Manuscript Academy
The Happiest Place in Publishing! Classes, agent consultations + a thriving community at ManuscriptAcademy.com. Brought to you by the makers of Manuscript Wish List® + #MSWL.
- Took ate Julie's reading glasses this morning. He's sorry. Catch him at our next panel…hopefully not eating the power cord. Again.
- "The queries reviewed in this panel were NOT average. This is hyper-condensed, like all the good stuff has been filtered down. This is very unusual to have so many that are this good. Most queries in agent inboxes haven't done basic research or been edited." —Alice Speilburg at last night's panel
- We had such a wonderful time with you this week. You are all so talented, funny, supportive, kind, and everything we want in a creative community. You make us feel better about the world. 🌎 Thank you for being here.
- What does it mean when an agent seems to LOVE your book--but still says no? 🤔 Getting rejections like this? It HURTS. At yesterday's Rejection Interpretation Panel, we analyzed real query rejections and explained what "not the right fit at the moment" ACTUALLY means. youtu.be/lLX96vLJHkU
- Your query needs to make sense FAST. Agents have just a few seconds to find concept, comprehension, and interest. At our Shark Tank-esque pitch panel, agents Katharine Sands and John Cusick shared their formulas for pitching your book in under 60 seconds. 📚✨ manuscriptacademy.com/how-to-pitch...
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- Eeep it's tomorrow! This is our SIXTH annual Submission Strategy Workshop and we are all the things--excited! Nervous! (It's so many people!) Can't wait to see what John (Cusick, Folio Literary) and Alice (Speilburg, Speilburg Literary) say about the work!
- 💙 Today at our panel, agent Linda Camacho (Gallt & Zacker Literary) told our writers: "You can all write really well. Your manuscripts are fantastic. It really does show when people are doing their research, reading, doing all the things." We love these panels! But there's an important lesson...
- Why do 90% of writing goals fail by February? They depend on other people saying yes, which is a recipe for giving up. SMART goals flip this. Finally, you're the one in control. We’ve got a sustainable, fun, even delicious (pie recipe!) new post here: manuscriptacademy.com/smart-writin...
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- Agents want to feel like they'll get an A on the pop quiz of your book. If your query is one big essay question (complex magic system + political shifts + endless characters), throw in some multiple choice too—unrequited love, strict parents, bullying. The things we know, and picture, easily.
- We think it's unfair that the submissions process is complicated, inconsistent, and takes so darn long. Our solution: three days of classes, workshops + panels about finding YOUR best agents, interpreting rejections, smart pivots, and writing your best query. manuscriptacademy.com/product/thre...
- Dream big (movie deals! Awards! NYT bestsellers!) but work smart. Your pie-in-the-sky goals keep you inspired, but your SMART goals—the ones you can measure and control—are what get you there. 🥧 Write both. Track the SMART ones. Then tell us how it goes--we love good news.
- That harsh rejection? It's actually a compliment. Agents don't waste time on detailed feedback unless they see real potential. Often rejections reflect their bandwidth and room on their current list, not your work's quality. Keep going. #Querying #WritingCommunity #AmQuerying
- Nervous about querying agents? That's probably a good sign! One agent explains here: manuscriptacademy.com/nervous-abou...
- @carmelamartino.bsky.social Thank you, Carmela! Nice to e-meet you. :)
- It's a great time to send your work! Before you hit send, check out our Query Letter Checklist: manuscriptacademy.com/query-letter...
- Meetings are now live for members! And we have a super exciting month ahead: ✨Our SIXTH annual Submission Strategy Workshop is January 27-29! Early bird $39. ✨Members-only Query + Page Panel with agent Linda Camacho ✨Agent Help Desk + Q&A Learn more: manuscriptacademy.com/product/thre...
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- There’s so much to learn as a new author. And, sometimes, you just need the confidence of a mediocre white Roomba. Here’s a post about how we helped a shy, tech-averse writer to create her first social media video—and what you can learn along the way: manuscriptacademy.com/overcome-tec...
- Today, in our query workshop, Jessica asked: "If you had to describe your book's conflict as if it was reality TV, how would you do it?" Who hates whom? What are they going to do about it? Will they flip a table? Blow something up? Drama > summary/worldbuilding for FAST agent comprehension.
- Are you panicked about platform? You can probably relax! For many genres, your story matters much more. Here's what platform actually means for each genre: manuscriptacademy.com/author-platf... #WritingCommunity #AmWriting #AmQuerying #WritersOfBluesky #AuthorPlatform #QueryTip #WritingAdvice
- December vs. January querying: which camp are you in? 🤔 Camp "Just Get in Line": Send when ready, agents read year-round Camp "Wait": January agents are refreshed, hungry, in "yes mode" The real answer? Know yourself and your book. Great insights from agent Nour Sallam on timing your query 👇
- "I am a big, big, big fan of people that add their voice, especially when it's a funny voice to the query letter. The tone is so great." —Ivan Taurisano, Macmillan editor, on what makes queries stand out at our latest Query & Page Feedback Panel #AmQuerying #QueryTip #WritingCommunity
- Reposted by Manuscript AcademyGoing into 2026, a reminder for everyone who's fallen off the creative wagon, game dev, writing, art, music, whatever, no matter how long:
- Members! Our Interactive Query Workshop (come on up for a live query consultation with Jessica & Julie!) goes live Thursday at 2pm ET. Login + send your query here: manuscriptacademy.com/live-events#...
