Writing Break

In this bonus episode, we’re wrapping up Season 7 with a stitched-together master episode featuring all five segments from our Querying Literary Agent series.

Whether you're just starting your submission journey or navigating the silence after sending your pitch, this complete guide has you covered.

• Part 1: Big Five Dreams or Indie Vibes?
• Part 2: Where the Lit Agents Are and How to Find Yours
• Part 3: Writing Your Query Letter
• Part 4: What Happens After You Hit Send
• Bonus: What to Do While You Wait

This episode is your one-stop-shop for understanding the querying process from beginning to end.

Plus, I give you a sneak peek into what’s ahead:

Season 8: Mastering fiction genres

Season 9: Breaking the rules with experimental and hybrid work

Season 10: Mastering nonfiction, including memoir, journalism, essays, and more

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Querying literary agents and not hearing back can feel like shouting into the void. In this episode, recorded mid-recovery from a concussion (yes, really), we’re turning that creative purgatory into purposeful progress. If you’ve sent out queries and find yourself obsessively refreshing your inbox, this is your antidote.

Overthinking Couch Topics:

Overanalyzing the querying blues and becoming better writers for it

Reclaiming control during the waiting game

Reviving your creative energy

Reading like a writer

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Music licensed from Storyblocks.

In the final installment of our four-part series on querying literary agents, we break down what to expect when a literary agent replies to your email. From form rejections and useful feedback to the coveted request for more materials, today’s episode is all about helping you navigate agent responses.

Plus, in publishing news:

• A $44 million scam targeting writers has resulted in federal charges
• Fan fiction hits the bestseller lists with Dramione-inspired debuts
• A bestselling memoir-turned-film faces accusations of fraud and fabrication

Overthinking Couch Topics:

• The 3 types of literary agent responses
• How to recognize a personalized rejection
• What it means when agents request more materials
• The difference between execution and market viability
• What to do next—whether it’s a “yes,” “no,” or radio silence

📫 Also, I share a personal update on my surprise stint in Google Purgatory, and why you may not have heard back from me via email.

🎧 Catch up on the full Literary Agent series:

• Part 1: Should You Query a Literary Agent?

• Part 2: How to Research Literary Agents

• Part 3: How to Write a Query Letter

• More Writing Tips
• The Salt Path Scandal
• Draco-Hermione Fan Fiction Novels Hit Bestseller Lists
• PageTurner's $44 million fraud charges cast spotlight on author services
• Free Style Sheet Templates

Music licensed from Storyblocks.

In today’s episode of Writing Break, we’re dog-sitting, dodging deadlines, and diving deep into the dreaded query letter.

Overthinking Couch Topics:

• The classic 3-part structure of a fiction query letter
• What makes a strong nonfiction pitch
• A breakdown of the 7 essential parts of a book proposal
• The 5 most common query mistakes

🎧 Catch up on the series:

• Part 1: Should You Query a Literary Agent?
• Part 2: How to Research Literary Agents

• More Writing Tips
• Querying Literary Agents, Part 2: Where the Lit Agents Are and How to Find Yours - Writing Break
• Querying Literary Agents, Part 1: Big Five Dreams or Indie Vibes? - Writing Break
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Music licensed from Storyblocks.

Today we’re (finally!) continuing our four-part series on querying literary agents. Whether you're writing fiction or nonfiction, querying without doing your homework is like picking a random person off a dock and asking them to captain your boat across the ocean. In this episode, I'm sharing how to research literary agents and find the ones most likely to say yes to your book.

Overthinking Couch Topics:

• Tools and databases to help you find agents
• How to vet an agent’s interests, history, and red flags
• An analog method for agent discovery that still hold up
• Why being selective can save your sanity and your story

Plus, there's some essential publishing news about the reality of book bans and a hopeful new UK initiative for working-class writers.

