B Wheeler
@MagicalHippo
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Author, parent, friend, daydreamer 🌈🦛💜 she/her #TheTimesChickenHouse 2022 #Room204 2023 cohort @Voyage_ya 2023 @WritingAwards 2023 #littlelivingroom
Joined September 2021
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Woke up to my 30th rejection. And it was an agent I had high hopes for. And it was form.
I may not get dressed today. Positive vibes welcome 💔
#amquerying
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21
1K
I was naive about the likelihood of getting published. I have read bad books and knew mine was better. I thought I just had to have a good book. Then I thought I needed a good pitch. Now I realise I could have great pitch & a great book and still never get published.
#amquerying
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817
I just want a six figure book deal so I can quit my day job, write full time, and drink cider in the sunshine.
Is that too much to ask??
What would you do with the book deal of your wildest dreams?
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Okay it finally happened I got a really nice rejection on a query. Never before has being turned down felt so snuggly 🥰
#amquerying
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These past two years I’ve worked so hard. Queried 2 novels, written and edited 2 novels, CP’d, done workshops, read craft books, entered competitions, written short stories. No agent, no contract. I’m so tired 😪
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Hi! I don’t usually do these—I don’t like pictures of my face 🫣
I’m B, I live in the UK. I have 2 children and work in learning support in a Steiner Waldorf school. I write queer YA contemporary with a speculative twist. Give me a wave and say hi! 👋
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Something just came up in another thread: I want to be trad published. I don’t want to self publish. I have my reasons but they’re MY reasons, I don’t have to explain my choices to strangers, and the self pub crowd here rarely respects my decision. 1/2
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I’ll be honest folks, I used to see that people had been querying for years and think that they must not be all that good at writing then.
Ha. How little I knew.
Now I’m sure some people must think the same about me. But no. We’re tough, and talented. Our time will come.
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I have a new piece of origami to introduce to you. This is a very special rat (no, I didn’t find the original - I had to make another) that represents an ✨offer✨ from an indie publisher 🥹
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Aaaaand this is your notification that I have now changed my profile pic! Get used to this brighter image 🌈
Old and new:
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Hey
#WritingCommunity
!
I’ve now got 50 rejections for my amazing YA fantasy. That’s 50 different agents have taken one look at my work and Noped out.
F I F T Y.
🙃🫠
#amquerying
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Look this is my warning that tomorrow I’m gonna confuse the heck out of all of you by changing my profile pic.
Old and new:
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Since making the decision to stop querying, I’ve had 3 requests for more material.
Clearly I should give up more often 😉
#amquerying
🤞🤞
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Another rejection, another origami flower to add to my paper garden of determination!
#rejectionart
#amquerying
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I’m trying this writing in a cafe thing for the first time ever!
New author achievement unlocked 💫
#amwriting
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What people don’t get about anxiety is its permanence. If I have a bad day at work, I want to leave my job. If I have a bad conversation with someone, I never want to speak to them again. Bad experience at a place? Avoid it forever. Fighting that flight response is exhausting.
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This post is to all the authors, editors, publishers, who are just kinda…
… waiting…
😅 I see you! Gimme a wave or say hello 👋
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Ugh the PAIN when you query an agent who seems a perfect match according to their MSWL and they reject within 24 hours 💔😭
#amquerying
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Today I finished the first draft of my YA fairytale romcom.
The End.
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Seeing
#Revpit
editors comment that query letters need personalisation. Maybe I’m jaded, but my querying experience is 90% form rejection or CNR. Why should authors personalise each query when sending tens or hundreds out, just to get form response or none at all? Thoughts?
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My feeling is that if a scene is boring to write, it will be boring to read, and needs reworking. I know not everyone agrees; what are your thoughts?
#amwriting
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18 agents passes, 18 paper flowers of perseverance! 🌸 How do you manage rejections?
#amquerying
#rejectionart
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If I say I don’t have the skills, money, or market to self publish, that is valid.
If I say I don’t want to, that is valid.
My journey is not your journey. We are not the same person. I wish you well in your journey. I don’t want to travel it myself. 2/2
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I really try to stay positive and upbeat but it’s hard when every day my feed is filled with vague tweets and joyous celebrations of various steps of the process.
