Category: Writing Advice
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Why To Include Small Indie Presses in Your To-Query List
If you are a querying author, chances are you’ve poured over agents’ manuscript wish lists. You have probably looked at social media posts and websites hoping to find perfect matches for your manuscript. And while that is what you should be doing, it’s not all you could be doing. Many querying authors overlook small independent…
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How to Title Your Manuscript When Querying: Tips That Catch an Agent’s Eye
When you’re querying agents, your title is your story’s handshake—your first impression. A great manuscript title doesn’t just sound good; it hints at genre, tone, and emotional promise. While titles can change during the publishing process, a strong one helps your submission stand out from the slush pile. So how do you craft one that…
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Mastering Live Book Pitches: Tips for Success (Plus a Free Template!)
Pitching your book at a live event is like stepping into the spotlight with your creative soul on display. You’ve got minutes to capture the attention of literary agents, each one looking for the next big thing. It’s an adrenaline rush—a mix of public speaking and storytelling—with the tantalizing hope of hearing, “I’d love to…
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Tips for Querying Authors and My Bronze Win of the Florida State Book Award
Pinch me. Is this real life? I never thought I’d get my book published much less win a publishing award in my home state. And even more of a surprise, my friend, Andie Smith, won SILVER in the same category! (Andie, I can’t wait to see you at the awards ceremony and give you a…
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2024 Publishing Highlights: My Journey and Future Plans
Hi Writing and Publishing Community! I hope your 2024 was positive and productive. I wanted to share a summary of my 2024 accomplishments and of some of the resources I created for emerging and seasoned authors. I’m also sharing my plans for 2025. 2024 Highlights January 2024: Presented at Power Publishing Day at NOVA Southeast…
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Planned Parenthood Fundraiser – Drawing for 5 Query and First 5 Pages Critiques
Friends, I must DO something. As a supporter of human rights, I’m elevating Planned Parenthood this month. I’m hosting a fundraiser for Planned Parenthood. You can read more about the history of Planned Parenthood here. In light of an emerging questionable political landscape, the rights of women and women’s health are at stake. For just…
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A Self-Editing Guide for Authors – Part 3 – Copy Edits
After developmental and line editing, it’s time to polish formatting, grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Most word processors will have some sort of AI that will catch many grammar and punctuation errors. Additionally, you can use programs like Grammarly. But much of this will be the responsibility of the eyes of humans. Specifically, yours!:) Please note…
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GLAAD Fundraiser—Drawing For 5 Query and First 5 Pages Critiques
Friends, I must DO something. I’m not a part of the LGBTQ+ community, but I am a LOUD and PROUD ally. I’m hosting a fundraiser for GLAAD, GLAAD is a dynamic media force that tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. You can read more about the…
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A Self-Editing Guide for Authors Part 2 – Line Edits
Once we get our stories developmentally healthy (Part 1), it’s time to analyze our word choice. And every single word matters. I’m gonna geek out on this part. Because I LOVE revising on a line level. It’s literally my favorite part of the revision process. You might be thinking, she’s being picky and petty. And…
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A Self-Editing Guide For Authors – Part 1 Developmental Edits
You’ve typed the words The End. Alpha Readers, Beta Readers and Critique Partners have given you a thumbs-up. Friends and family members have given you two enthusiastic thumbs-up. Congratulations! You’re ready to send your query to your top list of agents or small presses. Or hit publish if you’re planning to do this on your…
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Why You Should Make a Book Trailer and How to Create One (Including My FREE Webinar!)
