✨Stellar Advice from CeCe: "You Don't Want to Begin with Boring;" & Weathering "Doubt Seasons" with Reese's Book Club Pick, Emily Everett✨
Plus, bestselling author Deanna Raybourn joins Bianca in conversation, and Carly chats with Bailey Hannah about making the move from self-to traditionally-published.
Happy Friday, writing friends!
We hope you’ve blocked some time in your schedules for us, because we’ve got an absolute 💩-ton of content for you today. From essays to contests, and comps to new courses (and discounts on existing ones!), there’s a little something for everyone in today’s edition.
First up, it’s 📕Books with Hooks🪝time over on the pod, where CeCe shares some strong opinions about openings, and (not surprisingly) interiority figures into her thoughts on what you should be writing instead of what she calls “stage directions.” Tune in for this and other insights wherever you listen to podcasts (and don’t forget you can now watch our episodes on YouTube!).
It’s bonus episode time again, and this month we’ve got not one but two author interviews for you. First, Carly chats with romance novelist Bailey Hannah (Change of Hart) about a question we know many of you will be interested in the answer to: Can a self-published author make the move to traditional publishing? Next, Bianca chats with bestselling genre-hopper Deanna Raybourn (Kills Well With Others) about her writing process, balancing pantsing and plotting and more. Finally, Emilie Sommer from East City Bookshop answers all your burning comp title questions!
Next, debut novelist Emily Everett (All That Life Can Afford, an April Reese’s Book Club Pick that’s out now!) takes on a piece of writing advice we’ve all heard a zillion times (and likely struggled with almost as much) in today’s Q&A. Emily’s perspective on “show don’t tell” is backed by her experience as both a writer and an editor, so we’re paying attention and think you should, too.
Is your story worth telling? Is the fact that you’re questioning if your story is worth telling your biggest writing roadblock? Aspiring memoirists will want to read this week’s author essay by Kathleen Somers (Barely Visible), who had to wrestle that especially ugly beast into submission before she could finish (and publish!) her debut memoir.
We’ve got a bonus essay for you this week: Our very own Carly Watters shares her thoughts on How To Stand Out as a Debut Author, demystifying terminology, providing a glimpse into how publishing works, and, best of all, sharing the six things agents and editors look for in a breakout book. This is just a small portion of what Carly’s Author’s Publishing Playbook course has to offer, and if you want more, you’re in luck: she’s included a 15% off discount code! And as a bonus to our bonus, come back next week when she’ll be sharing an activity designed to help set you on the path to your own breakout in our Tuesday issue.
And speaking of courses…Bianca has launched a new one which will give you a rare and intimate glimpse into her process of circling the building of her own current WIP to find her entry point into it before making herself at home there. If you’d love access to this kind of insider insight to see firsthand how a story evolves, you should join her on May 13 for Circling the Building of Your Work (see below for details!).
Last (but absolutely, definitely not least!), we’re starting to reveal all the VIP guests who’ll be at Bianca’s launch for A Most Puzzling Murder in June. It wouldn’t be a party without friends, and this week, we’re excited to share that Nour Sallam and Claire Harris from P.S. Literary Agency, along with Kate Moody and Kat Foxx from The Rights Factory, will be joining us on June 9th. There are also some seriously awesome prizes to be won—keep reading for details and to get your ticket while you can!
That’s all for now. Thanks for reading! ❤️
The Shit No One Tells You About Writing Team
P.S. Still not sure about upgrading to paid? Check out our Tuesday Teaser below to see what you’re missing!
This Week’s Podcast✨🎙️✨
In this episode of 📕Books with Hooks🪝, hosts Bianca, Carly, and CeCe discuss the importance of clarity in storytelling, character development, and the need for emotional depth in writing. The conversation emphasizes the significance of engaging openings and the necessity of establishing strong connections between plot points. They also offer great tips like avoiding starting with stage directions in the opening line and that a strong opening scene should have a disruption. Listen to it here or watch it on YouTube!
