I am โจ ECSTATIC โจ to announce that I am now represented by
@DanielleBurby
@ MWLA! ๐ฑ
I am so incredibly thrilled that my Evermore sisters have found a home outside their crumbling castle & w/ a dream agent! ๐ค I am so thrilled to start this next step in my publishing journey!
It has happened:
โจ 2 form rejections โจ
โจ rejection on a full โจ
AND-
โจ officially diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome after spilling coffee all over my lap top โจ
It has been a DAY ๐ญ but now Iโm going to query 3 more agents because Iโm not quitting, Universe ๐
I got a partial request 11 minutes after I sent a query!!! ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฑ
So why are the nerves 100x worse? ๐
Manifesting more good things to come โจ๐ฏ๏ธโจ
Querying is kind of depressing in the sense that Iโll be querying one book, but then Iโll start writing/editing another like, โoh if THAT book doesnโt make it,maybe this one will when I query it!โ but itโs also like, I really want the first book to make it ๐ญ
#amquerying
#writing
Three years & five months ago today I sent my โจ very first โจ query. It was a 146,000 YA fantasy about mermaids/sirens/pirates that I have since cut down, rewritten, & still plan to rewrite again someday ๐ all that to say, my querying journey officially ends tomorrow ๐ฑ ๐ค๐ค๐ค
A full request!!!!! From an agency I low key never thought I would get a request from!!! ๐ญ ๐ญ ๐ญ Except now Iโm not sure whether to wait & send the revised version, or send the old version, since she liked the older pages
Third full request in less than two weeks!๐ค Itโs funny how youโll get 50 rejections or silence for weeks, then out of nowhere, bam! Three requests! And I have been getting rejections still, so let this be your sign to never give up, you never know when your luck will change ๐
In case it wasnโt obvious, I have entered my vague era ๐ฅบ still in disbelief tbh.
Light those manifestation candles because they work โจ๐ฏ๏ธโจ๐ฏ๏ธโจ
GOTHIC BRIDGERTON
When an unleashed magic brings the ghosts of Evermore castle back to life during their weeklong ball, estranged sisters Annabel Lee and Lenore Evermore are forced to work together before their castle by the sea becomes their tomb by the sea
#questpit
#ya
#f
#h
Nothing like discovering a mistake in a query after sending it to agents, despite re-reading it every time I send out a new query ๐ฉ like how??
#amquerying
Why is it always so nerve wracking to send out my manuscript to an agent who actually WANTS my full? Also why is it a fear that Iโm going to somehow send the wrong file?? ๐
GOTHIC BRIDGERTON
When an unleashed magic brings the ghosts of Evermore castle back to life during their weeklong ball, estranged sisters Annabel Lee and Lenore Evermore are forced to work together before their castle by the sea becomes their tomb by the sea
#questpit
#ya
#f
#h
I have come to the realization that querying is a lot like taking a major test. You studied for it, you know the answers, but then thereโs that ONE question (โwhy are you the right one to tell this story?โ) that throws you off, and your mindโฆ blanks.
#amquerying
It only takes one yes
It only takes one yes
It only takes one yes.
This week has been an emotional rollercoaster, & I am tired ๐ช Today, I am โจ๐ฏ๏ธ manifesting ๐ฏ๏ธโจ good news, good health (mental & physical), confidence, positivity, a financial break (๐ญ) & more full requests ๐ฏ๏ธ
All I want is an agent and a decent-sized book deal so I can comfortably buy my cats a ridiculous amount of cat trees and properly spoil them. Is that so much to ask? ๐ ๐ ๐โโฌ
So an agent who already has my full has been liked a few of my Annabel Lee posts over the past weekโฆ ๐ dare Iโฆ let myself feel hope? (Nope- only crippling anxiety and imposter syndrome ๐ )
โจ๐ฏ๏ธโจ Manifesting that the agents with my query in their maybe piles turn their โmaybesโ to โyesโ because Iโm ready to crawl into a hole & I need a pick-me-up ๐๐๐ an offer of rep would also sufficeโจ๐ฏ๏ธโจ
Hi
#WritersOfTwitter
Iโm Debby, & I mostly write gothic fantasy Edgar Allan Poe retellings about loss, death, grief, madness, & more ๐ป๐๐ฅ๐โโฌ๐๐ฐ Iโve also written a magical mermaid/siren/pirate Little Mermaid retelling ๐๐ง๐ปโโ๏ธ๐ดโโ ๏ธโ๏ธโจ
can we bring back
#WritersOfTwitter
again? i would love to meet some new writer friends (& hype up the ones iโm lucky to know already) so go ahead and (re)introduce yourself! ๐๐
Who is participating in
#pitdark
?
