A reminder when you're feeling inundated with writing advice: There is no single right way to write a book.

One of the biggest signs of amateur writing: Overexplaining emotion. The more you explain, the less your reader feels. If you've just shown us a heated fight scene, there's no need to explain afterward that the protagonist is angry and flustered. We just saw it!

I spent years at a top literary agency reviewing query letters — hundreds of them every single week. And the ones that made me stop in my tracks all had one thing in common:

"It was all a dream..." 🌙 💭 It's one of the most cliché (and ineffective) novel openings, but I still see it all the time in early drafts. In this week's video, I break down: 🌟 two dream openings that fall flat 🌟 a famous dream opening that DOES work youtu.be/_-l04swWr6M

I Read 219 Novel Openings. This One Always Fails.

It's one of the most common mistakes new writers make when starting...

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You should know WAY more about your main character than you actually put on the page. I know writers who write 10-page character profiles. And others who interview their character like a journalist. You don't necessarily need to do that, but you should know:

What you put on the page today doesn't have to be good. It doesn't even have to make sense. It just has to be there...because you can't finish a book you never started. So try to show up for your story today, even in the smallest way. Can you write a single sentence? Come up with one idea?

The CEO of Hachette just admitted something I never expected to hear from someone in the industry: That authors don't NEED to go through the Big Five to find massive audiences and success. Watch my video breaking down the 6 trends he says are reshaping the future of books. youtu.be/ZMzmaPplg3A

6 Publishing Trends That Are Changing Everything in 2026

The CEO of Hachette — one of the Big Five publishers — sat down for...

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I've edited hundreds of novels and truly believe revisions are where the magic happens. But I get it: revising your novel can feel more painful than pulling teeth. Especially if you've poured months — or even years — into it. So here's my 5-step framework to revise without losing your mind. 👇

I've edited hundreds of novels, including bestsellers, and here's something that might surprise you... Some of the most talented writers I've ever met are still unpublished. Because they let imposter syndrome paralyze them. Because they gave up after 30 rejections.

I've been editing books professionally for a decade, and here are 5 things I wish every aspiring author knew from day one. They'll save you SO much time, guesswork, and heartache — especially if your goal is traditional publishing. And as an editor...I can say no. 3 gets overlooked way too much.

I had an eye-opening conversation with an author this week. She said, "My agent told me she couldn't connect with my protagonist. I don't know what I'm doing wrong." So I asked: "Well, what does your protagonist want at the start of the story?" She didn't have an answer. And that was the problem.

I recently got this email from a writer, and it broke my heart. Their fears are things I hear nearly every day: ☹️ AI is taking over ☹️ Publishers only want influencers ☹️ Literary fiction is dead ...so is it even worth writing a book? My response might surprise you 👀 youtu.be/GUC_Hdczmek

Just got the most exciting package of my life...my book is finally here! 🥳 Holding it in my hands for the first time is a feeling I genuinely cannot put into words. If you're feeling overwhelmed, confused, or discouraged by the querying process, we wrote this for you.

I can't stop thinking about the plot twist in The Housemaid. Everyone was raving about the novel and film, so I couldn't wait to see what all the hype was about, especially as an editor who specializes in psychological and domestic thrillers. But...I was TOTALLY let down.

Confession: the antagonist is often my favorite character to read. The problem is that most writers end up with boring, cookie-cutter villains. So here are my top 5 tricks to write bad characters your readers will LOVE. youtu.be/01NP5ue-JoA

What's your biggest reading turnoff — something that'll make you INSTANTLY put a book down? I went down a Reddit rabbit hole digging for readers' biggest pet peeves...and these 6 things kept popping up again and again. Do you agree with this list? 👀

"Write every day" works until it doesn't. For some writers, powering through becomes counterproductive, and they end up burning out entirely. Sometimes pushing harder and forcing yourself to sit at your desk stops serving your story. If you think you might be reaching that point...

I recently had a tough (but needed) conversation with a client. Even though I'm the one delivering feedback, a part of me is still ALWAYS nervous. No matter how confident I am in my notes, I never know how they will land with the author.

I see so many aspiring authors throw hundreds — even thousands — of dollars chasing a book deal, paying for: ✏️ Beta reading ✏️ Conferences ✏️ Software ✏️ Contests ✏️ Even an MFA program Are any of them actually worth your money? Answering all that and more in this week's video. youtu.be/2wpnxvLR620

I'm a Book Editor. Here's Everything Writers WASTE Money On.

Some aspiring writers spend hundreds — even thousands — of dollars ...

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My book, THE MODERN GUIDE TO QUERYING LITERARY AGENTS, is coming to shelves in just two months! 🎉 I teamed up with the creator of @QueryTracker to create the first-ever querying guide built on data from 4 million actual query letters.

Your first draft is not supposed to be good. Say it with me: your first draft is NOT supposed to be good. It's supposed to be messy and contradictory and full of plot holes. Look at every book you love on your shelf and realize that exactly ZERO of them started out that way.

I LOVE multi-POV novels, but there's a right way and a wrong way to do them. If we're getting inside the head of EVERY character who shows up — the meddling ex, the mailman, the detective — your novel will feel like it's sprawling and out of control. Each POV has to be justified and warranted.

There are SO many common mistakes you can catch in your writing before handing your story over to an editor. And learning how to self-edit effectively will dramatically sharpen your craft. Here are 5 things to look for on your next pass through your WIP. 👇

Exposition is like salt. 🧂 If you don't add enough, your story will be bland and boring. But if you add TOO MUCH, your reader will quickly become overwhelmed. Here are the 5 most common exposition mistakes I see in manuscripts I edit, along with a before-and-after example. youtu.be/9wnUEIwx9tA

Everyone Writes Exposition Wrong (Do This Instead)

The first 500 people to use this link will receive a one month free...

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As the author, you obviously find your story interesting...but will your readers? What feels exciting inside your head doesn't always translate to the page. To avoid a DNF, check your manuscript for these 7 mistakes that bore readers fast.👇

A common issue I see in early drafts? Opening the story on a static note rather than a dynamic one. We see the character waking up, making coffee, commuting to work, going through the work day...all before something interesting happens.

Most new writers query too early. The manuscript isn't rigorously edited. They don't fully understand their genre. They haven't nailed their pitch. And they burn through their entire agent list wondering why no one is biting.

Some days, you'll open your manuscript and feel like every sentence is garbage. The imagery is forced. The dialogue is stiff. You can't believe you wrote this. If you're cringing at your own writing, here's what I want you to remember:

A reminder for any writer who is feeling like they haven't done "enough" this week: You don't have to hit your target word count for your work to matter.

A sneaky mistake almost every writer makes: pet phrases. A pet phrase is a unique, descriptive turn of phrase that YOU love to use — and don't realize you're repeating.