Feels like this is happening for everyone except me 😞
But I know I’m not alone in that. Hugs to all
#amquerying
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Only 2 full requests for this manuscript. One just turned into a rejection 💔😭
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Two agent passes over the weekend have become two origami flowers to add to my garden.
#rejectionart
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Great
#KidLitPit
🥳
I got an agent ❤️ - yay - but from a USA agent and I live in UK. Does anyone have experience of working with an overseas agent? Or know any pros/cons to this scenario? Help! 😅
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Really wanted my wonderful queer, political, magic school YA to be my debut. I LOVE this book. I think you’ll love it too.
77 rejections to date.
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This is my second full request pass, and so my second bright butterfly to add to my origami garden. Just one agent left with my full. Good vibes and positive thoughts welcome! 🤞
#rejectionart
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Another
#querying
milestone: First full request rejection.
When I started querying I couldn’t imagine giving up after less than a year. But I’m tired of trying to convince people that my wonderful, beautiful story is worth their time.
And repeatedly being told it’s not.
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It’s not an agent’s responsibility to tell a writer why their MS has been rejected.
But without that feedback, we’ll never know why we’re not getting anywhere.
And sometimes that feedback is just ‘it’s not right for me.”
Must be so many wonderful books that’ll never get agents 😢
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Me: My mountain of rejections is so soul destroying.
Them: You know, J K Row-
Me: NOPE
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Agent: This sounds SO good! When I open I'd love to see this in my inbox!
Same agent: Unfortunately, due to the heavy fantasy elements, I don't feel I am the best fit for your project
??????
Idk what she was expecting from a magic school story…
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It’s easy to shout about success so our feeds are flooded with full requests, ✨vague👀 tweets and publishing announcements. So to help tip the scale, here’s a snapshot of my 2024 querying journey.
#writingcommunity
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So I joined up to get a following & make
#writingcommunity
connections.
A year later, met a few ppl, but still fewer than 1k followers, still unagented, and everyone is leaving to other platforms.
I hate social media. Pretty close to running away forever.
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I’m so very lucky to have a little writing space to call my own.
Where do you write?
Show me your spaces!
#writing
community
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Being an author means
- Research
- plotting/planning
- editing
- networking
- pitching
- marketing
- web design
- content management
- craft development
- time management…
… sometimes we squeeze in writing 😅
I know there’s more. What else did I miss??
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Sometimes Writing Twitter feels cold and scary and backstabby and hopeless.
But when I was musing if my pitch was any good last month, LOADS of authors, agents & editors reached out to check over my work. For free. Because we support each other around here 📚💜
#WritingCommunity
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37 passes, CNRs, or timed out queries. But you guys I’m feeling pretty positive. 2 agents have the full manuscript plus one indie press. Hopefully my garden will be finished soon 🤞🤞🤞
#rejectionart
#amquerying
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I’ve sent out over 70 queries this year and only had 17 responses total - just 2 requests. When others are getting double digit requests within a few short weeks, clearly I’m pitching wrong. Anyone got any tips or advice?
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We know this industry isn’t fair, we know it’s subjective, but damn that doesn’t stop the pain of others sprinting to that mountain top when we’re stuck halfway up and nobody’s tossing us a rope.
#amquerying
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Okay folks, we have one full canvas. 24 rejections represented. I know that’s not many but honestly I was expecting this book to fly and I’m so disheartened. Time to paint canvas number 2 😓
#rejectionart
#amquerying
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Okay, yes, it is about the writing, and I will keep writing for the enjoyment, but also I would like to be published. I’d like people to read my writing. I’d like a career as an author.
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How Not To do Blackout Poetry
(aka I had nice words in an agent pass and want to shout about it).
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I knew my first MS was a hard sell but it still got 8 requests before I moved on.
Now querying my 2nd MS and I really believed this story would fly. But I’m 4 months in, 40 queries sent, and only 2 requests. Feel like crying today 😢
#amquerying
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Have sent out my final query for my YA fantasy.
It isn’t the number of rejections (65) that made my decision, but the agent who kept the pitch in her maybe pile then rejected it because she didn’t think she could sell it.
Wish someone had told me 5 years ago my idea won’t sell.