My storyโs vibes include-
๐ค Annabel Lee Retelling w/ Gothic Bridgerton & dark fairytale vibes
๐ฐ this castle is a tomb
๐ weeklong ball by the sea
โ๏ธ ghosts that roll in w/ the storms
๐ป haunted lighthouse
๐ family curses & bargains w/ gods
Ahhh only a few days until Iโm no longer vague ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฑ Iโm seeing so many people announcing their rep & Iโm so happy for everyone & itโs making me even more excited for when itโs my turn ๐ป
After 3.5 years,
5 stories,
1 complete rewrite,
seriously querying stories
#1
, 4, 5 & then my rewrite of story
#2
,
my querying journey will be coming to an end in only a couple of days!! It still feels so surreal ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฑ
โจ๐ฏ๏ธ Manifesting an offer of rep ๐ฏ๏ธโจ
โจ๐ฏ๏ธManifesting more fulls ๐ฏ๏ธโจ
โจ๐ฏ๏ธManifesting healthy days ๐ฏ๏ธโจ
โจ๐ฏ๏ธ Manifesting any good news, really. Please, universe. Anything ๐ ๐ฏ๏ธโจ
For any creeping agents ๐
When an unleashed magic brings the ghosts of Evermore castle back to life during their weeklong ball, estranged sisters, Annabel Lee and Lenore Evermore, are forced to work together before their castle by the sea becomes their tomb by the sea.
Just a daily reminder to myself - and anyone else who needs to hear it - it only takes โจONEโจ yes. Manifesting good news for all of us ๐โจ๐ฏ๏ธ
(Writing this tweet as I struggle revising a certain chapter of mine ๐ I WILL get it right! But alsoโฆ this coffee is not enough)
As the days creep closer โtil Iโm no longer vague, I canโt help but reflect on the story that finally got me my agent. My story on loss, grief & guilt. A story that has helped process my own loss, grief & guilt, which I have experienced too much of in the years Iโve been querying
#LeapPitch
โจ๐ฏ๏ธ
GOTHIC BRIDGERTON ๐ป
When an unleashed magic brings the ghosts of Evermore castle back to life during their weeklong ball, estranged sisters Annabel Lee and Lenore Evermore are forced to work together before their castle by the sea becomes their tomb by the sea
Impromptu
#LeapPitch
โจ
๐ฅ heirs compete in a death match for the throne
โ๏ธ secrets, betrayals, traitors & all the revenge
๐ฅ friends to lovers to enemies to ???
โ๏ธ they are all villains
๐ฅ 4 POVs
I
#amquerying
this book, if any agents are interested, my dmโs are open ๐ซถ๐ป
Finally get to share who my agent is, ahhh! ๐ป ๐ป ๐ป I am still this seagull every time I think about how lucky I am. Now to post today, or wait โtil tomorrow since thereโs a pitch event? ๐ง
So just asking for vague purposes, because Iโm awkward & it didnโt occur to ask this until now, but when do you guys usually announce your agent? When you tell the offering agent? When they reply? When you sign? A few days after? ๐ Iโm too awkward for this
โจ Manifesting an agent, future book deals, & the hope that someday I will live in a house with a room that overlooks a nice forest or wood area, & I can just stare at nature while writing my books โจ ๐๐๐๐ฒ
โจGot my first query rejection since becoming agented โจ
It was for my Nevermore book, which was two projects ago, nearly a year since I sent my last query for that story & I completely forgot I had any queries still out for it ๐
Got two partial requests in January. A good start to 2024 imo.