“You want your first line to have interiority. And if you don't want it to be interiority, you certainly don't want it to be stage directions. We do not connect with stage directions. Our brains do not imprint with stage directions. To be very honest here, it's boring. You don't want to begin with boring. You want to begin with interesting. So I wouldn't have this be the first line. I would certainly not have all lines of that paragraph be stage directions.”
- CeCe
March’s Bonus Episode!
In case you missed it, our bonus episode aired this week (listen to it here or watch it on YouTube)!
In the first part of this month’s bonus episode, Carly Watters interviews Bailey Hannah, a Canadian romance author known for her ‘Wells Ranch’ series. They talk about Bailey’s experience with going from self-publishing to traditional publishing, the importance of quality editing, and the impact of social media platforms like BookTok on author success. You can find out more about Bailey on her website.
The conversation shifts when Bianca interviews New York Times bestselling author of the ‘Lady Julia Grey’, series Deanna Raybourn. Deanna is also a USA Today bestseller and Edgar Award nominated ‘Veronica Speedwell’ mysteries and several standalone works. Deanna discusses her writing process, the challenges of crafting thrillers, and the importance of structure and causality in storytelling. She shares insights on balancing plotting and pantsing, trusting one's instincts in idea development, and the necessity of creative challenges to keep the writing process invigorating. You can find out more about Deanna on her website.
Finally, Emilie Sommer from East City Bookshop answers all your burning comp title questions!
Take a listen here or watch it on YouTube!
You can purchase Change of Hart and Kills Well With Others on our Bookshop.org affiliate page here. Buying books through this link supports a local indie bookstore, as well as The Shit No One Tells You About Writing 📚❤️
Q&A with author Emily Everett 🤩📖
Emily Everett is an editor and writer from western Massachusetts. Her debut novel All That Life Can Afford came out April 1, 2025 from Putnam Books and was just announced as a Reese’s Book Club Pick for April! She is managing editor at The Common literary magazine, and a Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellow in Fiction. Emily studied English and music at Smith College, and studied abroad for a year at University College London. After graduating, she returned to London to do an MA in literature at Queen Mary University of London. She lived and worked in the UK from 2009 to 2013.
TSNOTYAW: Do you have a go-to mantra or pep talk for the days when writing feels hard?
Emily Everett: Frank O’Hara is my favorite poet, and the 50th anniversary edition of Lunch Poems includes some letters between O’Hara and his publisher, Lawrence Ferlinghetti. In them, O’Hara apologizes for taking so long to send the manuscript, blaming the delay on his “various doubt-seasons.” I wasn’t even writing a novel at the time, but years later, that phrase came back to me when I was weathering my own crises of faith, which I now know are just part of a long writing project. For me the doubt-seasons come hardest just after completing a section, or reaching a major plot point in my outline—the North Star I’ve been working toward, and feel aimless without, as soon as it’s passed. The first few times I really spiraled, unsure if the project would ever come together, or if I was skilled enough for the amount of revision it would surely need. I vented to everyone I knew, stressed out, and wasted time. And each time, as soon as I forced myself back into the manuscript, as soon as I was writing again, the panic dissolved. Eventually I began to recognize these as predictable cycles, and now when they strike I know it’s just a doubt-season passing through. Having a name for it helps. As writers, we have to learn to trust our feelings about a project, but I think we have to learn to mistrust them, too. It’s good to question your work; it’s useless to question yourself.
Were you ever close to giving up on writing and, if so, what stopped you?
