Hi Reader,
At the in-person writing conference I attended a couple weeks ago, I had an aha moment.
I signed up to pitch my novel to two of the agents present. They were both lovely people, and interested in seeing my book, which was great, but there was one thing that sort of surprised me about these 10-minute meetings.
Both agents asked me what else I write. Or what else I’m working on or have worked on.
It didn’t surprise me because it’s an unusual question, but because it reminded me the importance—especially to an agent—of continuous writing.
Later, in the final class taught by the presenter, one of the keys for writing success was essentially Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. In other words, keep writing. It was a reminder I very much needed to hear at this point in my writing life.
As I have mentioned in previous newsletters, there is a lot of waiting in the traditional publishing game. Waiting for query responses. Waiting for your beta readers or agent to get back to you with comments, waiting for submission responses from editors when your book finally does go out on submission. And on and on it goes.
So what must you do in the interim? Keep writing. It is literally the only part of the process you can control.
I’ve said it all before, and yet I was having trouble following my own advice. Since I started querying a month and a half ago, I have been stuck between projects. I have been trying to find that spark of inspiration that gripped me the way it did for the last book I wrote. But it has been hard.
But meeting with these agents and hearing them ask “What else do you write?” was a slap in the face in the best sort of way. A voice that reminded me to snap out of it and get back to work.
Why?
Because publishing is a business. And agents usually don’t want to just take on one book. They want to sign a career. They want a writer who has more than one great book in them. Sometimes, especially if a writer writes in more than one age group or genre, they might want to send out multiple projects at a time. Because the more projects you have to sell, the higher your chances are of selling something.
Think of it like this as well: Statistically speaking, many first books die on submission. What do I mean by that? Well, I mean that often it’s not the writer’s first book that will wind up getting published. Sometimes it’s their second or third, etc. How can you expect to publish a book—or better your writing skills—if you’re not actively writing? If you’re not making writing and new projects a regular part of your life?
What agent wants to take on a writer who doesn’t write? They don’t want a one-hit wonder. What reader wants that? When readers fall in love with an author they want to gobble up everything else that person has written.
I imagine that as an author you probably don’t want to be a one-hit-wonder either.
So, what’s the solution here? The only possible one is this: Get back to the page. Keep going.
It’s hard not to let the distraction or heartbreak of the submission journey keep you from continual writing. It’s hard not to let life get in the way. It’s hard to carve out the time when you wonder whether the juice is worth the squeeze. It’s hard to keep your confidence high when it feels like nothing is going the way you want it to.
I get it. I am sitting in that place of friction right there with you, writer.
But if you, like me, need a kick in the pants to get moving, I hope this is it for you.
Keep writing. Keep going. Your stories, your writing, will be better off for it. No words are wasted—even the projects that never make it into the public eye. If you feel in your heart that you want to write and change lives with your words, and you want to help paint the world a brighter shade, then you must keep writing.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Find that next project and hone your craft all over again. And wrap yourself if the blanket of storytelling.
Upcoming Free Workshop
Join me for my next live, free workshop. This time, we are covering openings. From your first line, to your first page, to your first chapter.
Agents get hundreds of queries a week—and your opening pages are your one shot to stand out. In this workshop, we’ll dive into what makes a novel’s beginning irresistible to agents and editors, and why many openings fall flat. You’ll learn how to craft a compelling hook, establish voice and stakes right away, and avoid the most common pitfalls that land manuscripts in the rejection pile. Whether you're querying for the first time or revising after rounds of rejection, this session will help you turn your novel’s beginning into a page-turner that demands attention.
As a special bonus, I'll be giving away 10 first-page critiques. Sign up and be entered to win.
When: Tuesday, May 6th, 9:30 PT
Where: Zoom
Happy writing!
Karyn
P.S. Loving these emails? Buy me a cup of tea to say thanks. Or you can book a free 30-min story strategy chat here if you're interested in getting specific help with your book.
Granite Bay, CA
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