Now Iโm โจmanifestingโจ more partials/fulls/good news when Iโm ready to start querying again next week ๐ โจ๐โจ๐โจ Gotta get these manifestations in early, so they have a while to cook โจ๐โจ๐โจ
So I got an email offering to do that query tracker success story interview, and Iโm not going to send it in until I officially accept my offer, but Iโm answering the questions and my answers are so long and completely at odds with how quiet I am in my life outside of writing ๐
Iโm on so many maybe lists ๐ฅฒ but will any of them turn to a full???
Time to manifest โจ ๐ฏ๏ธ โจ ๐ฏ๏ธ โจ ๐ฏ๏ธ โจ
Manifesting that I will soon find a home for my spooky, sea-drenched, Gothic Bridgerton-esque Annabel Lee Retelling novel ๐ค๐ค๐ค
Tbh I always feel a bit guilty when I admit I am not driven solely by my passion for writing to keep querying. Like I LOVE my books & writing. But alsoโฆ I spend 75% of my days worrying about money. If I can, I 100% want to make a living out of this ๐ Any other
#writers
relate?
โจ๐ฏ๏ธโจ Manifesting that not only will I someday have an agent, but also that someday I will also someday have all my book babies published because I love all my stories so much, each in their own special way โจ๐ฏ๏ธโจ
Got two rejections today, but thatโs okay, because they were on my old chapters, and I definitely think my revised chapters are coming out stronger & much better. That being said, still have to โจmanifestโจ some good news & โจfull requests โจfor February to help keep me going ๐
Got an agent response where they love what theyโve seen so far and want more chapters ๐ฅน๐ฅน๐ฅน buuuut Iโm away visiting my in-laws and didnโt bring my laptop so I canโt send the materials yet ๐ญ
Ahhh my QueryTracker interview is live ๐ if anyone is interested, hereโs the link where you can read my answers which are sometimes rambling, sometimes inspirational โจ
One day, I will find an agent to champion my work and accomplish my dream of publishing my books. But first, I will have to defeat (โ๏ธ) my worst enemy:
Introductory chapters ๐๐ฅฒ
Who is participating in
#pitdark
?? ๐ป I would love to support anyone participating and wouldnโt mind the support for my Poe retellings! Like & comment and Iโll do my best to share your pitches! Good luck to everyone participating! ๐ค
Question for writing peeps (agents, if any see this, feel free to chime in): if an agent is closed to queries, but they show interest in your story (say they like one of your pitches), what do you do?
Do you wait for them to open to queries, or do you shoot your shot & DM them?
My motivational tweet for the day:
For all my
#amquerying
peeps, hang in there! Itโs possible the agent you are meant to be with simply isnโt open to queries atm & they donโt have your story yet ๐ ๐ฏ๏ธ
One of the things I appreciate about the writing community on here is that it has taught me & pushed me & inspired me so much. The pitch contests helped me perfect my pitches, it inspired me to create graphics & moodboard for marketing, and it has helped me put myself out there
I got a pass from one of my fulls today (still waiting to hear back from a partial & 2 other fulls before my deadline ๐) but they also said, and I quote, โBridgerton meets A HOUSE OF SALT AND SORROWS in the best possible way!โ so Iโm not even sad ๐ฅน๐ค
โจ๐ฏ๏ธโจ๐ฏ๏ธ Manifesting that I will be one step closer to achieving my author dream (either by having an agent or being vague) by my 28th birthday, which is a little more than a month away ๐ฏ๏ธโจ๐ฏ๏ธโจ
99% sure I am sitting in at least 5 maybe piles ๐ญ
โจ๐ฏ๏ธโจ๐ฏ๏ธ Time to manifest EXTRA, EXTRA hard that at least 1, hopefully all, those maybes turn to fulls ๐ universe, hear my manifesting๐ฏ๏ธโจ๐ฏ๏ธโจ
Haha itโs crazy how you can be so close to getting everything youโve been working toward and it still doesnโt stop you from being depressed ๐ Iโll probably delete this later, probably just imposter syndrome
A lot of time, querying is like shouting into the void. Other times, itโs like waiting at a beach, & waiting for a wave to crash down. And sometimes, itโs like sitting at the beach, & the ocean gives you something nice, so you wait to see if something else nice will come along.
