The Shit No One Tells You About Writing
The Shit About Writing Team, Carly Watters, Cecilia LyraA twice weekly newsletter chock-full of guidance and support from publishing industry insiders. Expect author interviews, guest blogs, giveaways, and more!
| Platform |  | Pricing | Freemium | Publishes | Twice weekly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issues | 357 | Founded | 4 years ago | Last Issue | 7 days ago |
| Active | |||||
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theshitaboutwriting.substack.comLatest Issues
✨A Near-Perfect Query Letter; & Meet Your Dream Agent. Plus, Avoiding Writing Emotionally Flat Scenes; & Returning to the Query Trenches After a Ton of Rejection✨
Also, the two hardest phases of writing. And a request to support Andrea Bartz, the queen of literary citizenship!
Happy Tuesday, shitalings!
✨From High-Concept Pitch to Synopsis: How to Plan Your Book Step-by-Step (Even If You’re a Pantser!)✨
Happy Friday, writing buddies!
This week’s podcast has not one, but two incredible author interviews. The first is with Lara Stokes, author of Midsummer Nights, who Carly interviews about the memoir and “drawer novel” that came before her...
✨Meet Your Dream Agent; & Query Critiques Inside! Plus, Make Your Own Rules; & How to Craft a Compelling Murder Mystery✨
Also, working in hope! And the concept of cluster ideas.
Happy Tuesday, writing rockstars!
✨Layers of Psychological Processing. Plus, High Hopes but Low Expectations; & The Serious Writer’s Essential Workbook✨
Happy Friday, writing friends!
Yesterday was a milestone 📕Books with Hooks🪝segment on the podcast! Our 225th BWH episode! In it, CeCe, Carly and Bianca dive into a Western horror, as well as an AI speculative fiction submission. Don’t mi...
Query Critiques May 2026
LB - Literary Fiction
LB - Literary Fiction
Key Facts
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Authors
The writers behind this newsletter.
The Shit No One Tells You About Writing is produced by author Bianca Marais, and literary agents Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra. If you're a writer, we're your people!
Senior Literary Agent at P.S. Literary; and The Shit No One Tells You About Writing podcast co-host
Literary Agent; Co-host of The Shit No One Tells You About Writing podcast
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