#amy-tipton.com

[amytipton]

Here’s a great writing tip from Gary Provost! Make your writing sing, writers!

[amytipton]

Amy Reed is FERAL and PROUD! . . . Reed prefers to identify as queer, and gave a little interview, found below, about Pride in YA. . . . Q: Why is LGBTQIA+ representation important in YA literature? A: Because it’s the real world. Because it reflects the experiences of our readers. Because kids need to see themselves in books to know they’re not alone. Because kids need to see people who aren’t like themselves in books so they can learn empathy.

Q: What are your favorite queer reads? A: Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit and The Meaning of Birds, by Jaye Robin Brown. Anything by Shaun David Hutchinson. Her Body and Other Parties, by Carmen Maria Machado. Bastard Out of Carolina, by Dorothy Allison. . . . Amy Reed is the author of several novels for young adults, including BEAUTIFUL, CLEAN, CRAZY, and THE NOWHERE GIRLS. She also edited the anthology OUR STORIES, OUR VOICES: 21 YA AUTHORS GET REAL ABOUT INJUSTICE, EMPOWERMENT, AND GROWING UP FEMALE IN AMERICA. Her new novel, THE BOY AND GIRL WHO BROKE THE WORLD (July 9, 2019/Simon Pulse) is about two teens from the wrong side of the tracks whose lives crash into each other and start a surreal series of events that may lead to the apocalypse. Amy is a feminist, mother, and Virgo who enjoys running, making lists, and wandering around the mountains of western North Carolina where she lives. You can find her online at amyreedfiction.com.

[amytipton]

DEMON IN THE WHITELANDS by Nikki Z. Richard is coming! Get ready:

Sixteen-year-old Samuel, son of devout cleric, has endured shame and prejudice his entire life. Though he is destined to follow in his father's footsteps, he longs for an ordinary life in the whitelands away from talk of demons and holy roots. When the mayor claims to have captured a mute demon-girl, Samuel is forced to become her caretaker. But as Samuel gets to know the prisoner, he finds her not to be very demonlike. Instead, she is intelligent, meek, and an exceptional artist. Despite her seeming goodness, some more concerning things cannot be ignored. Samuel is hard-pressed to reconcile her uncanny strength and speed, one missing arm, ambiguous gender, and the mysterious scars covering most of her body. Samuel forms a deep attachment to the girl with predator eyes and violent outbursts, against his father's advice. As their friendship threatens to become something more, Samuel discovers the mayor's dark intentions. Now, he must decide whether to risk his own execution by setting her free, or watch as the girl is used as a pawn in a dangerous game of oppression, fear, and murder.

Pitched as Let the Right One In meets Into the Forest, DEMON IN THE WHITELANDS is going to be your newest YA dark fantasy/speculative fiction obsession...

Preorder now!

[amytipton]

I don't know if you read Diana Urban's blog post on what it's *really* like to be on submission but you should!!!

I mean, I know, I lived it as an agent, but it's nice to hear me validated! (Also, it's hard to tell you these things as I offer editorial services 'cause you just write me off, thinking I am only wanting business/to make money off you & NO! I LEGIT CARE ABOUT YOU/YOUR WORK/WRITING IN GENERAL...) Diana is brutally honest & you need to listen/pay attention to her words! I beg you!

Anyway, straight from her post:

"I ended up going on submission four times with three different agents over 4.5 years before landing my first book deal. And that’s not even the worst case scenario ...

“Honestly, there are too many [factors] to list. But you can’t control them. So let go.

“So how should I get through this whole experience?

“Write your next book

“Don’t make my mistake. I wasted SO MUCH TIME while on submission because I wouldn’t stop thinking about it, and I let the anxiety of the process consume me to the point where I couldn’t write. I could have written at least a whole extra book over those four years if I’d just ignored the fact that I was on submission and kept writing.

“Because all that stressing I did? It didn’t change the outcome. No matter how many times I refreshed my inbox, or how many times I checked my website stats to see if I was getting traffic from NYC (yes I did this shut up don’t you dare do this), or how many times I vented to my friends, I still didn’t sell a book the first three times I went on submission.

“Being on submission should just be something that happens in the background as you are continually working on the next thing. Always be writing. Unless, of course, you need to refill the creative well. In that case, always be reading. Unless, of course, you need to take care of your mental health and step away from it all for a bit. In that case, always be going for walks and spending time with your friends and binge watching Netflix and eating lots of chocolate. Do what you need to do to take care of yourself. And then write the next damn book."

YES, DIANA, YES! Write/revise & repeat ... Wise words. (I wish I knew her, this is a woman I could hang out with...)

Remember, I can help! I want to help! If you need another reader/a second pair of eyes/someone to brainstorm with--bounce ideas off of/even just someone who will listen as you vent or commiserate with you, I'm here... I understand this journey. I am a professional reader. I was an agent; I've won awards & worked with many writers on many books. I am taking all that experience & using it as an editor. I work fast & keep my price low. It would behoove you to work with me and work for the future you deserve.

(ALSO, NOW LOOKING FOR A WRITER TO COACH!--see Diana's timeline & notice how these next few months are slow in publishing ... Work with me for 3 months to polish your project & stand out in the slush pile!)

Contact me: [email protected]

amy-tipton.com

[amytipton]

HAPPY EARTH DAY, FOLKS!

[amytipton]

1 YEAR AGO TODAY, FACEBOOK REMINDS ME I WAS JUST STARTING OUT ... WHICH MEANS VERY SOON MY BABY WILL BE A YEAR OLD (NOT YET BUT SOON)!

A while back, I had a dream about the name Feral Girl Books. I didn't know if it was a lit agency, a magazine, a press... Well, as it turns out, it's an editorial service offered by yours truly! Yes, after 13 (almost 14) years of agenting, I'm quitting to take a plunge into the freelance editorial world. (Fingers crossed!) I'm starting this new venture after Labor Day on Monday, September 10. I'm ironing out kinks as we speak (setting up your own business/being a boss is kinda hard) but I do know Feral Girl Books will be for female/female-identifying/genderqueer writers; FGB is a brazen act of independence, proud to be female! (Male feminists be good allies and big me up here.) EVERYBODY--spread the word! Word-of-mouth/referrals are key! (website coming but in the meantime, check out this cute logo)

[amytipton]

I’m just reminding you ladies that BEA is next week & Summer Fridays are upon us... If you are wanting to brush up that query or work on your book, this lull is a great time to do it! Contact me: [email protected] amy-tipton.com

[amytipton]

This French translation of Kayla Ancrum’s THE WICKER KING is gorgeous!