Iโve come to terms Iโm probably not going to become โจvagueโจ before I turn 28, but thatโs okay, because 27 sucked anyway & 28 will be a clean slate
Manifesting โจGREAT THINGS โจ & a ๐ฏ๏ธโจBETTER, HAPPIER โจ๐ฏ๏ธ year for 28 (still 2+ weeks away)
Thank you so much to everyone who retweeted & commented on my pitches! ๐ฅน I got 4 agent likes, which was more than I expected! (My expectation being 0 ๐ although I can only query 3 of my 4 likes b/c I already have a partial out with another agent at the 4th oneโs agency ๐ฅฒ)
Great news: first full request since becoming vague
Bad news: laptop took a ๐ฉ
Good news: My husband has a brand new laptop heโs letting me use until we can afford a new one for me
Bad news: I hate it ๐ญ I miss my old dinosaur ๐ญ this one is too advanced ๐ญ
GOTHIC BRIDGERTON
When an unleashed magic brings the ghosts of Evermore castle back to life during their weeklong ball, estranged sisters Annabel Lee and Lenore Evermore are forced to work together before their castle by the sea becomes their tomb by the sea
#pitlight
#ya
#h
#f
Getting my manifestations in early for tomorrow & the rest of the weekโจ ๐ฏ๏ธ โจ
โจ๐ฏ๏ธ I am manifesting a week of good news, good health & good productivity ๐ฏ๏ธโจ
And why not, Iโm also manifesting some good luck since we all know querying is also about a bit of luck ๐ โจ๐โจ
Opening line of your WIPโฆshare it. Donโt be scared.
-
I was the last one to leave my funeral.
(Untitled, horror comedy)
#amwriting
#WIP
#writingcommunity
Can I just say how amazing & validating it is when an agent calls a line you really like โamazing.โ Like thanks, I really liked that line, too ๐ If only my imagery was that strong for the rest of my manuscript ๐
CRIMSON PEAK x THE RAVEN.
After an accident leaves her w/ an ability to see ghostsโor completely mad, according to her familyโRaven Chambers is sent to live at her grandmotherโs castle, Ravenโs Peak. Except now servants are missing, & Raven is still seeing ghosts
#pitlight
#ya
#h
It only takes one yes.
It only takes one yes.
It only takes one yes.
โจ ๐ฏ๏ธ Manifesting confidence (I need it ๐ญ), healthy kitties, better mental health days, & partial/full manuscripts today ๐ฏ๏ธโจ
Haha itโs crazy how you can be so close to getting everything youโve been working toward and it still doesnโt stop you from being depressed ๐ Iโll probably delete this later, probably just imposter syndrome
Ahhh
#pitdark
is in two weeks!! ๐ฑ Iโm both ready and not ๐ Iโm never ready (emotionally). Who else is participating? As always, Iโm ready to swap support! ๐ป
Author dream list:
๐ฏ๏ธ literary agent ๐ค๐ป
๐ฏ๏ธ multiple book deals
๐ฏ๏ธ make enough money to pay off debts, move, eat healthy & comfortably care for my cats, husband & self
๐ฏ๏ธ bestseller list
๐ฏ๏ธ fanart!
๐ฏ๏ธ tv/film adaptation would be nice
๐ฏ๏ธ being able to write what I want
๐ฏ๏ธfan base
Author dream list:
โจ๏ธ A literary agent (duh)
โจ๏ธ Have a huge fanbase
โจ๏ธ bestseller list
โจ๏ธ fanfiction and fanart galore!
โจ๏ธ Being financially stable by being a full-time writer alone
Saw itโs Shoot Your Shot Saturday, so why not! For any interested agents, I
#amquerying
an Annabel Lee Retelling feat. Gothic Bridgerton vibes, a cursed family, ghosts unleashed at a weeklong seaside ball &
#amwriting
a Raven Retelling w/ ghosts, madness, toxic family & poison ๐ป
Thank you to everyone who helped boost my posts! You all had amazing stories & I hope you all get agents soon โค๏ธ
I got 3 agent likes
-1 who has my full ๐ค๐ป
-1 who rejected my story once ๐ง
-1 I have to wait in b/c Iโm waiting on a response from another agent at their agency ๐ฅฒ
Here again for SHOOT YOUR SHOT SUNDAY โจ๐ฏ๏ธ
I
#amquerying
a story w/-
๐ค gothic fantasy Bridgerton vibes
๐ a seaside setting & a castle threatening to tumble into the sea
๐ป a cursed family & ghosts unleashed at the Evermore sisters weeklong ball
๐ฏโโ๏ธ sisters w/ spooky abilities
Anyone else ever forget absolutely everything about your story even though youโre the one who rewrote it, edited it, and read it a million times? ๐ ๐๏ธ
Day
#578
of shouting into the void about my Annabel Lee retelling, which has-
๐ค Gothic Bridgerton vibes
๐ seaside atmosphere
๐ฐ a weeklong ball at a crumbling castle
๐ป a sister who sees ghosts
๐ another sister who sees death in dreams
โจ star-crossed loversโฆ or are they?
