How to Write (and Edit) a Book
Abigail FentonWriting and editing advice from a literary agent and editor
| Platform |  | Pricing | Freemium | Publishes | Weekly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issues | 60 | Founded | a year ago | Last Issue | 8 days ago |
| Active | |||||
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abigailfentoneditorial.substack.comLatest Issues
Your Manuscript Isn’t Ready to Query Yet – and Here’s Why
In early July I’ll be running my first coaching call for founding members – if you would like to join us, there’s still time to sign up. Every quarter we’ll spend an hour on a video call, where you can ask me all the questions you have on p...
Write Your Novel in 2026 Part Six: How to Give Your Twist Maximum Impact
Why you can’t just plonk a twist on the end of your novel and hope for the best
Welcome to month six of Write Your Novel in 2026! We’re coming up to halfway through the year – though if you are not yet coming up to halfway through your plo...
The Best Books Do Not Always Get Published
Here’s something that we all know, but sometimes forget.
Publishing is a business.
When you submit your manuscript to an agent or publisher, it doesn’t get put in a big pile of novels which are ranked from best to worst and then the top f...
Secrets from My Submissions Inbox
The three most common reasons I turn down manuscripts – and how to fix the underlying problems
I’m going to tell you a secret, direct from my submissions inbox:
When to Keep Querying and When to Revise
You’re querying – hurray! You send your lovingly written and edited manuscript out into the world—
And you get crickets.
Or you get rejections.
Or you get the raised hopes of full requests – and then rejections.
If it’s early days in yo...
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Authors
The writers behind this newsletter.
Literary agent and former Big-Five editor and book coach with over a decade's experience at HarperCollins and Hachette. Here to help you get your manuscript finished, polished, and published.
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