To evaluate your motivations, think about these things:

Who motivates you to write? Is there a person in your life whom you are writing for, or is there someone who knows what encouraging thing to say? If so, when you start to fall off the writing track, think about that person or give your encouraging buddy a call. Or maybe your potential audience motivates you?

When do you feel most motivated to write? Do you write best in the morning, midday, or at night?  One of my close author friends has young children, and she gets up very early in the morning to write so none of the kiddos distract her. Find the best time for you and stick with it! Create a writing schedule for yourself.

Why do you write? (What motivates you?) Think about your goals for writing. Focus on them, and when you feel discouraged, think again about what you would like to accomplish with your writing. It’s a good idea to write down your goals and keep them near your writing space.

Where do you write best? Where is your writing space? Some authors write best from home while others are too distracted at home and must write at the library or a coffee shop. If you find yourself unproductive, try something new. Avoid the Internet while you write; consider disconnecting your router or turning off your phone during your scheduled writing time.

If you feel comfortable sharing some of your answers, please do!

(C) Copyright 2026 Books & Such, Inc.

1. Getting a root canal.
2. Sitting on the tarmac in a hot plane for four hours with no air conditioning.
3. Writing a book proposal.

1. Your Title

Yes, we all love book titles. However, just because you love your book title doesn’t mean that it is the right title for your project. Literary agents and publishing teams evaluate titles for discoverability – meaning, how easy will it be for readers to find your book? A question to ask is: Does your title have keywords that readers will use? This is more applicable to non-fiction than to fiction, but novelists will need to address it in their hooks and book descriptions. For everyone, keep this in mind: If your book’s title is too creative, readers may never see it in online searches, where most shoppers purchase books these days.

2. Your Hook

Hooks are the TikToks of books. Just as a brief TikTok video prompts someone to stop the scroll and watch, hooks briefly highlight the “wow” elements of a project that prompt a prospective reader to stick around and find out more.

In my experience of reading queries and hearing pitches, most people confuse a hook with a book description. Hooks convey what’s unique and attention-grabbing, while a book description describes basic details. Based on that, which one do you think will command more interest?

For example:

(Hook) When a shipwreck delivers a stranger carrying proof of the smuggling ring that killed her brother, the lighthouse keeper’s daughter must choose: hide him, or trust the God who let her brother die.

(Description) The Lantern Keeper is a 90,000-word Christian historical novel set in 1840s Cornwall about a lighthouse keeper’s daughter facing grief, faith, and a changing community.

Hooks sell. Keep that in mind and put the time into developing a good one.

3. Your Comparables

Comparables are highly underestimated! It’s important to know how your book compares to recent books on the market. This comes down to good ole’ fashioned market research, which you can conduct on Amazon. Yet, for some, figuring out comparables feels overwhelming. For some, wading through a pile of possibilities feels daunting. Others feel discouraged when they see too many similar books.

May I offer a different perspective? I love comparables because they can give you a leg up on your project. Those competitive books are already published, but you can use those comments to help you make your project better.  If you read the comments, the readers provide valuable inside scoop into their buying behavior. Such as:

Why they decided to purchase the book.

What elements of the book connected most.

What they didn’t like about the book.

As you study those comparables, you can see whether there are reader patterns that you need to pay attention to in your manuscript, whether it’s a novel or non-fiction. Don’t underestimate the valuable information that comparables offer to you!

4. The Synopsis/Chapter Summaries

I call this the “sleeper” element. Most people approach writing a synopsis or chapter summaries as the section they need to toss together. The sample chapters receive our main focus. However, the synopsis (novelists) and the chapter summaries (non-fiction) offer the framework for the project that you’ll come back to after you’ve signed the contract.

I interviewed one of my newer agency clients after the release of their first book. I asked what they want to do differently the next time. Their answer: “I will definitely develop my chapter summaries more fully! I figured out the topic, but I didn’t think through what the reader needed or the transformation experience.”

One of the most important “checks” you can conduct after creating your synopsis/chapter summaries is to map the transformation journey. If you’re a novelist, look at your synopsis and chart how the stakes/plot transform your character during the course of the novel. If you’re writing a non-fiction project, look at your chapter summaries and make sure that you’ve clearly conveyed the “from here to there” journey that you’re taking them on.

