Years ago at my internship, I got to see what was in the bottom drawer: rejected queries. For over an hour, I read query after query. The rejected queries all had repeated mistakes. Here are some of the most common ones: Misspellings One writer wrote aknolegments instead of acknowledgements. Spelling, especially in the writing career, … More 6 common query mistakes
I attended a Reedsy livestream that featured a literary agent. I decided to take what I learned and share it with y’all. Hope you enjoy! How to start your query If you are a debut author, he suggested going straight into talking about your book. (About 85-90% start with their book’s plot.) Anything that is a … More Tips from a literary agent
Self-publishing has some different perks and routes, especially when it comes to marketing. At AWP, a few self-published writers discussed their creative ways to market their book. When I say creative, I mean creative. They gave out some ideas that I had never even thought of before. And for most of the ideas, you never … More Creative ways to promote your self-published book
#3 — Repeating words for emphasis In some cases, repeating words helps. “Please, Elie,” I begged. “You have to do this. You know how much it means to me. Please.” Notice how please repeats? It doesn’t overdo the dialogue since they’re separated out. It feels smooth. On the other hand, I’ve seen writers use the word … More Common Writer Mistakes #3
#2 — Vagueness for tension A novel I edited once kept saying him and his death for about twenty pages before actually explaining who he was. Instead of feeling a sense of curiosity, I was confused. I kept wondering who he was and why he mattered. I’ve run across this type of vagueness before. Some … More Common Writer Mistakes #2
#1 — Using multiple adjectives “The house on the hill was old, broken, and abandoned. I always passed it on my way home. It stared back at me with its empty, death-glaring, sick eyes.” Adjectives help, but too many of them back-to-back can weigh down a story. It sounds more like a bumpy ride on … More Common Writer Mistakes #1