Emily: In my first few years as a writer, I had almost no success publishing short prose, and a huge chip on my shoulders about not having an MFA, which it seemed like everyone had at that time. I felt like they had a secret manual on how writing worked, and I was just fumbling in the dark. I was reworking the same pieces over and over, trying to find what they needed, and then my mother died, and I didn’t write for a long time. I’m very lucky that my day job is editorial (I work at a literary magazine), so I was able to stay connected to prose and the writing world during this time. I was still editing great work by other writers, still feeling inspired by the process and the magic of revision, the joy of authors seeing their work reach readers. Min Jin Lee came to speak at our literary festival, and she talked about cobbling together her own MFA by close-reading her favorite authors, and attending small writing groups in basements and community centers around New York. I think I needed to hear her say that—that you could figure it out yourself, seek out resources. I was already doing that, taking classes here or there, but she made that feel legitimate. When I finally had an idea for a novel, I took online classes about how to start your novel and how to create an outline, and local workshops on things I felt were weaknesses, like writing dialogue or pacing scenes. It made me feel that I finally had the tools to write. Of course, it’s possible I had them all along—I think most dedicated readers probably do—but I needed to check those boxes to feel confident creating, after getting knocked down a few times.
What's one writing "rule" or commonly followed piece of advice that you decidedly break?
Emily Everett: The writing rule we all hear most when we’re getting started is “Show, don’t tell.” As an editor and as a writer, I’ve seen how this can go awry. When I used to try to put everything in scene, to “show” everything I wanted to communicate, the work ballooned ridiculously, and the pacing and focus suffered. Telling is so key when you need to move things along, or give your reader the grounding information they need to jump into a fast-paced scene. Space on the page signifies importance to your reader—save that real estate for pivotal moments, important emotional shifts, punchy set pieces. Everything else should move quickly; summarizing and telling will help you do that. It’s all about balance. Telling is also important because readers crave clarity. Trying to show everything super subtly might be appealing, but again, it’s about balance—if you don’t get it right, at best your readers will feel bogged down in the murk, and at worst, they’ll feel confused and frustrated and stop reading. This is especially true with beginnings. The most common edit we give writers at The Common, the magazine where I work, is just to be clearer and more straightforward in their openings. It’s okay to tell when you need to!
How did you get your literary agent? What was the querying process like for you?
Emily: When I started writing, the established wisdom was that you should try to publish some short pieces well, in the hopes that agents will see them. I am really lucky that this actually worked for me! I had zero success publishing traditional short fiction, but found eventually that I preferred flash fiction, which is so accessible. I published a few flash pieces in great publications that agents read (Electric Lit’s The Commuter was the big one for me), and a handful of agents reached out to ask if I had a novel. I was careful to make sure my novel was actually ready (polished, the right length for industry standards, etc.), so it was two years before I sent it with a just-as-polished query letter to a few of those agents, the ones I felt made sense for my work. Because they’d asked to see it, they read right away, so I didn’t have to wait long at all. That’s such a rare thing, I know. I ended up choosing my agent, Mollie Glick, in large part based on the recommendation of a friend who also worked with her. She felt like a sure thing, and that appealed to me since so much of publishing is uncertain!
What question do you wish an interviewer would ask you? (And what’s the answer to that question!)
Emily: Interviewers love to ask about the parts of the book that are autobiographical, but those are actually the easiest parts to write. Instead, I’d love to be asked about the scenes that had to be conjured from thin air, and why! One of my favorite scenes in the book came very late in the editing process, and felt more like problem-solving than writing. My editor asked me to add a chapter or scene for Anna, my protagonist, that would help readers (and Anna’s love interest!) see certain aspects of her character early on—her scrappiness and ingenuity, but also her kindness and instincts for protecting her friends. After a long time spent brainstorming terrible ideas, I finally wrote a chapter centered around a broken-down car that checked all the boxes my editor asked for, and is, more importantly, fun and entertaining to read. Though I did draw on my long history of driving junk cars (and resuscitating them on the side of the road), the scene was completely invented from necessity. The difficulty of the narrow parameters really put me through my paces as a writer, long after I’d thought I was done drafting scenes. That was a great lesson for me in trusting the edits and the editor’s instincts. I love having someone to work with who can see the manuscript’s larger structural or emotional needs. Those things are so hard to see when you’re too close to the work.
