

#amquerying #amwriting

#amquerying

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