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Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes 🥰 Today I got to eat cake - modelled on my YA novel, a fairytale retelling. You can see the cursed necklace from my mood board & an origami rat! 😂🤓😍
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Congrats to everyone who found their agent in 2023. It’s not happening for me with this WIP.
Chickenhouse LL’22
Voyage excerpts LL’23
Searchlight LL’23
0 offers of rep.
In 2024 I’ll begin the agony again with a new novel. Wish my dreams were a little more achievable 😞
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Excited and delighted to share that my story “Fairytale Ending” was selected for
@WildInkPub
’s Prom Perfect anthology 🥰🥳 Looking forward to work with
@demimschwartz
and
@writingwithreed
🪩💜
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This place is a two-sided coin.
Heads: the immense support from the
#writingcommunity
Tails: Watching everyone else get fulls, agents, deals, signings, while I fester in the slush pile for eternity.
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I have added a small purple rose for the form rejection I received this week, 7 months after querying an agency that ‘respond to everyone within 3 months’ that I thought would be an excellent fit.
😪
#amquerying
#rejectionart
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Happy Sunday. I know I’ve not been a cheerful cherub lately. I’ve been struggling with how difficult it is to break into the publishing industry. It’s tough out here. But I’m not giving up & I’m cheering you all along with me! And the support from this community is incredible 🤩
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Asking about small presses and indie publishers: what is the usual turnaround time from an author saying ‘yes I accept your offer of publication’ to that author seeing a contract? Responses welcome from anyone with this experience. Thanks!
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Hello to all my new followers, and those who’ve forgotten who I am 😉 I’m B (she/her) I write YA and teen fiction with queer relationships and a speculative twist. I live in the UK and eat a lot of doughnuts. Nice to meet you! 👋
#WritingCommunity
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I’m a novelist at heart but I keep hearing that having short stories published can help get my name out there & work recognised. Has anyone has any success with this?
#amwriting
#amquerying
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Fun writing retreat over the weekend and a ✨full request in my inbox today ✨
Celebrating little writing wins this week 🥳
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Current mood: I give up.
Pass on a full. On a Friday afternoon. In the torrential rain. Because it’s similar to something an existing client is working on. Second time I’ve been told that. But I’ve had this book ready for YEARS and nobody wants it. This feels impossible 💔😭
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Friday querying stats! Started querying YA novel in January 2024.
Queries sent: 72
Rejections received: 24
Full requests: 2 (both passed)
Bonus full request: 1 (still out)
Indie press offer: 1 (still pending)
Still querying? No idea 😂😅
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Full manuscript request received on December 29th 🥳
Not a bad way to end the year 🤩
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Hey
#writingcommunity
Have you ever written a character with a hobby or interest you know NOTHING about and then wonder why you did this to yourself?
#amwriting
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Being a querying author in the UK right now is seeing agency websites claiming to respond in X number of weeks/months only for that date to lapse with nothing but crickets in your inbox.
This happening to anyone else or is it just me?
#amquerying
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Hello! Today I want to remind everyone that feedback is helpful, but only YOU know which bits to use. Multiple agents have let me know what they want to see in the first chapter. Some of it contradictory. If I included everything, the chapter would be a hundred pages long!
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I finished my first draft of a short story! 🥳 Usually I don’t think I’m great at short story writing but I love this one. Now to polish it to really make it shine 🤩
Do you find it easier to write shorter pieces or novels?
#writingcommunity
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Got an encouraging pass on a full from an agent I’d be excited to work with. They said they’d be interested to see other work from me in future. So I replied with brief pitches of my existing work. No response.
Do I follow up? Send new queries for other works? What would you do?
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I think I’m actually getting worse at this origami malarkey, not better? 😅 Flower number 26 for the lovely rejection I got this week.
#rejectionart
#amquerying
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This came up in a thread recently so I thought I’d reshare:
When formatting your document, don’t tab to indent the first line. Use format > align and indent > special indent > first line.
Your editors will thank you!
What other formatting tips do you have? Share your wisdom!
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When you get excited about an agent finally being open to queries, only to have them reject you a week later.
#amquerying
#writerslife
#WritingCommmunity
#writersoftwitter
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To all the authors who feel the blow of every rejection, who struggle to take criticism, who’re drowning out here but keep swimming anyway. I see you.
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Thrilled to announce that I’m gonna be an assistant with
@TheSparkWriters
supporting young people in monthly writing workshops! 🥳 If you have creative kids in the Midlands, check out our workshops 👇
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A little entertainment for my fellow
#amquerying
authors.
How many of these Bingo squares have you received as a response when you admit to the struggle of querying?
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Got a full rejection yesterday so cold it froze my heart 🥶💙
And then a personalised query rejection this morning that was nice it thawed it again 🥰❤️🩹
#amquerying
and it’s a wild ride
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🥳 So pleased and honoured to be shortlisted 🥳
Well done to everyone who took part.
A huge thank you to all the writers who entered our 2023 competitions. You should be very proud of your stories - the standard was so high!
#searchlightawards
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Another rejection, another origami flower to add to my garden of perseverance! I think I’m getting pretty good!
#amquerying
#rejectionart
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She’s blooming beautifully. 12 rejections on curse WIP have become 12 paper flowers.
#rejectionart
#amquerying
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Starting the day with a rejection on a partial! It’s a response and it’s not form, so … is that a win these days? 🙃
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Form rejection on a Friday evening? After the day I’ve had. Pfffft.
*opens wine.*
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Maybe one of the agents with my full is reading it right now and loving it? 🤞🥺
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What I’d really like to say in a query letter…
Dear agent,
I love writing and I’m passionate about bringing queer characters onto bookshelves. Your MSWL & fave reads make me think we’d be a great match and good friends too.
I’ll work very hard. Take a chance on me.
#amquerying
What I'd really like to say in a query letter...
Dear agent,
My name is Lauryn, I write and I love it. You seem like an interesting person that I could learn a lot from and I think it could be a blast to wrestle the best out of this story together. PS. I bake.
#WritingCommunity
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The most baffling part of querying for me is agents looking to take on new client(s) but taking months to respond to queries. Am I missing something? Can anyone explain this to me?
#amquerying
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As I am in UK & my coauthor USA, we queried agents in both:
*all full requests came from USA agents
*UK agents are less likely to respond to queries
*all personalised rejections came from UK agents - altho one works in USA so idk how to count that
#amquerying
experience
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Made a pretty yellow butterfly for this project’s first* full rejection.
Please let it be the last 🤞🤞🤞
#rejectionart
#amquerying
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So, characters on front covers. Do you want to know what they look like or do you prefer to build your own image based on descriptions in the text? Thoughts?
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I would be thrilled to be repped by either of the 2 amazing agents reading my full MS so I feel a bit disloyal continuing to send out queries.
But my experience on other projects is that full requests always turn into rejections. Hedging my bets...
#amquerying
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Got some great feedback, advice, and insight from my Qs about overseas agents. Today I want to know pros/cons of small press publishing. Any authors here got a deal with a small press? Tell us all about it please! How does it differ from having an agent?
#amquerying
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Agents who use QM - If the synopsis, pitch, bio, meta data, and comps are asked for separately, what are you supposed to put in the query letter box? There’s nothing left, unless you have a personal connection to add. What am I missing?
#askagent
#amquerying
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@Austin_Hodgens
I make rejection art. Every rejection becomes an origami flower - I’m growing a garden of perseverance.
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5 form rejections this week and it’s still Thursday 🫠
Luckily there was also a partial request to soften the blow 🥳
#amquerying
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Seems like
#smallpitch
was a huge success yesterday! Congrats to the organisers, well done for everyone taking part, and hi to all the new authors I met 👋
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I’ve spent a lot of this year so far querying, editing & revising existing works, but this week I’ve finally gotten back to writing my 🐙 WIP.
Today I reached 10K 🥳
#amwriting
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Another two flowers so far this week: one polite pass, one timed out with no response. My perseverance will win out!
#amquerying
#rejectionart
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#unhingedpit
was so fun yesterday. Have some unhinged querying stats!
Queries sent: A zillion.
Rejections: a ball of someone else’s hair in the communal showers.
Fulls: popping candy on a sunny day.
No response: wind blowing aimlessly through an abandoned warehouse.
Offers: ….?
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My second yellow full request butterfly in its field of query passes or CNRs. 40 agents so far don’t want my YA queer romcom (or haven’t responded). Second canvas is getting a little full 😢
#amquerying
#rejectionart
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