If there’s no transformation journey, you’re merely accompanying the reader between a series of topics and events.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION! Which element of the proposal is the toughest for you to persevere through? Do you have proposal hacks that you’ve learned and you’re willing to share?

© Barb Roose, Books & Such Literary Management 2026

Wendy Lawton Senior Literary Agent Emerita 

For two-thirds of the more than thirty-year legacy of the prestigious Books & Such Literary Management, Wendy Lawton has been a core part of its influence and success stories. As Vice President of the company, she has helped steer decision-making and provided thoughtful care of her clients and the agency itself, working alongside its other agents and Books & Such President and Founder Janet Grant.

As of October 1, Wendy’s title will change to Senior Literary Agent Emerita to reflect her stepping aside from daily agent duties. She will continue to serve on the agency’s board of directors and to advise as needed. The new title also reflects her service to the agency, her clients, and the publishing industry. As she retires, she is entrusting her clients to her agency colleagues, with the transition well underway.

The list of authors Wendy Lawton discovered and then helped form their thriving publishing careers is long and, as we say in the industry, storied. With her focus primarily on fiction, especially in recent years, she’s helped develop authors’ careers that reached bestseller and award-winning status, with many of her clients having written hundreds of titles with millions of copies sold. She is proud of the unpublished authors she signed who have gone on to successful careers, including Tessa Afshar, Sarah Loudin Thomas, Lori Benton, Cynthia Ruchti, Amanda Dykes, and Jill Eileen Smith, and others she began representing early in their careers such as Gabrielle Meyer, Kathleen Y’Barbo, and Janice Cantore. Additionally, she has long served authors like Debbie Macomber, Julie Klassen, Ann Gabhart, and Lauraine Snelling and so many others who have enjoyed highly successful careers.

Asked what first drew Wendy to agenting after many years as a successful artist and savvy businesswoman in the field of high-end art dolls , Wendy responded, “The business provided the perfect foundation to becoming a literary agent. I’d spent years developing product, analyzing market trends, and being involved in every aspect of the product supply chain.” She still believes product development is the perfect parallel to book development.

Wendy will continue to be involved with Books & Such as she serves on our board of directors, offering her business insights and problem-solving skills.

Of the 21 years working with Wendy, Janet Grant says, “Wendy was integral to the growth and success of Books & Such. During her tenure as Vice President, the agency has added five agents and expanded our client list to more than 250 clients. She regularly negotiated six- and seven-figure deals and showed her astute grasp of whether an author had the skills to find success in a demanding industry. I’m grateful she’ll continue to be involved with Books & Such as she serves on our board of directors, offering her business insights and problem-solving skills.”

Wendy Lawton has witnessed and influenced a career’s worth of change, adaptation, and innovation and has seen significant victories. She’s creatively approached every challenge before her and has a reputation for caring deeply about the agency and her clients while working collaboratively with each publishing house. The number of titles she has represented is staggering by any measure.

The older I become, the more I know this to be true: generosity is one of the most important traits for a writer (or person, for that matter) to have. Generosity serves a writer in many ways that spill over into other areas of life, but I’ll focus on three in this space that are the most impactful to one’s writing career.

A good writer is generous to readers

Have you ever read a nonfiction book that felt as though the author just wanted to talk about their own story, and never how it applies to the reader? When this happens a reader begins to pull back from the story and wonder, “What’s in this for me?”  Or, have you ever been four pages into a novel, and thought, “Why is this author so focused on the exact shade of green this grass is? I just need some dialogue!” A generous writer actively considers the reader experience every step of the way while writing. They ask themselves, “If I were reading this book, what would I want to experience? How would I want to be engaged, surprised, or inspired?” They know that even though they’re writing the book, it isn’t about them at all. When an author can keep the reader front and center mentally as they write a book, the end result is a happy reader. And happy readers buy, recommend, and share books- which makes writers happy. It’s a lovely cycle, all built on the original generosity of a writer.