Iโm on so many maybe lists ๐ฅฒ but will any of them turn to a full???
Time to manifest โจ ๐ฏ๏ธ โจ ๐ฏ๏ธ โจ ๐ฏ๏ธ โจ
Manifesting that I will soon find a home for my spooky, sea-drenched, Gothic Bridgerton-esque Annabel Lee Retelling novel ๐ค๐ค๐ค
โจ ๐ฏ๏ธManifesting full requests & offers of rep ๐ฏ๏ธโจ for my Annabel Lee Retelling by posting another mood board with a favorite scene of mine ๐๐ป๐ค
My inbox has been quiet since I turned 28 ๐ I wonder if my first response will be a rejection, a request or an offer โจโจ (probably a rejection but Iโm staying hopeful ๐ ๐ค๐ป)
My Annabel Lee Retelling is back in the trenches & Iโm back to manifesting partials, fulls, offers, & good luck, health & fortune all aroundโจ๐ฏ๏ธ๐ฎโ๏ธ
Iโm also reminding myself it only takes one yes โจ๐ฏ๏ธ
May was surprisingly a good month for me, w/ more full requests & agent interest from pitch events, some Iโm still waiting to hear back from, so I am โจ๐ฏ๏ธ manifesting ๐ฏ๏ธโจ that Mayโs good luck ๐ continues into June, and that soon I will find an agent for my Evermore girls ๐๐ป๐ค
I am so glad my manuscript has been getting so much agent interest (requests, pitch likes) lately because itโs making the fact that my home is 91 degrees inside (ac is broken) & Iโm breaking into hives/itchy all over bearable ๐ฅฒ
For anyone who likes stories with fairytale imagery, Annabel Lee has:
๐ฐ magical objects
๐ฐ twisted wishes
๐ฐ bargains gone wrong
๐ฐ girl-trapped-in-a-castle
๐ฐ girl-learns-to-save-herself
๐ฐ ballroom w/ glass wall overlooking sea
๐ฐ Prince Charming (is not what he seems)
When youโre revising, but you have to cut out one of your favorite quotes, so now youโre spending time trying to figure out how to reincorporate it naturally into the story ๐ โจโ๏ธ๐
Proud to say I checked my manuscript and I only used the word โjustโ 45 times out of 355 pages ๐๐ป ๐ (I was expecting the figure to be closer to idk, 500 or even 1000 ๐)
Itโs okay though because I have plenty of crutch words to work on ๐ฅฒ (looking at you โonlyโโฆ)
I am in multiple maybe piles, wrote 2000 words so far today in a manuscript Iโm rewriting, & I am feeling more hopeful than I have in weeks.
โจ Manifrsting more good things to come โจ
Also thank you to everyone who liked, commented, & retweeted my
#questpit
tweets ๐ค
โจ๐ฏ๏ธโจ๐ฏ๏ธ โจManifesting an agent & book deals, so I can upgrade my home & have a bigger kitchen for my growing teacup collection ๐ ๐ โจ๐ฏ๏ธโจ๐ฏ๏ธโจ
& of course, a bigger home w/ more space for our kitties
Haha just realized I sent a full I was highlighting/making notes on, although I made an alternate document for revisions ๐ why do I suck at juggling documents
Good thing I already had one offer because now I need to go hide under a rock
Itโs been a minute since Iโve manifested, Iโve been busy ๐
โจ๐ฏ๏ธโจ still manifesting the right agent for my Gothic Bridgerton/Annabel Lee Retelling โจ๐ฏ๏ธโจ