Author Stuff
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One of the hazards of being an author, other than potentially getting yourself on a list somewhere due to your internet search history (seriously, it’s for a BOOK), is the weird things people say when they discover you’re a writer. “I would write a book, but I don’t have the time.” This doesn’t sound like…
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In case you thought that anxiety ended once you signed with an agent, allow me to introduce the next stage of publishing: going on submission. Step One: Depending on your agent, there are revisions to go through. Personally, I freaking love how editorial my agent is. I knew when querying that it was something that…
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The query trenches is an emotional rollercoaster. There’s the rare unicorn that sends out a dozen queries, receives ten requests for their full manuscript, then eight offers. Which is amazing and wonderful and mind-blowing, but absolutely not the norm. For most of us, it’s a long, slow, tedious slog. Emotionally, anyway. Actual time elapsed is…
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Okay. I know as authors we’re creative. We like to bend the rules upon occasion, be it blending genres, creating different rules of magic, that kind of thing. We’re allowed to make up whatever rules we want in our own sandbox, as long as they’re consistent and make sense. Like, you can’t have your vampire…
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Whew. I sent the revised version of my most recent novel into my agent this week. It was a journey. When I originally wrote the novel, I fell in love with the characters and the setting. The plot, however… well, it wasn’t plotting the way it should/needed to. I’m apparently incapable of sticking to a…
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Where do I find agents to query? There a few good, reliable sites, imo. QueryTracker (there is both free and paid membership) was an invaluable resource for me, plus PublishersMarketplace (free trial) and ManuscriptWishList (free). There are other sites, but those are the ones I personally have experience with. Which agents should I query? Depending on your age group and genre,…
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That’s what publishing can feel like, regardless of if you’re going trad, indie, or hybrid. And it’s true: the only way to get it done is to do it. Not exactly helpful, is it? The way my mind works, I’m happiest if I have a step-by-step guide. Do A, B, C, then D, E, F…
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Okay, so for those who don’t follow me on TikTok, I recently did a four part series (with no doubt more to come) on ‘schmagents.’ Schmagents are those who pose as literary agents, often promising you a best seller, movie deal, and probably prancing unicorns for your yard, but… *insert a multitude of things you need…
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One of the most popular questions agented authors get is HOW. How did you do it? There are a lot of things I could say, to make it sound like some dark, mysterious event. Probably involving some magic, candles, chanting, possibly a deal made with a member of Faerie whose name cannot be mentioned, or…
Melissa Charles author 