✨Query Critiques Inside! Plus, Handling Criticism; A Roadmap For When You Feel Overwhelmed; Why You Need a Publicist; & Walking Hand In Hand With Rejection...✨
Holy shiznet, Batman! Our heads are spinning from just how much excellent content we've managed to pack into today's edition!
Happy Tuesday, writing besties!
Last week was 📕Books with Hooks 🪝week on the podcast, so you can find Carly’s and CeCe’s written query critiques below! And if you missed yesterday’s Shooting the Shit segment, grab some popcorn and catch up to find out if agents discuss your queries behind the scenes. 🍿👀
And then you’d better sit down because all this awesome content is likely to make you dizzy! 😵
We kick off today’s newsletter with one of our first new format author Q&As (one that you helped us compile with your excellent suggestions!) by interviewing writing legend Ace Atkins, author of Everybody Wants to Rule the World. Prepare for a few truth bombs:
“If you can’t handle criticism, this is the wrong business. Just make sure the person who is reading is someone you trust.”
Lauren Connolly, author of Love in Plane Sight, pens a mind-blowing essay about using Gantt charts as your writing roadmap for the year.
“In 2021 my stress was at an all-time high. Deadlines were slipping closer without me noticing until the last moment, and my schedule was feeling overloaded as I attempted to work on multiple manuscripts every week. I knew the disorder was going to cause me to burn out. As a lover of lists to keep my brain and day organized, I needed to find a way to create a visual guide where I could map out what projects I was working on throughout the year and what part of the process I should expect to be in each week.”
Lauren not only breaks down what the chart looks like, as well as its uses and benefits, she also shares a template that you can use yourself! 🤯
A question we get a LOT is whether authors need publicists and what independent publicists can do for them. Chris Houston of The Idea Shop was kind enough to take us behind the scenes and answer so many of our questions.
“From my own first-hand experience, I can reveal that many in-house publicists can have up to 50 titles a year to promote. This workload can make it hard for even the finest publicist to give each title the attention it deserves. Despite the best intentions, the simple mechanics of the publishing business means that the publicity campaigns for some very worthy books may consist of a simple press release and generic review copy mailout. Merely serving notice that a new book has been published and that the author is available for interviews can seem very perfunctory for the writer who has spent years perfecting a manuscript and bringing a book to market.”
In our author video, Tracy Clark, author of Edge, discusses how being a writer means walking hand in hand with rejection. It’s a must-watch for any writer who’s ever wondered if they should keep going.
Plus, there’s still time to do your holiday shopping! It’s been a tough year. Treat yourself! And don’t forget that the next 15 Deep Dive Virtual Retreat registrations get a $100 discount!
That’s all for now. Thanks for reading! ❤️
❤️ The Shit No One Tells You About Writing Team
This Week on ‘Shooting the Shit’
Do agents talk about your queries behind the scenes? 👀
In this episode of Shooting the Shit, Carly and CeCe kick things off with winter sadsies, Brazilian brigadeiros, and an advent-calendar scandal. They break down whether agents share queries with each other, if comping an agent’s own clients helps or hurts your chances, and what it really means when your work appears on Books with Hooks. Plus: big publishing investment news, female-led powerhouses, money-episode teasers, and a candid conversation about what makes a “good” question—and why creative decisions are yours alone. Equal parts industry insight, tough love, and fun banter.
