Bad Lit Friends

This week, Meagan, Kirk, and Rylan talk about the wild world of online pitch events—you know, those (used-to-be) Twitter (and now Blue Sky) contests where you condense your entire manuscript into 280 characters and hope an agent notices you in the mob.

Are they a legitimate path to publication? A performative Hunger Games for writers? A way to connect with your people? Spoiler: it's complicated.

We break down what pitch events actually are, which ones are worth your time, how to craft a pitch that doesn't make you cringe. And then we talk about the pros and cons of different events like #PitMad, #PitDark, and #DVPit, the reality of getting likes versus actual requests, and why community might be the real prize here.

In our Hot Goss segment, we dive into the recent piracy drama. We're calling out the performative "think of the disadvantaged people" arguments, discussing why "information should be free" doesn't mean entertainment should be stolen, and getting real about how piracy actually hurts authors.

Welcome to Bad Lit Friends. We're glad you're here, even if none of us know what we're doing.

Bad Lit Friends was created and is hosted by Meagan Thompson-Mann, Kirk Rafferty, and Rylan. Our Producer is Rylan Rafferty.

Show email: [email protected]

Bluesky: @badlitfriends.bsky.social

Threads: @badlitfriends

Instagram: @badlitfriends

Website: https://www.badlitfriends.com/

This week, Kirk, Meagan, and Rylan sit down with debut author Amber Hamilton to talk about her dark academia romantasy, Seven Deadly Thorns, a twisted Snow White retelling where true love's kiss kills instead of resurrects.

Amber shares her journey from rejection to landing five agent offers for her second novel, and the delicate balance between writing what your heart wants and writing what the market needs.

We also dive into the unique challenges of writing your second book under contract, and the surrealness of people literally painting your book at a garden party.

We had an absolute blast speaking with Amber, and can’t wait to read her book!

Welcome to Bad Lit Friends. We’re glad you’re here, even if none of us know what we’re doing.

Bad Lit Friends was created and is hosted by Meagan Thompson-Mann and Kirk Rafferty. Our Producer is Rylan Rafferty.

Show email: [email protected]

Bluesky: @badlitfriends.bsky.social

Threads: @badlitfriends

Instagram: @badlitfriends

Website: https://www.badlitfriends.com/

Show notes:

Seven Deadly Thorns is published by Bloomsbury YA, and is available for preorder right now. It will be available for purchase on Novemeber 4, 2025. In the UK, it will be available on October 28, 2025.

Amber's website is: https://amhamwrites.com

This week, Meagan and Kirk tackle the sacred cows of writing advice, from “show, don’t tell” to “kill your darlings,” and then gleefully tip them over.

We also discuss adverbs, passive voice, and confess to crimes against first drafts. Meagan shares post-conference war stories (and book five confessions), and Kirk reveals his "sure, why not?" two-adverbs-per-chapter rule.

In Hot Goss, we discuss the latest writing-community drama: authors quitting querying and expensive special editions.

Welcome to Bad Lit Friends. We’re glad you’re here, even if none of us know what we’re doing.

Bad Lit Friends was created and is hosted by Meagan Thompson-Mann and Kirk Rafferty. Our Producer is Rylan Rafferty.

Show email: [email protected]

Bluesky: @badlitfriends.bsky.social

Threads: @badlitfriends

Instagram: @badlitfriends

Website: https://www.badlitfriends.com/

Show notes:

The book Kirk thought was zombies on a submarine, but is actually vampires on a submarine, is 100 FATHOMS BELOW by Nicholas Kaufmann and Steven L. Kent. It's now on my TBR list, and should be on yours too! -k)

The Bad Lit Friends are live(ish) and in person! Meagan, Kirk, and Rylan are recording from the Colorado Gold writers conference, sharing a microphone and thoughts on what it's really like to attend a writing conference.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Our writing progress (or lack thereof) heading into the conference
• What to expect at your first writers conference versus what actually happens
• The value of workshops
• The reality of pitching to agents (and whether it's worth it)
• Why the connections you make matter more than the sessions you attend
• Pro tips for surviving a conference

In our Hot Goss segment, we tackle the latest internet outrage: people who think the Scholastic Book Fair is...bad?

