When I signed with my first agent, it was 2019. I’d queried two manuscripts by then between 2017-2019. In 2021, my agent left the industry. I took some time off, then wrote the book of my heart, and now I’m back in the query trenches for the first time in three years. As an author… Continue reading The Difference Between Querying in 2019 and 2022, and Why Your Well-Intentioned Advice May Be Doing More Harm Than Good.
Tag: aspiring author
When Are You Ready to Query?
Writers who want to publish with the Big Five need literary agents. To get a literary agent, one must query. To do that, you need your entire publishing package ready. That includes your formatted manuscript, query letter, and 1-page synopsis. Let’s say you have all three of these items right in front of you. How… Continue reading When Are You Ready to Query?
I’m a Writer with Imposter Syndrome
I have imposter syndrome. For those of you who don’t know, imposter syndrome “is a concept describing individuals who are marked by an inability to internalize their accomplishments and a persistent fear of being exposed as a fraud.” At least according to Wikipedia. (And, yes, I see the humor in starting this article with a… Continue reading I’m a Writer with Imposter Syndrome
Your Story Ideas Aren’t Enough
The other day I was on Twitter and saw someone tweet out something along the lines of, “YOUR STORY IDEA DOESN’T MEAN ANYTHING,” and I about had a heart attack, because WHAT. I mean, of course ideas matter. In fact, I’m one of those authors that keep lists and lists of ideas, because I believe… Continue reading Your Story Ideas Aren’t Enough
Writing in a New Genre
Maybe you hit a slump with your usual genre. Maybe you’re feeling the urge to explore. Maybe you just want to. Sometimes, authors want to write in a genre they’ve never written in before, but they don't know where to start. Well, that's what I'm here for. In fact, I recently went through this myself,… Continue reading Writing in a New Genre
#WW Being A Writer Isn’t Everything
The other night, I was wallowing on the couch. I do this a lot. I can admit it shamelessly. But that’s probably because it’s a fake wallow. I enjoy the dramatics of it…and I do it all alone…with my three cats watching me. (Call it a guilty pleasure.) There’s something about hearing myself pointlessly complain… Continue reading #WW Being A Writer Isn’t Everything
#WritingTips No, Reading Is Not An Option.
As an author and full-time editor, I’m coming across more and more writers who don’t read their own genre, or—even worse—don’t read at all. There are generally two types of these writers. 1. Writers who claim to read but obviously don’t (and I’ll get to how it is obvious later). 2. Writers who haven’t read… Continue reading #WritingTips No, Reading Is Not An Option.
Through Jessica’s Eyes
On October 8, you might have seen my first reblog (I've always been confused on how to do that and how it'd affect emails, but I'm excited Ky Grabowski's blog was the first one I got to try it on. I'll definitely be reblogging more in the future.)Beyond it being my first reblog, it was… Continue reading Through Jessica’s Eyes
Review & Guest Post: Tara Maya
Shannon here for a second: I have two exciting things to share with you all today--one is a guest post about "Initiate" by Tara Maya and the other is a review of Minutes Before Sunset from Goodreads' J.N. Cahill. If you review MBS, let me know, and I will post your review--as well as any… Continue reading Review & Guest Post: Tara Maya
Shannon A. Thompson 