The Ultimate Query Letter Checklist: Do You Have What Agents Want?
for authors, inclusive storytelling, writing craft, creative process, writing life, writing mindset Tiffany Grimes for authors, inclusive storytelling, writing craft, creative process, writing life, writing mindset Tiffany Grimes

The Ultimate Query Letter Checklist: Do You Have What Agents Want?

Your goal is to seduce the literary agent into wanting to read more. Just like you would a regular reader, your copy needs to speak for itself. In this case, it’s the query letter. At a bookstore, this is similar to the back cover or inside flap copy. Consider how you’d summarize your book to a potential reader in just a few sentences—now imagine doing that for an industry professional who’s evaluating whether your book has the commercial appeal, market viability, and sales potential to succeed.

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14 Reasons Why Your Manuscript is Getting Rejected by Literary Agents
for authors, inclusive storytelling, writing craft, creative process, writing life, writing mindset Tiffany Grimes for authors, inclusive storytelling, writing craft, creative process, writing life, writing mindset Tiffany Grimes

14 Reasons Why Your Manuscript is Getting Rejected by Literary Agents

Querying has never been easy, but now that it’s trickier than ever, you have to really make sure your submission package shines.

How can you best ensure that you’re putting your best foot forward when submitting to an agent?

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Why an MFA Might Not be Enough: 1O Lessons I Wish I’d Learned
for authors, inclusive storytelling, writing craft, creative process, writing life, writing mindset Tiffany Grimes for authors, inclusive storytelling, writing craft, creative process, writing life, writing mindset Tiffany Grimes

Why an MFA Might Not be Enough: 1O Lessons I Wish I’d Learned

There’s this little secret in the MFA world. You can pay $30k+ and still not know how to write a book. My MFA journey taught me a lot, but there were important lessons it didn't cover, lessons that could have saved me from post-graduation burnout and self-doubt… as well as how to navigate publishing.

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Is Your Book Idea Too Common? How to Create a Compelling Book Idea
for authors, inclusive storytelling, writing craft, creative process, writing life, writing mindset Tiffany Grimes for authors, inclusive storytelling, writing craft, creative process, writing life, writing mindset Tiffany Grimes

Is Your Book Idea Too Common? How to Create a Compelling Book Idea

I've read thousands of book pitches over the years, and while some book ideas made me lean in with excitement, eager to delve into the pages of a promising story, others left me wondering how the author could breathe life into an idea that seemed, at first glance, the same as other stories out there. 

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Writing People of Color as a White Author
for authors, inclusive storytelling, writing craft, creative process, writing life, writing mindset Tiffany Grimes for authors, inclusive storytelling, writing craft, creative process, writing life, writing mindset Tiffany Grimes

Writing People of Color as a White Author

The predominant issue regarding this topic right now is that so many white authors have written harmful perspectives of people of color. From books riddled with micro-aggressions to overt racism, white authors have proven over and over that they have no business writing stories from the perspective of People of Color (POC). It’s time for white people to step aside and let people of color tell their own stories.

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