Leveraging Surprise and Disruption
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What insights do agents have about the current volume of submissions?
What's up, everyone? This is Cece. So I recently grabbed lunch with an acquiring editor from HarperCollins who told me that the number of submissions she's been getting has nearly doubled. And I wasn't surprised at all because every agent and editor I know has been talking about how the volume of submission keeps increasing. So personally, that is a wonderful thing, because it's more reading for me, but it also means I have more chances of matching with authors. I consider it a privilege to review queries on Books with Hooks, and of course, in my submissions inbox. But at the same time, I talk to writers who tell me that they wish agents would read more than a few pages because... And I quote, my story gets better in chapter two.
I have to be honest, this kills me. It's like me wanting chocolate chip cookies to have the nutritional value of kale.
How important are compelling openings for writers?
It's just not realistic. Like it or not, no agent, no acquiring editor is going to stick around to see if a submission gets better. It's not because we're mean, it's because we get dozens and dozens every day. I know it's harsh, but ambitious writers embrace harsh realities. So here it goes. It's your job to make your opening pages irresistible, to make agents crave it, to make agents want to read more. That's why I'm so excited about my upcoming course, Starting It Right. How to begin your story in the best place and in the best way. I created this course after studying hundreds of books. I've mapped out elements that are present in the beginning of all successful novels and memoirs.
What makes a strong protagonist's motivation?
And I've designed checklists, actual checklists, that you can use to ensure that your story's beginning is seducing your reader. We'll cover how to write a great first line, different types of beginnings and how you can choose the best one, the best place to start and the best way to start, yes, these are totally different things, when it makes sense to add a prologue and when it doesn't, how to frame your inciting incident in an appealing way, how to balance exposition and mystery, how to include context but not weigh it down with too much backstory, and what to do if your story has more than one POV or timeline. Most of all, I'm going to show you how to make readers want to turn to Chapter 2.
Join me for this multi-day course designed to help you break through the noise. You'll leave with a clear, actionable breakdown of exactly what goes into a terrific beginning. If you've already signed up, come prepared to take lots of notes. We're talking hundreds of slides with real-world examples and specific techniques, plus a super fun surprise that I can't wait to share. I hope to see you there.
and welcome to our show, The Shit No One Tells You About Writing. I'm best-selling author Bianca Murray and I'm joined by Cece Lira of Wendy Sherman Associates and Carly Waters of PS Literary.
How can writers balance atmosphere and plot effectively?
Hi everyone, welcome back to another Books with Hooks segment. As per usual, we are diving straight in. Cece, will you please kick us off?
Let's do this. Dear Cece, thanks for all you do on the podcast. Your advice, along with the lovely Carly Waters and Bianca Murray, has whipped my query into shape. And now I'd love to know if it passes muster. I chose Cece because of her fondness for dark, unsettling novels and complicated sister relationships. My book explores abandonment, parentification, and how control can curdle love into something predatory. Welcome to the overwoods, where your deepest, darkest fears don't just haunt you, they hunt.
What role does distinctive voice play in storytelling?
The Whistling Dark is an 80,000-word horror with a romantic subplot. It blends the generational trauma found in Andy Davidson's The Hollow Kind with the isolation from Johanna Van Veen's My Darling Dreadful Thing. It will appeal to fans of the Old Gods of Appalachia podcast and anyone who suspects the scariest monsters can be the ones who say they love you. Bowie Burnham doesn't believe in spirits. She fled Kyle and the West Virginia Hills years ago, trading small-town superstitions for the ordered life of a Chicago accountant.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What insights do agents have about the current volume of submissions?
0:03–0:56
2
How important are compelling openings for writers?
0:56–1:44
3
What makes a strong protagonist's motivation?
1:44–3:19
4
How can writers balance atmosphere and plot effectively?
3:19–3:58
5
What role does distinctive voice play in storytelling?
3:58–5:05
6
How can surprise and curiosity enhance a narrative?
5:05–5:51
7
What critiques are given for the speculative fiction submissions?
5:51–6:25
8
What are the main elements of a successful query letter?
6:25–55:38