Scene conflict can be internal, external, or both. But, you need conflict. The best kind of conflict? Something that the POV character causes because of something he/she said or didn't say, did or didn't do. 4/? #writetip #pubtip #amwriting

But, it doesn't stop there. If you have a story goal without conflict to interfere with or disrupt the pursuit of that goal, life becomes too easy for the character. Easy character life = boring. 3/? #writetip #pubtip #amwriting

Without a scene goal, the story can lose focus, and we can go through several scenes where nothing is happening. This kills the pacing, and prevents the story from moving forward. 2/? #writetip #pubtip #amwriting

Things that should not have to be said: if you sign with an agent, let the others considering your material know so that they can move on to work by their clients or others who still want/need their time and attention. #pubtip

Example of strong opening in a manuscript:
"well, that couldn't have gone much worse."

Example of weak opening:
"Francoise, don't come out of hiding because, as you probably remember, your mother is waiting to punish you for stealing the crown jewels."

#pubtip #queries

Reminder to querying folks: If you don't spell my name correctly in my email address, I won't get it. Two Ns in Lynnette. Sanks! #amquerying #amagenting #pubtip

Queries for memoir, self help, literary fiction, cozy mystery all receive automatic rejections as I don’t rep books in any of these genres. To be fair, only 1-2 out of 100 per day are making this mistake anymore. #queries #pubtip

Excellent #pubtip from @EmilyRodmell. Even though queries are electronic these days, authors should still make sure they've included all of this very relevant information for editors.

#pubtip = YES! Having someone read your query letter before sending is a great idea! (how's the grammar? is the story clear? is it compelling?)

NO! Having someone else write your query letter is not a good idea.

THIS!!! #pubtip #amwriting #amquerying

#pubtip Authors, if your book is in acquisitions with one publisher, it's common courtesy to let said publisher know you have another offer BEFORE you accept it. I mean, you don't have to, it's not a hard and fast rule, but it is considered unprofessional. #amquerying Just an FYI

Books that tend to work best for any Harlequin series are the ones that are written with the series mind. It's a lot harder to squeeze a book that was written for anyone into a certain series slot. To get a feel for a series, read the published books and ask questions. #pubtip

When an agent offers rep, it's probably not wise to tell them you don't like doing revisions. Even if you don't want to revise and edit for the agent, 99.9% you'll have to do them for an editor if your book sells. There's always room for improvement. #pubtip

Publishing tip: If you’ve trolled an author online, it’s probably best not to query that author’s agent for representation. If you’ve been nasty to any of my clients due to ignorance or just for the pure sake of being nasty, I’m never going to rep you. #pubtip

This is a terrific thread on submissions. #pubtip

Rejections are hard. Remember, agents aren't rejecting YOU. We might not even be rejecting your writing. Maybe it's not the right story, or the right timing for that story. Don't give up. You'll get there. #amquerying #pubtip #amwriting

#pubtip: ALWAYS include a synopsis.

When reviewing submissions for middle grade novels, the #1 thing I consider is voice. We want authentic voice! This sounds subjective but it's not. Read successful, recent middle grade novels to help learn about voice. #pubtip

Buy books if you want to sell books. A high tide lifts all ships. This means buying debuts, buying midlist books, buying backlist. Don't just go for the bestsellers. Find the books that are being overlooked. BIG does not necessarily mean better. #pubtip

this thread on print runs and how they are determined and how they can be influenced by external factors is 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽 #pubtip