Joe Hessert

A sharecropper's son earns a place at a magical academy. One chance to give his family a better future. Fail the trials, and he's back in the fields tomorrow. But when a school arena match awakens a lost magic, he's marked as something they can't control. #PosterPit #Q #MG #F

Querying is a roller coaster, but every so often on a hard day I return to my manuscript, pulling it up on my kindle, and after reading for a while I know that if the right agent reads it, they'll see something special, because it's there. #amquerying

@fairiegnostic @vickyweberbooks Toothpick comes out with adverbs all over it.

@vickyweberbooks What are some signs of writing being underbaked? 🤔

The volume of queries and submissions has certainly gone up, but that doesn't necessarily mean the quality has gone up. I see so many fantastic concepts with writing that is a bit underbaked still.

@WebsterOnTV I love Duran as a player & support him as a person who is, like all of us, imperfect, growing, & trying to do his best. That said, I like to watch the games w/my kids, and it's not something I want them to see from a player and person they have so many reasons to admire.

Jarren Duran just spoke in the clubhouse about his gesture towards a fan in the stands…and as he admits it was not right to do. But it is so despicable for people to continue to attempt to get under his skin by telling him as he said the fan stated he should “kill himself” after he opened up about his mental help battles which have helped numerous people with similar struggles because he had the courage to speak out about having suicidal ideations. Two wrongs don’t make a right but we as a society and as baseball fans have got to be better and keep it about the game. We’re all human beings…

@AngieMBrady Welcome, and good luck!

I intend to jump into the query trenches for the first time in the next few hours with THE HOUSE THAT BUILT US. Wish me luck! #writingcommunity #amwriting #AMQUERYING

@NatalieO73314 👋

Many of my #WritingCommunity friends are now agented — and good for them! — but I’d love to connect to more writers who are still in the querying trenches with me. If that’s you and we’re not already moots, please say hi! 💕

@HeatherCashman Thanks for saying this

Advice from me as a literary agent who’s also a writer: If your CP or agent or editor is telling you to remove things from your own writing (that you know you wrote) because it sounds like AI, you might politely tell them to go pound sand. AI is trained to sound like us, and it’s only getting better at it. But you are the only one with your voice. Treasure it. Keep it sacred (with all the em dashes and metaphors), no matter what anyone tells you to do.

@bradfo Time for him to get the coffee.

Walker Buehler is back

@AuthorJFuller Adolescence on Netflix. As you watch recognize that every episode is one incredible take. Best thing I've seen in years.

I got Netflix, Disney and Prime... what's everyone watching right now? What's good?

Yikes

@joannenwrites I have a few non responders, a few rejections, but also had a full request 7 minutes after sending an email query from a great agent, so I think it's really agent specific and not that different from QT. At least in my experience.

I have literally never received a response either negative or positive to an email query, does anyone else encounter this? It’s like sending an email into the abyss

@tylermilliken_ Yeah, I stood up.

Seeing Marcelo Mayer smoke a double off a lefty like Taylor Rogers makes me very happy.

@DanBFox1287 Braiden Ward was must-watch this spring. The dude is chaos.

Stock up, Stock down (Sox up, Sox down?) from spring training ⬆️ Connelly Early ⬆️ Jarren Duran ⬆️ Trevor Story ⬆️ Braiden Ward ⬆️ Caleb Durbin ⬆️ Marcelo Mayer ⬇️ Connor Wong ⬇️ Ranger Suarez ⬇️ Ryan Watson ⬇️ Kristian Campbell ⬇️ Zack Kelly

@dawnfeatherauth That's a bummer about your beta readers. I'm querying as well and it can be a roller-coaster of "Yes, I nailed this!" and "I have no idea what I'm doing." I'd offer to take a look but I don't really read Romantasy ... not sure I'd be the best audience. Good luck!

(2/2) most to improve the pacing in the beginning. I feel like I need a new team of beta readers now to look at my revisions, but where do I find reliable beta readers today? I feel like agent comments have hinted that this one is close...but I'm suffering in pacing and stakes.

Kind of at a crossroads with A Dance of Fire. I had a team of 15 beta readers, all of whom flaked except for one (really appreciated his feedback). I've queried over 100 agents, 80+ rejections, some CNRs, 4 full requests, 1 still outstanding. I've done some heavy revisions (1/2)

@ChrisCotillo Rooting for him

Sources: Kristian Campbell optioned to Triple A Worcester this morning.

@JakeIggy Unlimited vibes though.

Not the rotation news that Red Sox fans want to hear 😬 Ranger Suarez will be limited to start the season

ERod was great.

@Kacey_Combs My favorite advice was to imagine dipping your fingers in water and then flicking them at the page. Little drops of exposition landing here and there.

Controversial topic: how much backstory should be added in the first five pages? First chapter? When is the best time to pepper in backstory? #WritingCommunity #agents #editors #readers

I just hope that Aaron Judge is making the most of this opportunity to learn as much as he can from Roman Anthony.

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