You can purchase All That Life Can Afford on our Bookshop.org affiliate page here.
The Unreal Reality of Being a Writer
By Kathleen Somers
Despite being on the verge of launching a published book into the world, I have struggled with seeing myself as a “real” writer. Early on in the process, I was able to fool myself. I was writing a memoir. The storyline came with a concrete foundation, and my only job for the 24 years over which the story takes place was to sit back, observe, and take notes. A lot can happen over the course of 8,760 days, so naturally I was accumulating a lot of material. I stared in amazement at a growing binder housing all the words I had gathered—my book was practically writing itself. I was on my way to being a “real” writer!
When I began writing, I expected to revisit struggles and confront lessons learned, but hopefully revel in a few triumphs as well. What I didn’t anticipate was the persistent voice of doubt in my head—the nagging feeling that I wasn’t qualified to tell this story, and my perspective wasn’t valuable enough. Those thoughts threatened to silence me as I began the task of corralling the best of my words and notes into a narrative. My confidence was nowhere to be found, I had no clue what I was doing and suddenly I was questioning not only my legitimacy, but my motives as well.
Writing a memoir requires that you share the most intimate corners of your mind and soul. Putting it out there for the world to consume is intimidating. When you’ve written a memoir about parenting a child with autism, it’s a bit frightening. Not only are you exposing yourself, but you’re exposing your child as well. Pimp out my son for the sake of book sales? What will people think? How will I feel if they respond negatively to the choices I made or my irreverence in recounting every last mistake? How will this impact my son, the one I’ve spent all my energy protecting?
More than once, I questioned whether I had the authority to write about my experiences. After all, I wasn’t a doctor, therapist, or autism expert—I was just a mother trying to do her best.
I also had it in my head that real writers write, and in the process, make it look easy. Strings of perfectly curated words are on free flow—at all times. Not for me. I encountered paralysis regularly, going months, sometimes even years without writing a single word because I thought my writing had to be flawless or groundbreaking to be worth sharing. I second-guessed every word choice, questioned whether I was capturing mine and my son’s experiences accurately, wondering if my emotions were too raw; worrying that they were too restrained. Was I doing our story justice?!
Writing about my son and all the decisions I’ve made, or failed to make in parenting him, meant exposing parts of myself I wasn’t always comfortable with—my fears and mistakes, all my doubts, moments of exhaustion, and resentment over needing to bear this burden I didn’t request. I feared that honestly admitting my thoughts and feelings would make me look weak, or worse, be met with objection by my readers.
But as I wrote and revised, I learned an essential truth—perfection is an illusion. It is the enemy of progress. Waiting until my writing felt flawless would mean never finishing it at all. Instead, I had to embrace the imperfections and trust that my honest, imperfect words would carry more weight than a perfectly structured but emotionally distant narrative ever could.
The very act of writing—even when it felt messy or inadequate—was itself an act of courage, and the more honest I was, the easier it became to write. In reality, my vulnerability became my greatest strength. I was no longer shoehorning myself into a role; I was writing for the sake of sharing. The more I openly voiced my struggles without constraint, the more my writing resonated and the more human I became. My imperfections were making my story more relatable.
Initially, I thought my book needed to be a parenting guide of sorts, containing helpful hints and best practices, for it to be of value to anyone. I had spent so much time questioning whether my words were “good enough” that I hadn’t considered how much greater value there was in being forthcoming and exposed, and how much greater meaning they would have to another parent feeling overwhelmed or uncertain. In sharing my fears and failures, I created space for others to see themselves in my journey and know they’re not alone. By telling my truth, I was contributing to a broader conversation about autism awareness, acceptance, and the challenges and joys of parenting a neurodivergent child. My memoir became a personal form of advocacy, a way to amplify not only my voice and experience, but my son’s as well, and in turn so many others that are too often misunderstood or overlooked.
