Queries, Qualms, & Quirks

Mystery Author Kellye Garrett joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss getting an agent offer at a bar, Pitch Wars, when your publisher abruptly shuts down, writing a book because of a headline, selling a book after a year versus five days, waiting ten months to announce a book deal, and never winning NaNoWriMo. ✦  Kellye Garrett is the author of the upcoming suspense novel Li...

Middle Grade author Deva Fagan joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss having a contract cancelled, leaving multiple agents, feeling like a failure despite selling three books, how referrals aren’t a golden ticket, when your fears come to pass, and asking for what you need.  ✦ Deva Fagan is the author of middle grade fantasy novels Nightingale , Rival Magic and more. She live...

Speculative Fiction author EJ Wenstrom joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss taking a chance on a small press, not being too precious with your work, the zero draft method, not staying with an agent who’s not a good fit, writing off trend, and positive ADHD representation. ✦  E. J. Wenstrom believes in complicated heroes, horrifying monsters, purple hair dye and standing to...

Science Fiction Author Mike Chen  joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss resurrecting shelved novels, querying transitioning from paper to digital, going to acquisitions five times in 20 months, releasing a pandemic book just before a pandemic started, acquisitions nerves, drafting in layers, and getting better with every attempt.  ✦ Mike Chen is the author of We Could...

Thriller Author Tammy Euliano joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss putting yourself out there, getting killer author blurbs, the way writing is harder than being a doctor, the exercise that gets her unstuck, and the importance of writing community. ✦  Tammy’s writing is inspired by her day job as a physician, researcher and educator at the University of Florida. Her short...

Middle Grade author Adrianna Cuevas joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss writing for a specific audience, the kindness of other writers, making massive revisions, writing with the television on, and fear of not being good enough.  ✦  Adrianna Cuevas is the author of the Pura Belpre honor book The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez and the upcoming Cuba in My Pocket . She i...

Historical romance author Royaline Sing and her literary agent Sara Megibow join Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss querying an agent with a publication offer in-hand, Sara’s normal submission-reading process, finding the time to write, breaking the rules, trusting your partners, and surprises being the norm in the publishing industry. ✦  Royaline Sing writes through the noise...

Picture Book Author Tara Lazar joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss how to do picture book market research, writing in between wiping baby butts, publishing surprises, coming up with book titles before anything else, figuring out what works for you, and not having a writing schedule. ✦  Street magic performer. Award-winning ice sculptor. Hog-calling champion. These are all...

Contemporary Fiction Author Suzanne Park joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss going to acquisitions (multiple times) without getting a book deal, repurposing life stories for fiction, the impact writing for standup has on her novels, the lack of a linear path after Pitch Wars, and amassing a thousand rejections.  ✦  Suzanne Park is a Korean-American author who was bor...

Romance novelist Kait Ballenger joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss not meeting publisher's sales expectations,  writing on the tail end of a trend, getting a starred review without knowing what it means, only writing what you love, and getting an agent after a literal elevator pitch. ✦ Kait Ballenger is the award-winning author of the Seven Range Shifter paranormal roman...

Mystery Author Susan Elia MacNeal joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss almost giving up, how being a writer is like being a boxer, writing a cocktail book while pregnant, and publishing a book with a slow start but a long tail. ✦ Susan Elia MacNeal is the author of The New York Times, Washington Post, Publishers Weekly and USA Today-bestselling Maggie Hope mystery series, start...

Middle Grade author Laura Segal Stegman joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss dozens of revisions over 28 years, the importance of writing community, deciding to sign with a small press, querying too early, and both the benefit and distraction of Twitter. L.A.-based arts publicist and author Laura Segal Stegman’s middle grade debut, Summer of L.U.C.K. , was released in September...

Young Adult Author Angeline Boulley joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss waiting 28 years to write the book, the most illuminating question to ask offering agents, prioritizing Native talent when negotiating her film rights, ensuring her craft was worthy of the story she wanted to tell, and the single most helpful thing she did for her writing. ✦  Angeline Boulley is a #1...

Literary Fiction Author Catherine Adel West  joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss the dangers of pitching your book before it’s complete, the advantages of virtual book tours, the need for publishing to reflect the world around it, advocating for yourself, and letting go of bitterness. ✦   Catherine Adel West was born and raised in Chicago, IL where she currently resi...

Cozy Mystery Author Mia P. Manansala joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss how a one-day writing workshop change everything, the pressure to represent your community well, the importance of a writing support network, being jealous of writing friends, and choosing the right agent for you, even if they’re not the biggest agent that offers. ✦  Mia P. Manansala (she/her) is a w...

Romance novelist Mary Ann Marlowe joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss getting into Pitch Wars but not getting an agent, finally finding and losing an agent, the importance of loving the writing first, imposter syndrome, and the relief in being a hybrid author. ✦ Mary Ann lives in central Virginia where she works as a computer programmer/DBA. She spent ten years as a university...

Middle Grade author Alyson Gerber joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss separating the art from the business, gaining confidence as a writer, writing to understand your own truth, being waitlisted for your dream, and the importance of persistence. ✦  Alyson Gerber is the author of the critically acclaimed, own-voices novels Braced and Focused published by Scholastic. Her th...

YA Author Jenn P. Nguyen joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss fanfiction as a gateway drug, querying by mail, starting over after separating with your agent, trying for a publishing hail mary (and getting it!), and trying to like coffee. ✦  Jenn P. Nguyen is the author of THE WAY TO GAME THE WALK OF SHAME and FAKE IT TILL YOU BREAK IT. She was born in Mississippi, raised i...

Editor and fantasy author Rebecca Enzor joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss unlearning passive voice, writing nine books before finding success, the importance of critique partners, and the surprising ending to her publishing career. ✦ Rebecca Enzor is an analytical chemist in Vancouver, WA, where she lives with her husband, two dogs, two cats, and sometimes chickens. Her arti...

Mystery novelist Abby L. Vandiver (aka Abby Collette) joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss the differences in self-publishing and traditional, being a hybrid author, acknowledging you can’t edit yourself, and learning from other authors. ✦ Wall Street Journal and USA Today best selling author, Abby L. Vandiver also writing as Abby Collette, has penned more than thirty novels an...

Middle Grade author Waka T. Brown joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss transitioning from screenwriting to book writing, how a single hurtful rejection can almost derail your writing, finding inspiration on runs, and the importance of writing community. ✦  Waka T. Brown is graduate of Stanford University and the first American born in her family. Her debut memoir While I W...

Romance novelist Denise Williams joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss waiting for it to be your turn, debuting during a pandemic, your worst fears coming true (and it being okay), not reading your reviews, and no trade review ever being as harsh as her young son’s feedback.  ✦ Denise: Query Text | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Amazon | Bookshop: How to Fail at...

Science Fiction author Michael Mammay joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss diving in too soon, the book that saved his writing, the power of a one-sentence compliment, and the single quality that will guarantee a writer’s success. Michael: Query Text | Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon | Bookshop: Planetside | Spaceside | Colonyside | Libro.fm <> QQQ Home Base | Suppo...

Historical fantasy author Cass Morris joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss pitching too early, the perils of the acquisitions board, accepting that some readers won’t like your book, the importance of knowing the business side of things, and being too stubborn to quit. Cass: Query Text | Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Patreon | Worldbuilding for Masochists podcast |...

Hello, I'm Sarah Nicolas and I would like to welcome you to my new podcast Queries, Qualms, & Quirks. The show will officially launch on April 8th, 2021 and will release an episode every week on Thursdays. This podcast is for authors early in their career, those who are writing their first book, and those who are querying. It's for those who are wondering what exactly a successful query letter...