still not forgiving indigo/chapters for its corporate zionism tho like the industry is imperfect af and still a product of capitalism and propaganda, but at least there are players on the field doing their best to being marginalized voices forward when they need to be heard most.

and if anyone is wondering when i'll re-open to general queries (aka, not limited to bipoc writers), i am NOT SURE as of right now, but i can pretty much guarantee that re-opening won't be on my mind til at least spring 2026 or later.

bipoc authors, my query form is open to you year-round!

if your query is part of the 61 i will be postponing "judgment" on, please be patient! life has been life-ing, seasonal affective disorder sucks, and i still have some client work over the holidays that i need to prioritize.

i'm estimating around jan/feb for responses to those, but maybe earlier?

specific stats for those interested in numbers!
- 5 queries from Sept 1st to 14th (gen queries) are still awaiting a decision (whether to full req or reject)
- i have 61 queries (and counting!) from my bipoc/pitch event forms (remember my bipoc form is always open!)
- dec/jan i'll be reading fulls

concerning......... yes. but also if everything goes according to keikaku u gotta ask for a slice and tell me how it is

we're less than 100 away so TIME TO PROMO

that works too!! I'm a dual citizen of Canada and the UK haha

preferably remote but within southern ontario works too

there's a good reason i opened LITMOTIF, and it's cuz a lot of authors do not burst out the gates with the skills to build their brand, a solid website, and a social media presence that will help their visibility. so hey, if you want help with the specifics of it all and not just vague advice...

it sucks, i know. you're a writer because you want to write, not bc you want to convince people your book is worth buying. but without a good sales track record, a second book will be harder to get a deal for, and a bigger advance might be out of reach.

(and not to plug my author branding biz but)

do the work, write the best book you can, query it out, get an agent (or choose to go indie/self-pubbed!), go thru the long submissions process (and it can be LONG!!), then the equally long contract negotiations, and then once it's out... you need to market it. get those sales!! be online!!

if you don't get a big advance, don't feel jilted or betrayed. yes you worked hard, but the issue for debut authors and the general perception of advances is that you don't have sales stats. and that's ok! which is why marketing efforts when it comes out are so important to put time and energy into!

if you're a debut author who DOES get a big advance, CONGRATULATIONS!! it means they have the money and believe in you and your writing so much. they know it'll be a hit out the gate, the subject/genre might be trending, you might have a big platform you can convert into sales numbers...

very late addition to this: i recently had to talk to a client about how yes, you DO deserve a larger advance, HOWEVER: you still have to earn that out. and until you do, you can't get royalties, which is how you get paid longterm.

debut authors rarely get big advances bc they have no sales record.

u know the food tonight gonna be GOOD good!!!

"money to blow" aka not money already allocated or budgeted out to bills, savings goals, necessities, etc.

i still need to be responsible.