My book will be born into the world in a matter of days, but my job won’t be over for some time. I’m learning to silence self-deprecation with the reminder that the way I arranged simple words on a blank page was enough to get me this far. I’m learning to silence self-deprecation with the reminder that the way I arranged simple words on a blank page was enough to get me this far. I’ve gained confidence and feel the slightest bit empowered. Having written this book has enabled me to contribute to a conversation that is frequently uncomfortable, and it has been an instrument for expression and connection as I try to make sense of a parenting role that I rarely understand.
I am a writer.
So often I questioned the legitimacy of that claim, but today I can say it with certainty. Writing this memoir was not just an exercise in storytelling; it was a journey of self-discovery and acceptance. I learned that my experiences are valid, that perfection is an unattainable goal, and that vulnerability is a source of strength rather than weakness. It doesn’t matter if I reach one or one million, this baby is all mine. It’s real. It will grow and it will find its way—just as I have.
After 18 months of navigating the publishing process, I am better educated, more assertive and maybe even a bit savvy. I’ve learned that writing is far more than just mere words on a page. It’s big business. It’s challenging, demanding and not all glamorous. It’s overwhelming and exhausting, highly competitive and stressful. It demands that you overcome your fears, get past your inabilities, expose every last insecurity and recognize that the only way to go through this process is your way—by pouring your true, unfiltered self onto every page.
Most importantly, I’ve learned that fear loses its power the moment we choose to keep writing. In the end, writing this memoir didn’t just help me share my journey—it helped me believe in my own ability to tell it.
Kathleen Somers is the debut author of Barely Visible. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Temple University’s Tyler School of Art, and works as a freelance graphic designer and copywriter. She is a passionate observer of humanity who believes in the power of connection that comes from each of us sharing our individual stories, and the importance of authenticity when doing it. Having spent 24 years guiding her son through a disability most can’t see has not made her an authority on the topic. It’s having been the student to all that he has taught her that has brought her closer than anything ever will.
You can purchase Barely Visible on our Bookshop.org affiliate page here. 📚❤️
How To Stand Out as a Debut Author
By Carly Watters
As an aspiring author, one of the questions I know you’re asking yourself is: “When the competition is this fierce, how do I make sure I rise to the top?” Fortunately for you, it’s the one-year anniversary of my Author’s Publishing Playbook course—which aims to empower authors by demystifying the publishing process and providing practical insights—and to celebrate, I’ve decided to answer that question for you with an excerpt from it. I’m also marking the occasion with a discount code for the course—enjoy!
Understanding Debuts and the Role of Agents
A debut author is defined as someone publishing their first book—which is something the literary world is eager for, so they're often more willing to take a chance on your work, especially if the writing is spectacular.
There’s a lot of pressure on debut authors, but it’s also an exciting opportunity. On the one hand, you have no prior track record, which means you’ll find it more challenging to get blurbs and you don’t have trade reviews to fall back on. On the other hand, you have no prior track record, which means as an agent I don't have to explain to an editor, if the sales weren't as high as we would have hoped for your last book, why we want more money for this one.
Knowing that you are somebody's first book champion, that you’ve worked with them on their draft, and then being able to make their dreams come true by calling to tell them that “somebody wants to publish your book!” is one of the most satisfying aspects of an agent’s job.
The Competitive Landscape
It’s important to remember that writers are not just competing for agents; the reality is that your debut will need to contend with established authors, as well as compete for readership against all other forms of entertainment that vie for readers' attention. You have to make enough of a splash for people to say, “I don't want to watch TV tonight. I want to finish this book.” And this is why we put so much emphasis on writing an incredible, engaging book that can captivate readers immediately.
