✨To Pay or Not to Pay: How to Know When (or Even If) Hiring a Freelance Editor Makes Sense for YOU✨

Plus, why you should get really real in your memoir, the benefits of getting out of the house, and it's time once again to get your hands on Carly and CeCe's latest written query critiques!

Happy Tuesday, writing friends!

If variety is the spice of life, then today’s edition of our newsletter exclusively for paid subscribers is 🌶️🌶️🌶️! We’ve got a something for everyone this week, from novelists to memoirists, and those querying to those wondering if they’re ready to start.

First up, we’ve got an essay from novelist and lifestyle writer Hanna R. Neier (whose name you might have seen in publications like POPSUGAR and Lilith Magazine, among others). In it, Hanna explores a question every emerging writer ponders at least once on their path to publication: Should I hire a freelance editor? Luckily for us (and you!) Hanna is one—she’s got the skinny on the difference between developmental editing and book coaching (for anyone who was wondering but afraid to ask😉), as well as how to know which one (if either) is right for you.

We’ve also got a video from an award-winning contemporary and paranormal romance author, Lauren Connolly (whose latest, P.S.: I Hate You, is out today!) Lauren talks about the benefits of getting our introverted author selves out of the house (and, no, writing in coffee shops does NOT count). Tune in to find out just how much attending in-person author events, like conferences and pitch events, has helped Lauren reach her publication goals…and how they can help you, too!

In “The Cunning of the Innocent: Showing the Unsavory Side of Yourself in Memoir” author Adelle Purdham gets vulnerable while exploring the need for memoirists to expose themselves, warts and all, on the page. The author of I Don’t Do Disability And Other Lies I’ve Told Myself (which was named a Fall 2024 ‘Most Anticipated’ Memoir & Biography by Indigo) Adelle knows what she’s talking about, and her essay will be instructive for all the aspiring memoirists out there (and we know there are lots of you!).

🌟DON’T FORGET!🌟 Our Tuesday newsletter is now where you’ll find Carly and CeCe’s written Books📕with Hooks🪝query critiques. We include them every other Tuesday, on weeks following a Books📕with Hooks🪝episode of the podcast. Keep scrolling to find their thoughts on last week’s memoir and YA steampunk queries.

❤️ The Shit No One Tells You About Writing Team