A good writer is generous to other writers

Authors never forget those writers who supported them through the best and worst of times.  We remember how they spoke well of us in rooms we were not in. We remember the ones who shared about the book, who cared enough to ask how we were after the chaos of release week died down, and those who commiserated with us through the inevitable valleys along the road to publishing. And those who are further along the path, who answer the call to give an endorsement or share our work with their own established audience? We never forget them, or our gratitude for their generosity of spirit. When writers are generous to other writers, it becomes an inspiration for all involved. We recognize and honor the creative light in one another. No matter where you are on the path to publishing, you have something to offer to the writer behind you. And, rest assured, they won’t forget that you offered it.

A good writer is generous to themselves

As much as writers love writing (or the idea of writing, let’s be honest) it isn’t a relaxing activity. While movies and books may glamorize the experience, with writers escaping to a cabin in the woods to pen the next great novel, we know this couldn’t be farther from the truth. We second guess ourselves, pull our hair out during edits, skip lunch to make it to the next word count goal while we’re on a roll. It’s definitely not as relaxing as reading a book, that’s for sure. This is why a good writer will be generous to themselves. They know their limits. They know when they’ve pushed too hard, and when to give themselves a snack, a break, or when to press “Buy Now” on their entire Amazon cart. Okay, that last one may have been a bit overboard. The point is, generous writers don’t exclude themselves from their own generosity. They know that in order to give to others, they must give to themselves also.

How about you? What does generosity look like in your own writing life? Tell us in the comments!

And, don’t forget, we have a monthly podcast and an upcoming Writing Intensive!

Some authors choose to write discussion questions that will appear at the back of a book or be available on the writer’s website. Having written a slew of such questions and having been trained in writing curriculum, I have a few thoughts to offer that will enable you to write great discussion questions that actually result in good conversations.

Why Write Discussion Questions

A couple of motivations occur to me that make writing questions a good choice.

• The author wants to communicate that this book would make a great book club selection. Some books lend themselves well to being a book club choice. Most novels, for example, give club members plenty of fodder for discussion. Not all nonfiction would rank as viable for a book club–a denser, heavily footnoted title, for example. Or a humorous book on growing old. Ask yourself: What material exists in the book that would lead to a good conversation?
• As a way to drive readers to the author’s website. By offering discussion questions on a website rather than at the back of the book, the writer offers the questions as an added benefit. Bonus material is viewed as more valuable than material at the back of a book–but not as many readers will make the extra effort of traveling to a website. The benefit to the author is that the reader might discover more ways to connect with the writer–listen to a podcast; follow on social media; ask the writer to speak at a gathering; find out about other books by the author; sign up for the author’s newsletter.

Discussion Questions for Fiction

• Avoid questions that can be answered yes or no. Such questions don’t lead the responder anywhere but to a one-word answer. Ask expansive questions that the reader must ponder before answering.

For example, don’t remind the reader of the challenges the protagonist faced in the novel and then ask, “Did you sympathize with the character’s response to these conflicts?”

Instead, turn the question into requiring more than a yes or no: “Which of the character’s responses were you most sympathetic with and why? Which were you most unsympathetic with and why?”

• Be careful to phrase your questions in such a way that the reader is forced back into the story to provide an answer.

If, say, your book includes an exploration of a mother abandoning her children, don’t ask a question that focuses solely on the issue: “Have you ever felt abandoned in some way by your mother?” This query doesn’t push the reader back into the story; you want the reader to interact with the issue as told in the story.

A better way to phrase the question would be, “When Jerusha left her children, which child handled the situation in the healthiest way possible? Which one made choices that were most damaging?”

• Ask open-ended questions that invite readers to express their overall impressions of the story. Lori Benton, in her discussion questions for Many Sparrows, asks such a question: “The struggle over land between settlers and natives is a long one….What was the most interesting thing you learned about this pre-Revolutionary War period?”

Discussion Questions for Nonfiction

The same guidelines exist in nonfiction as in fiction, but the way to think about questions varies.

• Avoid yes or no questions for the same reason as in fiction–you want the reader to probe the book’s content to come up with a more thoughtful answer.