Writing is an art, but publishing is business. It’s as simple as that. And in the aftermath of the 2008 economic crash, publishers have become more focused on the commerce aspects than ever before. The book business is healthy (although the BookTok boom, which drove really great sales during the pandemic, has levelled off significantly) but editors are still looking at books earning out, so they're paying authors what they think is appropriate based on the number of copies they think they can sell.
The other reality writers need to understand is that everyone—agents, editors and booksellers—are putting their careers, reputations, and/or livelihoods on the line for your book. Every time a bookseller uses shelf space for your book, they are gambling that it will sell, and this is especially true for independent booksellers. So they're making business decisions. And that's why I think debuts and aspiring authors should wrap their head around the question: “What does the market look like for my book?”
What the Market Wants: Big Books
With such high stakes, one of the things debut authors can aim for is to be a "big book." A big book is typically one that has received substantial investment from publishers and is marketed heavily to ensure visibility—and therefore sales. Big books are often high-profile authors with an exciting new title, or ones which a popular book club has selected. When Reese Witherspoon picks something, it’s now that publisher's big book. It's now really important to them and critical to them, so usually we're looking at over a hundred thousand units in the U.S. The publisher helps create demand for it by flooding the marketplace. Debuts are also well positioned to be big books because the authors don’t have poor previous sales numbers to make publishers cautious about them.
Key Elements for Success
I think that's probably what everyone wants most to understand. What makes a book a big book? What are agents looking for in books they’re considering for representation? This is my answer:
Unique hooks. Whether it's setting, high-concept, genre mashup, or a point of view we haven't seen before, really unique hooks are always going to get our attention.
Deeply felt, memorable characters. We want to be able to enjoy spending time with the characters. We have to believe in them, connect with them and root for them and really believe in their journey.
High stakes. What will be tested or lost? I don't think something can be a big book without a character who's going on a journey that really means something, not only to them, but for me because I'm invested in this journey.
High-quality writing. Your prose must be captivating on a line level. This is essential.
A rich setting. Big books will sometimes have a really, really rich setting. One that feels like a character. It’s very important to feel immersed in the world on the page, whether it's contemporary or historical, fantasy or sci-fi.
Universal themes. These include big button issues like: honesty, integrity, kindness, bravery, loyalty, respect, trust, love, loss, war, grief, family, which are measures of human worth, and universal human experiences. A really big book changes the way we think about the world, offering readers a transformative experience. The best authors are trying to tell us something about the world as well through their fiction.
Midlist, Backlist, Frontlist and Lead Titles
Is every book going to be a big book? No. We should absolutely be thinking about how we can make every book a big book, but the reality of creating art is that we can't control the marketplace. Below are some terms you’ve likely heard before that the industry uses to describe books, primarily based on sales performance (actual and anticipated).
Midlist Books:
Sell moderately well but may not reach the same level of commercial success as bestsellers
Often well-reviewed, have a dedicated fan base and the potential to achieve long-term success
Don’t have that same level of promotion and visibility as “big books”
Are super important because, even though they may not generate multimillion dollar sales, they can still be significant sources of ongoing revenue for publishers (and contribute to steady careers for authors)
Backlist Books
Older titles that continue to sell long after they’ve been published, often providing a stable income for publishers
Midlist authors can be perennial backlist sellers
For a lot of publishers right now, their backlist generates around 60% of their revenue, so publishers want to buy books that will, as they call it, “backlist well” (a book like What to Expect When You're Expecting is a great example of this kind of book).
Frontlist Books
Titles that are coming out this year/this season
A mix of debuts and veterans
The ones that the sales team and publicity teams are working on
Lead Title
The lead title is a frontlist book that publishers consider their “flagship” or key release for that particular season
A book that receives significant attention, resources, and marketing efforts, with the goal of maximizing its visibility and sales potential
Very similar to a big book, “lead title” is more of an official publishing and marketing term
Timing is key. Some publishers run a three-season year, while others run a four-season one. They are not going to release all of their lead titles in one season/quarter. They're going to make sure they have enough lead titles, so they're going to make sure there’s a lead title per quarter or per season, and hopefully that's going to generate sales for them. That's the goal. They're going to spend money on a book, they're going to invest in a book, and they want the sales to come in from that.