Whether you're considering attending your first conference or you're a veteran looking to optimize your experience, this episode covers everything from managing introvert energy to making the most of being surrounded by other writers who understand the struggle.

Welcome to Bad Lit Friends. We’re glad you’re here, even if none of us know what we’re doing.

Bad Lit Friends was created and is hosted by Meagan Thompson-Mann, Rylan, and Kirk Rafferty. Our Producer is Rylan Rafferty.

Show email: [email protected]

Bluesky: @badlitfriends.bsky.social

Threads: @badlitfriends

Instagram: @badlitfriends

In this episode, Meagan, Rylan, and Kirk discuss the complexities of writer's block, sharing personal experiences and strategies for overcoming creative challenges. We explore the different types of writer's block, the importance of community support, and various techniques to stimulate creativity.

And in our Hot Goss segment, we call out book haulers and performative book collecting for internet points.

Welcome to Bad Lit Friends. We’re glad you’re here, even if none of us know what we’re doing.

Bad Lit Friends was created and is hosted by Rylan, Meagan Thompson-Mann, and Kirk Rafferty. Our Producer is Rylan Rafferty.

Show email: [email protected]

Bluesky: @badlitfriends.bsky.social

Threads: @badlitfriends

Instagram: @badlitfriends

Show notes:

Tips for breaking through writer's block:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jT4y4Vo38UOnvKT9d4Xv3DtJ3yvno6_Cb0t8yWxpDok/edit?usp=sharing

Summary

In this episode of Bad Lit Friends, we discuss arguably the most challenging part of your query package, the synopses.

We share personal updates on our writing progress, delve into the structure of a synopsis, and explore common pitfalls.

In our "hot gos" segment, we talk more about the Anthropic settlement, the future of publishing, and the impact of fan fiction on the traditional publishing market.

Welcome to Bad Lit Friends. We’re glad you’re here, even if none of us know what we’re doing.

Bad Lit Friends was created and is hosted by Meagan Thompson-Mann and Kirk Rafferty. Our Producer is Rylan Rafferty.

Show email: [email protected]

Bluesky: @badlitfriends.bsky.social

Threads: @badlitfriends

Instagram: @badlitfriends

Show notes:

Writing a Great Synopsis by Nicola Morgan: https://nicolamorgan.com/my-books/write-a-great-synopsis/

Rylan is off having East Coast adventures, so it’s just Meagan and Kirk left unsupervised like gossipy Kevin McCallisters.

Whether you’re staring down your first query or have already sent out fifty, this episode is packed with hard-learned experience, do’s and don’ts, and the structure of your query letter. We break down the must-haves, and Kirk shares his actual hook that landed an agent.

We also commiserate about rejection, resilience, and what makes this whole process just a little bit less demoralizing, rounded out with thoughts on voice, structure, personalizations, and why publishing is basically just a never-ending series of gates to worm your way through.

And of course, more hot goss as we dive into the recent $1.5 billion Anthropic lawsuit settlement, the ethics of AI and piracy in publishing, and their impact on real writers. And as always, Megan and Kirk have plenty of feels about capitalism, copyright law, and the future of the book world.

Welcome to Bad Lit Friends. We’re glad you’re here, even if none of us know what we’re doing.

Bad Lit Friends was created and is hosted by Meagan Thompson-Mann and Kirk Rafferty. Our Producer is Rylan Rafferty.

Show email: [email protected]

Bluesky: @badlitfriends.bsky.social

Threads: @badlitfriends

Instagram: @badlitfriends

Show notes:

The query letter that got Kirk an agent:

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4527162724777475067/3648320377209075956

The five questions your query letter should answer:

• Who is the main character?

• What do they want?

• What’s standing in the way?

• What are they willing to do to get it?

• What happens if they fail?