• More Writing Tips
• Querying Literary Agents, Part 1: Big Five Dreams or Indie Vibes? - Writing Break - Episode 121
• 7 Tips for Landing a Literary Agent - Writing Break - Episode 75
• Literary Agents and Bestselling Books - Writing Break - Episode 70

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Welcome to the first installment of a four-part series on querying literary agents. In this episode, we explore the pros and cons of publishing with a Big Five publisher versus an independent press. Whether you're writing fiction or nonfiction, traditionally publishing or submitting directly to publishers, this episode will help you clarify your publishing goals.

Plus: A roundup of the latest publishing news, including the growing backlash against tech giants using books to train AI.

Overthinking Couch Topics:

• The Big Five publishers: what they offer and what you give up.
• Independent presses: creative freedom and community.
• Why authors might choose commercial reach vs. a passionate niche.
• Important questions to ask yourself before querying.

• More Writing Tips
• Ep 84: Query Letters vs Book Proposals - Writing Break
• Ep 68: Self-Publishing vs Traditional Publishing - Writing Break
• Publishers Accepting Unagented Manuscripts
• Crown Publishing Group Launches Book Imprint Dedicated to Black Voices
• OpenAI copyright lawsuits from authors, New York Times consolidated in Manhattan
• French publishers and authors sue Meta over copyright works used in AI training
• ‘Meta has stolen books’: authors to protest in London against AI trained using ‘shadow library’ | Books | The Guardian
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It’s time for a heavy dose of writing wisdom, clipped and curated from recent episodes. Whether you’re plotting, editing, procrastinating or just looking for a creative nudge, this episode’s packed with the good stuff: smart takes, helpful reminders, and maybe a little tough love.

Featuring:

• First-draft and second-draft writing advice
• Actionable writing tips from bestselling authors
• The reality of traditional publishing
• Plus more gems you might’ve forgotten (or ignored)

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Is your story high-concept or low-concept? Understanding this difference can help you refine your pitch, strengthen your storytelling, and position your book effectively in the publishing industry.

Overthinking Couch Topics:

• What makes a story high-concept
• What defines a low-concept story
• How to tell which one you’re writing and why it matters
• Examples from books and films to illustrate both concepts

As always, I’ll share the latest publishing industry news, including trends, controversies, and shifts that could impact authors.

• More Writing Tips
• 7 Literary Conflicts Explained (Clip Show #11) - Writing Break
• New Jersey Star-Ledger will end print edition in 2025
• ‘Sign our own death warrant’: Australian writers angry after Melbourne publisher asks them to sign AI agreements | Australian books | The Guardian
• Demand for page-turning ‘romantasy’ fuels boom for books
• Waiting for the Paperback? Good Luck - WSJ
• Gains in the religion and adult fiction segments helped to offset softness in other areas, leading to a 6.5% sales increase at publishers who report to the Association of American Publishers’ StatShot program.
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The publishing world is shifting fast, and as writers, we need to keep up. In this episode, I dive into some of the biggest changes happening in the industry right now, from how AI is reshaping publishing to restrictions that could impact book accessibility. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out, understanding these changes will help you navigate publishing smarter.

I also share a piece of writing advice I give to authors that I’m now following myself as I write my first book-length work. 

• More Writing Tips
• Eight Independent Publishers Form Cooperative to Share Resources, Cut Costs
• London Book Fair 2025 to Focus on AI, Developing Readers
• Kill Your Darlings - Writing Break
• Library Database Providers Clash Over Subscription Models
• New Bills in Iowa Threaten to Tighten Obscenity Provisions for Libraries
• Will the Diamond Bankruptcy Change the Comics Business Forever?
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We all dream of making it big with our writing, but what happens when that dream doesn’t unfold the way you expect? We’ll talk about how that dream didn’t quite come true for one author. Tune in for a behind-the-scenes look at the publishing industry and for the latest publishing news.

• More Writing Tips
• The debate over blurbs in publishing, explained | Vox
• ‘It’s quite galling’: children’s authors frustrated by rise in celebrity-penned titles | Children and teenagers | The Guardian
• New Romance
• Cosy Kink
• The acquisition of Text Publishing by Penguin Random House is part of a worrying trend in Australian publishing
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Music licensed from Storyblocks