Some publishers will tell you at the time of the deal that you are going to be a lead title, while others may not plan that far in advance what book is going to be the anchor of their season.
My Final Thoughts…
Never be shy about calling yourself a debut. Debut is a wonderful thing. It shouldn't be something where you're just like, “oh, this is my debut.” It should be more like “I'm debuting into the market! This is really, REALLY cool!” You should be so proud of the awesome product you've created and finding an agent and starting off this career. I think it's just super exciting and I love working with debuts because there's so much energy and momentum.
I’ve packed a lot into this essay, but there’s even more to learn from my course, so if you’ve enjoyed this excerpt, you can also enjoy a 15% discount for The Author’s Publishing Playbook with code: EMAIL15
Circling the Building of Your Work
You've heard Bianca say all the time on the podcast that you need to circle the building of your work to find the best entry point into it.
But this process doesn't just ensure strong opening pages, it allows you to navigate the whole building with confidence—knowing which doors to throw wide open and which ones to keep locked, which walls to smash down and which ones to reinforce—as you create a space you'd like to live inside.
In this webinar, Bianca will guide you through the transformation of her own latest WIP, showing you examples of her constantly evolving pages in her quest to find the best way into a story she’s always wanted to tell.
In doing so, she’ll highlight:
the intentionality that you need to bring to your decision-making every step of the way.
how to play around with point of view, structure, timeline, voice, and other essential elements of craft.
how to frame a narrative and choose the lens through which you’d like to view it.
the questions you’ll need to ask yourself throughout the process.
how to circle back from false starts, and learn from them, as you begin again.
how rewarding the entire process can be.
You’ll also be assigned to other delegates to work with after the webinar to gain objectivity, input, and fresh perspectives as you circle the building of your own WIP.
Expect real examples you can learn from, as well as practical ways of implementing the theory. The webinar will end with a Q and A.
Recording and resources will be mailed to all registered delegates the next day.
May13, 7-10pm ET
Cost: $69.00
A Most Awesome Event!
Join Bianca on June 9th from 6-10pm ET as she launches her latest novel, A Most Puzzling Murder, at The Young People’s Theatre in downtown Toronto in this not-to-be-missed literary soiree of the season!
It’s not a party without friends, and Bianca will have a LOT of them there to help her celebrate, including Carly and CeCe for the hosts’ first ever in real life event together!!
In each week’s Friday newsletter, we’ll also be announcing additional special guests, not to mention the incredible contests we’ll be hosting, as well as the awesome prizes up for grabs.
This week, we’re excited to share that Nour Sallam and Claire Harris from P.S. Literary Agency, as well as Kate Moody and Kat Foxx from The Rights Factory, will be joining us on the night.
Noor Sallam is an associate literary agent at P.S. Literary Agency representing adult fiction and nonfiction. She has a BA in English Literature and Political Science from the University of British Columbia and studied publishing at Toronto Metropolitan University. As an Arab woman and immigrant, she loves books that amplify joy and connection, and /or feature complex and nuanced histories, social dynamics, or underrepresented narratives. You can find her wish list and her publishing blog at noursallam.com
Claire Harris is a literary agent at P.S. Literary Agency with a passion for fiction and nonfiction for adults. She is on the lookout for projects with unique voices, interesting writing styles, compelling characters, and unexplored perspectives. She works with authors at all stages of their careers, from debuts to authors with multiple books under their belts. She’s represented projects that have hit a variety of bestseller lists, including The New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and others. When she’s not reading, Claire loves exploring parks around the city, drinking too much iced tea, and doing lots of little crafts. She is currently open to queries. Check out her manuscript wish list here!
