Have you ever thought a one-on-one conversation with a publishing professional could get you unstuck and move your writing career forward? Maybe you just have a few questions about the querying process or how to get an agent or find a publisher. I offer publishing coaching for any phase of your career, focused on your area of need. If you don’t have a literary agent but could benefit from professional insight and feedback, consider a coaching session.

For a limited time, I’m offering my simplest coaching package, which involves a single coaching session. Here’s what you get:

• Ahead of the coaching call, one hour of my time reading, editing, evaluating your work and/or corresponding with you
• One-hour private one-on-one coaching session by phone
• Post-session notes sent via email
• Cost: $249

To book a coaching session, simply use the Contact Form here on the website to let me know what you need.

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Kristy Cambron has been an integral part of Gardner Literary for two years, serving as literary agent. Throughout her tenure, Kristy has demonstrated a keen understanding of the publishing industry, a passion for nurturing talent, and a commitment to delivering exceptional results for both authors and the agency.

Sherri Wilson Johnson has worked alongside agency president Rachelle Gardner for more than five years, serving first as Administrative Assistant and currently as Operations Manager. Sherri’s expertise and dedication have been instrumental in the agency’s success, as she has been involved on every level of agency operations and author relations.

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Congrats to debut author and pastor Terry J. Stokes on the release of this timely book!

Terry has written a book of prayers we didn’t know we needed, covering our most pressing daily needs — such as when we dread returning to work on Monday, strength when we’re about to make small talk, and restraint when we have the opportunity to be petty.

You may already be familiar with Terry’s prayers through his compelling Instagram feed, @prayersfromterry. Now we get a whole book of them, all in one place.

Happy release day, Terry. We can’t wait for the world to get this book!

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There are two things I’m constantly stressing with writers:

(1) Mastering the craft of writing is crucial.

(2) Building a platform is important.

For fiction authors, the two are not equal.

If you’re writing a novel, your writing should be first priority. Spend most of your discretionary time writing and becoming a better writer. Read high quality fiction, read books on craft, get feedback from critique partners, edit and rewrite.

Get a head start on building a platform, yes. Learn Instagram so you’ll know how it works. Explore TikTok or any other social networks you enjoy. But as an unpublished fiction writer, spend 80% of your efforts on writing, 20% on platform building.

Things change when you’re about to get published. And things are very different if you’re a nonfiction writer.

But if you’re an unpublished novelist, your writing is top priority. If that’s not working, all the rest will be irrelevant.

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Even if you’re published, conferences can be a great way to network, make friends, continue your education, and most of all, be a part of the writing community.

Writing is a solitary endeavor, so it’s helpful to be reminded that you’re a part of something bigger.

Plus, those friendships with other writers can be invaluable when nobody in your “real life” really gets you.

Conferences aren’t a necessity but depending on your situation and budget, I recommend you consider going to one every year or two.

Click here for more information.

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Kayla’s debut book, “To Light Their Way,” is a gorgeous collection of over 100 modern liturgies, giving words to our prayers for our children.

From everyday struggles like helping your child find friends or thrive in school to larger issues like praying for a brighter world rooted in peace and truth, these pleas and petitions act as a gentle guide when words fail us.

We’re so happy for Kayla and her editor Jillian Schlossberg!

The post New Release Spotlight: Kayla Craig appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

Congrats, Karen, on your new book contract.

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A basic but important question: what do you put in your query subject line?

I’m sure there are plenty of possible creative answers to this, but I’m going to err on the simple side. I like a subject line that includes the word “Query” along with your book title, and possibly the genre.

Some examples:

Query: The Best Novel Ever (fiction)

Query: How to Write a Book (NF, self-help)

Query: My Life as a Novelist (memoir)

Tips:
*You may be tempted to use a click-bait subject line, but it usually backfires. (Ex: “Stephen King endorsed my writing.”)

*If you were legitimately referred to me by a client or publishing colleague of mine, you can use that in your subject line. (i.e. “Query — referred by Susie Editor.”)

*Avoid the temptation to include your book’s entire title and subtitle because it’s probably too long.

*You don’t need to include your name, i.e. The Best Novel Ever by Jane Jones, because your name is already visible on the email.

*Avoid the generic subject line, i.e. “Looking for an agent,” since the gut-level response to that is, “Hello Captain Obvious.” If we end up corresponding back and forth, your subject line with your book’s title is a helpful reminder to me.

Did I miss anything? Hope this helps!

