"Ask the Editor” was a column that published on Jane Friedman’s website in 2022-2023 for writers’ questions about the editing process and editors themselves. It also featured first-page critiques. My critiques for this column will give you a sense of my writing style and editorial approach.
Photo by Alice AliNari
Read MoreFor my most recent author Q&A, I interviewed author Debbie Black. Debbie and I worked together on a full manuscript critique last year, and this past January, Coalesce Publishing released her middle grade novel DEETJEN’S CLOSET, the first in the SARA AND THE GHOST CLOTHES series. I’m delighted to be working with Debbie again this fall on McMENAMIN’S CLOSET, the next book in the series, which will also be published by Coalesce. Learn about the magic in Debbie’s novel—and that of her writing community—below.
Read MoreWhile the MG category has its own gray areas, the YA category is especially tricky to define. It was only a decade ago, following the publication of series such as Twilight and Hunger Games, that YA became a publishing phenomenon and was given a stand-alone bestseller list by the New York Times. It was just two decades ago that the Harry Potter books, widely considered middle grade, began dominating the book market. What makes a book middle grade or young adult today? The answer depends on several factors, as agents and publishers explain.
Read MoreJ.C. Cervantes and I first crossed paths 10 years ago, when she had already published a middle grade novel but was looking to move her writing career forward. We worked together on a few different partial manuscripts that didn’t quite find a home—but then, in 2017, she landed a book deal with Rick Riordan Presents. Today, Jen is the New York Times bestselling author of several middle grade and YA books. Learn about her amazing journey here.
Read MoreSeveral literary organizations offer events that are specifically designed for, or feature the work of, writers who have historically been placed on the margins. Here is a list of 23 such events, including conferences, book fairs, festivals, and retreats, all scheduled for 2023.
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