Hi. I’ve been told time and time again I should start a newsletter, since no one reads blogs any more and twitter is dying and TikTok terrifies me. So…hello! I’m here. And hopefully I’ll be coming to your inbox monthly, sharing my random thoughts about writing, books I’m reading, and whatever else can fill this space.
The Liminal Space of Submission
I always thought that I had a thing for liminal spaces. The in-betweens, the not-quites. That moment before a wave crashes, When all that’s left is rush of anticipation. the what’s next, the imminent change.
When I was a new writer, before I was even querying or even knew what publishing looked like, I existed in the liminal space of writing a book. I put words on paper and over the course of a year, I chased the ending. I’ve done that seven times since, and I’m in the middle of the eighth right now.
My years as a querying writer brought with them another kind of liminal space. I was a writer with a finished book (or six) and I wrote query after query, flinging myself into a void of what-ifs and not quite right for my list and please keep me in mind with future projects and too similar to a project of a current client’s and I’d love to see your next book emails. A space that was long and frustrating and often lonely—a space where I felt like I was never quite there. Never quite enough. I became so focused on that one yes—because that’s what we tell writers in that liminal space, in those query trenches—that I never let myself think past it. That one yes was going to be transformative. And when that yes finally came, a decade to the week I sent my first ever query, I stared at the ceiling and wondered—what’s next?
Writers talk about writing. A lot about querying, both while we’re in it and looking back. But fewer talk about being on submission. We’re cautioned not to. We’re told to keep our heads down, to focus on the next thing. To trust. To be patient, as every week another cascade of deal announcements rain down on us via social media—that writer who beat you out for a spot at a mentorship just signed a high-six figure, multi-book deal. That agent who offered but you turned them down? Just landed a multi-book deal for their client. That friend who’s been there all along? Just signed a deal and has stopped their daily texts, because they have new friends now. And yet every time the phone rings…there’s a thrill. There’s a chance.
I’m trying to embrace the possibility of being on sub. I’ve made it this far—I’ve crossed the spaces from writer to agented author to on submission and if there’s one thing my journey taught me, there’s so much beauty to be found in the spaces in between. Friendships to be made. New projects to tackle. Rejections to dissect.
If you’re in this place with me—I hope you’re being kind to yourself. You are exactly where you need to be.
Monthly Book Picks
Each month, I’ll try my best to share books I’ve loved. You can view a roundup on my Bookshop Affiliate Page
1, or keep reading to see this month’s!
Adult: I just finished Samantha Downing’s FOR YOUR OWN GOOD at the recommendation of a friend. It’s a twisty thriller about one teacher’s quest to make his students better…no matter the cost to anyone else, and the devastation he causes along the way. I devoured this book in a weekend!
YA: Every once in a while, I finish a book that makes me stare at the ceiling and consider if I should just quit writing because a book has wrecked me in every conceivable way. Allison Saft’s A FAR WILDER MAGIC is one of those books—decadent and romantic. It’s a slow start, but it builds into something gorgeous, and it’s worth it. Trust me.
MG: I was lucky enough to snag an ARC of Angie Thomas’s MG debut, NIC BLAKE AND THE REMARKABLES. I tore through it and immediately pre-ordered it for my library collection. It’s magical, sharp, and so, so much fun!
Suggestion Box
This newsletter is a brand-new venture, so please let me know if there’s anything you’d like me to talk about! I’m all ears.
1 FYI: The Bookshop links above are affiliate links, meaning if you click them, I might earn a commission.