If you should decide to invest in some personalized counsel, I offer coaching for unpublished authors here: My Coaching Services

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The first step toward getting your poetry published is to get the Poets Market, a print resource also available on Kindle. It includes hundreds of publishing opportunities specifically for poets, including listings for book and chapbook publishers, print and online poetry publications, contests, and more.

Before trying to get a whole book of poetry published, you’ll want to start by first getting individual poems accepted by publications, as well as entering poetry contests. Eventually when you’ve built a track record, you may be able to interest one of the publishers of poetry books.

You can also find lists of poetry book publishers and poetry contests online at websites such as:

poetrysociety.org

poets.org

pw.org

Unfortunately, there are a lot of scammers out there, making money from poets desperate to see their work in print. Google “poetry publishing scams” to begin learning how to watch out for these.

Most agents don’t represent poetry books unless their guidelines specifically state they’re seeking poetry, so it’s not a good use of your time to send out queries to agents. The poetry route is unique, so you’ll need to become familiar with the resources I mentioned above.

If you should decide to invest in some personalized counsel, I offer coaching for unpublished authors here: My Coaching Services

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This beautiful book from debut author Kat Armas is out in the world, and I’m excited for you to read it!

What if some of our greatest theologians weren’t theologians at all? “Abuelita Faith” tells the story of unnamed and overlooked theologians in society and in the Bible–mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and daughters–whose survival, strength, resistance, and persistence teach us the true power of faith and love.

Congratulations, Kat!

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Is there anything you should avoid in a query that would lead to an automatic rejection?

People ask me this question all the time, and I want to start by saying that every agent is different, and we probably have different things that make us immediately decline a query.

For many agents, failing to follow submission guidelines is one reason for a rejection. For example, most of us specify “no attachments” so if you include an attachment, it won’t be seen or worst-case scenario, your query will be deleted.

Of course, if your book is in a genre that the agent doesn’t rep and they clearly state this on their website, they’ll automatically delete it and may not send a pass letter.

But the more important things to avoid are probably things that you would never do. One of the biggest red flags for agents is when a writer makes grandiose or unrealistic claims. “There has never been a book like mine.” “This book is guaranteed to be a bestseller.”

If you’re writing a nonfiction book, especially in a popular category like parenting or self-help, and you don’t have any platform, that will be a pretty quick rejection. These are the ones that make us sad. We don’t want to say no just for the lack of a platform, but we can’t sell it to a publisher without one.

You can find practically unlimited advice online about how to write a query letter. I’ve got quite a few posts about queries on my own website, including in my submission guidelines because I want to set you up for success! Take your time with your query and good luck!

If you should decide to invest in some personalized counsel, I offer coaching for unpublished authors here: My Coaching Services

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Writers are often told, “write what you know.” Is this good advice?

Absolutely! It’s great advice… if you understand what it means.

You can’t take it literally to mean something like, “Only write about things for which you have specialized knowledge.” Nobody has specialized knowledge of fairies or monsters or vampires, and most people don’t have firsthand knowledge of murders and evil plots and detective work… but plenty of people write great books about them. So what does it mean?

Write what you know means write from a deep place. Be honest. Don’t write from the surface. Be real. Be passionate. Write what you truly believe. Fiction or non-fiction, it’s important to write from the depth of who you are.

Don’t reflect what you know from other people or from movies or TV shows… write what you know from your own inner life. Write your truth.

When writing a novel, the plot and the research can come from your head, but the deeper truths of a great story come from a different place. Some might say the heart. I say, wherever you find the most “real” part of you.

You can take your characters into all kinds of worlds, real or imaginary. You can write about different kinds of people, families, relationships, occupations, time periods. Maybe you haven’t personally experienced any of those, so some might say you don’t “know” them. But when you write what YOU know to be true in terms of real motivations, real conflicts, real depth, real emotions… you are writing what you know, and you will connect with readers. Your story will feel authentic.

So, write what YOU know. This is where your originality and uniqueness will come from. Your experience of life is different from anyone else’s.

And, write what you KNOW. Not what you think, or what you’ve heard. Write what your gut tells you is the truth.

If you should decide to invest in some personalized counsel, I offer coaching for unpublished authors here: My Coaching Services

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I feel like I’ve been waiting forever to tell you about this book. Candice Benbow writes about Black spirituality and Black womanhood like no one else. She draws you in from the first page and doesn’t let you go. Her personality shines through and she balances depth and humor while unflinchingly telling the truth. This one’s worthy of the pre-order!

RED LIP THEOLOGY: For Church Girls Who’ve Considered Tithing to the Beauty Supply Store When Sunday Morning Isn’t Enough

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