For Writers
Okay, now that it's just us…
Hi 💛 How are you?
Writing is so much fun and so hard and can be a total slog and also so full of joy and wow, I'm buzzed and exhausted just thinking about it. It took me three-ish years to write Dear Dotty, nearly one year (and 100+ rejections) to sign with my incredible agent, Rachel Beck, and then the better part of yet another year before I accepted an offer from Avon. And that's considered to be a smooth path to publication. I was super, super lucky.
Wherever you are in your writing journey, I can’t wait to read your story.
I don't have all the answers (tbh, I'm not sure that I have any answers), but here are some of the people, places, and things that helped me along the way.
Stanford Continuing Studies Novel Writing Certificate Program →
I knew I had a lot to learn about writing and I also knew I didn’t have the time (or budget) to invest in an MFA program. This ended up being the perfect compromise for me! Stanford Continuing Studies also offers one-off writing classes.
I found my developmental editor, Marla Daniels through NY Book Editors. It’s no exaggeration to say that Dear Dotty wouldn’t have made it out into the world if it weren’t for Marla’s feedback.
Northern California Writer’s Retreat →
Spending time with other writers is the best. Heather Lazare, the retreat’s founder also offers editorial services and she’s amazing!
Save the Cat! Writes a Novel →
This book helped me to salvage my disastrous, meandering first draft and helped me get a handle on the pacing.
The Shit No One Tells You About Writing Podcast →
Invaluable query letter advice from two fantastic agents and lots of author interviews and insights. Host Bianca Marais is the best. Her books are wonderful, too!
Women’s Fiction Writer’s Association →
If you don’t write women’s fiction, there are plenty of other genre-specific groups to choose from.
Storyshares published my story, A Runaway Tale in 2017. Being chosen for publication by this fantastic organization meant so much to me - it was the first time I truly felt like I could pursue my dream of publishing a novel someday.
Lori Nelson Spielman’s For Writers Page →
I adore Lori’s books and found her advice to be so helpful and spot-on.
Want Extra Help?
Query Letter Critique - Coming Soon!
My query letter landed me 20+ requests and 4 offers. There is no magical formula and a lot of it comes down to luck and timing, but I firmly believe that an engaging query letter can make all the difference.
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