Let's Tweet About Books While We Still Can!
Plus a Free Lesson in Suspense and TONS of Writing Links and Resources
*For writing links and resources, scroll down*
What’s going to happen to Twitter?
I don’t know, you all. I really don’t know. I’ve been reading some scary things about what’s happening to Twitter now that Elon Musk is in charge, but since I only follow writers and publishing professionals, I honestly haven’t seen any changes on my feed.
It does make me nervous, though, because I find Twitter extremely helpful as a writer:
I find authors to interview on Twitter
I get book recommendations on Twitter (#AskALibrarian)
I find out about writing opportunities on Twitter (#writingcommunity)
I belong to a Twitter group of other YA writers
I found my agent through a Twitter pitch contest, so of course I love Twitter.
I really don’t want to leave my favorite social media site. So, for now, I won’t. That being said, who knows what the future will bring. We better take advantage of Twitter while we still can. So don’t miss out on #MoodPitch this Thursday (tomorrow).
#MoodPitch is a Twitter event for writers with complete and polished manuscripts who are looking for an agent or indie publisher. In this particular contest, you not only tweet a short pitch of your book, you also include a “mood board” of images. I’m especially partial to #MoodPitch, not because I’m good at making mood boards (I’m not), but because it is the pitch event that helped me find my wonderful agent.
If you’re thinking of participating, let me know and I will be sure to comment on your pitch. (Comments and retweets help boost your pitch so, ideally, more agents will see it).
If you don’t have a finished manuscript, it might still be interesting to take a look at what people are pitching (and what agents are liking). With pitch contests you can find agents and writers you want to follow and spread some writerly good karma by leaving positive comments on pitches you like.
Or maybe you just want to stay away from Twitter. That’s fine, too.
Free Sample of My Suspense Course
In honor of Day of the Dead and the start of NaNoWriMo, I’ve decided to give youa free sample of my Souped-Up Suspense Course. For the entire month of November, Lesson 3: Setting the Mood will be available to anyone and everyone. (In December it will go back to being for paid subscribers only.) This lesson, in audio and written format, is about using setting, word choice, and description to enhance the suspense and/or spookiness of your story.
UPDATE: I’m receiving word that the above link may not be working. I’ve added this written-version only that should definitely work, or you can try going here and clicking on Lesson 3 to try to access the audio version. Let me know if you’re still having trouble!
Why am I offering Lesson 3? Honestly, because it’s my favorite lesson. But also because it includes several assignments you can do even if you’re not writing a novel. This is a great lesson for people writing mystery/thriller/suspense novels, of course, but it’s also a great lesson if you want to practice your setting and description skills.
Also, side note, for those of you doing NaNoWriMo — you got this! Here’s an article you might find helpful: How to Finish Writing Your Novel Faster. For those of you who feel like writing a novel in a month is not your cup of tea, I’m with you. Personally, I’ve never done NaNoWriMo. There’s no right way to be a writer, and what works for some people doesn’t work for others.
How Much Do You Know About Danielle Steel?
My husband knew nothing. I was telling him that my agency, Janklow & Nesbit, also represents Danielle Steel, and he was like, “who?”
“How can you have never heard of Danielle Steel?” I asked him. “She’s a super famous romance writer.” But I realized that was pretty much all I knew about her.
So we looked her up on Wikipedia, and did you know she’s the best-selling author alive today (over 800 million copies sold), and that she’s written 190 books (over 140 of them novels). My husband and I then fell into a Danielle Steel Internet rabbit hole, and man… she is fascinating. She’d have no problem doing NaNoWriMo, I can tell you that much.
And yet, I’ve never read any of her books. My goal for November is to read at least one Danielle Steel novel, but I’m overwhelmed. There are so many — how do I choose? If you have a favorite or a suggestion, will you please recommend it to me?
Writing News & Resources
For All Writers:
For the entire month of November, Souped-Up Suspense Lesson 3: Setting the Mood will be available to anyone and everyone. (In December it will go back to being for paid subscribers only.) This lesson, in audio and written format, is all about using setting, word choice, and description to enhance the suspense and/or spookiness of your story.
The Hunger reopens for submissions TODAY! They want your weird and wild poetry, prose, and hybrid work Nov. 1 through April 1. They also accept submissions without fees in December!
Fractured Lit pays authors $50 for original Micro-Fiction and $75 for original Flash-Fiction. Both categories are open year-round with NO submission fees! Submit now!
