Polishing My Teacup: A Little Housekeeping
Hello, my friends~
Happy Monday/last day of June! As promised, I’m swinging through with some quick housekeeping notes and announcements about what’s in store for the newsletter in the second half of the year.
Long-time readers will notice that things have picked up around here. I’ve been finding my way back to writing, and in the absence of a blog (or even a website at the moment, though I plan to remedy that soon), I have more to share in the newsletter than originally intended.
I’m excited to announce an upcoming series on craft, focusing specifically on how to edit your manuscript once it exists—so at some stage after the first/second/third/etc. draft. The series will address the details I look for when I’m considering a work on submission, or when a client sends me an early draft of their manuscript for my notes. Craft posts will probably slot in once or twice per month, depending how busy the schedule and what else I want to write about, and each will drill down on a specific aspect of craft, such as characterization, point of view, and so on.
Around that will be the normal chatter about books and publishing and life and the world. Possibly more book chat specifically, as I find my way back to reading, as well. Since I reopened to submissions and have been working through stacks of queries, I’ve been reminded how important it is for me to read published work to keep perspective. It’s not that I don’t know this, but when I’m inundated with other work, it’s easy to feel guilty about curling up with a novel.
While I love taking a peek at works in progress, the truth is too many opening pages that aren’t quite there yet do something to my expectations. Good writing starts to come across as great when compared to less polished prose. It’s vital to keep in mind the bar I’ve set for acquisitions. So, as I renew my love affair with books with covers, I’m sure I will be sharing all my new bookish impressions and discoveries.
With this new expanded scope and frequency, I have decided to turn on the monetization feature for the newsletter. But rest assured, I will continue to leave posts unlocked for everyone. Think of it as a tip jar: I’ll be spending more time and effort on this content, so if you’d like to contribute for a few months or a year, I will happily accept it. But do not feel obliged—especially if it’s not in your budget or you just read casually. You are all welcome to read and comment regardless.
So, that’s the gist for the immediate future. More content, more frequently, with a balance between my personal take on books and the publishing world, and my agent-hat advice on craft, the submissions process, and so on. As always, I’ll pepper in the typical announcements and links to anything I’ve discovered that begs to be shared.
All of that said, if you have some burning curiosity about something, please do feel free to leave questions or suggestions in the comments.
Thanks, as always, for tuning in to read. I’ll be back in a few days with the first in the craft series. Until then, wishing you some excellent books and a bit of quality writing time. 🥰
Loved One Dark Window and Bury Our Bones... great reads. Hope you like them too.