The free webinar with examples is at the end. I made it for Wild Ink and Conquest authors, but I’m now sharing it with YOU! Along with my free downloadable guide.:) Enjoy! What is a Book Trailer? A book trailer is similar to a movie trailer. It’s a short video created to entice the viewer…
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My Chat with Amethyst Ink Editor Demi Michelle Schwartz
Recently I had the privilege of chatting with author, recording artist, editor, and someone I’m honored to call friend, Demi Michelle Schwartz. We spoke about her experience so far as a freelance editor for Amethyst Ink. As an editorial agent, I wanted to pick her brain and see what she’s seen on her end. The…
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Free Audio Book Giveaway for WORTH IT
I’m super excited to share that I am giving away FIVE free copies of the audiobook for WORTH IT. Narrated by the incredible Shealey Hannigan, the audiobook really brings to life the story of poverty-stricken and pregnant teen Angela Carter as she navigates the constant obstacles standing in her way. Shealey is a master storyteller…
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How To Get an Agent’s Attention: A Free Mini Course
Recently a friend asked me to create a video series for an MFA program she’s teaching to help her students improve in getting an agent’s attention. So I’m going to share the four videos I created with YOU in hopes they help you get an agent’s attention and help your publishing dreams come true. The…
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Maximize Your Reach: How Authors Can Get on Podcasts and Succeed
According to Back Link there are over 500 million podcasts listeners worldwide. The podcast business currently is a 23-billion-dollar industry with projections it could reach 100 billion by 2030. Numbers don’t lie, podcasts could be one of the top ways to grow your author brand and ultimately sell more books. But there are some strategic…
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Giveaway For Listeners of Michelle Glogovac’s My Simplied Life Podcast
It was an absolute honor to be a guest on Michelle Glogovac’s My Simplified Life podcast. I’ve been a fan of Michelle’s ever since I heard her on David Gwyn’s Thriller 101 podcast where she talked about her book How to Get on Podcasts. Michelle’s tips and tricks are PERFECT for any author who is…
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Ten Things to Consider Avoiding in Your First Page
I had the honor of attending the Florida Writing Day Workshop in Tampa, Florida this past weekend. I met so many amazing people in the writing community. If you haven’t attended a Writing Day Workshop, I urge you to search for one in your area. You won’t regret it! One of the panels I served…
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Podcast Interview: Authors of Impact with Jas Rawlinson
Now that WORTH IT is out there in the wild with ARC readers and for sale as pre-orders. I wanted to share this interview with Jas Rawlinson. In the beginning of my writing journey, Jas Rawlinson was someone I turned to. She is a book coach who typically helps authors craft their memoirs. And while…
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The Anatomy of a Scene
At it’s simplistic form, a novel is merely an opening scene, followed by scenes of rising action to a climax, followed by scenes of falling action to a conclusion. That’s it. But what constitutes a scene? Well writing friends, I’m about to break it down for you in a formulaic template that will keep your…
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So You Want to Write a Book That Gets Published: A Step-By-Step Guide
As a published author, associate literary agent, and developmental editor, I often hear, “I have an idea for a book, I just don’t know where to start.” And I get it. I’ve been there. You don’t know what you don’t know. So in this post, I’m going to lay out a framework any hopeful author…
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Book Talk With The Girls
My daughters are my best friends. But they aren’t only my best friends, they are also each other’s best friends. But first, a little backstory. (which of course I NEVER recommend in the opening pages of your fictional novel:) Danielle is my first-born. I had her living in poverty in a run-down trailer park as…
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Query Submission Review Giveaway for Power Publishing Day
If you are attending/attended my session Polishing Your Query Submission: A Guide For Fiction Authors, I’m giving away one query submission review! The session is January 25, 2024. You must apply for the giveaway by January 27, 2024. But, you have until January 31, 2024to revise on your query submission using everything you learned at…
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My Top 8 YouTube Writing Resources for 2024
Hello, authors in all phases of your writing journey. As a new associate literary agent at The Purcell Agency, I hope to help every author who queries me, or who stumbles across my website, to come away with something valuable. This resource list is one. If you’ve read anything about me, and fine if you…
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My Top Lucky Thirteen Writing Podcasts for 2024
Hello, authors in all phases of your writing journey. As a new associate literary agent at The Purcell Agency, I hope to help every author who queries me, or who stumbles across my website, to come away with something valuable. This resource list is one. If you’ve read anything about me, and fine if you…
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Query Submission Review Giveaway for Writer’s Workout Attendees
If you are attending/attended my session Reading For Writers, I’m giving away one query submission review! The conference is March 15th through the 17th, 2024. You must apply for the giveaway during the conference window. But, you have until March 31st, 2024 to revise on your query submission using everything you learned at the conference.…
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My Top 10 Tips For Reducing Word Count in a Bloated Manuscript
Many writers, including myself, have received feedback that our word count is too high for our age range and genre. Especially for us debuts, we sometimes tend to over-write and make some common mistakes that inflate our word count. But here’s the thing, it’s not that difficult to reduce the word count for pretty much…