Kate Moody is an Assistant Agent at The Rights Factory, representing authors in both adult fiction and non-fiction. She is seeking authors with strong platforms in non-fiction, including true crime, narrative, journalism, memoir, sports, and current affairs. In fiction, she is particularly interested in thrillers, psychological thrillers, family sagas, and stories that are dark, twisty, and complex. Kate is also drawn to authors whose exceptional writing can stand above a platform, as well as those who skillfully bend genres and execute multi-POV narratives with precision. She is currently open to queries. Check out her manuscript wish list here!
Kathleen (Kat) has been with The Rights Factory since early 2023 and is building her list of exceptionally talented authors. She owns a successful freelance fiction editing business (Foxx Editorial) and is also a fiction writer, producer and host of the #badasswriters podcast (on indefinite hiatus but still accessible), and former audio editor for The Shit No One Tells You About Writing podcast. Outside of creative work, Kat enjoys travelling, photography, creative cooking, genealogy, hiking, and spending time in Ontario’s beautiful cottage country. She’s a proud mom of five kids and two rescue kitties! Check out her manuscript wish list here!
We’re also excited to share that we’ll be hosting two contests for those of you who will be joining us on the night:
A flash fiction contest – a story told in 1500 words or less.
A query package contest – your query letter and five opening pages.
The best entry in each category will be invited up on stage on the night to accept their award, and will be welcomed onto the podcast as well as published in our newsletter.
Entries can be emailed to tsnotyaw.contest@gmail.com
Please note: You can only enter these contests if you’ve got a ticket to attend the event.
We’ll also do two draws on the night for two 10,000-word critiques, one done by Bianca and one done by CeCe.
There are prizes you’re going to want to win!
CAD $45+tax gets you an unassigned seat in the theatre, access to all the fun, a signed copy of A Most Puzzling Murder, and snacks before and after the main event.
Tuesday Teaser 😉
Paid members will find Carly and CeCe’s written critiques of the 📕Books with Hooks🪝 queries discussed on this week’s podcast in next Tuesday’s newsletter. They’ll also get access to Carly’s breakout book worksheet designed to help you apply the ideas from today’s essay to your own work, along with “do it scared” and other words of wisdom in a Q&A from debut author London Sperry (Passion Project), an essay on how to plot your genre-blending romance whodunit by USA Today bestselling author Molly Harper (A Proposal To Die For), and an essay by New York Times bestselling author Allison Raskin (Save the Date) on how to successfully turn your real life into compelling fiction.
Not yet a member? For just $8USD a month or $80USD a year you get:
an exclusive newsletter on Tuesdays featuring bonus author Q&As and other exclusive content from industry experts
access to Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra’s written notes on queries from the podcast’s Books with Hooks feature
monthly bonus podcast episodes, AND
regular Ask Me Anythings / Q&As with Carly, CeCe, and Bianca Marais.
If that doesn’t kickstart your writing journey, we don’t know what will!
That’s all for this week’s news! If you enjoyed it, why not share the love? 🥰
Tune in again next week for more invaluable wisdom from our wonderful hosts! Until then, happy writing! 😍
❤️ The Shit No One Tells You About Writing Team
Our work takes place on land now known as Toronto and Ottawa and we acknowledge that these are the traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat Peoples as well as the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation. Toronto is covered under Treaty 13 and the Williams Treaties. We respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures, languages, and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada. We invite you to learn more about the land you inhabit, the history of that land, and how to actively be part of a better future going forward together at Native Land or Whose Land.
Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra are literary agents at P.S. Literary Agency, but their work in this newsletter is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly and CeCe in this newsletter are solely that of themselves and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency.
Honestly THANK YOU for what you do this is incredibly insightful and also inspiring x
Such a useful, insightful newsletter. Given all the hurdles to publication (and the necessary subjectivity of those involved gatekeeping the industry) it's a wonder so many writers stick around. Still, there's always the next book. And the one after that...