Introduction
PRESENTING a blog that’s write on track…some of the time:
Welcome, hello! Emily here (and likely will be most of the time since my husband/co-writer drives across the country). But, introductions:
If you’ve clicked around, you know we are a husband-wife writing team with a pretty darn awesome meet-cute romance. A WIP may or may not be in the outline stage. BUT! We are currently querying FLAMEHEART MS. We began 4/1/2023 and here are our awesome and likely pathetic stats as of 5/5/2023:
Screenshot of QueryTracker: 24 queries sent, 37.5% negative reply rate, 0% positive reply...yet!
We are very early in this game–and that’s okay! Does every reject make us die a little inside? Absolutely. But we currently have received one personalized rejection with actionable feedback, so HUZZAH!
GIF of Obama: "Hope in the face of uncertainty"...a six word story of querying.
Last year, I queried my first book. It was a Beauty and the Beast werewolf retelling (like we don’t have enough of those, right?) But I loved it. And…well…it was my first book. Ever. I sent over 50 queries. Got one partial. And I put it to bed because I realized it was not the best quality it could be. Then, my husband got the idea for Flameheart and here we are! 5 drafts, one alpha, four betas, and a YA pulse check group later. Querying. Again. But boy, have I learned A LOT since last time.
If you can’t already tell, this blog is going to be very informal. Don’t expect a grandiose piece that’s been line-edited to perfection. It’s going to be caffeine-fueled writer unhingement at its finest, mostly. As a disclaimer, I’m not here to share wisdom–I have very little credibility here, and I’m very aware. This is more of a journaling process to share with others, to make us all feel a little less alone in the old trenches. But hey, I’m glad you’re here!
And why are you here? Well, I made this post on Twitter the other day:
(Twitter post: #amquerying writers: it's okay to mute someone for a lil bit if seeing their successful gushing is making your trench journey harder. you're allowed to be happy for them, but sad for you. I love the #writingcommunity support, but its okay to take a break ❤️ )
And it got some high engagement (for a little querying debut writer like myself). Like, bless my heart?
Gif: Buckle up, Buttercup!…but actually, was not expecting that.
Anyway, it made me revisit this idea I’ve had: so many writers begin a blog AFTER they get an agent. They typically begin with “How to Write a Query Letter” (don’t ask me, I’m on draft four–five?) or “How I Got My Agent” (again, don’t ask me–I get happy over personalized rejections). These are AWESOME–quite informative and fun to read.
Gif: "I'm here for it!" and I really am. They make me happy.
But it had me wondering–what about the rest of us? For the writers still in the trenches, this blog is for you. So often in this life we share our highlight reels–TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. Our triumphs are meant to be celebrated (as they should!) But it's also encouraging to see another’s testimony. To see, Hey, they’ve had conflicting beta feedback, too…They’ve had 50+ rejections before they even got a partial request…They’ve gone to the nearest CircleK and gotten so much candy the cashier asked if you were having a party and you cried inside because it was a party of one…etc. (These may or may not have been my experience...okay, they were).
Gif: "ALLLL BY MYSEEEEEEELF"—but with the hubby, obviously. Totally didn’t inhale the sugar all alone…nope…
But no longer! If you’ve made it this far, you’re appreciated. If not, hey, good vibes to you and your journey. Here’s the blog plan:
To start, I’ll post once a week on Mondays.
They’ll include an update on our querying journey for our Flameheart MS as well as general topics about the journey to publication, whatever path it may take–because we WILL see Flameheart MS in print. We are trying the agent route first for traditional, then we will try hybrid, indie, and self. Wherever God leads us and this book, we know it will be for our good!
So, what topics do I have on deck? Well…
Happy for You, Sad for Me (the Twitter post that started it all)
So You Wrote a Book–Now What? (post first draft feels)
CPs, and Alphas, and Betas–OH MY! (feedback…the good, the bad, the ugly crying)
The Mountains are Calling and I Must Revise (writing retreats!)
How to NOT Write a Query Letter (because, again, I’m no expert, but I’ve definitely learned what NOT to do!)
And other querying highs and lows!
That being said, I hope you stick around for the ride. Follow me on Twitter below for updates on the blog!