We didn't discuss on the show, but Lauren Kay has a fantastic query letter guide here:

https://www.laurenkaywrites.com/blog/how-to-write-a-query-letter

With Kirk away on vacation, Meagan is joined by producer (and guest co-host) Rylan for a deep dive into the writing contest industrial complex.

Are contests a legitimate path to publication, or just an expensive detour filled with dashed hopes and black-box judging? Together they compare notes on entering contests, from quarter-finalist laurels to anthology publications, and debate whether the deadlines, feedback, and visibility are worth the fees, or if it’s all just a money pit.

Also: the joys and pains of adapting screenplays into novels, the tea-fueled glamour of Australian book launches, and this week’s Hot Goss: when a querying author’s Twitter misstep spirals into internet drama and unlikely allies.

Welcome to Bad Lit Friends. We’re glad you’re here, even if none of us know what we’re doing.

Bad Lit Friends was created and is hosted by Meagan Thompson-Mann and Kirk Rafferty. This episode is guest co-hosted by Rylan Rafferty. Our Producer is Rylan Rafferty.

Show email: [email protected]

Bluesky: @badlitfriends.bsky.social
Threads: @badlitfriends
Instagram: @badlitfriends

Show notes:

What Makes a Great First Page of a Novel: https://gutsygreatnovelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/What-Makes-a-Great-First-Page-of-a-Novel-.pdf

Content warning: We discuss the alleged sexual assault incidents at the Sinners and Stardust conference. (Starts at 29:00 and ends at 34:45)

In this episode of Bad Lit Friends, Kirk and Meagan dive into the messy, beautiful realities of the writing life. They reflect on their own journeys as authors, sharing candid stories of jealousy, comparison, and imposter syndrome, as well as the pressure that comes with reader expectations.

We also talk about the role of conferences and writing contests, and the responsibilities writers carry toward their readers.

Welcome to Bad Lit Friends. We’re glad you’re here, even if none of us know what we’re doing.

Bad Lit Friends was created and is hosted by Meagan Thompson-Mann and Kirk Rafferty. Our Producer is Rylan Rafferty.

Show email: [email protected]

Bluesky: @badlitfriends.bsky.social‬

Threads: @badlitfriends

Instagram: @badlitfriends

Show notes:

MSLexia can be found at https://mslexia.co.uk

Meagan's audio was a little funky--because we are, after all, the podcast that barely knows (and at times, doesn't know) what it's doing. We'll get that fixed before the next show.

Meagan and Kirk dive into the Reddit community r/PubTips, unpacking both the helpful advice and the more problematic trends they’ve seen circulating in the subreddit.

They also explore some of the recurring debates that dominate r/PubTips, including the infamous word-count rules, comparative titles, and the murky territory of query personalization.

For the Hot Goss segment, Meagan and Kirk turn to the ongoing debate about editors. Must every writer hire a professional editor before querying, or is this just another form of gatekeeping?

Welcome to Bad Lit Friends. We’re glad you’re here, even if none of us know what we’re doing.

Bad Lit Friends was created and is hosted by Meagan Thompson-Mann and Kirk Rafferty. Our Producer is Rylan Rafferty.

Show email: [email protected]

Bluesky: @badlitfriends.bsky.social‬

Threads: @badlitfriends

Instagram: @badlitfriends

Show notes:

You can find typical editorial rates at: https://www.the-efa.org/rates/

Typical word counts:

Short story: under 7,500 words

Novelette: 7,500 to 17,500 words

Novella: 17,500 to 40,000 words

Fantasy & Sci-Fi: 100,000 to 115,000 words

Mystery & Thriller - 80,000 to 100,000 words

Literary Fiction - 80,000 - 100,000 words

Romance - 80,000 to 100,000 words

Horror - 70,000 to 100,000 words

Memoir - 80,000 to 90,000 words

Young Adult - 55,000 to 80.000 words

Nonfiction - 50,000 to 80,000 words

Middle Grade - 20,000 to 55,000 words

(Source: https://reedsy.com/studio/resources/how-many-words-in-a-novel)