Jump-start your writing by joining Jana Van der Veer on Zoom every M-F from 8-9am Eastern for a writing sprint. (Cameras off so feel free to come in pjs). Writing group energy with no distractions.
New Pages is a great place to research literary magazines and find submission opportunities and writing contests. They also have a newsletter so you can stay updated via your inbox.
November is National Novel Writing Month. NaNoWriMo helps you track your progress, set milestones, connect with other writers, and participate in events to help you finish your novel (or get a good chunk of it written) — all for free.
Looking for a writing mentor? The Authors of Tomorrow #CoachHunt is coming up on November 19. Writers pitch their story ideas on Twitter or Google Forms to a panel of coaches, who reach out to writers if they are interested in their story and want to mentor them.
Check out the NYC Midnight 250-word Microfiction Challenge. Based on a randomly assigned prompt, write a super short story in 24 hours. There are multiple rounds, and everyone gets feedback from the judges. You’ll be amazed what you can produce when the pressure’s on and you’ve paid to compete. The challenge starts November 18.
Looking for help with your manuscript? I offer story coaching and beta reader feedback for Middle Grade, YA, and select adult projects for an extremely reasonable fee. Read more here, along with testimonials from my happy clients.
For KidLit Writers:
YALL Fest, the YA Book Festival is happening in Charleston, SC November 11-12.
From now until to December 31, WriteOnCon’s Critique Boutique gives you chance to buy critiques on your manuscript pages or submission materials from industry professionals, including agents, editors, and traditionally published authors. You do not need to have attended WriteOnCon to buy a critique, and the prices are very reasonable (starting at only $29). Open to all genres of kidlit, from PB to YA.
You can’t be a writer without being a reader. Sign up with Multicultural Children’s Book Day to be a Diverse KidLit Reviewer and receive a free children’s or YA book. You don’t have to be a blogger as long as you’re willing to share your review on a site like Goodreads, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Sign up ends Dec. 31.
I thought some of you might like (or need) to see this: Seven Authors on Making Their YA Debuts After Age 50
For Querying Writers:
Submission is open from now until Nov. 4 for the Blue Pencil Agency Pitch Prize. I don’t know much about this, but might be worth looking into. Entry fee is £12.
If you have the bandwidth for it, check out this insanely comprehensive spreadsheet of successful queries. Learn the details and read the actual query letters for books that got agent representation.
The Good Story Co is doing another $5 StorySnobs Pitch Contest webinar on November 9. It’s a workshop and a contest in one, and the winner receives a free submission package edit.
Every Friday, Operation Awesome offers one free query critique through their #QueryFriday contest.
If you live in the DC area, attend my affordable, in-person workshop at The Writers Center in Bethesda, MD: How to Get a Lit Agent. In the first class we’ll talk about how to research agents and write a great query letter, and in the second class we’ll critique query letters. I’d love to have you: November 12 and November 19.
The querying trenches are rough right now, and Twitter pitch parties can feel like shouting into the void with thousands of other screaming writers, but still, it’s a way to meet other writers and it certainly doesn’t hurt to try. (After all, I found my agent through a Twitter pitch party. I am now an official success story!) So mark your calendar for these upcoming Twitter pitch parties. And be sure to read my article 13 Things to Know About Twitter Pitch Events.
November 3 (TOMORROW): #MoodPitch — Twitter pitch for all genres… and you get to include a “mood board” that communicates the vibe/aesthetic of your book. (This is the Twitter pitch contest that helped me find my agent!)
Writing Conferences:
The YALL Fest, the YA Book Festival is happening in Charleston, SC November 11-12.
This year the Writing Day Workshop “How to Get Published” Conferences will be held virtually. I attended one of these conferences in person a few years ago in Philadelphia, and I thought it was fantastic. I can’t vouch for the virtual version, but there are some benefits: recorded classes, no travel expenses, attend in your comfy pants. Plus, you can sign up for Zoom pitch sessions with agents for $29 a piece. Check out the upcoming conferences (and remember, anyone can attend from anywhere; just keep the time zone in mind).
Registration is now open for the enormous AWP Conference (Association of Writers and Writing Programs). It’s being held in March 2023 in Seattle, which is one of my favorite cities.
For more writing conferences, check out this list or this list of 19 Writing Conferences for Emerging and Established Writers.
i’m enjoying your newsletter and I’m looking forward to taking a few of your workshops on writing suspense.🔥🔥
Thank you so much! Let me know if you have any trouble accessing the course!