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Polishing Your Submission Packet For Querying
Hello Authors! When I was in the query trenches, I found there were a lot of things I wished I’d known early in my query journey. Now that I’m an associate literary agent (as of July 3rd, 2024!), I thought it would be helpful to querying authors if I provided some guidance on how to…
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Reader to Leader: My Journey to YA By the Bay
On October 13th and 14th, 2023, I have the honor of participating in a literary event YA By the Bay founded by Sorboni Banerjee and Dominique Richardson, authors of the Everbeach Series. They designed the event to inspire teen readers to become leaders. This weekend, I got to thinking about what led me to YA…
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A Guide to Publishing: From Initial Idea to Execution
The Purcell Agency, where I’d been an assistant all summer, recently promoted me to associate literary agent. As soon as I announced, several aspiring authors with amazing ideas reached out and wanted to know how to get started writing the book that’s been bouncing in their brains for years. As a debut author myself, I…
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Uncensored Ink: A Banned Book Inspired Anthology
Anthologist: Amy Nielsen Coordinator: Ian Tan Submission Window – October 1, 2023-February 29, 2024 Description: An anthology centered around the topics of intellectual freedom, censorship, and book bans, through the imagined lens of librarians and structured according to the Dewey Decimal System Introduction: Here at Wild Ink, we are appalled and saddened by the censorship we see now and…
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Ten Steps Authors Should Consider Before Querying
You’ve typed the words The End. Congratulations! You’re ready to send your full manuscript to the massive email list you created of every agent in the business. Your game plan—cast your net wide and you’re bound to have multiple offers of representation within days. Nope. Not even close. While you, your mother, your sister, and…
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Amy Nielsen on the Meet the Elite Podcast
I take every opportunity I can to share my passions to reach as many people to help as possible. In this episode, I share my work both through Mayflower Media as a book coach and helping authors make book trailers, and my work with families of children with exceptional needs through Big Abilities. It’s only…
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My Top Ten Self-Editing Tips
You did it! You wrote your story. You typed the words, The End. You commissioned a couple of beta readers. They helped you tighten your plot and clear up any confusion. You’re happy with where your story starts and where it ends. You’re ready to dive head-first into the query trenches. Pause—not so fast. There’s…
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Telling Versus Showing: Addressing This Common Issue By Minimizing Filter Language
What is a Filter? In Webster’s dictionary, the definition of filter, when used as a noun, is something that has the effect of a filter (as by holding back elements or modifying the appearance of something). The definition of filter, when used as a verb, is to remove by means of a filter. So using…
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My New Role as a Literary Agent’s Assistant
When I published my first book, Teaching the Video Production Class: Beyond the Morning Newscast back in 2014 to say I was thrilled would be an understatement. The following year, I left a nearly twenty year career as an educator to focus full-time on raising my autistic son and to work on my writing career.…
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The Valuable Lesson I Learned From Failing to Read the Large Print
When one of my writing besties, S.E. Reed author of My Heart is Hurting was selected as a guest judge for the Fiction Potluck over at the Writer’s Workout of course I wanted to participate! I really enjoy cranking out a short story so I was excited to see what S.E. would pick for the…
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Intellectual Freedom and Why We Must Fight For It
I’ll be honest, this is personal. And it was personal long before the gatekeepers denied entry of my friend, author extraordinaire S.E. Reed’s 2023 debut, My Heart is Hurting, into the Palm Beach County Library System. My First Intellectual Freedom Crusade This goes way back to the Fall of 1999, my first year as an…
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What To and What Not To Include in Your Novel’s Opening Pages – Risky versus Less Risky
Starting your novel in the right spot is not easy. Trust me! I have three opening scenes drafted for my work in progress (WIP). But it is extremely important for two reasons. But what should, and maybe more importantly, what should not, be in those opening pages? Below you’ll find the best practices my research…
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5 Reasons Why You Should Fictionalize Your Past Trauma
Let’s be real. No one gets through this life unscathed. Everyone experiences their share of trauma. You’ve probably said, “I should write a book,” more times than you can count. And memoir can be powerful. But fictionalizing your past may be a better option. My upcoming debut, Worth It (Wild Ink May of 2024 (available…
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Why You Should and How To Make an Author Media Press Kit
Let’s be real. You chose to be an author because you have something to say. And it’s beyond the pages of your amazing fictional novel. You have a bigger message. Most authors do. And yes, our first goal as authors is ultimately to entertain. But most of us share a collectively deeper one—to evoke change…
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5 Tips to Manifest Your Author Career
Manifestation is the conversion of thoughts into reality. Believing you will achieve your dreams and goals. Then taking the actions necessary to ignite them into existence. If you are a writer in the query trenches, it’s easy to get trapped in a negative mindset. Publishing is ripe with rejection. It’s no wonder so many authors…
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How to Use Facebook Groups for Beta Readers: Think Book-Flix!