Joanna Weaver, in your Study Questions at the back of Having a Mary Spirit, asks, “Consider the ‘good dog/bad dog’ story on page 35. How do you feed the good dog in your life? How can you weaken the influence of the bad dog?”

• Make sure the questions push the reader back into the book rather than into discussing the book’s points with no reference to the book.

If you’re writing about a social justice issue, it can be easy to phrase questions to center on the reader’s experience or observations rather than to interact with the book’s content.

For example, the author could write, “In what ways have you encountered or witnessed someone encountering racial prejudice?” But the writer will push the reader back into the book by asking, “When you read about Rhonda’s encounter with the TSA employee, in what ways did she correctly perceive the subtle prejudices? In what ways might she have been hyper-sensitive?”

The Best Discussion Question I’ve Ever Asked

• The final point for nonfiction questions is to ask open-ended questions to give readers space to explain their overall thoughts on the book.

I recently lead a discussion for the book club I belong to when we talked about Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky. I had found it to be a maddeningly wonderful–and terrible–reading experience. The structure struck me as a mess, and he kept circling back to repeat himself. On the other hand, oh, my word, salt has influenced so much of human history, it’s mind-boggingly interesting.

So one of the questions I asked the other book club members gave them room to express their thoughts and feelings about the book: “What did you like best about the book, and what did you like least?”

Boy, howdy, did they have opinions! That one question led us to laugh, cry, and even high-five each other. Best. Discussion. We’ve. Ever. Had.

What do you think makes for good discussion questions? Which of the “don’t-do-this” types of questions do you tend to fall into?

Book image by beasternchen from Pixabay

Bears imag by Mabel Amber, who will one day from Pixabay

Group discussing image by Naassom Azevedo from Pixabay

As in life, every writer goes through seasons in their creative journey. Every season changes the way people think, plan, buy, reflect, and connect. Perhaps it’s time to consider if your season as a writer is shifting too. Maybe you have written Bible Studies but now your desires are shifting to writing articles or short stories. The key is to listen to what is going on inside of you and use your current season as a lens to determine your calling in this moment rather than living in the past. Living in what is fresh today, may lead you into writing seasonal and relevant content.

Seasonal content works because it taps into what readers are already experiencing. Spring often brings renewal, planning, and fresh starts. Summer can signal movement, energy, travel, and flexibility. Fall creates momentum around routines, decisions, and preparation. Winter invites reflection, gratitude, urgency, and reset.

These shifts create writing opportunities. A seasonal angle can reframe a familiar message, make something feel more relevant, and give your reader a timely reason to engage.

• What is your audience thinking about during this time of year?
• What pressures are they facing?
• What goals are coming into focus?
• What decisions are they delaying, accelerating, or reconsidering?

Instead of simply writing “spring is here” or “the holidays are coming,” connect the season to a problem, emotional need, or practical next step. That is what makes seasonal writing feel useful rather than decorative.

Seasonal writing can shape more than blog posts, it can guide social media themes, pitch decks, and creative briefs. When the seasonal idea is strong, it can become a unifying thread that connects readers to your message.

Common Seasonal Writing Mistakes to Avoid

• Using tired language: Phrases like “fall into savings” or “spring into action” can feel overused unless given a fresh twist.
• Forcing the theme: If the season does not connect naturally to the message, the writing will feel thin.
• Publishing too late: Seasonal content often needs to be planned weeks or months before peak interest.
• Ignoring audience context: A seasonal trend that works for one industry, region, or client may not work for another.

Great seasonal writing does not chase holidays for the sake of filling a calendar. It uses timing to deepen relevance. As the year changes, your writing can change with it—not by abandoning your core message, but by giving it a fresh reason for it to matter right now.

What are you working on  this season? Is your writing shifting? Are you continuing to grow as a writer? These questions help to keep us fresh, on point and growing no matter what season we are in.

]]> https://www.booksandsuch.com/blog/turning-seasonal-shifts-into-relevant-content/feed/ 1 https://www.booksandsuch.com/blog/celebrating-publishing-milestones/ https://www.booksandsuch.com/blog/celebrating-publishing-milestones/#comments Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:01:13 +0000 https://www.booksandsuch.com/?p=36580 Blogger: Rachel Kent

Many writers seem to think that the only milestone worth celebrating is publication, but many milestones occur along the publishing path. Taking time to celebrate can help to keep you moving forward.

