Hello from the Querying Trenches! (part I)

If you’re querying a book and feeling burnt out, believe me, I feel you. It’s a tough process that is long, arduous, and not for the fait of heart.Here’s a virtual hug, and some gentle encouragement for you to keep going. Plus the tools you need for dealing with querying burnout.Remember: Querying is not a status bar of your abilities, self-worth or creative talent. It’s just a measure of where your project is at the moment. Give yourself grace and lean into self-care. More tips in the episode!Some timestamps if you’re in a hurry:* 5:36: Literary agents are not out to get you! (Query responses are usually an indicator of how ready your materials are)* 7:06: Querying is like dating and playing chess at the same time* 15:30: Self-care coping tools to help with querying burnout* 33:00: Querying is not a status bar for your self-worth.Good luck out there! You got this!xo,E Get full access to Erin Shaw Clancy at erinshawclancy.substack.com/subscribe

I'm reporting live from the querying trenches this week after a 3 year podcasting hiatus!After querying my book for years and getting nothing but form rejections, I made some serious changes and got a full request off the first five pages. I'm detailing everything I did. Plus, your questions from Threads answered! Get full access to Erin Shaw Clancy at erinshawclancy.substack.com/subscribe

This week, I'm fresh off receiving notes from my editor and the feels are mixed, y'all! I'm getting really vulnerable about why editors are so important and why you need to work with them, even if their critical feedback is tough to swallow. I worked with the fabulous Alyssa Matesic, who can be found via her website, or on her YouTube channel. Check her out if you're in the process of writing a novel! Theme music courtesy of Brian Clancy. Episode associate produced by Lulu. Get full access to Erin Shaw Clancy at erinshawclancy.substack.com/subscribe

Other than Mozart, has anyone ever written a first draft that's perfect? I certainly haven't! Today we're talking about embracing your garbage draft and why it's important to just write your dang book so you can edit it into something wonderful. I'm dropping my favorite tips for how to do this. Plus check out how little I know about sculptures and 9 to 5 day jobs! Get full access to Erin Shaw Clancy at erinshawclancy.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Write This Way! This week, Erin explores how well she knows her main character, Rebecca Bradley, and puts herself through some pretty rigorous exercises to get to know her better. Is outlining a book enough? Tune in and find out! Get full access to Erin Shaw Clancy at erinshawclancy.substack.com/subscribe