Once the first full draft of my 2024 debut was complete, I knew I needed betas. But I had no idea how to approach them. Seventeen years in the making, a lot had changed since I first started this manuscript. Facebook was one of them. One of the FB groups I was in was for…
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Querying Part 2: Query in Batches
Once you’ve poured over Twitter, Manuscript Wish List, Query Tracker, agent’s websites, and more, you’ve probably got a list somewhere from fifty to a hundred agents and small presses ranging from Perfect Fit to ones that say “Surprise me! I’m always looking for something new.” Before you get excited and cast your net wide, let’s…
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Querying Part 1: Tools to Find Agents
My YA novel, WORTH IT, debuts in 2024. Querying was stressful. But I think the approach I used is what helped me to land my publishing deal and I’d like to share it with other querying authors in this multipart series. If you haven’t yet finished your query, please check out Query Master Class with…
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Why You Should Include Small Presses in Your To-Query List
If you are a querying author, chances are you’ve poured over agents’ manuscript wishlists, social media posts, and websites hoping to find perfect matches for your manuscript. And while that is what you should be doing, it’s not all you could be doing. A lot of querying authors overlook small presses in hopes of landing…
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5 Ways to Locally Market Your Book Before It Launches
You did it! You got a publishing deal! The years of hard work paid off. But the work is far from over. You’ll likely go through several rounds of edits. Then the fun part—the cover design, layout, and production. During the pre-launch period, you’ll likely work with your publisher’s marketing team on promotion strategies. But…
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The Story Behind the Story: What Inspired Me to Write WORTH IT
Three weeks ago, I signed a contract with Wild Ink Publishing. This very personal story has simmered in my mind since 2007. And while this novel is based on my real-life experiences as a pregnant teen in poverty, this is also my daughter’s story. I hope you enjoy the backstory of how WORTH IT was…
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Why You Should Write Books You Know Will Be Banned
Before I entered the world of writing, I shared my love of reading with kids as a middle-school librarian. My principal said there were three places on our campus students ran to: the gym, the cafeteria, and my library. It was an honor to be the recipient of stampeding readers. Within my library walls, I’d…
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Why You Need an Author Website Even if Your Book Isn’t Published Yet and How to Get Started
I know you’ve thought about it. You’ve probably even opened up WordPress, Wix, or Square Space and poked around. Then you told yourself since your book wasn’t published yet what was the point. Well according to Jane Friedman, “If you plan to pursue writing as a professional, long-term career, I recommend starting and maintaining an…
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3 Reasons You Need to Make a Trailer for Your Querying or Soon-To-Be Released Novel and How to Make It
The last movie I saw in a theater was Where the Crawdads Sing based on Delia Owen’s widely popular debut. By the time the movie started, I had a mental list of at least five movies I had to see next. Why? Trailers. A well-done trailer satiates the appetite of its viewer. My seven-year-old son…
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My Journey to a Book Publication Deal
Authors’ journeys to publication have always fascinated me. And even though each author’s roadmap is unique, they all have one thing in common—they reach the same destination—a published novel. If you are a querying author, I hope my journey will provide you some inspiration as you continue to chart your way toward your final destination—your…
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Query Masterclass with Patrick Hopkins, Creator of The Queery Helpline
I embarked on my initial clunky querying journey about two years ago. Twitter did me a solid and soon pointed me to Patrick Hopkins. I attended a live-stream query revision with him and Morgan Hazelwood. My mind blew as I watched the duo transform frustrated author’s submissions into clear, concise, agent-ready queries. If you are…
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How to Get and Be a Good Critique Partner
What is a Critique Partner? A Critique Partner (CP) is another writer with whom you share your work, they share theirs, and you each offer critique (or feedback) to the other. Being and having a good CP is one of the best ways to improve. For one, as a writer, it’s often easier to see…
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How to Get Publishing Credits Before Publishing Your Debut Novel
For two years, you pounded on your keyboard, breathing life into a story only you could tell. But even as you typed every author’s favorite phrase, The End, you knew it was far from over. You rolled up your sleeves—edited and revised and revised and edited. Then you charged into Facebook writing groups and rallied…
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What I Learned From an Agent’s Rejection
As a querying author, the majority of responses from agents are form rejections. “Thank you for sharing your manuscript. Unfortunately, at this time, this isn’t the right project for me. I hope you find a home for your work.” If you are in the querying trenches, you know this process. An author friend of mine,…
Amy Nielsen 