One of my best friends …

Writing and editing are inseparable companions. Ask the most prolific writers and they’ll tell you that despite millions of books sold and hundreds of titles under their belt, an editor still looks at every word they write.

The most polished writer who turns in a pristine manuscript will have still missed something. And it might be big. I meant to say genuine but wrote geriatric instead. Oops. Four rounds of edits and none of us caught that?

Established authors realize that every book published likely has at least one oops left in it. We learn to turn our momentary grief into a marketing opportunity. “First reader to comment on the typo in Chapter Seventeen receives a gift card to purchase more books!”

Though writers become well-versed in the inevitability of editing in their writing, they don’t always pay attention to what needs to be edited out of their self-talk. Those oopsies can be the most dangerous of all, because misguided or erroneous self-talk forms neural connections that lead to more misguided internal dialogue.

My editor will catch that.

The writer notices a problem but doesn’t fix it, leaning instead on the editor to find a new word or figure out how to punctuate a quote within a quote within a quote or where to find 10,000 words to trim off the manuscript. If we frequently default to letting someone else solve a known problem, we subconsciously think of ourselves as unable to solve those problems. We form a neurological pathway that tells us we don’t need to own the known. We leave messes for other people to clean up. Doesn’t work with teens. Doesn’t work with writers either. And we cheat ourselves out of the education embedded in problem-solving. Need a different word here, but you’re not sure what it is? Flag it rather than letting it stop your creative flow. But return to it later and figure it out.

I have no chance at publishing this project.

That sentence on repeat can kill enthusiasm but also derail opportunities. It throws shade on our efforts and can be the single sentence that keeps us from finishing. Maybe it is a project that is unlikely to be published. If so, work on something else. But if we approach our computers with a built-in attitude that we have no hope our work will land with readers…and we change nothing except how deep that thought takes root… Well, watch for a Books & Such broadcast addressing how to stay miserable as a writer.

I deserve to have this project published.

Just as dangerous is leaving this thought rattling through our minds. Telling ourselves we are the worst, or conversely “I am the greatest and I am owed a contract or representation,” are both lies. And both can cripple us as writers. If we edit out deserve, entitled, owed from our self-talk, truth has room to work. What?

If we edit out deserve, entitled, owed from our self-talk, truth has room to work.

I’ll just finish stripping the wallpaper off the spare bedroom walls before I work on what my agent or editor has been waiting for. I’ll be able to think more clearly then.

Talking ourselves into rationalizing procrastination leads to unpleasant or even disastrous outcomes. Is it a common writer habit? Yes. Is it deletable? Yes. No writer is solely a writer (or few of them anyway). We’re moms or dads, daughters or sons, sisters, brothers, employees, teachers, doctors, volunteers, coaches, special needs caregivers… Full plates. Taking care of writing responsibilities or writing business can so often seem like a “when I get time” item. That self-talk needs a good edit. If you are tasked as a writer, signed with an agent, have a book deadline, or have been invited to submit something to an agent or editor, or if you want an ongoing writer experience, it can’t bear the label “when I get time.” We micro-prioritize all the time, but we can’t tell ourselves what our agent or editor is waiting for is not a priority…if we want to keep writing.

I can’t (pick one) lower the word count any farther/change the main character’s name as the editor asked/write faster/write more cleanly/write when circumstances aren’t ideal.

It’s the “I can’t” part of that erroneous self-talk that changes our neural pathways in unhelpful (no, let’s edit that to something stronger–hazardous) ways. Is it hard? Sure. Taking writing seriously is seriously hard. But you CAN trim the word count. You CAN change a character’s name despite your fondness for it. And you CAN write faster with a mindset shift or a pattern readjustment. You CAN write more cleanly as you develop the self-editing skills you’ll need for the entirety of your writing career. And who knew? You CAN write…and in fact, few writers don’t write any other way…when circumstances aren’t ideal. “I can’t” self talk predicts defeat. “It’s hard but here we go” predicts success that leads to more success.

