I'm heading back to work this week. Between that and starting 2023, I've been reflecting a lot on how the last twelve weeks went since my daughter was born. It was tough. That's the easiest way to summarize all my emotions. Of course I knew going in that newborns require a lot of energy and… Continue reading My Writing Life During Maternity Leave
Tag: Publishing Advice
I’m Now Represented By…
ICYMI! I am so excited to announce that I am now represented by Marietta Zacker at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency! From the beginning, Marietta understood the importance of my middle grade novel-in-verse about losing my mom to the opioid crisis when I was 11, and I cannot wait for us to share it with… Continue reading I’m Now Represented By…
Pay-To-Play in Traditional Publishing, and Why We Need to Talk About It
A few weeks ago, I was querying when I kept coming across agent after agent who was closed to submissions except from those who they’ve met at conferences. Below that, a list of conferences was provided, where a writer could go and purchase a ticket (often in the hundreds), and then an additional ticket to… Continue reading Pay-To-Play in Traditional Publishing, and Why We Need to Talk About It
Writing (And Working) While Pregnant: First Trimester
I'm pregnant! And working full-time. And writing novels. It's a lot to manage. Here's how I'm coping (and continuing to follow the dream).
Writing a Great One-Line Pitch for Your 2022 Query Letter
Last month, my post—The Difference Between Querying in 2019 and 2022, and Why Your Well-Intentioned Advice May Be Doing More Harm Than Good.—got some attention on writing/publishing Twitter, and I received a lot of great questions. The top two that stood out? How do you write a fantastic one-line pitch? Where do you recommend I research agents… Continue reading Writing a Great One-Line Pitch for Your 2022 Query Letter
The Difference Between Querying in 2019 and 2022, and Why Your Well-Intentioned Advice May Be Doing More Harm Than Good.
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.
Publishing Questions I Ask Myself Before I Start Writing a Book
Publishing is hard. We all know that. What makes it harder is bad timing and unclear focus. It’s easy to get lost in the art of writing long before you consider the business of writing, but at the end of the day, publishing is a business. You should have your business plan in mind before… Continue reading Publishing Questions I Ask Myself Before I Start Writing a Book
I Almost Self-Rejected Myself Out of a Publishing Opportunity
Last month, you may have noticed my blog post - Yes, Writers Need to Hear the Hard Truths. But Warnings Can Go Too Far. - go up on Jane Friedman’s website. I was absolutely thrilled by this. I’m a long-time fan of Jane’s blog and book, The Business of Being a Writer. I also regularly attend… Continue reading I Almost Self-Rejected Myself Out of a Publishing Opportunity
Behind the Scenes of Pitch Wars with Team Snickersnee
Behind the Scenes at Pitch Wars with Team Snickersnee In case you missed it, Team Snickersnee announced our 2020 mentee for Pitch Wars! (But more on that below.) Since announcement day has come and gone, I thought it would be fun to give everyone a behind-the-scenes peek at what went down with Team Snickersnee. We… Continue reading Behind the Scenes of Pitch Wars with Team Snickersnee
Tracking Character Motivations with a Free Spreadsheet
It’s no secret that I’m currently revising a manuscript. I’ve been talking about revising a lot lately and giving glimpses into what my revision process looks like. I’m currently on my third draft of a multi-POV sci-fi novel, and I am still smoothing out my character motivations. (What can I say? It can be tricky!… Continue reading Tracking Character Motivations with a Free Spreadsheet
Shannon A. Thompson 