With PitchWars gearing up (and my final edits due soon! Eeep!) it’s a great time to talk about edit letters–what they are, how to handle one, and what steps to take when you get one! (Disclaimer: This is all just my opinion, based on my experiences. YMMV.) In the years since I began writing towards…
Media Kit
PitchWars 2020
That’s right, I’m a PitchWars mentor! Wishlists to come, but for now, you can follow the #PitchWars hashtag and @PitchWars accounts on Instagram and Twitter for updates, or keep a close watch on www.pitchwars.org! Being a 2017 PitchWars mentee was a life-changing experience for me. I learned a ton about craft and the industry, and…
On Luck and Timing
In early September 2019 I was completing revisions and bracing myself to query a new manuscript for the third time. I was anxious and full of dread, because after two unsuccessful querying experiences, I knew that within a few months, I might have to trunk this manuscript as well, and the thought made me utterly…
THE LAST FINESTRA is on GoodReads!
Click below to add my debut fantasy, The Last Finestra, on GoodReads!
BIG NEWS
Yay! The news is out!!! And you can already add it on Goodreads HERE! I am beyond thrilled to work with the amazing Vicki Lame (of WICKED SAINTS, RED WHITE AND ROYAL BLUE, and more!) and the team at Wednesday Books to bring this duology to life. (Did I fangirl just a little on our…
Rough Winds
It’s been a while, friends. My apologies for that. After signing with my agent last October, I dove headfirst into revisions and spent the holidays pulling apart the threads of my book and sewing it back together. My family was incredibly patient and supportive while I was holed up in my revision cage, grumbling like…
When to Write a Synopsis. (Hint: it’s not when the book is finished.)
As I’ve said before, I am not a plotter. I generally don’t outline my stories before I draft, and I usually write by the seat of my pants until I have a book’s worth of words in a vaguely coherent order, and until I have a vague idea of who my characters are and the…
The How I Got My Agent Post
I know some folks love and others hate these posts, but I’ve waited a long time for this, so I’m doing it. The short version: After two mentorships, a few years, and many drafted manuscripts, I was bruised and battered and I poured all my heartbreak and stubborn optimism into a new manuscript which I…
Publishing Cheat Sheet
Here is a cheat sheet for anyone who is (understandably) baffled by this strange and complicated world of publishing: TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING (vs. self-publishing or indie publishing) means selling the rights to your book to a publishing house (You’ve probably heard of the Big Five: Simon and Schuster, Penguin Random House, Harper Collins, Hatchette, and MacMillan.)…
Plotting for Pantsers: An Umbrella in a Hurricane
Hi. My name’s Emily, and I’m a pantser. Unlike many of my critique partners who plot their books chapter by chapter then write from start to finish, I’m more likely to leap on concepts like a cowboy on a bucking bronco and hold on tight for a wild ride. I tend to draft fast and…