“I can’t” self talk predicts defeat. “It’s hard but here we go” predicts success that leads to more success.

I’m just not wired to (pick one) take rejection/work under pressure/handle a complete rewrite/care about the business part.

And that’s the beauty of having a human brain to work with. We can be rewired. Neuroplasticity is a beautiful thing. We don’t just force ourself into new habits. The way we think and what we tell ourselves can disconnect bad connections and, like a skilled electrician in a home remodel, run new wires that are safe, up to code, and efficient. This isn’t a condemning post. We’ve all had to edit our self-talk. Some of us thought we couldn’t write without our 500-calorie super-sweet and deliriously beautiful venti-sized fancy coffee. Or that we can’t write without background noise, which changed to not being able to write if there’s any noise and did the icemaker just kick in? We may not be wired for what we’ll face as writers. But if we don’t edit the self-talk that reinforces the impossibility, we’ll never attempt the training that will help us implement the gift of neuroplasticity.

Image by Сергей from Pixabay

What other kinds of self-talk do you now recognize need a good edit? We’d love to hear your comments. It would be unusual if your self-talk doesn’t sound like other writers’. Welcome to the club.

And don’t forget to check out the Books & Such Literary Management website for its blog archives, info about our podcast, and news about upcoming writing intensives.

Among the common responses an agent may give a writer, is “Your project isn’t quite ready yet. Keep working to make it the best it can be.” The writer inevitably is left feeling frustrated, and maybe a little lost. What about the project isn’t ready? Why can’t the agent just help the writer make it ready? There are many reasons why an agent can’t sign everyone that queries us, even if we do like the projects we are presented. The main issue, is of course, time. If we signed every project that needed major revision, we would have no time for our other clients, who brought us publishing-ready or near ready projects. So, while it is frustrating to hear that your project isn’t ready now, be encouraged that down the line when you have an agent, you will be relieved they aren’t taking time away from you for writers who need to work some things out on their own first.

If an agent says your project isn’t ready, it could mean:

The writing needs improvement

This perhaps is the most obvious, but often it is the exact reason I decline moving forward with a project. Even if the concept is compelling, if the writing isn’t where it needs to be, it’s a pass. I want to be so thoroughly invested while reading a writing sample that my brain doesn’t switch into “editor mode.” As I read, I want to become enthralled, entertained, and oblivious to the outside world- just like when I’m tucked into a corner of my couch with a good book. When I begin to wonder why a writer phrased something a certain way, or chose a certain word, I know the writing could use some polishing.

The pacing needs work

Adding to the above, when a book’s pacing doesn’t feel like it flows well, this is not something an agent can fix for a writer. We’ve all read books that feel rushed at the end, or too slow in the middle. Sometimes nonfiction books will hurry a reader through a subtopic, or underestimate a reader’s need to delve deeper into a thought for longer than a paragraph or two.

The project is missing a unique hook

Sometimes a book seems like it addresses the perfect felt-need, but the writer hasn’t considered that many other books do as well. If a book doesn’t have a unique angle on a common topic, it is going to be a very difficult sale for an agent to make. The best books addressing common felt needs do so from a unique vantage point, offering readers insight into an issue they didn’t have before.

The bottom line

When an agent says your project needs work, that’s not a sign for you to spend thousands, or even hundreds of dollars on professional editing. Editors can be helpful, but we want to see how far you can take your own project. We want to see your writing ability, as well as your ability to take a project from its first draft to nearly final form. Keep in mind, an agent will be working with you- not the editor you hire. This is true after we sign you as well- you will be working with an editor at the publisher, and he or she will expect your writing ability to be what was originally implied, too. Don’t get discouraged- we know perfection isn’t possible, and we are cheering for you every step of the way.

Let us know in the comments, what helped you take a project from good to great?

Did you know that Books & Such is hosting our Writing Intensive February 16-18, 2027? We would love to have you join us! Learn more here!

Don’t forget that the agents of Books & Such chat about writing and publishing every month over on our podcast, too! You can also watch on YouTube!